Blake met Gwen on a Monday. They hung out in her hospital room Tuesday. The following day Blake spent exploring LA. He didn't want to seem too clingy or overwhelm her so, he thought taking a day to learn this new city might be a good idea if this thing with Gwen goes anywhere. While he is walking down God only knows what street his; phone rings. It's the record label asking if he was still in town and if he would mind stopping by Thursday. Blake agrees to a meeting time of 12:30. Maybe things hadn't gone as badly as he had thought. With his spirits lifted some he goes into a restaurant and orders his food.
"Hey you" he hears from beside him.
He turns and looks to see if whoever it was, was talking to him. When he makes eye contact he realizes that it's the nurse from the hospital that is always taking care of Gwen.
"Howdy." He answers almost a little awkwardly.
"Hey we didn't see you at the hospital today, thought you went home." Lou says, trying to figure out his intentions with Gwen (she is her best friend and she will do everything she can to protect her).
"Nope still here. Thought I would take the day looking around the city. Didn't want to overwhelm Gwen; plus I should probably know some of the city since it's looking more and more like I'm gonna be spending a lot of time here."
"Really and why might that be?"
"Well I got a call from the label I came out here to work with and I'm meeting with them tomorrow and to be frank, because of Gwen too. She is a special person and when people like her enter your life you have to fight to make sure they stay in your life." Having finished his meal and successfully having answered Lou's unasked question, he grabs his bill to pay and leave.
"Well, I'll see you around. Tell Gwen I said 'Hi' will ya?"
"I will. Take care."
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Gwen finds herself in her hospital bed sick as can be. She had a treatment today and this time she doesn't have a certain cowboy to make her feel better. He didn't come today which Gwen feels like she should have known he wouldn't. She is sure he went home. She knew she was crazy to even let her mind think that he would stay here for her. That combined with the treatment make today a very low day and to top that off Lou is off today so she has some guy nurse. Normally she likes having the male nurses, they are eye candy, but today it just reminds her that Blake went home and she is going to be alone forever.
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Wednesday morning Blake wakes up, gets his morning coffee, and begins to get ready for his meeting. It doesn't take him long to get ready and to be honest he doesn't have to put much thought into it because he wears pretty much the same thing ever day just different colors. Once he finds himself ready to go he heads out in search of breakfast. He is nervous. Meeting Gwen and wanting to explore what that is, puts that much more pressure on this meeting. It has to work out so he can stay here in LA......with Gwen.
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"Hello ma'am nice to meet you." Blake says shaking the hand of the head of the A&R department at Millennial Records
"Nice to meet you as well Mr........." she pauses on his name looking at her paperwork trying find it.
"Shelton. Blake Shelton but you can call me Blake."
"So I hear you're a country artist Blake. What got you into country music?"
"Well first of all the obvious; my accent...very country. Second, country songs all mean something. There is always a story, one that you as the artist and you as fans can relate to. I was raised on country music. Both my parents listened to it all the time, so naturally I fell in love with it."
"Ok Blake I'm gonna be honest with you. Is that ok?"
"Yes ma'am please, do be honest."
"Your voice is great. We think we could pair you up with some writers and record a successful album. The problem here though, is your look. You look like you're from the backwoods not a music recording studio. If we want to do this there are some things we would need to see you change."
"You don't like the way I look?"
"No, no, no that's not it. We love your look. We just don't think it's very marketable."
"Ok so what did you want to change then?"
"Well we would like to make you look a little more like an edgy type of cowboy. So maybe; black leathery pants, a black leathery vest, black cowboy boots, and a black cowboy hat."
"What kind of shirt under the vest?"
"Oh, no shirt! We need to play up your sexiness. The ladies will be all over you!"
The thought of ladies being all over him was a disgusting idea. Blake can't stand that. He isn't a piece of meat. This time the idea makes him actually angry. He doesn't want ladies all over him. He wants only one girl all over him and they had barely even touched each other. He can only imagine the feeling of actually kissing her, making love to her?
"You want me to walk around in no shirt?"
"Yes is that a problem?"
"Yes actually it is. I don't walk around in leather and I absolutely do not go shirtless!"
"Well, without this change I'm not sure how far we are going to be able to take this."
"Well, as sorry as I am to hear this, I won't compromise myself for a career. So thank you for your time and attention but I'm not willing to participate in your offer." Blake got up and went to the bathroom.
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As Blake is walking back to his hotel he feels his morale sinking. He is never gonna catch the break he needs. It feels almost as though the universe is teasing him. His dream right there in front of him and then it gets snatched back. He doesn't know how much more he can take of this never having a single thing work out for him. As he crawls into bed his thoughts travel to Gwen. As much as he feels like the universe is out to get him he remembers that there is always someone that's worse off than you. He suddenly feels guilty. Gwen is sitting up in a hospital bed right now getting ready for a treatment for an illness that very well might kill her. Tomorrow is a treatment day for her and he remembers how rough she told him they were on her. So he decides to be there for her tomorrow.
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Gwen sits in her bed sketching some designs for her work. She works for a company that designs high end purses, shoes, glasses, and sunglasses. They were very understanding when she told them the news of her cancer; and were working with her very well. They always told her to do whatever work she could manage and send it over by courier. The way her company was willing to work with her did not go unnoticed by Gwen. It allowed her to continue to do what she loves which kept a sense of normalcy in her life.
"Guess who I saw yesterday in Studio City?" Lou asks as she is walking in.
"Who?" Gwen absent-mindedly asked
"Blake. He is still here." She smirked
"He's still here?"
"Yeah he said he was exploring the city."
"He didn't seem like the tourist type."
"Oh he definitely isn't. He said he needed to know how to get around better since he is gonna be here a lot."
"Be here a lot?"
"Yep that's what he said."
Gwen's mind is running 1,000 miles a minute. Why was he gonna be here a lot? Did he get the record deal? Did it have anything to do with her? So many questions that she feels like she can't ask. They just met. She can't ask personal questions like that. Heck she doesn't even know if he is gonna come back to see her. Who is she kidding? He isn't coming back to hang out at the hospital. No one wants to spend their free time with some sick girl in the hospital.
"Gwen? Gwen! GWEN!" Lou yelled
"Oh sorry spaced out there."
"Where did you go?"
"Nowhere important Lou...continue what you were saying..."
"I know you're lying but it is super late and you need to sleep so I won't make you tell me the truth. But if it had anything to do with Blake, he likes you Gwen." Lou said giving her friend a sincere smile before turning and leaving
Leaving Gwen alone we her thoughts. He is still here and he likes her.
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Blake got up and got ready for the day with Gwen in the hospital. He had planned everything out last night at 2am. Yeah that's right he didn't sleep because he was so excited to see her. He knew he probably shouldn't be, at least not yet, but he couldn't stop himself nor did he want to. So he settled on being excited. He went to Target and bought the new movies that looked good. He wanted to bring pizza but he knew she wouldn't be able to eat it to. Not with the chemo. So he sat and thought about what he could bring her and it hit him. What's something that he always had to have when he was sick? A Coca-Cola slushee! So he stopped at Turkey Hill and got two of the biggest Coke slushees he could buy. Next, he set out for his destination, Gwen.
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Gwen looked out the window at the birds flying in the sunshine. She missed that. The sun shining down on her skin; basking in its warmth. She is brought out of her day dream when Lou comes bouncing into the room.
"Good morning." Lou says a little too perky considering what was coming
"It was a good morning, but you bring good that will quickly turn this to a bad morning." Gwen answers trying to make light of the current situation
"Yeah I'm sorry. I like when I get to give good presents not these crappy ones. Have you heard from him?"
"No I haven't heard anything since Tuesday. I don't know I got my hopes up to high I guess."
"Got your hopes up for what?" A southern voice booms from the door way