Trevor

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Yeah, yeah I know, I’ll be back by six,” Jordan yelled to his brother as he left Escape to wander around downtown Medford. He was not the type of guy to “sight see,” but he wanted to scope out the area he would be staying while he figured out his next move. His life had turned upside down when he went out on the road with Phoenix Rising. A typical teenage guy who thought he had everything figured out in life. What a disaster that turned out to be! Luckily, he was a smart one—he’d cut his losses and moved on. The others in the band not so much. He didn’t wish any ill on his friends in the band, but he knew if he didn’t separate from them now, he would be in the same boat as them, drugged and penniless. What a f*****g mess, he thought.

He was pleasantly surprised at the quaint downtown area. There was a museum, several mom and pop shops, and a town square surrounded by several eateries. What caught his eye was a small storefront glammed up with a rainbow with the word “café” in the middle. He hoped it wouldn’t be an overly loud place with pop music and divas running around. He wanted a place that he could chill out and work on his music without his brother Corey bothering him every two seconds. He thanked God every day for Corey, but he was a meddler, always wanting to know how he was. ‘How’s your music coming along, how’s…’ It was constant, and as much as he loved his brother, he wanted to scream at times, but if it wasn’t for Corey, he didn’t know where he would be.

He entered the café and noticed the décor was perfectly comfortable, with small tables and stools surrounding the main area, couches, large comfortable-looking chairs up against the walls, and a counter area up front. He spotted a juke box and a lounge type area at the back. He was pleasantly intrigued by his surroundings. Everything about this place screamed ‘welcome’, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like he’d found a place to come to each day and work on his music.

As he looked up at the menu, he heard a man’s voice from the cabinet that held empty cups and saucers. “Can I help you?” a soft voice asked. He ordered a drink and pastry, and couldn’t help but admire the cutie behind the counter. He was masculine, but had flair he could spot a mile away. He was shorter than him which he loved in a man. He loved being able to dominate a kiss, push a guy up against the wall and…Shit what the f**k are you thinking, no guys…just music. This guy was sexy and with those glasses, damn…Yes, but his main focus was his music, it had to be. He had no time for getting sidetracked.

He wanted quiet, so he decided to go outside and sit at the picnic tables. The shop was filling up and he wanted some fresh air. He thought back to the day he left for the road and realized what a stupid fucker he’d been. He had the talent in their group, the rest of the guys knew it, and that didn’t stop them from exploiting it. Jordan knew going on the road was the best thing for his career, and with Levi being his best friend and drummer made it a no brainer to go that route, but as they traveled and got signed with a major record label, Levi showed his true colors. The fucker couldn’t just enjoy their fame and live life; they had the world by the balls. Levi was not the man he thought when they left for the road, but neither were the other guys in the band, either. Total cluster f**k.

Jordan checked the time on his cell phone when the door opened and the cutie from inside walked by. He could tell he checked him out because of the pause and the glance out of the corner of his eye, but appreciated the fact that he kept moving and not stopped to interrupt him. He made headway on his new piece and didn’t want to be bothered with small talk. He needed to stay focused. His hope was to get an album full of music written and strummed out, then make a live track and get himself out there again. He still had some contacts he could reach out to, but he wanted a little bit of time and space between the band and him before going out on his own. He needed to make it this time.

Jordan looked at his cell again and stretched his neck. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a few teens sitting at the other table sketching and listening to him strum. Jordan loved playing to an audience. He decided to see if there was an open mic night in town when he had this song ready. Just because he liked it, didn’t mean others would.

While Jordan was dithering between grabbing a bite to eat and heading back to help his brother out at Escape, or hanging at the café longer, he saw a glimpse of the guy from the café walking towards the bank on the corner. As much as he was intrigued, Jordan decided he didn’t want to hang around. He wanted to focus all his attention on his music and helping his brother out. He grabbed his guitar case, deciding to grab something on his way to his brother’s. Man, he was lucky his brother and his husband Peter were willing to take him in. He and Corey would tease his parents about hitting the lottery, having two sons that were gay.

Jordan made his way back to Escape, making eye contact with his brother as he rounded up the staff and did his daily pep talk on making sure all customers were happy and no drinks were empty. Blah blah blah…Jordan smiled. His brother depended on staff who knew when to shut off a patron when they drank too much, or watch out for the younger guys in the place with all the old creepers around. Jordan’s mind kept wandering to his music and to the cutie at the café. Maybe they could become friends? That wouldn’t be so bad, everyone needs friends, right?