Playing Our Song

Chapter 1

Chapter 1As the sun set, vibrant yellow and orange hues painted the sky. The glare over the water gave it a majestic appearance. A sense of peace washed over Jase.

He put his sunglasses back on and walked to his car. Before climbing in, he inhaled deeply and let the salted air refresh his lungs as he dumped the sand from his shoes.

He drove the winding road with no destination in mind. Spotting a small building with a glowing red sign advertising food, Jase pulled into the parking lot. His stomach growled, and his mouth watered.

About to step out of the car, he leaned over and grabbed his hat from the passenger seat. It still amazed him how many people recognized him just from his hair. Although it shouldn’t be that shocking as both the copper color and his hair cut stood out even before his band hit it big.

Jase opened the heavy wooden door in the front of the building, and a voice riding on the breeze caused him to freeze mid-step. His body tingled. Needing to find where the singing came from, Jase stepped inside and glanced around the room. People filled the larger than expected area, standing and sitting at small tables covered in food. The noise level stayed hushed for such a large crowd, enabling Jase to hear each note as the sound floated through the air.

Unable to locate the source, Jase’s gaze stopped on a crowd in the far corner, no doubt gathered around the man Jase trailed. Chills raced up Jase’s spine.

The song finished as Jase crossed the room. Conversations picked up, but only as long as it took for a new song to start. Aromas swirled through the room that only moments earlier would’ve held all of Jase’s attention, but now played second, maybe even third fiddle, to his need to see who owned the voice behind the songs.

Jase arrived where his target sat, not shocked to find a beautiful man to match the beautiful voice. And while the man’s dark brown hair and fit build made him look good, it was how he held his body and his expression that showed his apparent feelings about the heartfelt song he sang that made him truly stunning.

Though the man appeared to watch the large crowd surrounding him, his weightless gaze and relaxed grin told Jase the guy sat alone with his thoughts and the song. Both the sound and the sight of him caused Jase’s breath to hitch.

Jase wasn’t sure how long he stood, lost in the music, when something pulled him from the serenity of the moment. A second passed before he realized the culprit was his phone vibrating in his pocket. Jase thought to ignore it, not wanting to leave the place he was in, both mentally and physically, but in case there was a problem he had to deal with, he’d take the call.

He peeked at the phone, and his stomach tightened. s**t. Am I late?

He rushed to the back entrance by the bar, as his mind raced to wonder how he’d missed the time moving so fast.

Once outside and away from the door, Jase opened the phone. The shrill of the voice on the other end was at total odds with the one Jase just listened to, and it took a second for his ear to adjust. Unfortunately, Andrew said something during that time.

“Hey, Andrew, slow down. The connection’s crap.” Even though Jase was outside, he didn’t want to yell.

“Where are you?” Andrew asked.

Jase checked his watch to see how late he was. I still have almost three hours? He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and the silence on the other end of the phone reminded him he hadn’t answered Andrew yet.

“Out driving. I’m out driving.” About to add that he’d stopped to grab something to eat, Andrew cut Jase off.

“Lower your music so you can hear me.”

“Okay,” Jase walked further into the parking lot, hoping, but not, to escape the sound of the music coming from the building. “There, that’s better. Now, what did you say?”

Andrew huffed. “I said, I’ll be landing sooner than expected.”

“What time are you coming in?” Jase hoped it wasn’t too soon.

“I’m arriving in about forty-five minutes.”

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“Nothing?” Jase said. “Just thinking I’ll probably hit traffic near the airport.” And that I can’t stay and listen to the guy sing.

“Don’t be late.” Andrew’s voice was almost a whine. “You know how much I hate standing there with my luggage.”

Jase’s muscles tightened. “Yeah, I know.” The one time it’d happened, Jase had gotten a flat tire on the way. They’d had a huge fight. One Jase didn’t want to repeat. “I’ll be there,” Jase promised.

“Great,” Andrew said, but Jase wasn’t sure if Andrew meant it for Jase. It sounded as if Andrew had started another conversation.

“Buy, baby. Can’t wait to see you.” Jase said quickly, but the response he got was dead air. Andrew must have been talking to someone about something important, causing him to hang up without saying goodbye.

Jase thought about the drive. He couldn’t stay for one more song. He needed to head out immediately, and even then, he’d only be able to follow half the speed limit signs.

He jogged around the building to his car.

The ride to the airport turned out less hectic than he’d expected. It’d helped he’d traveled in the opposite direction of rush-hour traffic. He loosened his grip on the steering wheel as he pulled into the airport with five minutes to spare.

He followed the signs to the arrival section and planned to wait there for his man. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one waiting there. Two uniformed security guards stood at the ready to tell him if his passenger wasn’t already standing on the curb waiting for him, he’d need to move along.

Jase moved. Then he continued to cruise, circling the airport. He wasn’t sure who grew more annoyed; him from the monotony of driving in circles, or the officers who moved toward his car every time he came around the circle only to realize it was Jase again.

After about the tenth ring around the airport, Jase tried to call Andrew. The call went right to voicemail. He continued to make the loop another five times and called again. After another five times, he suffered the same outcome with the call. Andrew must have turned his phone off.

Instead of heading back to the pickup area on his next loop, Jase turned onto the ramp that led to the parking garage. As he stepped out of the car, his stomach growled, reminding him he’d never ordered food when he stopped earlier.

Inside the terminal, Jase bypassed the seating area and headed straight toward the kiosk to grab a snack. While waiting for his food, his thoughts traveled back to the restaurant and the reason he hadn’t had time to order anything. He had been too busy listening to the guy sing. Genuinely impressed, Jase’s thoughts remained on the guy’s voice and the song Jase had never heard before as he finished eating and moved to sit between the exit and baggage claim. He sat for a while before he noticed his boyfriend coming down the escalator.

Jase stood and waved. It stunned him to see Andrew’s smile turn into a sneer when he spotted Jase. Jase ignored it. He figured it had more to do with Andrew being late than anything else.

“Hey, baby, I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you,” Jase said as he moved in to kiss Andrew.

Andrew moved and landed Jase’s kiss onto his cheek instead of the lips where Jase was aiming.

“What happened to the car?” Andrew spoke in a yelling whisper. “Why are you in here?” Andrew’s stiff posture and downturned lips surprised Jase.

“Because you’re late.” Jase didn’t understand what the problem was.

“No, I’m not. They expected to land at nine-forty-five, and it’s exactly nine-fifty.”

Jase blinked, confused. “You told me you planned to land early. At eight.”

“Yeah,” Andrew scuffed. “That didn’t work out. After the pilot mentioned we were running early, he told us it wouldn’t matter because of the air traffic. The plane wasn’t able to land until its allowed spot. Which it did.”

“You didn’t think to call me and tell me this,” Jase said. Still confused, his words came out sounding harsher than he intended.

“I did, but my phone died.” Andrew pulled out his phone as if to show Jase. It was dead. “What could I do, you were already on your way?”

“I’m sure someone had a phone for you to borrow, so I wouldn’t have to wait here for over an hour.” Jase couldn’t believe he even had to say this.

Andrew snorted as he stopped walking. He turned to face Jase, Andrew’s nostrils flared, and his eyes squinted. The back of Jase’s throat burned. He’d f****d up.

Jase went to apologize, for what he wasn’t sure, but Andrew held up his hand, stopping Jase.

“I’m sorry if coming to get me was such an inconvenience.” Andrew spit out the words.

Jase shook his head. “That’s not what I said. Not what I meant. I just—” He tried to apologize again, but Andrew cut Jase off for a second time.

“Next time, I’ll just make sure I arrange for a car to pick me up,” Andrew said and walked away.

Jase stood shocked, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Then his brain caught up with what was going on, and he ran to catch up with Andrew. s**t. “That’s not necessary.”

Andrew stopped short, and Jase almost crashed into him.

“I could probably arrange for one right now.” Andrew pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll just call Renaldo, and he’ll send a car to come for me.”

“How do you plan to call? Your phone’s dead.” The words fell from Jase’s mouth too fast to stop, and he knew, beyond a doubt, that he’d just f****d up. Again. His stomach dropped.

“Fine. I’ll go with you.” Andrew moved toward the exit, his gaze on where he was walking. He acted as if he were doing whatever he could to avoid looking at Jase. “But I want to go home. I don’t feel like coming to your place tonight.”

“Oh, come on, baby. I am sorry. I haven’t seen you in two weeks. Please come home with me.”

“No. Not tonight. I don’t think us being together tonight is a good idea. With your attitude,” Andrew added the last part in a whisper.

Great. Jase blew it. Now Andrew wanted to head home, and when Jase picked him up the next day, he’d whine about Jase’s attitude at the airport. Dammit. Why hadn’t Jase just stayed in the car? Or if he had to go inside the airport, why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?

The next three days were the same. Jase and Andrew made plans, then Jase would say something that upset Andrew, and he’d break their plans. Day four was worse than the rest. Andrew announced he’d booked another photo shoot and would be away for a month. No, he wouldn’t see Jase before he left.

Not wanting to sit home and sulk, Jase spent the day running errands. Once done, he wasn’t ready to go home. He drove around for a bit with no destination in mind. He found himself back on the road leading to the restaurant he’d gone to five days earlier, all the while thinking it felt like much longer since he’d been there.

* * * *

Garrett’s pulse quickened the moment the guy entered the building. He had an electric current surrounding him, and the charge ignited Garrett’s nerves, causing them to tingle. He kept his focus moving around the room, trying to get through the song he was singing. The other day when Garrett had first noticed the man, Garrett had missed a cord on his guitar. It hadn’t been noticeable, but it’d still been cause for concern. This guy made Garrett feel things he’d never felt after only seeing him a few minutes. What the hell would Garrett do if the man stayed for Garrett’s full set?

Between songs, Garrett spotted him. He remained toward the back, surrounded by people, but stood out as if he were alone on a stage. He wore sunglasses, but Garrett could still feel the guy’s gaze burning into him. Grabbing his bottle of water, Garrett chugged it, trying to cool his insides. This guy made Garrett hot all over.

Garrett needed to get through the rest of his set. And to do that, he’d have to lessen the strange hold the guy had on him. It’d be hard, but he’d push through.

After propelling through a few more songs, Garrett spotted the wave of a hand from near the kitchen. One of the wait staff was letting him know his dinner was ready.

The thickness in the air brought about by the other guy watching had Garrett more grateful for a break than he’d ever been. He put his guitar against the chair and stood. “Thank you all for hanging out with me tonight. I’m going to take a quick food break, and I’ll be back in thirty.”

Garrett sat at the small table set up for him to use behind the little makeshift stage. Even though he was starving, Garrett took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed a minute to get his wacky nerves back under control before he had to sing again. He opened his eyes, took a bite of his burger, then froze, unable to swallow. The guy stood right behind Garrett. Garrett sensed him before seeing him. Coughing into his napkin, Garrett forced the food down his much too dry throat with the help of his soda.

“Hey. I was wondering if you could talk for a minute.”

Shit. The guy’s voice sounded as heavenly as he looked. “Sure,” Garrett choked out. Real smooth. He turned around and almost swallowed his tongue. Handsome from afar, this man transcended gorgeous close-up even with the baseball cap pulled low on his head.

“Wanted to say, you’re good. Really good.”

“Thanks.” Garrett’s skin warmed.

“Those songs. Are they yours?” The guy asked.

“Yeah.” Garrett stared at the man standing in front of him, having a hard time making his gaze pass the man’s lips.

“Have you been performing long?”

Garrett cleared his parched throat, staring at his soda. “Almost two years.” He picked up his glass and couldn’t help the smile forming on his lips once the cold liquid slid into his mouth.

“Same with the writing?”

“A little longer.” What was Garrett’s problem? His mouth suddenly objected to sentences made up of more than three words, and his hands were fiddling with his fork.

The guy laughed, and Garrett thought sure it was at him.

“I’d love to get together after your set and maybe talk.”

About what? “Sure.” Garrett’s stomach flip-flopped. The room’s lights were low, but it didn’t stop Garrett from noticing the way the guy’s smile glowed.

“What time are you done here?” He asked.

Garrett had to think. The conversation moved too fast. “Ten-thirty.” Garrett’s heartbeat picked up its pace.

“Great.” The guy walked a couple of steps, then turned back. “I’ll meet you back here at ten-thirty.”

Garrett couldn’t control the goofy smile painted on his face. “Great.”

The second the man walked out the back door, all of Garrett’s muscles loosened. It was almost as if he’d been on a tightrope and just realized a net sat under him. I have two hours to get my head out of my ass and pull myself together because he’ll be back.

Garrett’s set continued as usual. He relaxed into his songs as if the other man never existed. He played his old favorites and some of his new material. Then, at ten-thirty on the dot, the guy walked in and caused the air to crackle. Garrett took a gulp of air, needing more oxygen. What was he, thirteen? It was time he grew up.

Instead of coming right to Garrett, the man walked to the bar and ordered a drink. Garrett was thankful for the few minutes to collect himself. He put his guitar away and cleaned his area. Done, he had no excuse to avoid the bar, although he stared at the back door for a few minutes, trying to contemplate if he could make it out without the other man spotting him. He couldn’t figure out what his problem was, but he needed to get over it and fast, as the guy at the bar’s gaze locked on Garrett.

Garrett sucked in another deep breath and headed toward the bar. And the guy.

“You were great tonight.” The guy’s smooth voice dripped along Garrett’s skin, leaving goose bumps in its place.

“Thanks.” Garrett’s face heated.

“Those last two songs you sang. They’re yours?”

Garrett went to answer but found his mouth too dry. He caught sight of the condensation on Jase’s beer and had the urge to lean in and lick the bottle and maybe Jase’s neck, too. Realizing he let the question go unanswered too long, Garrett shook his head, cleared his throat, and forced out the word, “Yeah.”

The leaf green eyes staring at Garrett twinkled, and the man’s full luscious mouth formed into a smile. “I’m Jase.” Jase held out his hand, and Garrett shook it.

“Garrett. Nice to meet you.”

“You too, Garrett. You too.” When the guy, Jase, said Garrett’s name, a spark ignited inside Garrett. He tried to shake it off without being obvious.

For the next hour, Garrett and Jase sat and talked about their musical influences. Jase mentioned he sang and played guitar too. He played in a band.

There was a slight lull in the conversation when Garrett checked the time on his phone. “s**t. I’ve got to head out. It’s late.”

“Oh. Okay.” The disappointment in Jase’s voice said he hadn’t wanted to leave either. Garrett would have loved to stay and chat, except he had to get up early for his day job. “Sorry. Five A.M. comes around fast.”

“I bet.” Jase looked ready to say more, but he hesitated for a moment. “Maybe we could get together again? When you have more time.”

Like a date? Garrett bit his lip, holding his mouth closed before the words slipped out.

“I’d like to talk some more about your music.”

Or not. “Um, sure. That would be great.” Garrett pulled his phone out of his pocket. “What’s your number?”

After giving Garrett Jase’s number, Garrett called Jase so he’d have Garrett’s number.

Garrett pressed his fist into his leg, trying to get it to stop bouncing. They were just two friends who’d meet up and talk about music. No pressure.

“I only work here Thursday through Sunday. So, I’m free if you want—”

“Monday works great for me.” Jase was quick to answer. “Somewhere in the city?”

“Greta’s Grill on Fifth Avenue?” It was a diner—low key, and opened late. Not that Garrett did many late nights.

“Perfect. About seven?”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you then.” Butterflies filled Garrett’s stomach. He was already counting the minutes.

“Great.” Jase waited while Garrett situated his gear. Then Garrett held out his hand, letting Jase go first. Jase turned and headed for the door, while Garrett followed closely behind, his gaze pinned on Jase’s ass.

Damn, Jase is hot. His personality was as perfect as his looks, and both had Garrett reeling.

“Goodnight, Garrett.” The voice across the room broke through Garrett’s fog. He turned and spotted the bartender waving. She winked, giving him a knowing smile. s**t. She busted him, checking out Jase’s goods. At least Jase hadn’t noticed. Garrett would have to be more careful.