Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 20:18:43 -0700 From: Joe Ballard Subject: In the Blink of an Eye, chapter 7 Chapter Seven I checked myself in the reflection in the window of the front door. I look good-ish. My hair is still fucked up and I think I need a haircut. I don't really want someone hacking at my hair. It has taken long enough to grow it out. I don't want to have someone try to even it out, either. Or cut bangs. Jesus. Landry pulled up and I jogged over to his car. I hopped in and we fist bumped. "Sup?" he said and pulled out of my driveway. I could see the drapes in the living room moving. My dad only let me out of the house when I assured him that Drago wasn't going to the show. He's still checking up on me apparently. "Hey man," I said back. "I was thinking we'd hit up Frasca for Italian," he said as we headed toward Pearl Street. "I think we can park in their lot for the whole night, too, and walk over to Palladium," he said. "Sweet," I replied. Frasca is definitely a date place. I am pleasantly surprised he wants to go there. I thought we might go to KFC or Taco Bell or something. This night sounds even better than before. We parked and walked in. It turns out he has reservations. I've never gone out anywhere with reservations unless my parents were involved. And that is rare. Only if they are celebrating something Aldon did. The hostess led us to a table by the window in the corner. It is very quiet in here but the background music drowns out everyone else's conversations. Hopefully that means we'll have some privacy. We ordered iced teas and checked out the menu. We decided to share an entree and each of us ordered an appetizer. Once all of that was out of the way, we just stared at one another for a couple of minutes. It was hella awkward. I still don't know if this is a date, even though it's probably obvious. He is just so, I don't know. So secretive? I guess that's good considering I'm not planning on coming out any time soon. Maybe he has even more to lose by making any announcements of his own. He's a football player. They aren't exactly known for being easy on gays. I guess that's a stereotype, but a well-deserved one. "So where are you going to school in the fall?" I finally asked after the server brought out our teas. He smiled at me, looking glad that I'd broken the ice. "UNC," he said. "I'll get to kick right away because their last kicker was a senior," he said excitedly. I know it is a big deal to start as a freshman. "Fuck yeah. That's awesome," I said, excited for him. "Greeley, huh?" I said, wrinkling my nose. Greeley is known for being a hick town that stinks. Something about processing sugar beets or some other agricultural thing. "Yeah, I know. But I got a scholarship and it's pretty close to home, so that's pretty cool," he said laughing. Huh, someone else who wants to be close to home. "Nice," I said nodding my head. "So living in the dorms?" "Yeah, they have athletic dorms so I'll probably be rooming with another football player. Maybe the punter," he told me. "Any ideas for a major, yet?" I asked. "I'm thinking about economics or finance," he said. The server brought out salads and we started eating. Fuck me, gotta business-minded football player here. "Econ or finance, huh?" I asked after we had a couple of bites. "Yeah, my dad is pushing me toward business. He says that no matter what I want to do, a business degree will help me with the money side. He has an MBA but his love is music. So he can do both. Or something like that. I think he wants me to take over the music store when he's ready to retire. I guess that's why he has me working there this summer," Landry said. "Not exactly your dream come true?" I asked. He laughed. "No, I'd rather have a career in the NFL and then invest my earnings and make millions that way. So, I guess the business degree will help regardless," he said. We laughed together. I couldn't imagine making millions while we're so young. I wonder if he really has a chance in the NFL. Drago mentioned the same thing--the NFL dream. How could two guys who grew up around the corner from me end up in the NFL? I don't really see it happening but I don't really know what their chances are either. Just then some guys from school walked up to the table. "Sup muthafuckas," Marcus said way too loud. A couple of adults at other tables gave us dirty looks. "Sup Marcus," Landry said looking embarrassed. He gave me an apologetic little shrug. I smiled at him and shrugged back to let him know it was cool. "Sup Marcus," I parroted when Marcus turned to me. "You guys headed to the Palladium show tonight?" he asked. He was with a couple of other guys wearing concert tees and jeans. It looks like we will see a lot of people we know at the show. "Yeah, man, you, too?" Landry answered. "You know it," Marcus answered. He and his buds pulled up chairs and sat with us. I didn't remember anyone inviting them to join us, but whatever. "Did you guys hear that The Four Horsemen broke up, though?" he asked, picking an olive out of my salad and popping it in his mouth. I moved my salad to the other side of the table and flipped him off. He grinned and drank some of my tea to wash it down. I moved it, too, as soon as he put it down. "No fucking way!" Landry said. The adults were giving us dirty looks again, but no one was paying attention. "Yeah, apparently Lenny and Aiden had a major fallout and Aiden kicked Lenny out of the band. Aiden said something like a monkey could play better guitar than Lenny," Marcus said, now raiding Landry's salad. Landry pushed his salad over to Marcus and let him finish it off. I noticed that Landry let guys push him around a little. It's surprising. I thought he was more of a leader-type, but it seems like he is more submissive or something. God, we'll never end up having sex if we're both submissive. "That's wild. I thought those guys were like best friends," l said. Man, what if Shel and I had formed a band and then it broke up because we couldn't get along? I guess I'll never find out, but still, it sounds pretty harsh. "Yeah, so they're scrambling to get someone to fill in for tonight. There's supposed to be some record exec in the audience," one of Marcus's minions said. "Damn, that sucks," I said. To be so close and then fuck it all up like that had to be super lame. "Dude, Alvin, you should get over there and audition like right now," Landry said, his eyes lit up. "Me? No, I don't think..." I started to say but Landry cut me off. "Yes, you! You are the best guitarist I've ever heard, you have to get over there," Landry exclaimed. I just looked at him with a dumb expression on my face. I don't even know those guys. They were a couple years ahead of us and went to a different high school. What was I going to do? Walk in and be like, `Someone hand me a guitar' and then blow them away with some crazy riff? "I don't think so," I said quietly. My mind was running like a hundred miles an hour. What if I did just walk in there and grab a guitar and blow them away? "You have to try. You are way too good to just sit here and eat Italian food while the chance to play in front of an actual music producer is a few yards away," Marcus said. I looked at him in surprise. Damn. Even Marcus is trying to convince me. Can I really do this? What if I zone out and have an episode? What if I fuck it all up? What if I've lost whatever gift for guitar I'd gotten from the accident and embarrass myself? I guess I could play pretty good before the accident. But this is just crazy talk. I'm not going over there. Am I? Landry jumped up from his seat. "C'mon, let's get over there before they offer the job to some loser that can barely play Stairway to Heaven," he said getting out his wallet and throwing down some cash on the table. "Hey, can we eat your food?" Marcus asked as the server brought out our appetizers. Landry pulled me up out of my seat. "Yeah, totes, just don't forget to leave a tip," he called out as he dragged me to the exit. I started laughing. This is ridiculous. He is serious about this. I just can't wrap my head around it. "Landry, I am sure they have someone there who is better suited to play than I am. Or Lenny is going to show up," I said as he dragged me over to the back door to the Palladium. A couple of guys were outside vaping as we approached. One of them was Aiden Jaxley, the lead singer of The Four Horsemen and the other guy is their bassist. I can't think of his name. "Sup Aiden," Landry said fist bumping the shorter of the two guys. Aiden is fucking gorgeous--spiky blonde hair, expressive hazel eyes, sexy lean body with a really nice bubble butt. And it appears that Landry knows him! "Hey cuz," Aiden said and instead of fist bumping him, he pulled Landry into a hug. "C'mon man, we're family," he said and Landry laughed. "I guess if you call your grandpa marrying my grandma making us family," he said. Wow, apparently they are step grandkids or something. "I do," Aiden said. He looked over at me and smiled this sexy fucking smile that made me start getting hard. Fuck he's so hot. And his talking voice is as sensual as his singing voice. I wanted to stick my tongue in his mouth. "Who do we have here?" he said, looking me up and down. Is he checking me out? What is up with guys lately? It's like something happened after the accident that has attracted men to me. I think I may be glad I was in that accident. Or not, but fuck if I'm going to complain. I bit my bottom lip and stared at him. "Oh yeah, this is your new guitarist, Alvin Jacobs," Landry said, still excited as fuck. Aiden looked at Landry with a questioning look and then back at me. "You play, dude?" he asked, trying to hide his interest. "Yeah, I play pretty fucking good," I said. I couldn't believe that was what I chose as my first words to Aiden. He is going to tell me to get fucked. "Okay, let's hear you," he said, tucking his vape pen in his jacket pocket and turning to go back inside the club. The bassist, who was yet to talk, followed him and Landry grabbed my arm and dragged me inside. This is all too surreal. We walked over to the stage and a couple of guys were setting up. People were already lined up out front, but inside it is just the guys from other bands and roadie-types helping them set up. Aiden stopped and handed me a guitar. It had to be Lenny's. "Here, Lenny left this behind when he ran off like a bitch," he said and flipped on the amp next to him. I took the guitar and immediately strummed it to get a feel for its sound. It was wound way too tight for my tastes, so I took a few minutes to tune the guitar. It isn't as nice as my electric, but it is good. It just hasn't been cared for very well. After a few minutes of tuning and getting it just right, I looked over to Aiden. "Any requests?" I asked and licked my lips. I knew I shouldn't be hitting on Aiden right in front of Landry and I knew that hitting on the lead singer of a band I was trying to join probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had, but when the fuck am I ever going to have a chance like this again? I decided to just go for it. Aiden raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Yeah, how about something by Gary Moore?" he said with a defiant toss of his head. I grinned. Not just anyone would know who Gary Moore is. I didn't break his stare and started playing Parisienne Walkways, probably Moore's best song. Aiden nodded and smirked again. I closed my eyes and watched the notes dance in my head. I hadn't played any Gary Moore in maybe five years. I had a guitar teacher that was enamored with Moore so I'd learned a bunch of his songs back when I was a kid. The song just flew from my fingers. As I approached the end of the song, Aiden called out, "Jeff Beck," and I thought for a second and transitioned seamlessly into I Ain't Superstitious. Hmmm...he seems to be in a blues mindset. I slipped out of the Beck piece into Stevie Ray Vaughn's Tin Pan Alley. Aiden's smirk grew. I played a few minutes and he called out another guitarist. "Marty Friedman," he said, watching me to see my reaction. I'd just been playing some Friedman. Fuck yeah. I broke straight into the solo for Megadeth's Tornado of Souls. His smile kept getting bigger. "Kirk Hammett," he called out. I was grinning pretty big myself. This was fun. I'd gotten some practice doing this at the hospital but he was calling out more challenging guitarists than the old folks at the hospital. I busted into Battery. "Buckethead," he offered. I took that offer with Soothsayer. "Slash," he said and we both started laughing. I pulled out Welcome to the Jungle since we were laughing. I transitioned into Anastasia and he actually let me play for a couple of minutes. "Fuck dude, that was outstanding," Aiden said as I pulled up, waiting for the next request. Everyone in the place erupted into cheers and applause. I threw up a little wave of appreciation and smiled. "If you want the spot, it's yours," he said offering his hand out for a handshake. I shook his hand, both of us squeezing tightly. "I'm all in," I said, staring deep in his eyes. It is obvious who the band is--he never consulted the bassist or the drummer. Maybe that will change now that I am in the band. Fuck me! I'm in a band! "Sweet! This is so fucking awesome. You are really good. Like great. Like I am so glad Lenny bailed because now we really have a shot at something," Aiden said. "Thanks man. I'm totally psyched to do this. This is going to be epic," I said. Suddenly Landry grabbed me and gave me an enormous hug. "I knew you would get it! This is so cool!" he almost yelled in my ear. "Thanks, man. This is all you, ya know? I wouldn't have given this a shot if you wouldn't have dragged me over here," I said, meeting his eye. I really had a lot to thank him for. It is true that I wouldn't have tried without him and the fact that he was more or less related to Aiden was like kismet or something. "It's all you, Alvin. You totally rocked everything you played. If you weren't so fucking good none of this would have happened," he told me. God he feels good pressed up against me. As soon as Landry let go, Aiden grabbed me and gave me a huge hug. "We're like family now, too," he said. Fuck, two super-hot studs hugging me one right after the other. What the fuck do you know about my luck all of the sudden! "Thanks again, man," I mumbled into Aiden's hair. "Alright, we gotta figure out our playlist and quick. We can practice some while the other bands are playing, but we won't have time to do a full rehearsal. Here, this is what our playlist looks like. What do you think?" Aiden shoved a ratty piece of paper at me with six songs on it. Two of them were The Four Horsemen originals and the other four were covers. It was apparent from this list that they were limited by what Lenny could play because these songs were, well, weak. "Do you have any recordings of your originals that I can hear? I can pick those up once I've heard them," I said, hoping that the bassist and drummer were talented enough to play some more challenging songs. "Yeah, let me pull up our last show and you can hear both songs," Aiden said, rapidly scrolling through videos on his phone. I started thinking of some potential songs we could play but I really need to hear their songs so that we can design a playlist around their, I mean OUR songs. "Dude, before you start that, is there really a music executive coming to hear us tonight?" I suddenly asked, quite nervous. "Yeah, sort of," Aiden answered. "This guy from some label in LA, a scout or something like that, is supposed to be here tonight. He's not an executive, but he's an `in' so we gotta be on our toes. So, don't like blab this to anyone else, but the reason I told Lenny to get fucked is because he showed up high as a fucking kite and I knew he was going to blow this for us," Aiden said leaning in close so that only I could hear what he had to say. "Oh shit," I said, not really knowing how to respond to that. I mean, it's gotta suck knowing you just fucked yourself out of this opportunity. My opportunity now, sucker. "Yeah. He's got a problem with meth and I just got fed up with it. He wouldn't play without getting wasted but then he couldn't play for shit. But now you're here and you are better than ten of him," Aiden said. We fist bumped and then he put on the video of their last show. The two songs that we were going to play tonight came at the end of the show. They played the exact same set as what they were supposed to play tonight. The original songs are good. Not great and not technically exceptional. As I already knew, Aiden is the best thing the band has going for them. He has charisma on stage and his voice is extraordinary. He has the range to cover just about any singer I can think of and also has his own style. So many guys can imitate someone from a band they like but have no signature style. Aiden has style falling out his ass and that's what is going to catch this music company scout's eye. And ear, I guess. I listened to the original songs one more time and knew that I could play them. I also know that I can make them better. Much better. And that I can make them mine. The opening act was already on stage. We weren't going to get to do a run-through of the set ahead of time. I want to change out two of the songs for something that will showcase Aiden's and my skills better. Do we even have time for that? No. Not since we can't practice together first. The video didn't really show me anything about the bassist or the drummer. I need to play with them and see how much they can handle. "Grab that amp and Lenny's axe and come out to the parking lot. There's an outlet next to the door that we can plug a couple of amps into and James will just have to bang on the wall or something, but we can do a run through out there," Aiden came up with a plan so that we can play together before our set. We plugged in and I looked at the playlist again. We can do better than those songs. "Okay, guys. Do you know Creeping Death?" I asked, knowing we had to drop Enter Sandman. There are so many better Metallica songs and I am in a speed metal kind of mood. "Yeah, we totally can do that!" the bassist exclaimed. Wow, I hadn't heard him string together three words all night, but he seemed excited about the new song. James nodded his head and Aiden reached out for a fist bump. "Nice, dude," he said. "Cool, then Enter Sandman is out. We'll play the Alice in Chains song next--Angry Chair, right?" I asked. "Yeah," Aiden answered. "Okay, then the Imagine Dragons song, I guess. I'm not psyched about that one, but we're already changing out the first song," I said. Radioactive is alright--not really a club banger or anything. I know I can't change up the lineup too much or we are going to be lost. "Then Leave Me Out and Reign," Aiden added. He is animated; it is really cool to see him so energized. We can feed off his energy. "Yes!" I exclaimed. "Then we'll end on Mr. Brownstone," I said, throwing the Guns `N Roses song on at the end. I thought it was better to end on a cover than one of our originals. James, the drummer, and what's-his-face the bassist--guess I am going to have to learn his name at some point--were both smiling and nodding their heads. They seem to like the changes so far. "Alright motherfuckers, Creeping Death," Aiden yelled and we all cheered. I broke into the intro and closed my eyes. The music danced in my mind. Every note came to me and I played to perfection. To my amazement, James and bassist-dude kept up. They are good. We are good. We were instantly good together. Maybe great. We have chemistry. Especially me and Aiden. We were able to get through the playlist once before the show promoter called us back in. We are up next. We hung out backstage and watched the second to last act. They were alright. They got the audience hyped up, which is what you want from an opening act. Fuck! We have an opening act. How cool is that? The other band came off the stage. They were high off their set and gave us all high fives and fist bumps. We looked at each other with huge grins and then started nervous laughing. This is going to fucking rock. We walked out on stage and the audience started cheering. The lights were blinding me and I couldn't really see out in the audience past about the second row. That's when I saw Landry in the front row. He gave me a thumbs-up. I gave him a heads up nod and plugged into the amp. I looked back out and I saw Drago and a bunch of the guys from the football team. They blocked everyone behind them from seeing because they are so big. It cracked me up. Drago looked surprised when he saw me up there. Apparently Landry hadn't said anything to him. I mouthed `fuck you,' at him and he smiled. He mouthed `fuck you' back at me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him and he didn't break my stare. Aiden gave a shout out and I broke into the opening riff to Creeping Death. The place erupted. This is so fucking amazing. I winked at Drago and then closed my eyes. It feels better than anything else I've ever encountered. Well, I mean, except for orgasm. But it's close. It is almost orgasmic in its own way. "Slaves, Hebrews born to serve, to the Pharaoh," Aiden growled out. Fuck me his voice made me hard in an instant. I caught his eye as he sang and we had a moment. This sex-fueled, magnetic moment that we both felt. And I think the audience felt it, too. Everyone in the club was locked on our performance. We blew through Creeping Death and Angry Chair and at the last minute I decided to dump the Imagine Dragons song. I wasn't feeling that song at that moment. "Let's change it up, do Mountain Song," I yelled out. Aiden smiled and nodded. James and bassist-guy gave me a thumbs-up and we broke into the Jane's Addiction song. I was so glad these guys knew how to play and were flexible enough to change songs in the middle of the show. Plus, Mountain Song is super fun to play. "Coming down the mountain," Aiden screamed into the mike. The audience exploded. I've never had so much fun in all my life. I backed up to Aiden and we rocked the fuck out of that song. When it came time to play Leave Me Out I was in rare form. I just started playing my own version of the song. Aiden stood by and let me play like a fucking boss. He sang the lyrics like a maniac. I could tell he was the one who had written them and that they meant something to him. We transitioned into Reign. Aiden was downing a water and I took over. My voice isn't as good as his, but I just felt it in that moment. He joined me on the second verse and the song suddenly turned into a duet. It sounds so awesome. Our voices work well together and it fits the song perfectly. By the time we played Mr. Brownstone, the club had to start flashing the lights. The place was getting too rowdy. Aiden pleaded with the crowd to take it down a notch so we can finish our set. I played some background music and finally the club let us play our song. When we finished the crowd was begging for an encore. I felt high as fuck and didn't want to stop. I caught Drago's eye. I don't think he stopped staring at me the whole show. I knew exactly what song to play for an encore. "Aiden," I called him over. "War Ensemble?" I asked. It was the song Drago requested when he brought my guitar up to the hospital. I'd played it for him on acoustic, but now I wanted to play it for him to close out the show. I have no idea why I feel the way I do about him, but it seems like this whole show was me showing off for him. I want to impress him. And now I want to play his song. He would know it was for him. "Fuck yeah!" Aiden exclaimed. I started the song and James and bassist-guy followed along. They knew it just like they knew every song. Man, I stumbled into a fucking amazing band. Lenny was holding them back. It isn't going to be like that anymore. I blasted out the intro to War Ensemble staring at Drago. He smiled so big I thought his face would break. Aiden started into the lyrics and I decided to sing along. We are doing another duet but it worked. We sound fucking awesome together. "Propaganda death ensemble, burial to be. Corpses rotting through the night, In blood laced misery," we belted out. The crowd is going crazy, we are absolutely rocking the club, and I know that we have something special here. I stared at Drago as Aiden and I sang the lyrics. My dick rubbed up against the back of Lenny's guitar uncomfortably. I've never been so hard in my life. I am getting off on the fact that Drago and I are having this moment, Aiden and I are having this moment, and that everyone in the club is getting off on this moment. At least that's what it feels like. I closed my eyes when I started the guitar solo and then I played my heart out. It was sheer perfection and everyone there cheered as hard as they could while I played. It almost drowned out the song. I opened my eyes to finish singing the song with Aiden and locked eyes with Drago again. Fuck if he isn't gorgeous. His blonde hair hanging in his face, damp from sweat. His dark blue eyes sparkling when the lights hit him just right. His shirt clinging to his pecs, showcasing his big muscles. I want to lick him from head to toe. To taste that sweat and savor every drop. To drop to my knees...fuck, I need to clear my head or I'm going to cum in my pants. By the time we finished the song, the lights in the club were back on full blast. They turned off the power to our mics and instruments. The place was in complete disarray. We all stood together and took a bow. "Thanks motherfuckers," Aiden yelled and the audience cheered. Security escorted us from the stage. When we got to the back I started laughing. Aiden took one look at me and started, too. James and bassist-guy joined in. We all hugged and gave each other high fives and fist bumps. We could barely talk we were so excited. "That was so fucking awesome," Aiden yelled. Just then, some dude in a suit approached us. We calmed down just enough to hold a conversation with him. It was the scout from the record label. He introduced himself as Mark Wilson. "Hey guys, excellent show," he said, shaking Aiden's hand. He shook mine next. "Thanks man, we were really feeling it tonight," Aiden told him. Wilson turned to me. "You are one of the most talented guitar players I've ever heard. Raw, but amazing," he said. "Hey, thanks, man. This was the first time we've played together and the first time I've played in front of an audience like this," I explained. Raw but amazing, wow. "I never would have guessed that. Listen, I'm going to be back through Denver in September. I want to hear you guys play, so keep me apprised of your upcoming shows, okay," he said, handing his card to each of us. This is so sweet. He is interested. He wants to hear more. We are on top of the world! "Yeah, definitely. I'll be sure to shoot you out an email before our upcoming shows," Aiden said. I don't know if we have any upcoming shows, but I sure hope that we do. Playing in front of an audience like this is fucking orgasmic. "Great, have your manager contact me, too. I'd like to get in touch with him," Wilson asked. We exchanged a few more words and then he was gone. "Holy shit that was fucking outstanding!" I yelled and Aiden and I hugged. James and bassist-guy joined in and we were jumping up and down like maniacs. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Drago come backstage. "Hey guys, I've gotta go talk to someone, but I'll text you all tomorrow," I said. "Aiden, put your number on my phone," I asked and handed him my phone. He gave me his number and we fist bumped. I walked over to Drago all nonchalant. Like I do this every day. I am so nervous but I'm trying my best to look cool. "Sup Jenkins," I said and we fist bumped. "Sup Jacobs," he said back. We stared into one another's eyes. "Come here," I said and turned and walked to the door that led to the alley where I first saw Aiden. It was deserted. I turned and faced Drago. Suddenly we were in each other's arms and our lips slammed together in a kiss. Our tongues met and I twirled mine around the tip of his. He moaned and we swung around. My back slammed against the brick wall and we passionately kissed one another. It was practically violent the way we devoured one another. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him. It made it easier to kiss because our faces were at the same height now. "This is so fucking hot," I gasped when we paused to catch our breaths. Our eyes met again and we went back at it. He fondled my ass as he held me up and our tongues battled. A few minutes later we paused again, out of breath. We both panted and Drago put me down. My cock pressed against my jeans painfully. I had to adjust and Drago did the same. We started laughing. "You were amazing. Like I don't even know the words to describe it adequately, but you fucking rocked, dude," he said. We leaned together and started kissing again. This time it was slower, more relaxed. I pulled away from his lips and licked down his neck and then sucked below his ear. He moaned and then I moaned. My cock throbbed and I realized I could feel his cock pressed against my leg. I reached down and started stroking it through his shorts. Goddamn his cock is big. I can't believe I've had it in my mouth. Twice! I want it in my mouth again. I want it other places, too, but the door to the club busted open and a couple roadies came out carrying some gear. Since the first guy was carrying something with the other guy, he had his back to us and neither one of them saw Drago and I making out. We pulled apart and pretended to be chatting as the guys walked by. "Great show, man," one of them said to me. "Thanks man, it was a blast," I said back. I turned to Drago. I want him bad. Real bad. But I know that we need to be somewhere more private. And I also know that somewhere Landry is probably wondering where I am. Technically, I think I'm still on a date with him. And I need to get home before too long or my dad is going to lock me up in the basement. Drago and I walked back inside. I stopped before we ran into anyone we knew. "I wanna start working out again with you but we've gotta keep it on the down low or my dad is going to freak," I said. He nodded and smirked at me. "We'll figure it out," he said. I knew he was right. We'd figure out a way to see one another. We have to or we will both go crazy. Landry approached us and enveloped me in a massive hug. "You were incredible, Alvin!" he said with such exhilaration I could feel his body practically shake. "Thanks, man. It never would have happened without you," I said the words as I looked over Landry's shoulder and looked into Drago's eyes. I meant the words for Landry but I said them to Drago. This is a little bit fucked up. My list of secrets is growing by the minute. As was my cock. Landry smells great and his body pressed against mine is getting me hard. I don't think I ever went down after my rendezvous with Drago. Marcus grabbed Drago's arm and pulled him away before I got to say goodbye. Landry and I were still hugging when I felt Aiden start hugging me from behind. He pressed his body against mine and I could feel his hardness press against my ass. Fuck. This is like the hottest scenario ever--me as the meat in a Landry and Aiden sandwich. "I'm so fucking glad we met tonight," Aiden said softly into my ear. God, his voice sent shivers down my spine. We finally broke apart as people kept coming up and congratulating Aiden and me on the show. "So when and where do we practice?" I asked as we began packing up our gear. "Jamie's house, most afternoons between three and five. His parents let us store our gear in their garage. Plus, he's got a van we can use to tote stuff to our gigs," Aiden told me. "Who the fuck is Jamie?" I asked. "The bassist, dude," Aiden said laughing. "Ooooohhh," I said, now laughing, too. "I've been trying to figure out his name all night," I said as we tried to compose ourselves. I guess he's got the van and the practice space. No wonder he's in the band. Actually, he was really good tonight and he played well with James, the drummer. It's an absolute must for the bassist to keep the drummer in rhythm and the two of them have a great connection. Not quite like Aiden and I, though. We have something special. But they are good together and are adaptable. If we keep practicing and writing our own music, we really have a bright future together. How cool is that? "I'll text you Sunday night and let you know if we're meeting on Monday or Tuesday to practice. A lot of times we don't make it on Mondays because, ya know, Monday's suck. Bring anything you're working on and I'll show you some of the stuff I've written," Aiden said as we finished loading Jamie's van. "No problem, man. Can't fucking wait," I said and we fist bumped. I fist bumped James and Jamie and then Landry and I walked back to his car. When we were out of sight of the people at the club, he grabbed my hand and we held hands. They are still rough and calloused. God it's sexy. I want to feel him roughly massage me all over my body. God, I'm horny. I think erotic thoughts about every guy I touch lately. Of course, I've never touched this many guys before. There's some saying--when it rains, it pours. Well, it's definitely pouring on me lately. When we got to his car, Landry opened my door for me. Before I could get in, we were hugging again. I pulled back and looked in those electric blue eyes of his. I leaned in and he leaned in and our lips touched. He had to lean down quite a bit to reach me, a lot like Drago. What is up with me and these tall football players? Neither one of us seem to mind, though, and we pressed our lips together. I opened my mouth first and our tongues darted out to explore one another. I can't believe this night. As if everything that has happened isn't freaking unbelievable, I am kissing Landry right here in public for everyone to see. "Go get a room you two," someone shouted out from behind us. We broke apart laughing. "Get in and I'll take you home," Landry said, our moment now in the past. We grinned at each other. He drove home slowly. We were lucky we didn't get pulled over for going too slow. Neither one of us wanted the night to end. "I had an amazing time, Alvin," Landry said as we turned onto my street. "Me, too, Landry," I said watching him in the flickering street lamps. He is so hot. I really like him, but I can't help but wonder if I am somehow cheating on Drago. As hot as Landry is, I realize that I have feelings for Drago. Fuck. Landry is so easy going and fun. We don't have a convoluted past. But I know that I feel something more for Drago. I guess I don't need to say anything about that now. I put my hand on Landry's thigh and rubbed. "When can I see you again?" he asked. I rubbed up higher and higher until I could feel his erection pushing against his shorts. Fuck me. I'm massaging Landry's cock in the car like a block from my house. We parked across the street and I took my hand away reluctantly. I saw the curtains moving in the living room so I know we have to be careful. "I have band practice with Aiden a couple days this week and Fridays I'm going to have to practice with the worship group from my mom's church," I told him. "Maybe Wednesday after practice? Or Saturday?" I asked. "Maybe both," he said looking longingly into my eyes. I want to kiss him again, but we have an audience. I nodded my head toward my house and he looked over and saw the curtains move again. He nodded, too. "Text me when you're getting ready to leave practice on Wednesday and I'll come pick you up," he said. "Cool. I can't wait," I said. We fist bumped and I got out and jogged up to my front door. I looked back to see him watching me. I waved and went inside. My dad sat on the couch watching TV as if he hadn't been at the window like thirty seconds before. "You're late," he said, not taking his eyes off the TV. I looked at the clock. It was almost 1AM and I told him I thought I'd be home around midnight. "We helped Landry's cousin load up his van after the show," I said walking to the kitchen. We never did get to eat dinner and I am starved. "Next time call me," he said. I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to take my phone or start yelling or something. "Kay," I called out. "Keep your voice down, your mother is in bed," he hissed at me. "Kay," I whisper-yelled back to him. I made a sandwich and headed up to my room. My dad followed me up after turning everything off downstairs. He stopped at my room. "Some personal trainer called while you were out and said that they want you to come in for a consultation. He works at that gym on Folsom Avenue," he said to me. That is the gym Drago took me to. I remember something about getting a free consultation with a personal trainer as part of the free pass I'd gotten. "Can I go?" I asked, getting excited. If I can work something out where I could go to the gym, maybe I can workout with Drago after all. "Not if Jenkins is going to be there," my dad said. I figured as much, but got my hopes up anyway. "But if you workout with this personal trainer and Jenkins isn't there, I don't see why you can't go," he said. I can't believe it. "Seriously? Thanks, Dad!" I jumped up and almost gave him a hug. Thinking that we aren't really on those terms and that he's not really a fist bump kind of person, I offered my hand for a hand shake. He took my offer and held my hand for a moment after we shook hands. "Don't mess this up," he said to me and then let go. Huh. That was ominous, but still, I get to go workout. Maybe I will see Drago. Things are definitely looking up!