Page 82 of Resonance
Aiden followed me into the den where Dan’s turntable rested on top of an oak buffet. I put the record on and sprawled on the floor since Aiden had taken up the whole couch.
A warm, scratchy bassline poured from the speaker, soon joined by a plaintive croon like coyote howls in the darkness. It was weird, and different, and also catchy as hell once he started in on the first verse. “Damn, he’s good,” I murmured.
Aiden hummed a quiet agreement. I guess he wasn’t so bad. At least he appreciated good music, and there was something about him that was growing on me, a deeper sense of loneliness to him that I recognized all too well.
The first song ended and the second one began, and as I unraveled the layers of sound in the back of my mind, I heard the roots of the song in the one Jessup had played at Howie’s. It was almost undetectable, but there. He’d played the raw seed, and in the months after it had sprouted and unfurled into a lush beauty.
“A bunch of us are getting together at Ru’s to watch Dan and Ryder’s live webcast if you want to come?”
Aiden had one hand flung over his eyes, fingertips of the other lightly combing the carpet. A tiny smile curved his lips and, wow, stripped of his usual world-weariness and roughneck attitude, it was pretty. “Thanks. I’ll probably pass, though. I’ll be heading out for a couple of days here soon. May not be back before Dan is, which’ll suit him fine.”
“Where are you going?”
He hitched one shoulder. “Got a few leads I wanna follow up.”
I didn’t bother trying to get him to elaborate this time, just nodded, closing my eyes again and listening to Jessup.
We listened to the rest of the album that way, each song more beautiful and haunting than the last, and a sharp departure from his previous album, which had been a catchier folk-pop exploration.
When the album ended, I hopped up, retrieved it and placed it back in the sleeve, then returned it to the carton.
“I’m going to bed.” I stretched and yawned demonstratively.
“I’ll bet.” He chuckled and rose from the couch. “Me too. Except I’ll be actually sleeping.”
“I’ll be sleeping,” I sniffed. After I had some hot internet sex with Dan, hopefully.
“Yep.” Aiden waved me off and ambled toward the spare bedroom, then stopped and turned back. It really was startling how similar some of their mannerisms were for two people who’d spent the last decade at odds. “Dan was fucked-up for a long time after—” He paused, seeming to consider his phrasing. “—after he and Ryder dismantled the band. Just… you’re all right, and I hope you won’t take it personally if it doesn’t work out with him.”
I stared at him until he appeared to realize I wasn’t going to say anything back.
Once I heard the door shut, I raced back to the master and pulled out my phone, texting Dan before Aiden’s words could sink in and start me down a rocky path of self-doubt. I didn’t need any more helping hands with that.
Ready to pick up where we left off. And by the way, Jessup Polk stopped by and brought you some records.
Chapter 27
On the night of the live broadcast, we all crowded around Ru and Quinn’s fancy new flat-screen at their loft in the Gulch. Ivy brought some kind of chili. Quinn had made a charcuterie. And Ru made fun of Quinn for said charcuterie.
I brought beer and potato chips. Quinn showed me to the cabinet in the kitchen with bowls, and I dumped the chips in one, stuck the beer in the fridge, and carried a couple out with me to the living room, passing them around. There were a few other friends of Ru’s and Quinn’s I didn’t know very well, so I sat next to Ivy, who’d also come alone.
Just before the show started, I checked my phone and discovered I’d missed a text somewhere between arguing with Ivy over Coldplay and listening to Quinn and Ru bicker lovingly. Opening the message, my breath caught at the vision of so many people packed together in front of the stage, disappearing into a twilight horizon. I could only imagine how Dan must have felt. Below the picture, he’d written,crowd of thousands, and I’m thinking about how my ass looks in these jeans.
I snorted, ignored Ivy’s curious side eye, and texted back,Break a leg!
I didn’t expect another reply, seeing as how the TV showed the lights dimming onstage, but I got one a second later.Don’t say that, too much potential at my ‘advanced age.’
I tucked my phone away and focused on the TV screen as the stage darkened fully and cheers erupted in a raucous wave.
“Bets on whether or not Dan flubs at some point tonight?” Quinn scooped his hand through the chip bowl.
“Pfft, you’re crazy,” Ru countered. “Dan doesn’t choke. He’s the choker. No deal.”
No one would take Quinn’s half-joking bet, which was smart. I’d listened to Dan practice constantly before he left, heard him in the mornings before I even got up and late at night sometimes, the rough-throated croon of his voice. Sometimes a twangy drawl. There was no chance he was gonna do anything but nail it.He’s the choker.A delicious shiver ran through me. I could definitely get behind some of that.
Ryder and Dan came from opposite ends of the stage, which I guess was supposed to be symbolic, meeting in the middle with one of those one-armed hugs and mutual back claps that was both friendly and masculine.
Dan’s ass looked fantastic of course. All of him did. My cock gave a bereft little twitch, and then a second set of lights swung around to the stage and the audience went apeshit as Ryder strummed the opening notes of “Longing.”