Chapter 3

Lily had hardly said a word since their shower. Not yet, was her only response to their worried questions. She dressed in a tight pair of jeans and wore John's green shirt over a white cotton camisole and was sitting on the edge of the bed tying her white sneakers. John sat next down next to her to tie his black loafers that went with his black jeans and t-shirt.

He wanted to ask her again about what happened, but changed his mind at the last minute. "You look great in my shirt."

She rolled up the too-long sleeves with a subdued smile. "It makes me feel..." There was a long pause as she considered. "Safe? I know that must seem weird."

He finished tying his shoes and turned to face her. Over her shoulder he could see Frank was working on something in his home office area, too far away to hear them talking. "I'm glad something of mine can make you feel that way."

"You make me feel that way," she whispered. "Both of you do."

He pulled her close as she put her arms around him. Under the scent of perfume and cosmetics was a spicy personal signature he had grown to appreciate as much has Frank's earthy one. While he took deep breaths, she hummed and rubbed his back.

She kissed him then leaned back to look in his eyes. "I can't really explain it. Not why, anyway."

"You don't need to. Everyone is entitled to their own secrets."

She blinked hard and shook her head. "I don't want a husband or kids. I don't want to be ... close to anyone. When I met you guys it seemed like a dream. Lots of amazing sex, no strings. I could see the connection you two have and knew I'd never be able to compete with that."

"We're just friends," John said, feeling his face heat.

Lily chuckled and touched his cheek. "You tell yourself what you want, but talk to me again in a year. Anyway, being with you two ... it's changing me."

"You know we're both crazy about you." John said as he kissed her fingers.

"I can't..." She looked up and blinked. "I can't get close, but it was almost as good just watching you two."

"Sweetheart, you're already close to us." John tried to show her with his eyes how much he cared about her already.

Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated. "I know, but I need to keep a certain ... distance. I don't know why, but I'm terrified right now." Then she did an odd thing. She gripped the open collar of the shirt she was wearing and lifted it to her nose, then took a deep breath.

John nodded for a moment. "I'm glad my shirt helps."

"I know you don't understand," she said with a pained smile. "I don't even understand. But thank you."

"Are you gonna be okay tonight?" John asked, thinking of the rehearsal and upcoming show.

Lily's face shifted subtly as the mask she'd worn until this morning appeared again. Her bright smile perfectly hid the darkness she'd allowed John and Frank to glimpse. "Actually, I can't wait. It's gonna be so much fun!"

Frank was distracted and Lily unusually quiet, so John took on the role of keeping the conversation moving and light from the back seat. By focusing on the purpose of the evening and his excitement about playing with the band, John was able to get both of them out of their respective funks before they arrived.

The practice studio was behind Roger's house in what appeared to be an old wooden barn. Frank pulled in next to some other cars and a truck, then turned off the car before looking over his shoulder.

"Are you ready?" he asked John sitting in the back seat.

John glanced around to see if anyone was outside, then leaned in to kiss him quickly. "Now I am." Frank smiled, then popped the trunk before getting out.

The inside of the barn looked like a tavern, complete with a long wooden bar, low stage, and tables with people sitting around talking. When Frank came in, all conversation stopped and one big guy behind the bar yelled, "Frank!"

John carried in his guitar and Lily stood next to him with his gig bag while Frank introduced the two of them to the band and their spouses or girlfriends. The names flew by while John tried to keep them all straight. Roger on drums, Allen on bass, and Luke on guitar. Anne was Roger's wife, Maria was Allen's wife, and Luke's Girlfriend, June, had brought two friends who just waved.

"So Lily," Roger said as he gave her a friendly hug. "How did you and Frank meet?"

"Don't let him fool you," Frank said with a tired tone. "He's been pumping me for information for the last two weeks."

"I want to hear her view of things," Roger said with a laugh as he drew Lily towards the bar. "Frank came back happier than I've seen him in months. It's a rare person that can do that. I should know, I've know him for years."

John followed with an amused expression as their plan for Lily to play Frank's latest fling appeared to be working.

Luke got his attention and said, "Glad to have you along tonight. Come on over here and I'll show you were you can set up."

John took his gig bag from Lily and followed Luke to the low stage. Luke's guitar was a relatively new Ibanez with a beautiful flamed maple finish. It was upright in its stand next to two Fender Twin amps.

"You can use my spare amp," Luke said, pointing to the one on the right.

"You don't mind me sitting in, do you?" John asked with a wary smile.

"Hell no," Luke said with a laugh. "We have a ton of people rotate through. I just wish we had some brass this week. Usually we'll have a sax or trumpet to take the leads."

John remembered Frank mentioning Luke preferred to play chords and rhythm. "I've been practicing the leads from my fake book if you want me to take those parts."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Good. Frank bragged about how you rocked Since I Fell For You at the ski lodge."

John chuckled and felt his face heat as he put his case down to open it up. "I'd been drinking that night and went a little crazy. I don't usually showboat like that."

When the lid opened, Luke gave a low whistle. "Holy shit," he said with a reverent whisper. "Is that a reproduction?"

"No," John said as he lifted the guitar out of the battered hardshell case. "The serial number puts it somewhere in the early 70s. The guy who sold it said his brother was the only owner and played it regularly until a couple of years ago."

"What did you pay for it, if you don't mind me asking?" He held his hands out to examine it.

John put it in his hands and smiled. "It was a gift from someone special."

"Someone bought you a ten thousand dollar guitar for a gift?" Luke asked with his eyebrows raised. "Dude, you need to marry her."

Luke put the guitar on his knee and played a few chords. "Great action."

"I had a luthier give it a tune up last week." John got out his cables, picks, and digital tuner from his gig bag.

"Let's play," Luke said as he handed the guitar back. John plugged in, then turned on the amp. He tweaked the equalizer and preamp, then sat down on the amp to tune up. By the time he was done, Luke was sitting on the matching amp and began to play the opening chords for Girl from Ipanema.

John began to play the melody in octaves, watching Luke's fingers to keep time as close as he could. The discussions in the room came to a stop, then Frank began to sing from the bar where he, Roger, and Lily were watching.

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking, and when she passes, each one she passes goes ... aahhhh."

That prompted the rest of the band to start moving toward their instruments. By the second verse they were all slipping along the bosa nova rhythm. John saw Roger and Allen nodding at each other as the five of them locked in tight.

Frank played some alternative chords that created a wonderful dissonance. When he sang he was joined by John singing a harmony he'd practiced at home. "Ooo but I watch her so sadly, how can I tell her I love her. Yes, I would give my heart gladly, But each day, when she walks to the sea, she looks straight ahead, not at me."

John was inspired and launched into a clean solo under Frank singing the verse again. The girls at the tables were huddled around Lily, listening while they whispered with their heads together. Lily had a happy expression as she nodded along with a glow that John thought looked too real to be her mask. Seeing her relax, hearing the tension disappear from Frank's voice, John relaxed himself and brought the song to an end, walking up the minor seventh chord with a sigh.

"Yeah," Roger said as he brushed the snare to silence. "That was nice."

"Did you hear that solo?" Luke said to his band mates, then held his hand up for John to slap. "Dude, you're so in."

"He's got my vote," Allen said as he nodded.

Frank turned around on his stool and grinned. "That settles it. You gotta move to Austin now."

Everyone laughed at his joke, but John felt his chest tighten at the look in Frank's eyes. He was serious as a heart attack and John gave him a small nod to indicate he understood.

The rest of the rehearsal went quickly as Frank outlined the set and they practiced the songs and transitions in order. John's fingers were sore, but were holding up well. He had a salve in his gig bag to take the worst of the sting out, but wanted to save it for later when he'd really need it.

While he put his guitar away and packed the other items in his gig bag, June and her friends came up to speak to Luke about when to arrive at the club. John was only half listening when he accidentally dropped a cord. One of June's friends picked it up and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at the pretty brunette. She looked to be just out of college and was giving him a shy going over.

"John, right?" she asked as she stepped closer.

"Yeah," he said, feeling his face heat. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"Officially I'm Sabrina, but everyone calls me Sammy."

"There must be a story in there somewhere," he said as he zipped up the bag. His old flirting habits were running on autopilot as he stepped off the stage and picked up his bag and guitar.

"Just a family nickname that stuck from when I was kid." The look she gave him wasn't the kind of bold invitation Lily had mastered, but she was obviously interested in getting to know him.

John glanced at Frank and Lily talking to Roger and Anne, their fingers hooked together with a casual intimacy he suddenly envied. He made himself look away before any of the discontent he suddenly felt could show on his face. "So, Sammy, what do you do?"

She walked with him as he carried his guitar and bag towards the door. "I'm a lab tech in a hospital. What about you?"

"I'm a contract project manager in San Diego." She kept glancing at his face then looking away. It had been so long since anyone had been interested in him, and with his situation with Lily and Frank so new, he felt unsure how to handle it. The butterflies in his stomach didn't seem to care.

Sammy tucked her hair behind her ear. "I always wanted to live in California, but I could never afford it there on what I make."

"Yeah, I spend way too much on my tiny apartment," he said. "What's rent out here like?"

"Beth and I share a two bedroom for about a grand." She bumped into him as they stepped through the doorway together. "Sorry."

He realized it wasn't an accident when she blushed. "Let me put these in Frank's trunk. Just a second."

He popped the trunk using Frank's key fob and placed the guitar and bag inside.

"So you're staying at Frank's place?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as he shut the trunk.

"I've only been there a couple of times for parties, but it was so cool." They walked back towards the door together. "Where are you sleeping?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked as his stomach did a slow roll.

She blushed, which made John smile even more. Obviously flustered, she spoke quickly when she said, "Well, he's only got that one bed upstairs."

Thinking fast, John blurted, "The couch. Downstairs. It's bigger than my bed back home." He knew it had come out sounding weird, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Oh," she said, then her flush deepened as she whispered, "Do you have anyone back home?"

"No," John said, unable to meet her eyes. "Bad breakup a few months ago. Not really ready yet."

"Good," she said, then obviously realized how that sounded. "I mean ... not good you had a bad breakup. Just ... shit." She covered her face with her hands and walked away after putting her foot in her mouth so many times in a row.

She was so cute he had to say something. Stopping her at the doorway, he took her arm and turned her around to face him. "Don't worry, Sammy. I think you're cute and you seem really nice."

She grinned through blushing cheeks and looked in his eyes. She was kind and sweet, that was obvious, and was just trying to be friendly. When she leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek, he was too stunned to move. "Thanks." She danced back inside to join her friends Beth and June.

Luke had unplugged both amps and sat them at the edge of the stage. "These go in the truck outside."

"Got 'em," John said as he picked both heavy amps up at the same time. The girls were all smiling at him as Sammy whispered to them. He heard the words forearms and delicious as he carried the amps outside. He smiled as well until he caught Frank giving him a blank look, holding Lily's hand as she chatted with Anne. It made John feel defensive and he thought, Well, I need a beard, too.

Frank was a little chilly on the ride over, but John was too nervous about playing live again for the first time in years to worry about him. Lily filled John in on all the gossip, which helped distract him. Anne passed the Lily test, she said, and Roger had told some great old stories to embarrass Frank that she retold quickly. Those brought an embarrassed smile to Frank's lips, but he quickly returned to his contemplative silence.

The club was smaller than John had imagined, but it was beautifully decorated and had amazing acoustics, with tall ceilings and baffles build into the walls. Frank and Lily carried in his guitar and gig bag while he carried both amps in for Luke and himself. After placing them on the stage, a heavy guy with a bald head and goatee dragged them into position and placed mic stands in front of their speaker grills.

"That's Curtis," Luke said. "He runs sound and he'll take good care of you. Let's get ready for a sound check, then we can sit around and relax until it's time go on."

"I don't know about relaxing. I haven't played live in years."

"I thought you were playing a couple of weeks ago at the ski lodge?"

John chuckled. "That doesn't count. I was drunk. Then the second time it was just me and Frank playing one song."

"Yeah, well, the way Frank talked about you made it sound..." He paused and shrugged. "It doesn't matter because he was right. I can tell you haven't played regularly because your the timing is off on some of your runs, like you still have to think about your fingers. But you've got a feel when you play that can't be taught."

John felt the heat rise in his face. "Thanks, but that isn't helping my nerves."

"Dude, these are all friends," he referenced the light crowd scattered around the club. "We play here all the time and the regulars know we're not pros. What we try to do is make something special, not something perfect."

"That helps," John said as he clapped Luke on his shoulder. "Thanks."

They took their places as Curtis called each instrument to play to adjust the equalizer and levels. Roger took the longest with four mics on his kit, then each musician played in turn.

"We're short a vocal mic," Frank said into his mic after his sound check. "Can we get one for John? I loved the harmonies he came up with during rehearsal."