“Are you guys ready to hear some music and have a good time?” Dad asks through the microphone, causing the cheers to grow louder than before.
“Alight, let’s hear a round of applause for Empire of None!”
As everyone cheers us on, we stand and make our way toward the stage. We take our places, and I step up to the microphone. “How is everyone tonight?” I ask.
Everyone screams again, and I take a minute to check out the crowd. My eyes scan over them, looking for anyone that could be important, anyone that could work for a record label. I see many new faces, but none of them look like business men. Pushing those thoughts away, I decide to just give the show my all. If something comes from it, great. If not, oh-well. Nothing will be any different than it was two days ago.
“We have a good show planned for you guys tonight. We’re going to play a few songs we haven’t played for you yet. And we have a few originals we want you to hear.”
As they clap and cheer, Mark counts us down.
I lead in with guitar and start up the lyrics to “I Love Roll and Roll”. We put a new spin on an old classic, making it sound more metal, and with the twist, it sounds great.
When the song’s over, we lead into “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. The crowd’s cheering, and they’re up dancing in front of the stage. Sweat drips off my body as I deliver the performance of my life, giving it everything I have.
“You guys lovin’ the music?” I ask while grinning and flashing the ladies a smile that makes them scream. “Alright, this one is an original called “Lost Without You”.
Mark bangs his sticks, then Zach leads in with bass. My fingers strum, picking up the melody. After a few bars, the lyrics start to spill out.
The song is slow and heartfelt. I close my eyes and belt out the lyrics, feeling every word of the song. When I open my eyes, the dance floor is covered in couples swaying slowly to the music. They’re holding one another tightly and look like they’re completely lost in one another.
When the song wraps up, they all turn to the stage and clap and cheer. My heart picks up with excitement because they loved the song we wrote. I smile to myself and look at the table Alissa is sitting at. The smile falls from my face when I see Sean sitting next to her. They’re both smiling and clapping for the band. He leans in and whispers something to her, making my anger spike.
I want to hop off the stage and kick his ass out, but I know I can’t do that. Instead of making an ass out of myself and my band, opt to keep my temper in check. With all my might, I push those feelings down and start playing the next song.
“Cherry Pie” by Warrant makes all the women in the bar rush the stage. They dance and sway back and forth in front of me. I grin and wink at them, feeding off their energy while singing the song. As I’m looking around the bar, I notice the other band walk in. They look around and nod to me on stage. They settle at the bar and order a round of beers, then turn on their barstools to watch us.
With the band there, I know record label reps will be coming in any minute, so I do my best to make the music sound that much better. All the while I work the stage when I’m not singing to involve the crowd and get them riled up.
We sing one last song before taking a fifteen-minute break. The guys in the band take off to the table their women are sitting at, but I head to the bar to grab a bottle of water. I’m taking a long drink when someone bumps into me.
I turn around to see Busted Lip, the whole band, standing behind me.
“Hey, what do ya think of the show?”
“Not too bad. I’m Link the guitarist for Busted Lip. This is Tanner the lead singer. Travis, the bass guitarist, but we call him Spike because of his hair. And that over there,” he says pointing to a guy a foot away talking to some girl with a killer boob job, “that’s Dillion, the drummer.”
I nod. “I’m Dane, and I don’t know where the rest of my band is, probably off trying to get laid,” I joke.
Link laughs and pushes his long blond hair out of his eyes with his tattooed hand. “You guys sound pretty good. How long have you been playing together?”
“A few years now. We were just playing small parties, but we got this gig playing here every Saturday night a few months ago.”
“You mean, you don’t play anywhere else?”
“Naa, money’s good. It pays the bills, so we figured what the hell?”
“What do you say to hanging out a bit after the show?”
“Yeah, man. Sounds good. I’ll catch up with you when you’re done. We have a few more songs to sing, then you’ll go on.” I walk away and round up the band. Before I get back on stage, I walk over to Alissa. I lean over and give her a long, slow kiss. When I pull away, her face is flushed, and her blue eyes have darkened. Sean sits back, looking like he didn’t notice the show, but I know he did.
“Thanks for coming, Sean,” I say as I walk away, but keep my eyes trained on Alissa as a silent warning.
I know she’s not interested in him, but I also know he is interested in her. I wouldn’t put it past him to try something, and while I won’t be mad at her as long as she stops it, I will be angry if she puts herself in that position.
I take my place on stage and before the music even starts up, people head to the front of the stage to dance and sing along.
We get to play for another hour before our part of the show is over. The crowd is wild and wound up for Busted Lip. While we’re on stage playing, they watch us intently. Even if they don’t bring in any record labels, I hope they at least put in a good word.
I take my seat next to Alissa while Busted Lip takes the stage. The hard metal music cuts through me, causing goosebumps to prickle my skin. My band plays more classic rock, but I’ve always loved hard rock. I love the way it pumps me up and gets me going for anything. I love how it can make me angry or take my anger away. It’s an outlet. No matter what I’m feeling, hard rock covers it all.
“What brought you out tonight, Sean?” I ask, putting my arm around Alissa.
He shrugs and runs his hand through his neatly styled blond hair. “I needed something to do. It’d be nice if I could get a beer.” He lets out a laugh. “Alissa says it’s not possible though.”
I laugh. “You know my dad,” is the only reply I give.
While Busted Lip is on stage, I watch Sean. He checks out Alissa every time he thinks I’m not looking. It pisses me off, and I know I’m going to have to talk to him soon. Better to try and fix the issue before a real problem arises that puts an end to our friendship.
Once midnight rolls around, the band joins us at our table while people start filing out.
“You guys killed it up there,” I say.
“Yeah, dude. I love your music,” Zach chimes in.
“Thanks,” Link accepts graciously.
“How’s the tour going,” Mark asks.
“Good. It’s good. We love that we get to go where we want when we want,” Link offers.
“That would be awesome. Think you’ll ever sign with a record label?” Zach asks.
“We’ve had a lot of offers. For now, we’re happy in control. By the way, you guys sounded pretty awesome yourselves,” Link compliments.
“Thanks, man. That means a lot coming from another musician,” I say.
Link is the most talkative of the group. He compliments us and continues to talk with us about our music choices.
“So, what’s your game plan?” Link finally asks.
“You mean for the band?” Mark clarifies.
Link nods.
“Well, we play here every Saturday night. Maybe add some other routine gigs,” I shrug.
I don’t really think anything of his questions, other than he’s just trying to be friendly. But when he approaches me at the bar a little while later, I get what all the questions are about.
“You want a beer?” he asks me after I’m handed another bottle of water.
“Na, I’m not twenty-one, and my dad owns this place. He’d kick my ass
for putting his bar at risk.”
He picks up his beer and takes a long drink. “How old are you?”
“Almost eighteen, but I live on my own.”
“That blonde girl over there belongs to you?” he asks, pointing at Alissa.
I look over my shoulder to see her talking with Mark. “Yeah, she’s mine.”
“Look, I’m sorry about all the questions earlier, but I have a proposition for you.”
“What’s that?” I ask, turning to face him.
“In a couple weeks, our lead singer will be leaving. His girlfriend is about to have their baby, so he won’t be able to finish the tour. We’ve been looking for a new lead singer.”
“You want me to come on tour with you?”
He nods. “I mean, if you’re interested. I know you have your own band and a girl here, but we’re getting really close to signing with a label.”
I sit back in the barstool and think it over. This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping would happen. A chance to make it big.
“I’d have to leave my band?”
“And your girl too, I’m afraid.”
“Leave Alissa?”
He nods. “We have a strict no girls policy on the tour bus. There just isn’t room, and it really bums the single guys out when they’re trying to get it on with a groupie and a girlfriend gets offended by walking in on a pileup, if you know what I mean.”
What do I say? The lead guitarist for Busted Lip is asking me to come on tour with him and his band. They’ve had record labels chasing them for months. It’s only a matter of time before they’re signed and making big money. Not to mention the fame that comes with a world-wide tour. How can I pass up a chance like this? This could set me up for life.
I look over at Alissa who’s laughing carelessly at something Sean is saying.
The band would be pissed, but I know they’d understand. Alissa, though… Can I leave her? Even if she agrees to wait for me to get back, I’d constantly be worrying about Sean.
“I don’t know, man. I’ll have to think about it.”
“No problem. Give me a call, but don’t wait too long. We only have a couple of weeks to find someone.” He hands over a card with his number on it. “We better hit the road. We have a twelve-hour drive to our next gig.” I stand and give him a hand shake.
“Thanks, I’ll think about it and give ya a call.”
Chapter Eight
Dane
I slide the card into my pocket and head over to the table. “You ready to go? The bar’s closing down.”
“Yeah,” Alissa says, standing and taking my hand in hers.
“We’ll see you guys later,” I say as I lead her from the building.
We cross the parking lot and jump in my car. I’m quiet on the way home. There are too many what if’s running through my head right now.
What if I go, will I be signed with them?
What if I stay, will this be my only chance?
What if I go and Alissa won’t wait for me to come back? Will I ever get her back?
What if I go and Alissa says she’ll wait, but Sean worms his way in while I’m gone?
Is the love of my life worth giving up the rest of my life for?
“Are you okay?”
I look over to her beautiful face, lit up from the dash lights. “I’m fine, just thinking.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t tell him he could sit with me. He just came in and sat down.”
“I’m not thinking about that, but I think I do need to have a talk with him. He’s starting to piss me off. And what in the hell does he say that’s so damn funny anyway?”
She laughs. “He’s just being stupid. We don’t really talk about anything. Well, I don’t. He doesn’t shut up.”
I pull the car into the driveway and shut off the engine, but I don’t move. I’m beat from the show we put on, and the stress of the unanswered questions is weighing on me.
Alissa crawls into my lap and pushes my sweaty hair away from my eyes. “You sounded awesome tonight, baby. Who cares if a record label didn’t show up? You’re already a rock star in my eyes.” She slowly leans in, pressing her lips to mine.
That’s when I know: I can’t go.
What’s important in life? Is it becoming a rock star, or is it spending every day with the one you love?
Alissa doesn’t care if I make it big. Hell, she didn’t even know I played guitar when we got together. She’s always loved me for me. I can’t lose this. I can’t lose her. And leaving would be taking too much of a chance.
I decide not to tell her about the offer. I’m just going to keep playing with my band every Saturday and keep her in my bed and away from Sean every night.
Yes, this is an opportunity that most would kill for, me included, but what I have with Alissa is so much more important.
Sunday is a lazy day for us. We’ve been so busy with the house, work, and the band, that Alissa and I haven’t had much time alone together. We rent a few movies and cuddle up on the couch all day, holding one another and eating more food than either of us can handle. We kiss, touch, tickle, and tease each other throughout the day—not giving in to the other, so we can hold it in and let it build until it can rush out of us tonight.
Just as we’re about to shut off the tv and retire to the bedroom, someone knocks on the door. I stand and answer it to find Sean on the other side. I let him walk in but say, “We were just about to go to bed. Did you need something?”
He plops down on the sofa. “Naa, I don’t need anything. I just came by to say congratulations.”
“Congratulations for what?” I ask confused. I sit on the arm of the couch and put my arm around Alissa’s shoulders.
He sits up, resting his elbows on his knees. “For what? For getting to go on tour with Busted Lip. That’s fucking awesome! When do you leave?”
Alissa looks at me. “Why didn’t you tell me? This is so exciting!” She bounces up and down on the couch.
“I didn’t tell you because I’m not going,” I say, looking only at her. Anger washes over me. Fucking Sean is always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.
“You’re not going? What the fuck is wrong with you? You know they’re about to be signed by a record label. Why wouldn’t you jump at this chance?” Sean asks, standing.
But I keep my eyes on Alissa. Her eyes focus on mine with her brows pulled together.
I stand and open the door. “I’m sorry, Sean, but I’m really tired and would like to take my girl to bed. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
He nods slowly. “Alright, man. See ya.” He walks out, and I close the door behind him before going to the bedroom.
I strip off my clothes and am sliding under the blankets when Alissa walks in. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks while walking around the room, grabbing clothes to change into.
“Because it’s not a big deal.”
She stops and walks over to me, perching on the edge of the bed. “How is this not a big deal, Dane? This is a chance to get everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“They don’t want the whole band, they only want me. I can’t tell the guys I’m leaving the band.” I don’t bother telling her the rest, because I don’t want her blaming herself.
“They’ll understand. You have to do this.”
“I’m not doing it, and that’s final!” My voice automatically rises, and she flinches from my harsh tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Can we just not talk about this right now? I don’t want to fight.”
“Fine,” she says as she leaves the room. She walks down the hall and into the bathroom where she closes the door behind her with a firm click. Shutting me out.
I lay my head back against my pillows and stare up at the ceiling. Am I doing the right thing?
Monday morning comes, and Alissa is still giving me the silent treatment. I don’t know if she’s mad because I didn’t tell her about the offer, or because I’m
not taking it. Either way, I’d rather have her mad and not talking to me, than to leave her behind.
I’m clearing a table when my dad yells at me from across the bar. “Dane!”
I turn and look at him without answering.
“My office.” He points to the back and turns and walks away.
I finish wiping the table clean and set my tray down before walking into his office to find him pacing the floor.
“What’s up, Dad?”
He stops and spins on his heels to look at me. His face is growing redder by the second, and the crease that forms between his eyes when he’s mad is clearly visible. “What in the hell are you thinking?”
My brows draw together. “What are you talking about?”
“I heard about the offer you’re going to refuse. What in the hell are you thinking?”
I let out a long breath and push my hair away from my eyes. “How’d you hear about that?”
He moves around his desk and falls into his chair. “Doug, overheard the whole conversation. I asked Alissa this morning, and she said you refuse to go.”
“I can’t,” I say falling into the chair across from him.
“And why not? This is your chance to make it big — to do everything you’ve ever wanted to do.”
“I can’t go because I promised to take care of Alissa. She can’t go on the tour with me.”
“Ahh, I see,” he says, rubbing his clean-shaven jaw. “You don’t think she’ll wait for you?”
“I don’t want her to have to wait for me.” I stand and start pacing. “I promised I’d be here for her, that I’d take care of her. How can I do that if I’m not here?”
“She’s making money. You’ll be making money. I don’t see the problem here.”
“Sean is the fucking problem. Every time I turn around, he’s trying to steal her right out from under my nose.”
“Your best friend? Why would he do that to you?”
I stop pacing and give him a pointed look, hoping he remembers the story of Dan, him, and my mom.
Giving Up My Chance at Forever_Prequel Page 10