Bailey, Shawn - A Lover's Concerto [Young, Hot, and Talented 1] (Siren Publishing Allure ManLove)

by Shawn Bailey

  Adam got off the phone. “The chauffer is waiting down at the curb.”

  Jonas put Kalen in the stroller, and they left Adam’s suite. The driver helped Jonas put Kalen’s stroller into the trunk, and they got into the car.

  “Sorry, but you’re going to have to strap Kalen into a seatbelt,” Adam said. “We don’t have a car seat.”

  Frankie slid back into the seat and fastened his belt while Jonas secured Kalen in and then himself. Moments later they were whizzing through the central business district headed for the shopping malls in Metairie.

  * * * *

  The idea of the shopping trip was to buy the young men something to perform in, and just as Adam expected he met with arguments about him spending money on them. “Think about it as an investment into your future,” he said to Jonas.

  “This is too expensive,” Jonas said, looking at himself in a full-length mirror.

  Adam had made sure they were suited up from head to toe with clothes, underwear, and shoes.

  “These pants are too tight,” Frankie complained. “I can’t breathe.”

  “That’s the size you told me,” Adam said. “You must be growing.” He signaled for the tailor. The older man hurried over. “Do you think you can find him something in a larger size?”

  “Yes, I’ll get them.” The tailor hurried off.

  Adam held Kalen while they waited. He is such a happy child. And hardly any trouble at all.

  The tailor returned with a perfect suit.

  Frankie stepped inside the fitting room.

  Jonas dashed into the other one to change back into his regular clothing.

  Frankie never came out to let him see how he looked. He just handed the suit to the tailor. “It fits.”

  Kalen got a new outfit, too, when they went to the baby clothing store even though he wouldn’t be able to see his brothers perform. Adam had arranged for babysitter, the daughter of a friend of his…a record promoter he’d invited to hear the boys play. He and Tory Albertson had been friends since childhood. Tory was always looking for new talent.

  Adam picked up his suit from the tailor, too, and then he treated the boys to lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afterward George took them to a stylist. He’d called Nico earlier and told him about the boys’ performance, and Nico said he would make room in his busy schedule to fit them in.

  “What’s this place?” Jonas asked once the chauffer parked.

  “A stylist shop. Haven’t you ever been to a barber?” Adam asked.

  Jonas moved his head, and his long hair floated around his shoulders.

  “I guess not,” Adam said. “I thought it would be nice if we all got a decent clipping.”

  Jonas touched his hair. “You’re not going to shave me bald, are you?”

  “Oh no,” Adam said. “I like the hair. It makes you look like a rocker. Nico is just going to trim the ends.” They stepped out the car. “As for your brother, I think the audience needs to be able to see his eyes.”

  Jonas chuckled. “He does remind me of a sheepdog.”

  Frankie scowled at both of them as they entered the shop.

  Nico was working on a customer, but pointed to some seats.

  “Isn’t that your boyfriend?” Frankie whispered to Adam as they sat down.

  “Yes. You have a good memory. His name is Nico. So behave.”

  Frankie brushed back a mass of curls and checked Nico out. “Which one of you is the girl?”

  Adam chuckled and ruffled Frankie’s hair. “Neither. You are truly amazing.”

  Nico finished with his customer and came over to greet them. “Wow, look at you. My name is Nico Washington, and I’m a friend of Adam’s.”

  Jonas spoke up first. “I’m Jonas Kerry, and these are my brothers, Frankie and Kalen.”

  Nico tickled Kalen under his chin, and Kalen giggled. “So what would you like done today?”

  “Just a trim,” Jonas said. “I have split ends.”

  “Okay. You can go over to Ernest. He’s a whiz with long hair.”

  Ernest had hair down to his butt and wore it in a nice braid.

  Jonas gave Kalen to Adam.

  Nico looked at him oddly, but didn’t say anything. “And what about you, Frankie?” What would you like?”

  “Less curls,” Frankie said. “I’d like something hip. I’m tired of looking like a Chia Pet.”

  “But the curls are so cute,” Nico said.

  “I’m seventeen, not seven,” Frankie replied. “Make me gorgeous.”

  Nico chuckled. “I like this one. You come with me.”

  Ernest took Jonas over to one sink, and Nico took Frankie over to another one.

  “You’re so lucky you’re a baby,” Adam told Kalen as he bounced him on his knee. “You don’t have to get your hair cut for at a least a couple of years.”

  Kalen laid his head against Adam’s chest and yawned.

  “Oh, someone is sleepy. I understand.”

  Kalen nuzzled in real close to Adam’s heart. Adam guessed the beating rhythm would lull him to sleep.

  Nico passed by with Frankie and gave him a questioning look.

  Adam just shrugged. He knew this seemed out of character for him, but it didn’t feel so bad. The way things were going he’d never have any kids of his own, but it was nice to pretend for a moment.

  Adam barely recognized Frankie once Nico finished with him. Most of the curls were gone, except on top. Nico had shaved the back shorter, but kept some length at the sides and front. Frankie did look a bit older and sexier now that others could see those blue eyes and thick blond eyebrows.

  “So what do you think?” Frankie asked him.

  “You look very grown up,” Adam admitted. Of course he hated himself for the impure thoughts going through his head.

  Ernest had not only trimmed Jonas hair but shortened his bangs and sides. Jonas and Frankie could pass for twins, except Jonas’s eyes were brown and his hair straighter.

  “Your turn cowboy,” Nico said to Adam.

  Frankie took Kalen after he sat down. Kalen protested a bit and then went back to sleep.

  Adam walked over to the sink with Nico.

  “Did you like their performance that much?”

  “Yes,” Adam answered. “My friend Tory is a music promoter. He’s always looking for new talent, and I invited him to hear them play tonight at the lounge in the hotel.”

  “And that’s it?” Nico asked.

  “Yeah.” He sat down in the seat, and Nico washed his hair. Afterward he trimmed the edges and shaved his face smooth.

  Adam paid him and Ernest for their services.

  Nico gave him a loving kiss on the lips as they were about to leave. “I’ll see you tonight at your performance,” he said to Jonas and Frankie.

  Neither brother seemed freaked out seeing two men kissing.

  George took them back to the hotel, and Adam sent the valets up to their room with their packages. He took the young men to the lounge. “This is where you will be performing tonight.”

  “Wow,” Frankie said. “This is nice.”

  “We need to rehearse,” Jonas said to Adam. “Can we use this place?”

  “Yes. Get as comfortable as you like. I’ll keep an eye on Kalen.”

  “Do you even know how to change a diaper?” Frankie asked playfully.

  Adam scowled at him. A haircut did not take away the sarcasm and that attitude. “I’ll manage,” Adam said. “Let’s go up and get your instruments. I’ll send the sound guy down and you can try your music out with him. His name is Sean Johnson.”

  Adam took the backpack Frankie had given him and Kalen up to his suite. He placed the sleeping child on his bed while he telephoned Tory. “They’re rehearsing. Yes, they’re very good. Yes, Nico will be joining us tonight.” Adam got off the phone and ordered dinner to be delivered to the boys’ room after their performance.

  * * * *

  The room had pretty good acoustics, Frankie discovered as he and Jonas plotted ou
t their music selections. The stage had a piano. Frankie raised the top and played a few chords.

  “You play piano, too?” Sean asked. Sean Johnson was around Jonas’s age, maybe a little older, with short brown hair and sexy green eyes. Sean was taller than Jonas by a couple of inches and just his older brother’s type.

  “Yes,” Frankie answered. “Do you think Mr. Montgomery would mind if I use it tonight?”

  “No, but he’ll probably be surprised,” Sean said as Frankie continued to play.

  Jonas accompanied him with the guitar.

  “I like your sound,” Sean said to Jonas. “You guys need to form a band.”

  “It’s just us at the moment,” Jonas said.

  Frankie watched the interplay between Jonas and Sean while he played. He hadn’t heard Jonas laugh so much in a long time. They rehearsed for about two hours and Frankie began to yawn. “I think I’ll go up for a nap.” He packed away his violin and bow.

  “I’ll be up later,” Jonas said. “Check on Kalen.”

  Frankie nodded, leaving the two new friends alone to get acquainted. He wished he could make friends so easily. Frankie went straight to their room. The maids had cleaned it and changed the linens. Frankie picked up the telephone and dialed Adam’s number to check on Kalen.

  “He’s still sleeping,” Adam said. “How was rehearsal?”

  “Great,” Frankie answered. “Sean is a nice guy.”

  “He’s our resident music geek. But he helps out when we host entertainers.”

  “I’m going to take a nap. Please call me was soon as Kalen awakens.”

  “Sleep well, Frankie,” Adam said.

  Frankie hung up the phone, removed his shoes, and crawled into bed. He kept replaying the kiss between Adam and Nico over and over in his head, wondering if they were in love and if they ever did it to each other. He thought a lot about things like that now that he was older. Girls really did nothing for him, and he only got hot and bothered around handsome guys. He used to think Jonas’s friend Myron was cute, until he realized Myron had the hots for Jonas. Even though he had a new haircut he knew that it wasn’t enough to change him. He also planned to work on himself, emotionally and physically. In two weeks he would be officially an adult, and he didn’t plan to live on the streets the rest of his life.

  Jonas came into the room sometime later, waking him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “I’m just taking advantage of this comfortable bed. Where is Sean?”

  “He had to go back to work. He said he’d see us tonight.”

  “He seems like a nice guy,” Frankie said.

  “Yeah, where’s Kalen?”

  “He’s with Uncle Adam. I told him to call me when Kalen wakes up.”

  Jonas sat down on the other bed. “Don’t you think it’s strange that Mr. Montgomery is doing so much for us?”

  “A little, but it will all be over tomorrow. Let’s just try to enjoy it,” Frankie said. “And we’ll get a chance to entertain on stage again. Don’t you miss it?”

  “Of course I do, but I don’t want you to build up your hopes that it’s going to be more than this.”

  “I won’t,” Frankie said, rising from the bed and stretching.

  “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

  “Who?” Frankie asked.

  “Adam Montgomery.”

  Frankie stopped stretching. “Yeah, but I know nothing can come of it. He’s older and has a boyfriend.”

  “Yes, remember that. We’re from two different worlds.”

  The phone rang, ending their conversation. Jonas answered it. “Hello.”

  “Jonas, this is Adam. Kalen just got up from his nap.”

  “Okay, I’m on my way to get him.” He hung up. “Kalen’s up. I’m going to get him.” Jonas left him alone.

  Frankie sighed. If Jonas, who never had a clue, had figured out his feelings for Adam, Frankie wondered if Adam had figured it out, too.

  * * * *

  Adam got busy finalizing tonight’s entertainment with Sean. The lounge served liquor, so he arranged for Jonas and Frankie to go on first so they wouldn’t be in the bar after prime time when the place really started to get rowdy with drunken adults. He didn’t want to break any rules and have his place closed down for contributing to the delinquency of minors.

  Tory’s daughter Amanda had arrived and was off in the hotel day nursery with Kalen so the older Kerrys could get dressed. After making sure the lighting and the air-conditioning worked in the lounge, he and Sean went their separate ways. Adam spent some time checking on the other areas in his hotel that he’d been neglecting all day. The French Quarter would be hosting a seafood festival tomorrow, and Adam had plans to take the boys so they could sample the food and enjoy the music. He had entertained the idea of inviting Nico, but he had to see how tonight went. He hoped Tory would like the Kerrys and sign them on. That was just wishful thinking on his part. In reality the three of them would be back on the streets Monday entertaining for tips. He wondered if there was a shelter willing to take them in. Fall had arrived, and the nights were getting colder. In good conscience he couldn’t very well put them out in the elements, but he couldn’t keep them in the Roosevelt Suite either. Maybe he could find them an apartment, something nice and safe, close to the university. He pulled out his phone and called his realtor to see if he had anything available. He’d entertained the idea of finding them an apartment in the Quarter, but everything would be too expensive and not suitable for Kalen. He sighed. No wonder he didn’t have any kids. Keeping them safe was a major responsibility.

  The realtor said he had a couple of places fitting his criteria. “Would it be possible for me to see them early tomorrow morning? Good.” He’d leave early before the boys got up. Adam looked at his watch. Shit, I better go up and get ready. He’d send George for Nico. Adam dashed into his suite, stripping out his clothing and headed for the bathroom.

  * * * *

  “I feel like a penguin,” Jonas said, trying to move around in the suit Adam brought for him.

  “You look great,” Frankie said. “Mama would be so proud of you.” He paused. “Did you take your medicine?”

  “Yeah.” Jonas took out his guitar. “Maybe I should have rehearsed in this outfit.”

  Frankie chuckled at his brother’s discomfort. “We won’t be dancing, just playing instruments. I just think you’re a bit nervous. And it’s not like we have to play a lot of songs. We can do that with our eyes closed.” He took his jacket down from the hanger and put it on.

  “Ooh, look at you,” Jonas said. “You look totally grown up.”

  “Really?” Frankie asked, checking out his reflection in the mirror. “I think I look like an emperor penguin. “

  “You better get used to looking like that if you plan to play for a symphony orchestra.”

  The audition would be coming up in a month, and Frankie already had butterflies, knowing their future was riding on him. He’d get back to practicing Monday as soon as they left the hotel.

  Someone knocked on the door. Jonas went to answer it. Sean walked in.

  “You guys look great. Mr. Montgomery sent me to get you. Are you ready to perform?”

  “Yes,” Jonas answered.

  Frankie took one last look at himself in the mirror. “I’m ready,” he said, grabbing his violin case.

  Jonas picked up his guitar and followed Sean out of the door.

  Chapter Three

  “I’m so nervous,” Nico said to Adam as they sat in the lounge nursing a couple of drinks.

  “Why?”

  “Because the Kerrys are about to perform, and there’s so many people here. You think they might be scared?”

  Adam shrugged. “I hope not, but it’s a possibility. They’ve performed before people before.”

  “In the park,” Nico said. “This is different.”

  “Sean, the sound director, heard them rehearsing earlier and he said they were good.”

 
“They better be,” Tory said, sliding into the booth on the other side of the table. “I gave up bowling to come and hear them.”

  “Nico, this is my friend, Tory Albertson. He’s not really this mean.”

  Nico shook Tory’s hand from across the table. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, Nico. Have you heard the young men perform before?”

  “Once,” Nico answered. “They were very good.”

  “I’ve never handled classical musicians before,” Tory admitted. “Who trained them?”

  “Their father,” Adam answered. “He used to perform in an orchestra or something before he died.”

  The MC came to the stage, and the two friends stopped talking.

  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to The Montgomery Arms Lounge. My name is Ben and I’ll be your MC for the evening. We have a lot of talent lined up for you tonight. First up is a brother act. I heard these two young men performing earlier and they sounded fantastic. So put your hands together for the Kerrys.” Ben left the stage, the lights dimmed, and the curtains opened.

  Adam closed his eyes, too nervous to see Tory’s first reaction when he saw them. He heard Jonas on the acoustical guitar first, followed by the beautiful sounds of the violin.

  Ooh, I can’t take it anymore. Adam opened his eyes and put them on the stage. They look so adorable and relaxed. He bet he had more butterflies in his stomach than they had.

  The Kerrys played a classical piece. Frankie had good technique, letting his left hand regulate the sounding length of the strings. Adam remembered that much from his lessons as a child. By using his fingertips on the fingerboard he could produce different pitches.

  The crowd applauded at the end of the song. The second selection featured Jonas on the guitar. He chose a lively Latin tune to showcase his talent. Frankie accompanied him on violin, making it sing.

  After this song ended, Frankie walked over to the piano, sat down, and began to play, beautifully.

  “I thought you said he was a violinist,” Tory said.