Trevor: So I guess that means we're open for the wedding, if you still want us.
Adam sucked in a breath and bit his lip.
Me: You sure? Now it sounds like a big step down from where you guys were heading.
Trevor: Yeah, kinda. But our schedule's full, otherwise, and I don't wanna break our momentum with a big gap, so we'll take it. Assuming it's still available?
“Oh my god,” Adam gasped. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”
“What?” everyone seemed to ask at once.
“Singing. The band. I mean, the wedding.” He knew he was babbling nonsense, but he couldn't help it. “I need to ask Everett and Morgan…Holy shit.”
“Everett's in his office,” Theo pointed out.
Adam gasped. “Be right back!” He bolted out the door without waiting for a response. Adam ran across the vineyard and flew into the tasting room, which was closed for business that day, but it was attached to the winery offices. He found Everett at his desk and lurched to a stop.
“Everett?”
The man looked up. “Hey, Adam.” He quickly glanced around. “Everything okay? Where's John?”
Adam waved a hand as he caught his breath. “Is there any chance you still need a band for the wedding?”
Everett sat back in his chair and tossed down a pen. “Yeah, actually. We're striking out all over the place. It seems like everyone we call is already booked.”
Adam sucked in a breath, his hands shaking as he called Trevor.
“What's up?” Trevor answered.
“Hey, you're on speaker,” Adam told him. “Trev, meet Everett. Everett, Trevor. He's the leader of my old band.”
Adam set the phone on Everett's desk, then listened as the two men greeted one another and launched into a negotiation about performing at the wedding. They confirmed the date,settled on a price, then swapped email addresses so Trevor could write up a proposed playlist for the couple to approve.
When all was said and done, Adam couldn't hold still. He gushed a bigthank youto Trevor, then threw his arms around Everett and promised him the performance would be epic before he sprinted back to John's office to share the good news.
He rode the high of that excitement all afternoon. Theo and Haven humored him all through lunch, even throwing out song suggestions. The conversation continued when they got to Theo's apartment and started hauling in Haven's things. That didn't take long, though. Haven's worldly possessions only amounted to a few boxes since he'd always been so frugal. It seemed they'd no sooner brought in the boxes than everything was unpacked and the boxes broken down.
But Adam would be able to use the boxes to pack up more stuff of his own. He was actually excited when he finally got back home. Even knowing he was alone—and would be so from now on—the loneliness took a back-burner to the energy coursing through him.
Adam picked out a playlist on his phone, cranked up the volume, and sang along as he grabbed some empty boxes and went to tackle his bedroom.
With the playlist on shuffle, the first song that came up was “Stay” by Steve Grand. The upbeat song was just what he needed as he flung open his closet.Holy shit. He had way too many clothes. And so many of them he'd bought, yet never worn.
Adam shrugged, figuring those would be a good place to start. He yanked things off hangers, flinging them over his shoulder towards his bed. In the midst of that, “Stay” came to an end and Jeremy Renner's “Main Attraction” began to play. Adam nodded his head to the beat as he gathered up the empty hangers and dumped them in a box, then flipped through what clothes remained. He picked out a few things that no longer fit,as well as things he hadn't worn in years. A t-shirt so faded, the design was illegible. A jacket that he'd thought looked cool, but after only a few wears, decided the tight fit wasn't worth it. Then he found a sweater that was stretched out unevenly, one sleeve hanging longer than the other. They all joined the pile on the bed.
He paused when he came to John's shirt. It was one he'd stolen from the man back in Idaho, back before all hell broke loose. Adam had seen it sitting on a pile of John's laundry, snatched it up on a whim, and stuffed it into his backpack. Ever since then, he'd worn it to bed almost every night.
Which was why, after nine years, it looked like nothing more than an old rag. The fabric was threadbare, and the hems had long since given way. But two months ago, Adam had pulled it out of the dryer to find a huge new hole in the shoulder. So much so that the shirt was finally beyond repair. Adam hadn't been able to part with it even though he could no longer wear it: the shirt fell right off of him when he'd tried. So he'd put it on a hanger, using a paperclip to hold the shoulder together so it would actually stay, and shoved it to the back of his closet.
Adam's heart clenched as he carefully pulled it down. It was time to get rid of it. He walked it over to the bed and laid it out, fingering the fabric. A bittersweet smile took over his face. Maybe he'd just have to steal another one of John's shirts to wear to bed. The man sure did enjoy the sight of him that way. Nothing on but a shirt that was too big for him, just long enough to barely cover his ass, teasing his nakedness.
His bittersweet smile turned into a grin.Yep, definitely time for a new one. Adam let go of the old shirt, went back to his closet, and finished up there before turning to pick the next spot to tackle.
As Adam headed for his dresser, “Everything” by Lifehouse began to play. Adam sighed as a swell of emotion punched himright in the chest. He'd always loved this song. Even though it brought the energy way down, he still couldn't help singing along.
He made a mental note to mention this one to Trevor as a potential candidate for the wedding playlist.
For that matter, he really needed to call Trevor again so they could figure out a rehearsal schedule. That whole process had been rushed for their show over Christmas. With Adam jumping in at the last minute, they'd barely had two days to practice, to make sure they were still as in sync as they'd always been. Not to mention having to do a few key changes to match Adam's deeper voice.
