Broken Records by Lilah Suzanne

Author:Lilah Suzanne [Suzanne, Lilah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: M/M, Romance, Gift
ISBN: 9781941530580
Publisher: Interlude Press
Published: 2015-12-17T05:00:00+00:00

20

“Who’s ready for Tuscaloosa?” Grady shouts, climbing the tiny staircase into the tour bus.

The band is already inside. They cheer and whoop, and Nico says, “No one ever,” so Grady hooks a hand around his shoulders and plants a loud kiss on his cheek.

The tour bus is swanky yet cramped: A heavy black curtain separates the cab from the rest of the bus where leather couches stretch along the middle. Mandy, Mongo, Billy and Brad are hanging out on them playing video games on a flat-screen TV embedded in the front. There’s a tiny kitchen, a tinier bathroom and six bunks stacked like cubby holes, which are closed off with more black curtains. At the back of the bus is a very large framed painting of Dolly Parton.

“Gotta pay respect to The Queen,” Grady says, head bowed. The band stands up all at once, and Mongo and Billy and Brad take off their hats and hold them over their hearts; Mandy gives a deep curtsey.

“The Queen,” they say in unison, then go back to blowing up pixelated people in their game.

“What in the hell have I gotten myself into?” Nico mutters.

After about an hour on the road, Nico is enamored of the entire band. They’re all friendly and easygoing, entertaining Nico with their stories about life on the road: the time a fan snuck onboard in Michigan and they didn’t notice until Iowa, and the road-rage incident with a trucker that involved a mooning from the entire band. Late nights and long days. How hard it is to be away from their families.

“Grady’s lucky, bein’ a lone wolf,” Billy says, his cowboy hat tipped over his face, legs crossed in front of him. “Got no one to miss.” Mandy kicks him.

Grady laughs, a forced chuckle, then howls like a wolf to keep the mood light.

They stop for sandwiches just outside of Alabama. The band stays inside the restaurant; Nico and Grady sit across from each other at the little table on the bus. Nico eats his foot-long whole wheat veggie, tuts at Grady’s roast beef and cheese on white with a super-sized Mello Yello. Grady wrinkles his nose, takes a bite and says with his mouth full, “Don’t worry, I’ll work it off.”

“I’m sure you will,” Nico says with an eyebrow arched. “So. Dolly Parton…”

“Is The Queen, yes.”

“Any particular reason?” Nico wipes his mouth, then holds his napkin out to wipe mayo from the corner of Grady’s. Halfway there, Nico changes his mind and uses his mouth to gather the mayo instead.

“Mmm.” Grady turns his head to kiss Nico properly and sighs. “Don’t get me going now. I have a show soon.” He leans back and takes another bite. “Memaw listened to Dolly. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash. Loretta Lynn. All the old greats.” He takes a pull of soda from the straw. “Nothing quite like Memaw singing “Folsom Prison Blues” at the top of her lungs while she dusted the trailer.”

Nico picks at a pepper trying to fall from his sandwich.

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