Andy nailed it.
Tara had been joined by her live-in boyfriend, Neil, and they seemed to be enjoying the show, so they played three more songs.
Trey was having so much fun he was actually disappointed when he had to leave for work. “It was great to meet you, man, thanks,” he said, shaking Andy’s hand a second time.
He changed into his work uniform and headed out, stupidly excited by the idea of adding Andy to the group. Andy seemed cool, and he was sure Danielle and Bobby would keep him around awhile to talk, really judge his personality. If he knew Danielle, she’d fish around for his relationship status, and to make sure he was cool with queers.
Van was behind the bar alone, which kind of worried him. Without backup from Sasha or Jessie, who only worked a few nights a week, Van would become an insufferable asshole.To Trey, not to the customers. Barking orders and making demands.
And he did, but Trey was too excited about Andy and his upcoming date with Dominic to let it bother him.
“You’re in a good mood, considering what happened last night,” Beatrice said after her third check behind the bar. It was pushing one o’clock, and Trey couldn’t wait for last call.
“We might have found a replacement for Tyson,” Trey replied. “Onward and upward, right?”
“Right. Glad to hear it, Coop.” Beatrice clapped him on the shoulder before melting into the crowd.
The entertainment had been great, which helped pass the time. At eight, she’d scheduled a pretty decent stand-up comedian, who’d be better if he sharpened his jokes a little bit. Ten was an all-girl group who did hilarious punk rock remixes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera songs. The midnight group was winding down, another regular cover band Trey was friendly with.
He chatted with them for a while when the set was over, accepting congrats on getting into Unbound. They left, and Trey got to work cleaning up the bar so he could go home. He practically ran the six blocks down to his street. The house was dark.
Trey bolted for his room, not even tired, and booted up his laptop. He couldn’t play the Casio without waking up his roommates, but he’d downloaded an alternative. He attached his headphones and mike, then signed into FaceTime. Early but whatever. He could wait.
At two twenty Dominic called him.
Seeing a sleepy-eyed, smiling Dominic fill his computer screen made all kinds of funny butterflies explode in Trey’s stomach. Even though he’d been furious at Dominic twelve hours ago, now he didn’t want to be talking to anyone else.
“Morning,” Trey said. The walls weren’t super thin, but he whispered anyway.
“Hey.” Dominic frowned. “Shit, I didn’t think about your roommates. How are you gonna play?”
“Technology is a wonderful thing. I have a program on my computer that creates a virtual piano keyboard. I can play”—he made air quotes—“using my laptop’s keyboard.”
“Really? That’s killer.”
“Yeah, and with the headphones in, no one in the house will hear it.”
“Awesome.”
“It’s a little tricky remembering which buttons are which keys, but it’ll work for now.”
“Until you get the technology that allows for a three-way between a keyboard, headphones, and messenger.”
Trey laughed. “Exactly. So you said you’re in your parents’ basement?”
“Yeah.” Dominic moved his phone in a three-sixty, showing off gray foam walls that looked like the recording booths they’d used laying down Fading Daze’s two albums. A music stand, an empty keyboard stand, and a bookshelf full of what Trey guessed was sheet music. “I spent so much time down here as a kid I started to look white.”
Trey slapped a hand over his mouth so his laughter didn’t wake his roommates.
Dominic turned the phone back around and propped it up on something. “Anybody good at Off Beat tonight?”
“The usual acts. Decent, but nobody I’d go out of my way to see again. Van was a bitch tonight, but I was looking forward to this too much to care.”
“Van?”
“One of the bartenders. He’s always an asshole to me, but Beatrice likes him, so whatever. I deal.”
“Maybe he’s an asshole because he likes you.”
