Page 43 of Tumbling Hearts

“Gene! You’re finally back,” Ray says, clasping his hands in front of himself. Oh, isn’t Ray so beautiful in person, his deep blue eyes, his silky blond hair, not to mention his gorgeous form-fitting outfit with a button-up shirt and tight slacks.

“Made it here in one piece,” Gene chuckles. He sets his guitar down on the floor, next to the record rack.

“Glad you’re home,” Pat says, sitting on the couch with Carol, who simply smiles.

Stefan is here too, sitting in his usual armchair, and he gives a straight-forward, “Hey.”

As much as Gene would like to greet everyone properly, he can’t get another word out before Ray basically tackles him, throwing his arms around Gene’s shoulders and pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Welcome back, Gene. I got your postcard. I loved it. I missed you so goddamn much,” Ray says, shoving his nose in Gene’s long hair.

Gene’s heart can barely keep up. Everyone is staring at them, yet Ray gives them no mind as he grasps Gene tighter. His mind is in a whirl. But the warmth of Ray’s touch is so soothing, so wonderful, he knows he shouldn’t mind the others either. They can deal with seeing two best friends sharing a moment together after being apart for so long. Nothing wrong with that.

And so, Gene wraps his own arms around Ray, holding him as close as he possibly can, reaching up to thread his fingers through Ray’s curly hair.

“I missed you too, Ray.”

Ray adjusts his blue blouse, fidgeting with the buttons until he’s fed up with it. Whatever. He undoes all the buttons in front, letting it hang open and show his chest. With every movement, the fabric shimmers and sparkles. Today is the Dusty Brooms’ first live show in nearly three months, and what better time to wear something incredibly flashy than now.

He waits behind the stage-right-side door of Cobo Arena with Santiago and Nicky beside him.

“You ready, man?” Santi says, his bushy moustache bringing prominence to his smile. He’s dressed rather flashy too, wearing matching orange pants and a blazer.

“Absolutely.” Ray nods. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

From the speakers booming on the other side of the door, Ray hears one of the venue staff members announce to the audience:

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Cobo Arena, from right here in Michigan, the Dusty Brooms!”

Another staff member opens the door. The screams and cheers increase tenfold with the barrier now ajar. The staff member escorts Ray and the Brooms onto the stage, where they take their spots. Bright lights shine down on the stage; Ray does his best to look at the audience without blinding himself. He steps up to the microphone, holding it steady in one hand.

“Hello everyone!” Ray says into the mic. The crowd goes wild.

Knowing he has a few seconds before the audience calms down enough to speak again, he turns to gaze at Gene. His best friend looks stunning tonight, wearing a flowy, frilly white blouse, open down the middle just like Ray’s own shirt. Gene also has on a couple necklaces that dangle over his skin, highlighting his sexy chest hair—oh, what Ray wouldn’t give to smother his face in it. But he must keep his composure. Gene adjusts the strap of his guitar, plucks a couple random strings, and he gives Ray a darling smile.

Ray gives him one back, then addresses the audience again.

“I know it’s been a while since we’ve performed for you all. But we’re back, and better than ever. C’mon, make some noise!”

The crowd roars again, louder this time. At the first sign of the sound dimming even just a hair, Pat clicks her drumsticks, kicking off the Dusty Brooms into their first song of the night: ‘Wild Girls’.

This song and many more they’re playing tonight are hits from their new album, Dust Off. Though they also have a few songs in their setlist from their first album, and of course, it wouldn’t be a Dusty Brooms show without them covering the classic ‘Dust My Broom’. But this tour is to promote Dust Off first and foremost. Ever since its release last week, the album has already gone gold and is quickly climbing up the charts to number one. Ray can see their success right in front of him, with how many fans are jam-packed in the bleacher seats of the stadium. There are videographers following along with them on this tour too, getting footage of every show, hopefully to turn it into a film to be released next year.

He puts on the best performance he can for his home state, swaying his hips, jiving to the beat, dancing up a storm. Even when he needs to go up to the mic and sing, he never stops moving. He throws his hands out to the side, up in the air, clapping in front of him when he needs to take a breather. The groove is driven by Pat’s hard backbeat, the end of the chorus changing time signature to five-four, then back to four-four for the verses. Stefan’s bass keeps the rhythm flowing, while Santiago wails on his guitar during the instrumental break. Nicky adds a flavor with his piano, sprinkling a dusting of notes overtop, building on what they already have.

Gene’s riff is the basis for the entire melody. His guitar paired with Ray’s singing form something of its own instrument, matching the other, bold amongst the rest of the band. Ray pulls the mic off the stand, singing while holding it so he can walk closer to Gene, dancing around him. He puts his free hand on Gene’s shoulder, leaning in close so they can sing the harmony together, bumping hips with him as they sway to the rhythm.

“I never stop, they never stop, everywhere I turn.

I want it all, baby, all the wild girls.

Wild girls!” Three, four, five. “Wild girls!” Three, four, five.

Santiago takes over, playing the lead as Pat changes the time back to four-four. Ray (reluctantly) pulls away from Gene to secure the mic back on its stand, freeing his arms so he can dance around the stage. Gene will return back to his side soon enough, though, so Ray’s not too upset at the loss of contact. Most songs on their setlist feature them singing together, even if it’s only during the chorus.

After they finish ‘Wild Girls’, they play a few more songs, riling the audience up and keeping the energy flowing. The sheer amount of movement on all sides, up, down, left, right, combined with the haze of sweat and the smell of weed excites Ray like no other. His heart pounds as adrenaline courses through his body. The rest of the Brooms seem like they’re having a blast too, catching their smiles whenever he turns toward them. Except for Stefan, whose face is still like a statue, yet Ray knows he’s still having a good time. Just a little quirk of our stoic bassist.

“Alright, next one’s a song I wrote quite recently, with my dear best friend, Gene,” Ray says into the mic, looking to his left at Gene with a smile. “Here’s the world premiere of our newest song: ‘Golden Sunset’!”