Finding Us (The Music Within) Page 4

  Another knock on the door pulled him out of his musings. “Five minutes ‘til showtime,” a strange voice called out without coming inside.

  Pauly didn’t realize how long he’d sat there holding his guitar in one hand and the half-empty Jack and Coke in the other. Downing the rest of it, Pauly set the empty glass down, took a deep breath, and called out, “I’m ready.” He didn’t bother checking his appearance in the mirror. Being a rock star afforded him the forgiveness of the crowd if he looked like shit. They were there to hear him play 7’s Mistress songs, and if he looked worse for the wear, they would chalk it up to the “lifestyle.”

  Grabbing a bottle of water and his guitar, Pauly opened the door and followed the stranger down the hallway to the back of the stage. Jackson was waiting for him. “I’ll introduce you, and then it’s all yours,” the man said. His smile was even bigger than when he’d introduced himself at the back door. Maybe he hadn’t been flirting. Maybe, he was just happy to have such a huge name playing his establishment. If word got out Pauly was there, he had no doubt the place would be packed.

  When he took the stage, he found out he wasn’t wrong. It was standing room only. Unlike large arenas where the lights were so bright you couldn’t see the crowd, Rooster’s was bright and well-lit, but Pauly could make out everyone out in front of him. Tag, being the lead singer, had always been the spokesman for the band. This was something new for Pauly, but he took a deep breath and found his voice.

  “Hello, and thank you all for coming out tonight.” The crowd cheered and whistled for him. Pauly gave them a moment to settle down before speaking again. “As Jackson so graciously said, I’m Les Paulson, lead guitarist for 7’s Mistress. If you’ve seen us play over the years, you know I’m only a back-up singer, so I’ll warn you now, I’m no Taggart Lee, but I hope to entertain you anyway. If you know the songs, feel free to sing along.”

  Pauly played an hour straight, pulling from the band’s extensive catalog. He sang his heart out while the crowd did the same. He finished the set with a cover of an old Jimmy Hendrix classic, and the crowd was on their feet.

  “I’m going to take a short break, and then I’ll be back with another set. While I’m gone, be sure to refill those glasses, and don’t forget to take care of the wait staff. I’ve been watching them all night, and they’re definitely taking care of you.”

  Jackson Cane met him at the microphone, his smile lighting up the room. “Give it up for Les Paulson!” Jackson let the ovation go on for a moment, and Pauly left the man to do whatever it was the owner of a club needed to between sets. Pauly had just taken a few steps down the hallway toward the dressing room when Jackson’s voice boomed, “I told you this night would be full of surprises, didn’t I? If you thought that was a treat, I have another for you!”

  Pauly had just reached the dressing room when Jackson announced, “What’s better than one member of 7’s Mistress? Try two! While Pauly takes a break, I’m proud to introduce to you Sloane Vargus, bass player for the band. Sloane, come on out here!” The last sentence was almost drowned out by the crowd cheering. Surely, he’d heard Jackson wrong. There was no way Sloane was there. Pauly headed back toward the stage, meeting Jackson halfway down the hallway.

  “Did I hear you right?” Pauly asked when he was standing in front of the owner.

  “That your pal Sloane is here?” Jackson nodded and gestured toward the stage. “See for yourself.”

  Pauly strode past the man and stopped short when he caught sight of Sloane taking the stool Pauly had minutes ago vacated.

  “What’s up Rooster’s?” Sloane had no trouble playing to the crowd. “Give it up one more time for my best friend, Les Paulson!” When the fans calmed somewhat, Sloane strummed his own acoustic guitar. “Pauly didn’t know I was going to be here tonight, and I don’t want to infringe on his set. I’m gonna play a couple songs while he’s on break, and then maybe he’ll let me join him on stage. The two of us make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself.”

  After more yells, whistles, and clapping, Sloane strummed his guitar and settled into “Divine Intervention.” It was one of the first songs he wrote for the band, and he and Pauly had spent hours perfecting it. Sloane’s voice wasn’t as smooth as Pauly’s. It had a rasp to it Pauly always found sexy as fuck. If he wasn’t so confused by Sloane being there, he would have probably been sporting a hard-on. Surely Sloane wouldn’t leave Tracy alone on their first night back together. Thinking that, Pauly scanned the crowd.

  When Jackson stepped up beside him, he asked the man, “What’s he doing here?”

  “Said he wanted to surprise you.”

  “Me?”

  “By the look on your face, I’d say it worked. I don’t know much about your friendship, but when he called me earlier, he practically begged for the opportunity to play tonight.”

  “He called you.” It was a statement, one Pauly was trying to work through. How had…? Echo. Of course, the little minx would have called Sloane and told him what was going on. That would teach him to ever confide in her again. He’d poured his heart out, and she turned around and told Sloane where to find him.

  When the applause died down after Sloane’s first song, he said, “I would like to ask you all to indulge me for a moment. I know 7’s Mistress has twelve albums filled with hit songs, but I’d like to do a cover that means a lot to me.” Pauly had no idea which song Sloane was about to play, but it wasn’t long until he recognized Lenny Kravitz’s “Can’t Get You Off My Mind.” Pauly’s eyes misted, and his throat tightened. Pauly had drunkenly played it one night for Sloane, telling him it was how he felt whenever they were apart for any length of time. There was no way Sloane was playing it for him this time. Not with… Sloane turned toward the side of the stage and sang the chorus directly to Pauly.

  Well, fuck.

  Chapter Five

  Sloane had no idea if singing to Pauly would get his point across. If not, he’d have a conversation with his lover after the show. When he looked over to where Pauly was standing with Jackson Cane, he could’ve sworn he saw Pauly brushing a tear from his cheek. He hadn’t intended for his best friend to become that emotional. He only wanted him to know Sloane was his. Nobody else’s. When the song was over, he smiled at Pauly in a way he doubted he ever had before. It was with as much love as he could impart into just a look. Pauly blinked hard a couple times before smiling back.

  Sloane stood from the stool, not bothering to address the cheering fans. He strode toward Pauly and met him halfway across the stage. When they reached one another, Sloane pulled him into his arms. They didn’t kiss. Didn’t say anything, just held one another to more whistles and catcalls. This wasn’t the time for Sloane to pour his heart out to Pauly any more than he already had with the song. They had screaming fans to entertain, so he pulled away and asked, “Care if I join you up here?”

  “I’d be honored,” Pauly said. Jackson Cane walked onto the stage carrying an extra stool, while one of his employees set up an extra microphone stand.

  When they were seated, Pauly held up his hand. “This is just as much a surprise to me as it is to all of you. We haven’t rehearsed a set, so please bear with us.”

  Sloane wasn’t worried about the crowd, or his and Pauly’s lack of rehearsing as a duet. The two of them had spent countless hours in their downtime with just the two of them playing. Their harmonies were usually spot-on. Tonight was basically a free concert for the patrons at Rooster’s, so if he and Pauly weren’t perfect, the folks could ask for their fucking money back. He was there for Pauly and nobody else.

  Pauly took control just as Sloane had known he would, and the night went smoothly. They played several 7’s Mistress’s songs as well as some well-known covers. When they told the crowd they had one more song to play, Pauly surprised Sloane. “As you all know, the band recently parted ways since Taggart Lee decided to become domesticated.” The crowd groaned, and some even booed. “He’s lived the rock star life for fifteen years, and now
he’s settled down with the love of his life and their beautiful baby girl.” That garnered a room full of awwwws.

  “I’ve been working on some new material. It doesn’t have the same vibe your used to from our band, but that’s the great thing about music and artists. Both evolve. Sloane, here, has heard the melody, but I only added the lyrics this morning while waiting on my flight from Tennessee. I might forget some of the words, so if I do, please forgive me. This one’s called ‘The Road Home.’”

  Nameless faces in nameless towns

  Time keeps passing by

  Empty bottles in empty rooms

  The nights stretch out in a blur

  A mile at a time with no end in sight

  It looks like I’ll never get home

  A mile at a time leading farther away

  I need help finding my way home

  Thousands of people and thousands of hours

  Nothing fills the void

  Looking for peace and looking for love

  Is impossible for someone like me

  A mile at a time with no end in sight

  It seems like I’ll never get home

  A mile at a time leading farther away

  I need help finding my way home

  Reaching for you, always reaching for you

  My elusive star in the sky

  Calling your name, calling out with my heart

  You’re walking a different path

  A mile at a time with no end in sight

  I’m searching for the road home

  A mile at a time leading farther away

  I need to find my road home

  A mile at a time please come hold my hand

  Together we’ll find the road home

  A mile at a time I need you with me

  Don’t you know Baby, you are my home

  Sloane recognized the tune as the one Pauly had been playing at the hotel. He didn’t know the whole tune, so instead of strumming along, he sat and enjoyed the same show the fans were getting – Les Paulson in all his glory. As Pauly’s words washed over Sloane, he was now the one trying to keep the tears at bay. His man had written those words that morning, thinking he’d lost his chance with Sloane. Sloane needed to find out what led Pauly to believe Sloane didn’t want him any longer. Pauly sang the last verse with his eyes glued to Sloane, and when it was done, Pauly closed his eyes, but not before Sloane saw the hurt buried there.

  Sloane had to get Pauly alone to talk. When the last chord was strummed, Sloane stood from his stool and placed his guitar against the stand before pulling Pauly’s from his hands, setting it aside as well. He grabbed Pauly’s hand, holding it above their heads, and the two of them took a bow as if they were in a jam-packed arena. When the people rose from their seats and began heading toward the stage, Sloane practically dragged Pauly down the hallway toward the dressing room. Jackson Cane had shown Sloane the room earlier so he had somewhere to leave his guitar case. He also explained the two of them would be able to use it as a place to hide after the show, since there hadn’t been time to add extra security.

  Once inside the room, Sloane pushed Pauly against the door and pressed their bodies together. Pauly was usually the one to be the aggressor, but Sloane knew he had one chance to get this right. He took Pauly’s face in his hands and ghosted his lips across Pauly’s. When Pauly let out a sigh, Sloane took advantage and kissed Pauly harder. Not a bruising crush of mouths, but a sensual tasting. It wasn’t long before their dicks were hard. Sex wasn’t something either one of them ever shied away from. After all their years together, they still got each other hot. It was the more intimate moments they weren’t sure what to do with. Like the way they were kissing.

  Pauly came up for breath and touched his forehead to Sloane’s. “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought that would have been apparent. I’m kissing you.”

  Pauly gripped Sloane’s hips tightly. “I get that, but why are you here, with me?”

  “I’m not sure where the disconnect happened, but baby, you and I have been together, just the two of us, for a long time now. Why wouldn’t I be here with you?” Sloane asked, pulling Pauly’s fedora off his head and tossing it onto the nearby chair. He loved when Pauly wore hats, but in that moment, it was getting in the way.

  Pauly tried to push Sloane away, but he didn’t let him. “No. You don’t get to push me away again. I should have stayed at the hotel and had this discussion earlier, but I was hurt and angry.”

  “I went to your house. Tracy was there.”

  “She told me. Why didn’t you bother to come in?”

  “I didn’t want to intrude,” Pauly confessed, his voice laced with pain. “I screwed up, and now you’re back with her.”

  “Oh, babe. I guess I should’ve spent more time talking about personal shit with you instead of having porn star sex and writing hit songs together. Tracy’s remarried. Has been for a few years now. The reason they’re at my house is because theirs burned down in the recent fires. There was no reason for them to live in a two-bedroom house with Derik’s parents when I have my big, empty place.”

  “Well, fuck me,” Pauly huffed.

  “I’ve been trying for years, but you always like to be in charge.” When they first started having sex, they switched things up almost nightly, but after a while, Pauly fell into the more dominant roll, preferring to be on top.

  Pauly laughed and pulled Sloane closer, nestling their erections together. Skinny jeans were hell on hard-ons. If things weren’t so serious, Sloane would take them both in hand and give them some relief. Since he wanted to hash out what was going on between them, he kept his hands around Pauly’s neck instead.

  Pauly was still frowning. “I don’t understand. I heard you and Tag talking about how you wanted a family. He mentioned Tracy and Taryn.”

  “If I recall, that was when you stormed out of the house. If you’d hung around a little longer, you’d have heard me tell him the truth. You’re my family, Pauly. You’re the man – the one – I want to be with now and for as long as you’ll have me. We both have children of our own, and I think we need to spend some time reconnecting with them before we think of having one together, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about.”

  “I thought you wanted away from Delilah. I thought that’s why you left this morning. Well, yesterday morning.” Since it was going on two a.m., it was the next day.

  “God, it feels like I’ve lived a lifetime in those few hours. I left because I had hoped you and I could have some alone time, and when you said you wanted to stay in Nashville, I got pissed and ran. Don’t get me wrong. I love Delilah, but we’ve been spending all our spare time at Tag and Erik’s. I was feeling a little left out, to be honest.”

  “We spend every night together.”

  Sloane promised himself he’d lay all his cards on the table. If Pauly didn’t want him the way he wanted Pauly, now was the time to find out. “I want more. The sex is great, but I want what Tag and Erik have. I want a home with you. I want us to figure out our next steps as far as our music goes. And yes, I want to do that together. It’s not like we haven’t spent our lives in each other’s pockets all these years. So, I’m not afraid of getting tired of one another. I want everything with you, Pauly. I love you.”

  “I love you too. You have to know that. Didn’t you listen to the song I wrote for you?”

  “I did listen, and I do know that now.”

  “But what if I want to make that life in Nashville? You don’t want that.” Pauly sighed, and Sloane knew this was the defining moment. He’d not considered making Tennessee a permanent home, but Nashville was the place for making music. Some of the biggest name producers had moved to the southern state, and now, Tag was going to become one of them. Who better to take charge of their career than their friend? Besides, he wanted to be where Pauly was.

  “When I said I wanted to get out of Nashville, I only meant for a few days. We’ve been hanging out with the others every day, an
d I just wanted some alone time with you. As long as you make your life with me, I don’t care where we live.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. I planned on selling my house here, but I’m going to put that off until Tracy and Derik either rebuild or find another place to live. It’s the least I can do for Taryn. We don’t need two large houses on the West Coast.”

  “Then you’d be okay with me selling mine and looking for a place close to Nashville?”

  “As long as it’s a place for both of us, yeah. I’m good with it.”

  Pauly swung them around so he was the one pressing Sloane into the door. “I love you,” he whispered before taking Sloane’s lips in a scorching kiss. Pauly didn’t have to urge Sloane to open up for him. He welcomed the heat and slide of Pauly’s tongue as it traced every inch of Sloane’s mouth. The kiss they shared just a few moments ago was one of hope. This one was all fire. It was the kind that led to things like clothes flying off and one of them ending up on their knees. In this case, it was Pauly. He dropped to the floor and had Sloane’s leaking cock down his throat before Sloane knew what was happening.

  Chapter Six

  Pauly knew things could turn on a dime. Between him and the other members of the band, life had taken them all on a rollercoaster ride. For the most part, their lives were all they could have ever dreamed of, but there were those times, like when Tag’s sister had died, that life wasn’t what they hoped it would be. Kneeling before Sloane sucking his cock, was just one of the better parts. Pauly knew it wasn’t all about sex, but when the man you were in love with confessed his love as well as a promise for the future, it only added to the thrill. And sex with Sloane Vargus was always a thrill.

  Tag had been right. Pauly’s fears had stemmed from miscommunication. If he’d stuck around long enough to listen to the tail end of Sloane and Tag’s conversation, his heart wouldn’t have been torn in two. Then again, he wouldn’t have written the song for Sloane he knew in his heart would become a number one hit for the right artist.