Running Game(185)

Trent Masters and the Whiplash dissolved a few weeks after we arrived back home, citing “creative differences.”

Of course, I knew what really happened.

It had ended with split lips and broken bones.

The other musicians were off doing their own thing – the last I’d heard of them, they had tried to pull together a new band with pair of new singers, but were inwardly struggling to define their sound. It wasn’t looking hopeful.

And that was before dreadlocked Waylon wound up with possible charges of sex with a fan just below the age of consent. It was still inconclusive, but from what Trent had told me… it was probably inevitable.

Trent, meanwhile, had rescued his old bassist from that fate. Terence, ever quiet and studious, was a talented professional of several instruments. With Trent on vocals, acoustic, and electric guitar, Terence handled bass, piano, and occasionally violin duties.

But they still needed a third.

I politely declined when they originally approached me to play drums. I didn’t have any professional training, but they were convinced that my ability to keep rhythm was all I needed to get started. I practiced day and night…

Turned out, it worked. The two of them kept throwing out words like “a natural” and “drumming prodigy”, but I didn’t really believe any of that. I wanted this, and these days, I was willing to work hard and take what I wanted.

Together, we called ourselves The Tonic Electronic, quickly striking out a single that surprisingly found its way onto on the Billboard Top Ten. A few months later came our debut EP, up for critical acclaim and routine radio play.

I just liked the feel of the drumsticks in my hands. Although we knew we weren’t going to tour much, I loved knowing that I was onstage with my lover and our friend – making music that drew large, dedicated crowds.

It didn’t hurt that, while I completely trusted Trent, I got to watch him routinely turn down thirsty, lustful groupies and send them towards our very grateful stud of a musician.

Trent’s repeat success had also drawn the attention of a major label veteran – and that friendship quickly blossomed into mentorship. Guided every step of the way, he was weeks away from formally debuting his own label, Whiplash Records.

Not only were we self-representing, a couple of other singers wanting to go solo had already headhunted Trent to support them. He was just putting the finishing touches on the proper team of studio professionals to see their careers rise.

Some of them were here this night, watching Trent propose to me. I’d naively thought this was some kind of a label pre-launch party, which is why I’d been surprised when other Top 40 musicians had been present.

As the champagne popped, and musical celebrities came to offer their congratulations, I realized that I had found my place in the world – a place beside the man who had always looked out for me and kept the evil men in my life away.

With that said, though, my distorted memories from before the accident were probably never going to come back…

But you know what?

I didn’t need them.

This new life of mine that Trent and I had forged together was perfect, just the way that it was. And now, with his ring on my finger, I knew that we were going to be happy together for the rest of our lives… I even took the time to let Old Greg know about it… It just felt right.

While we enjoyed the company of our friends, my fingers slipped into my pocket for my phone. I was going to make a post to Facebook for our fans to see. That’s when my fingers brushed against the folded sheet of paper – the results from my surprise exam earlier today.

I hadn’t even told him my big surprise yet.

Trent was going to be a daddy.

The End… But I’m STILL not done with you yet. Turn the page for another FREE special bonus novel: PROTECT AND SERVE!