Page 49 of Feuds and Interludes
Boone chuckled. “They’re notTheThompson Twins, but they’remyThompson twins. I wouldn’t want to make any commitments without them. They’re my band, my best friends.”
“Let’s ask them to play with us. You guys sounded great at the ceremony. You mind letting this old metalhead tagalong?”
This time, Boone hopped up into my arms and wrapped his legs around me and he laughed as he kissed me. I spun him around, rejoicing in his reaction. I loved how he let his feelings out so freely. I was beginning to realize just how much I had to learn from him.
“I would fucking love to play with you, Shane Butler. Let’s make some beautiful fucking music together.”
Our excitement waned a bit when we sat down after dinner with Annie and Brandon, who faced us with arms crossed identically over their chests.
“Would this be a one-time thing?” Annie asked. “Because I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to a polyamorous gig moving forward.”
“A poly-whatnow?”
“Look what happened to Fleetwood Mac,” Brandon said.
“No one is suggesting?—”
“And The Mamas and Papas,” Annie said. “What would we be? Mama and the Three Papas? I’m not into the reverse harem thing. Uh uh. I don’t think so.”
“Wait—”
I looked to Boone for assistance, but he was just staring blankly at the twins.Awesome. Way to throw me to the wolves.
“And no offense? But I’ve seen all the leather Wicked Soul wears, and that shit chafes,” Brandon said.
“No one said anything about leather?—”
“And if you think I’m going to ride on some gay orgy bus cross country or, like, play some Taylor Swift break-up anthems every time you two fight?—”
“That’s going way too far.” Before I could argue any more, the three of them burst into laughter. Boone fell on the floor and Brandon started snorting repeatedly.
“What the hell?”
Annie shrugged at me and examined her painted nails. “Just making sure you can handle us, Butler.”
“Taylor Swift!” Boone cried from the floor, where he was rolling around, holding his stomach. “You should have seen your face!” He held out his hand for me to help him up and then he plopped into my lap and put his arms around my neck, lightly massaging my head. “I do like you in leather pants, though.”
I grabbed his hips, ready to push him off, but he held me tight and Annie gave me a big smile.
“All right, all right, you had your fun.”
“It’s all fun and games ’til someone gets hurt, metal boy. Just remember. We have a reputation for enacting excruciatingly painful revenge. You hurt our Boone, you suffer the consequences. Dig?”
She held out a hand and I half expected it to have a buzzer on the palm that would zing me when I touched her. I took her hand and fought not to wince when she squeezed it with more force than a five-foot-eight, buck-thirty-pound mixed girl should be able to muster. Brandon was a bit beefier, with an impressive Afro, but not even as tall as Boone. We were going to make an interesting picture on stage…that is if they actually agreed to do it.
“So are we doing this?” Boone asked. “Rocktoberfest?”
Brandon looked at his sister and then to Boone before leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed once more. “For starters. We’ll see if you can keep up.” And with that, he leaned too far and fell over backwards in the chair.
Boone scrambled up and Annie started shouting at him.
“I’m all right, I’m all right, geez!” He scrambled to his feet and back into the chair, trying to look like nothing happened.
“None of this works with a broken drummer, Bran,” Boone said as he sat back in his chair beside me. He rested his elbows on the table next to mine and leaned his head against my shoulder.
“Four on the floor, Thompson,” I said to him, shaking my head.
He gave me an incredulous look and then nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, all right.”
