Page 45 of Something Like Forever
He started with aninstrumental, which showed his strength. Jason could sing, despitepreferring not to, but he knew how to carry a tune, even if hisvoice wasn’t exceptional. That was fine, since it would make iteasier for patrons to converse. By the end of the song, two morecustomers had moved closer so they could watch.
Jason played another pairof tunes, humming to one and working up the courage to sing on thenext. The room was slowly filling, three more people havingarrived. The girl with the laptop left with an annoyed expression,perhaps needing silence to work. She was replaced by an oldercouple who bobbed their heads along to the music. Jason was on hisfourth song when he did a doubletake, nodded, and smiled atsomeone. Ben looked over to see an older woman with her armscrossed. The owner, judging from the way she scrutinized theaudience, as if assessing how pleased her customerswere.
Jason focused moreintently on playing, this song another instrumental. Voices couldbe heard talking over his music. That was fine, since this wasn’t aformal concert, but Ben noticed the way Jason’s eyes flicked to theaudience, his lips sandwiched together as if feeling uncomfortable.When that gaze sought him out, Ben raised his eyebrows and spreadhis hands in a way that he hoped said, “I’m open to the idea.”Jason didn’t seem to get the message right away. Not until towardthe end of the song when he smiled.
“Thanks,” Jason said aftersome light applause. “What a gorgeous group of people here tonight!I think I recognize one of you in particular. I could be wrong, butis that Ben Bentley I see? The famous singer who brings down thehouse every night back in Texas?”
The customers startedlooking around, as if expecting to find a celebrity in their midst.Ben found this more funny than embarrassing and was on his feet thesecond Jason asked the next question.
“Maybe he’d be willing toaccompany me?”
“I might be able to managea song or two,” Ben said as he joined Jason. Then they did whatthey always did when getting ready to make music together. Theyhaggled. “Lisa Loeb?”
Jason shook his head.“Don’t freak, but I never listened to the CD you gave me. How aboutsomething by the Doors?”
“Too moody. We need peppy.Cat Stevens?”
“Worksfor me!WildWorld?”
“Love it!”
And just like that, Jasonwas playing and Ben was singing. He hadn’t had time to consider thelyrics when Jason suggested the song, but as he crooned, heremembered that it was a song about someone leaving, and a warningabout how rough the real world could be. The song could have easilybeen written by a concerned parent for their child. Was theselection intentional? Only one way to find out. As the song wounddown, he decided to leave the next choice to Jason.
“What do you think?” Benasked, eyeing the newcomers. Five or six people had wandered intothe area and taken seats.
“LedZeppelin,” Jason said. Classic rock. Of course. “Do youknowRamble On?”
Jason was always making Benlisten to rock songs, and while he remembered the tune, the lyricswere fuzzy. They were easy enough to pull up on his phone so Bennodded. The song was a good choice, the guitar dominant. Hearingthe intro brought many of the lyrics back to Ben. Another songabout saying goodbye, except this one felt more positive to him.Someone was setting out on his own again to find the girl he loved.Or the guy, in Jason’s case. Ben was tempted to change the pronounsto match, but Jason was a stickler about such things.You don’t mess with the classics!he had scolded once.
By the time the song cameto an end, the room was filled to a respectable degree and theowner seemed pleased. Jason seemed oblivious to this. He waswatching Ben, eyes full of emotion. “You wanna choose?”
“EltonJohn,” Ben said. “Daniel.”
Jason licked his lips andnodded. They were definitely on the same wavelength. The songwasn’t guitar driven, but Jason did an admirable job of adaptingit. That meant it was up to him. The real difficulty came inkeeping it together emotionally. As he sang about watching someoneleave, Ben started fighting back tears. When he looked over to seeJason crying as he played, Ben broke down too. He still managed toget out the last verse, but when the last twang of the guitar fadedinto silence, he sobbed once. Jason was on his feet, holding theguitar away with one arm and reaching out with the other. Ben hadno instrument to worry about. He embraced Jason with all hisstrength, not wanting to ever let him go, even though he knew hehad to. The time had come to stop making music together.
* * * * *
“She’s beautiful,” Bensaid, probably for the tenth time, but it was true. Daisy had herfather’s blond hair and her mother’s almond complexion, which madefor a striking combination. He adored her. It didn’t matter thatevery time Ben tried interacting, Daisy would reach for one of herparents, not trusting his presence there. Mere moments later, shewould forget about him, stumbling around the living room foranother toy or chasing after Chinchilla while squealing at the topof her lungs.
They were leaving. After awonderful week of touring Astoria and hanging out with Jason andWilliam, now they had to begin the long ride back. Ben wanted tofly, but bulldogs weren’t allowed because short-nosed breeds weremore likely to die while in the cargo hold. Not that Tim would haveallowed her to be checked like luggage. Renting a car to drive backhad also provided Tim with an excuse to reserve one of his belovedsports cars. A convertible. Ben would need a hat. For now, he wasenjoying the remaining time with his family.
“I guess we should decideif we want one of these,” Tim joked. He was stretched out on thefloor, back against the carpet. He had remained perfectly still togain Daisy’s trust. His reward? The child was now carrying varioustoys over to him, placing each somewhere on his body and slowlyburying him beneath multicolored plastic.
“Are you thinking ofadopting again?” Lily asked. She too sat on the floor as she passedDaisy more toys to entomb Tim with.
“You’re replacing mealready?” Jason complained. He was on the couch and stroking theface in his lap, William looking like he was in heaven.
“We’re just trying tofigure out what to do with ourselves now that our little nestlinghas flown away.” Ben sighed and pantomimed dabbing tears away,mostly because pretending he was sad was the easiest way of hidingthat he really was. “Think you’re up for a little brother orsister?”
“I don’t know,” Timanswered for him. “The last kid we adopted was a pain in the ass. Idon’t think I could handle another.”
“You’d be sparing the poorchild,” Jason retorted. “It isn’t easy living with such overbearingparents. Oh and did I mention manipulative? And deceptive? And uh…Help me out here, hon. Give me some more negativewords.”
“Sexy,” his boyfriendreplied, quickly hiding his face.
“He’s useless,” Jasonsaid, shaking his head.
“I dunno,” Tim chimed in.“I think he’s right on the money.”
