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to buy stuff? What about the royalties from Simplicity ? That was, like, a huge hit.
Rabin tossed a few grapes into his mouth. We ve probably seen all the money
we re going to get from Simplicity, and that s almost spent.
But that s a relatively new song. It just came out year before last.
That s a lifetime in rock n roll. We got a pretty good advance off the album,
but that s it.
Both elbows on the table, Izzy held a section of orange before him, dissecting it
slowly. I don t understand. What about royalties?
We might not ever see any. Rabin tried not to watch the orange juice
dribbling down Izzy s wrists.
Or the juice on his lips as he licked them.
What?
It s tricky. Rabin leaned forward on one forearm, picking at the fruit in the
bowl with his other hand. See, the record company signed us, gave us some money
to do an album and live and such. We did that and released Simplicity. That did
really well. Our next single, Don t Believe, tanked. Even so, they took a chance on
us and put us on tour opening for Jade Cruiz. We finished the tour, and it didn t do
well enough for them to extend it beyond the Southwest. We released the last
single, Ginger Lee, right after that, and it did worse than Don t Believe. So they
decided to option out of a second album even though we d already started
writing and released us from our contract.
44 Jet Mykles
But didn t you get paid for the tour?
He peeked up, glad to see Izzy had finished the orange, distressed when Izzy
poked a finger in his mouth to suck it clean. No. All that was covered by an
advance too.
That s crazy.
Yep, but pretty typical. But it lasted Zane and me until now.
That s something, I guess. Izzy plucked up a strawberry and held it to his
lips. And now?
Rabin looked away before the strawberry passed Izzy s teeth. We re both okay
for a few months. But we re going to need real jobs or another album advance soon.
Izzy grimaced. Why the hell would you want to get involved in a crazy
business like that?
Rabin laughed. I wouldn t do it without the music. And the performing.
There s nothing like it.
So, this thing with Brent& ? He s not a record company.
No. He s agreed to help us finish recording our master tracks. If we ve got the
tracks for a whole album ready to go, a record company is more likely to sign us.
Why?
Because we ve done most of the work. They get to listen to a finished product
and decide they like it. Brent s name on it as producer makes the deal sweeter. At
least, that was the plan. He sent up a quick prayer to the gods of music that it
would work.
Izzy shook his head, sucking the pad of his thumb. I guess all that makes
sense to you.
Kinda.
Izzy pushed to his feet. Want some juice?
Juice? Not after eating half a bowl of fruit. Nah. Water?
Indigo Knights 1: Squire 45
Sure. Izzy waited until he d opened the refrigerator before asking his next
question. Is your friend Zane as crazy as you? About music?
Pretty much. It s all we ve ever wanted.
Does he write the lyrics?
Most of em. I ve written some.
Glass on the counter, Izzy poured. Does he play an instrument?
A little rhythm guitar, a little piano, but he really likes to be the front man.
Izzy considered that while putting the juice bottle away. What about the rest
of the band? He stuck a second glass into the door of the refrigerator for water.
What happened to them?
Realizing he was watching Izzy too closely, Rabin scooped up the grapes that
were at the bottom of the bowl and finished them off. After the record company let
us go, we decided it was a good idea to go our separate ways. That was a nice way
to put it. Markus and Sam had left with bad blood between all of them, most of it
laying blame for their failures.
But you and Zane stayed together.
We ve been friends a long time, and we started the Knights. It ll take more
than that to break us apart.
Izzy set the glass of water in front of Rabin, then resumed his seat with his
juice. So. What would your friend say to what we just did upstairs?
Rabin froze, the glass at the level of his lips. He stared at Izzy over the rim for
a few seconds before lowering the glass. Truth? He d freak.
Izzy swallowed calmly and set his own glass down. They might have been
discussing the weather for all the emotion he showed. Homophobic?
Not so much. He s okay with gay men as long as they don t get too close.
Will he be okay working with Brent?
He says he will. Rabin wouldn t dwell on his own misgivings about that.
What would be would be. As far as he could tell, the fact that Brent was in a
46 Jet Mykles
successful rock band outweighed the fact of his sexual orientation, in Zane s eyes.
Besides, Zane had been a fan before Hell had joined the band, long before Brent
came out publicly. Back in the days before the members of Heaven Sent had all
settled down with other men.
Izzy sipped his juice. But he d freak because you re his best friend.
Pretty much. Rabin cast his glance aside so he wasn t looking at the sweet
oval of Izzy s face or how those mussed black curls caressed his pale shoulders and
teased the sharp line of his collarbone. Such soft skin.
He d wonder how often you d been checking him out or fantasizing about
fucking him.
Startled, Rabin laughed. Like that d happen. But yeah.
Izzy smiled with him. All the more reason to keep what we did a secret. Don t
you think?
Rabin just looked at him. Had Izzy just given him what he d been working up
to ask for?
From Zane and from Brent and Hell. Izzy picked up his juice. I don t think
anyone needs to know about it.
Rabin found himself nodding. That s& probably a good idea.
I mean, I hate to keep something from Brent, but it s probably best. Given the
reason I m here&
Oh man, Rabin hadn t even thought of that. The broken relationship that had
brought him here was because of secrets. About that&
Izzy shook his head. It s nothing. Totally different. I thought I loved Greggory.
We re just having fun. He grinned at Rabin. Besides, you re not even gay.
Rabin had to laugh. That might be debatable after what just happened.
With confidence, Izzy shook his head. Sex doesn t make you gay. Gay is a way
of life, an acceptance of who you are and what you like. What we just did was
fabulous amazing, stupendous but it was just sex. He spread his palm on the
Indigo Knights 1: Squire 47
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