Don't Blame The Band - 17. A birthday, a Flash in the Pan, and College Maybe?

Friday June 23 - Evening

Headache gone (thanks extra-strength acetaminophen), no additional alcohol consumed, it was off to the show. Ant had run me over to Eddie and David's (sounds like a cookie company - Eddie and David's chocolate chip cookies - Heaven from the twins). I had my car back, my sax was still in it, somebody must have locked the car for me. I get to Garson's and walk into the storeroom and Rich looks at me kind of funny.

"Well, he didn't grow a tail, so I guess he's not a dog and is back to normal."

"Barf bark to you too, Rib. Yeah, Anfony told me what I called you all. I'm conflicted over which one I like better, Eggie or Gay."

"OK, wiseass. Focus on singing and not your stupid drunken trip."

"Sorry, Eddie. Serious face transformation complete."

"What are we gonna do with him guys?"

"Well, we know shooting him doesn't work David. Gotta think of something else."

"Not cool Rich, not cool at all."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Pete. Hey, we didn't get to say it last night, but s..."

"Please, don't say you're sorry. I've had it up to here (raising my hand as high as I could) with condolences. Part of the reason I picked up the bottle in the first place. Just treat me like you normally would, it will help me more."

"Sure thing you jerk."

"Thanks Gabe."

"OK, on to business. Atlantic wants us back in the studio on Monday. Circumstances prevented us from going this week so they want us there three days instead of just the one. No hotel stays this time. Mick can't be there all the time because Foreigner's still touring, but Frank Filipetti, who co-produced their last album, will be running the show. I told Frank that we had another 5 songs in the works, so he wants us to start with those on Monday. They have the early versions of the 6 we do have ready, so we just need to round out the record. To not run into any conflicts here, I agreed Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday... Questions, issues?"

There were none. After the Atlantic news, we discussed tonight's set, nothing unusual. We're all very comfortable with our sets for the shows. 'Live Your Own Life' and 'In Another World' both have a little bit of a country feel, so they've been added to our Friday night core. As has been the norm for the shows, we stay to sign any autographs afterward. Atlantic has given us a few hundred of the promotional photos, so we use those. They figure it can't hurt record sales, as long as we stick to mostly other artists songs at Garson's. So it's the two singles and the two I just mentioned that stay on the set list. The time will soon be upon us where playing at Garson's will no longer be an option. Once the second album hits the stores, we'll be touring pretty regularly. Or at least that's the current thinking. Mick and the team are hoping for mid-November at worst, so we can take advantage of Christmas sales. Anything earlier would be a bonus.

Thursday July 13

Well, I'm legal. I'm 18 today. Not that it's a big deal, but if another 14-year-old wants to grope me at a meet-and-greet, I'll have to prevent him/her from doing it. I could just see the headline now: '14-year-old boy accuses singer of making sexual advances.' There's no school, obviously, so I'll be spending the night at Ant's for my first adult sexual experience. It's not like Ant and I don't do it a lot already, but he made a comment about making it special, so I can hardly wait to see what he has planned. Unfortunately, we spent the day in the studio, but we've done that a lot lately, so it's not as tiring as our first bunch of sessions. I think we'll be OK. I have dinner with the parents and Ant at Danny's Italian Restaurant, one of the older places in town, but still good. I follow Ant to his house after dinner. He and I passed on dessert at the restaurant because Mrs. Rossi baked me a birthday cake we would be having after we arrived there. It was one of my favorites, lemon cake with vanilla icing, laced with coconut shavings.

After dinner, we go up to Ant's room. There are a bunch of balloons around the room. I look at him like WTF?

"They're Fortune balloons."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Like fortune cookies, only rainbow colored. Each color holds a different surprise. Most of them, things we can do tonight, a couple, future plan things."

"So, there's what, 24 things?"

"No. Just 8. All reds have the same thing, all the orange are the same, etc. I just figured only 8 balloons wouldn't look as good. The white ones are unique. It can be next, but it doesn't have to be. Like a wildcard. You can delay it until later tonight if you want."

"So, how's it work, I pop one and we do what it says?"

"Pretty much. Until we can't follow the directions anymore."

"So, if I like a color, I can pick it again?"

"Sure, it's your night."

"Anything kinky?"

"No, not really. The future items could be if you make them. But you only can pick one of each."

"So, like if the orange ones have a future thing, I can't pick another orange."

"Yeah, like that."

"How'd you come up with this?"

"I saw a pride flag last week. Six colors, six things we could do together. I added black and white because I thought of 8 things to do. I couldn't really do fortune cookies, but then I thought of those carnival games. Throw a dart at a balloon, win the prize inside."

"Genius. If the band doesn't work out forever, you can go into the fortune balloon business."

"So, what's first?"

"My favorite color is red, so, I have to go with that."

"Here's a pin. Get to popping. Oh, and where it makes sense, nudity is required."

"I'd expect nothing less."

POP!!

"Red says Ant kisses Pete all over. I think I'm going to like this game."

We decide to undress each other. Nudity is required, but Ant didn't say how we had to get there. After that we took a shower to clean the day's sweat and grime off. It may have been the most innocent shower we've ever had together.

"Back or front first, Pete?"

"Tough choice. I'll go back first."

"OK, lie on my bed on your stomach."

I do as Ant says. He starts with the bottom of my toes. He really did mean all over. As he's working his way up the backs of my calves, then my thighs, I'm already hard. I have my arms out to the sides, so I can't easily touch myself. I'd bet if I tried to sneak a hand underneath, Ant would stop me. Then he starts on my butt cheeks. When they're good and kissed, he spreads them and kisses me all along my butt crack. He continues on like this until he reaches the top of my head.

"I need a drink. Kissing a whole body dries the mouth out."

"Half a body."

"Yeah, half."

Ant rests his lips for a few minutes. It also lets little Pete calm down some. I think I'll need that calmness when Ant gets close to kissing it.

"On your back, boy."

"I'm 18 now, that's man, man."

I lie down on my back, and Ant resumes acting out the Exile song 'Kiss You All Over.' When he gets to my groin, he does kiss me all over there, but he doesn't linger.

"We'll keep him fresh for later." He says.

Ant finishes kissing all over my front. The time he cheated me on my dick he more than made up for on my nipples. Finally, he kisses my forehead and up to the top of my head.

"Wow. And there are still seven things to go?"

"Yep. But two future items and at least two more that aren't quite as erotic for you. I think. Next?"

"I know how orderly you are, so I think I know what orange is. Yellow is another you do to me, so I'll go green."

I pick up the pin and pop a green one.

"Green says Pete kisses Ant all over. You sneaky bum, you. I was sure that was orange. OK, back or front first?"

"I knew you'd think that way. Nope, your night, your choice."

"OK, slave, on your back!"

I go in complete reverse. I start with the top of Ant's head and kiss down toward he feet. I'm a little cruel with his dick. I keep kissing it until I can tell he's getting close to cumming. I edge him twice. At that point I move to the front of a thigh.

"Oh, man. You can't do that to me."

"My night, my choice."

"Fuck. I need to change the rules next year."

It makes me feel so good Ant is sure we'll be together in a year. But I bet he'll set something else up then. I continue down his legs, and like him, I stop for a drink when I finish with his feet. I continue the lick-fest, once again starting at his head. Similar to Ant around my dick, I skip over his pink starfish to come back to it last.

"Hey, you missed a spot."

"I'm saving that for last."

"Note to self, rule change #2."

After I finish with kiskling (kissing+ tickling) his feet, I spend a few minutes in and around his butthole. Once again, time for a short rest and drink.

"Next color?"

I grab a purple balloon and pop it.

"Purple says: One free 'anywhere you want' sex coupon. That's one of the future ones, huh?"

"That it is. Pick another."

POP!

"Yellow says Pete on top first. First must mean a complete round?"

"That would make sense."

"Good thing I left the riming to last. Where's the lu..."

"Way ahead of you."

I get my dick and Ant's ass all lubed up. I knew we were going to have sex tonight, so this one was expected. Its corollary, Ant on top first is probably in there somewhere. I just hope I don't pick that balloon next.

Ant's on his back, legs pulled up toward his shoulders. I hover above him and slowly insert my penis into his anus. I'm surep excited from all the foreplay, so I don't last long. I'm guessing there will be another round of making love in the balloons that are left, so I'm not concerned. It doesn't look like Ant is either. Pete first means Ant second, so we lube up the opposite way and Ant makes love to me. He lasts a little longer than I did for tis first round, but not much. Once again, we take a rest.

"So, how's your birthday so far?"

"Totally amazing. You've outdone yourself."

"Only halfway there. Pop when you're ready."

"I can pop a balloon, but at the minute I don't think I can pop a boner."

"Get the balloon, maybe it will be one that doesn't need a boner immediately."

I grab a black balloon and pop it.

"Black says One free 'anyway you want' sex coupon. Yep, don't need a boner right away for that one. Could I combine the future ones and kill both birds with one stone?"

"Sure, something new, somewhere new; sounds wonderful."

"OK, let's try white. Pop! White says make out as long as Pete wants. Are you doing anything tomorrow, hehe?"

Depending on what's left in the balloons, we may need to sleep the day away. Plus, I could always do one of the all-over kissing ones again. But for now, Ant and I lie on his bed and make out for a while. After about 20 minutes, I feel a stirring down below. It's starting to get late, so I decide to cut this session short and move on to the next balloon. I pick a blue one.

"Blue says 69. Cool, a pretty logical progression from a make out session."

We reposition ourselves and are about to start the sucking when I stop to say something.

"I think for this, if one of us is starting to get close to cumming, we stop, rest and pop an orange one."

"Yeah, that sounds good. But then I know what's left."

"I have a pretty good idea what it is too."

We suck on each other for about 15 minutes before I need to stop. Once again, we take another break. We're using up Ant's soda supply in his mini fridge, but we won't run out until after orange makes an appearance. I pop an orange one.

"Orange says Ant on top first. Thought that would be the case."

We make love to each other one more time, and then cuddle together in his bed, physically and emotionally spent. Just before we fall asleep, one final verbal interaction.

"Hope you had a happy birthday. I love you, Pete."

"I did, it was great. I love you too."

Thursday July 27

We just finished five three-days-a-week sessions of the songs for our second album. We have the 3 of ours we had put down the first take of in June:

Caught in My Grasp
Long Stemmed Roses
and Lonely Years

The three Atlantic had written for us, again, first versions already recorded:

Tears
Chains on Love
Turn up the Radio (Not to be confused with Autograph's version)

The 5 Ant and I had done some work on by the end of school. These, and the last one were the focus these past 5 weeks:

They Called it Paradise
Fear
A Matter of Semantics
Whispering Wind
Devotion

And finally, one more that we worked on since Terry's accident:

Elegy For a Friend

Atlantic is considering using all of them on the album, and possibly the first and last for singles. They indicated we may need to come into the studio a time or two to put finishing touches on the single candidates and possibly one or two others. Obviously, we don't have a problem going back. We're still receiving royalty checks from the first 2 singles and the album, not large ones, but the money still trickles in. We're not rich, but for kids between 18 and 20, we're doing better than most.

Friday August 11

So far, we've only gone back to the studio twice to re-record two songs. The folks at Atlantic are sure they'll release the first single, 'Elegy For a Friend' b/w 'Tears' the last week of August. They'll let another 6 weeks go by and release 'Caught in My Grasp' b/w Whispering Wind' and the Album 'Another Swarm Attack' together. That will bring us to the second week of October if all goes as planned, beating the hoped-for mid-November release.

But today's another special day, it's the anniversary of Ant making love to me for the first time. With the show tonight, we go out for an early dinner at Dominick's. It was the fancy restaurant that was to be our alibi last year for all the ugliness after my beating. We don't want to wear ourselves out after the show, so we keep the lovemaking to one time each way.

Tuesday August 29

Another single release day today. We're hoping since it's from our second album, there will be some name recognition and purchases by folks who bought the first two and the album. I never mentioned the title of the first album, it was 'The Swarm Arrives.'

Saturday September 2

Billboard magazine day. 'Elegy For a Friend' debuts at #92. This is better than 'Try Harder' because that didn't make the charts until the second issue. We're cautiously optimistic we'll have another minor hit.

Saturday September 9

A little disappointment enters the room. The song only moved up 9 spots to #83. I'm happy it charted, since it in essence is a tribute to Terry, but I'm hoping for a little more.

Saturday September 16

While we're staying on the charts, we're not making big strides toward the top. Up only 4 spots this week to #79.

Saturday September 23

The downfall has begun. I don't have much hope for a long stay now that we dropped down to #91. Maybe the song is a little too dark.

Saturday September 30

And... Poof, it's gone. Our worst single performance yet. We're hoping for a better performance from the next one, but all of us in the band felt 'Elegy For a Friend' was the better of the two songs.

Tuesday October 10

Another single release day. For some reason none of us are feeling very good about it. Even the folks at Atlantic aren't feeling it. They're waiting a week to release the album, so both don't hit the stores at the same time.

Saturday October 14

Nothing on the Billboard top 100. Well, it's another half week after release, maybe next week.

Tuesday October 17

The second album hits stores today. Maybe Atlantic picked the wrong songs for the singles and the rest of the songs will carry the load.

Saturday October 21

Well, we're there. #100. Better than not being there at all, I suppose. Our confidence is pretty shot at this point, but we're still trudging along. Similar response for the album on the top 200, we're there, just barely, at #197.

Saturday October 28

The single is gone from the charts. The album moved up a little to #188. Ant and I have still been writing, but so far, there's been no talk about a third album. So far, we haven't even heard a peep about another contract. The first one was for two albums. With 'Another Swarm Attack' tanking, we're pretty sure there won't be an offer. We were hoping to tour a little to promote the album. Again, crickets.

Wednesday November 1

Ant turns 19 today. We do the dinner thing and make love after rehearsal, but neither one of us is overly excited.

Saturday November 4

The album hung on, but we're expecting it to be gone in the next issue. #195 today. Eddie was told by Atlantic there will definitely not be another contract, nor a tour. Not even as an opening act. Less than a year into it and our professional music career is over. Tonight's performance at Garson's, yeah, we're still playing there, is probably our worst performance ever. We're just not into it. Royalty money is almost non-existent. The crowds aren't what they used to be so we're not even making as much there as we were. The rest of the guys are looking for jobs. I've applied to the community college and have been accepted. I'll be starting there in January.

Monday November 6

A little good news. Michelle called me to schedule a meeting. Atlantic wants to discuss my return as a writer. Well, our return, Ant's been invited too. We'll get the details on Wednesday.

Wednesday November 8

Ant and I are each offered a two-year contract to join Atlantic's writing team. It's a salaried position, with royalties for anything that is used by an artist or group. The money is actually pretty good, even without the prospect for royalties. Both contracts also allow for us to take part in other band's work as the need arises. Michelle counsels us to take the offer, if nothing else, it's better than taking a non-skilled position anywhere else. I wasn't looking forward to going back to Walmart anyway, so we sign. We're not looking forward to tonight's rehearsal. I'm sure the guys will say they're happy for us, and they will be, to some extent. We'll have to figure out how best to go forward with the band, but neither Ant nor I are very hopeful it will continue. We'll be working full-time, and it will be difficult to continue.

Well, the announcement at the rehearsal went about as well as we thought. The guys seem happy for us and want to continue for as long as we can. Ant and I don't actually start with Atlantic until after the first of the year, so we do have a few weeks more to plan our futures.

Thursday November 9

Rehearsal tonight is a little more upbeat. Eddie got a call from Michelle today. Seems Atlantic wants the rest of the guys to join their team as session musicians. Their meeting is Monday.

Monday November 13

No rehearsal tonight. Eddie and the rest of the guys signed on with Atlantic starting right away. Eddie already called Paul Garson and told him that the band was breaking up, with details of our futures so he wouldn't be too upset at us. We'll all still have professional music careers, but not like we thought it would be at the beginning of the year. Another positive is we'll all still see each other around the studio, so our friendships will continue.

Epilogue

Well, the assumption about seeing each other around the studio didn't last long. They got hooked up with one of Atlantic's solo artists, Maxwell Silver, stage name obviously, as his backing band. He never made it really big, but they ended up with a fairly long run with him and made a pretty good living.

Tyler and Rob stayed together and were legally married shortly after New Jersey legalized same-sex marriages in 2013. Tyler remains are Atlantic Records. He's moved up continuously over time and is currently overseeing their east coast sound engineering staff. Rob still works at Walmart, however he's a district manager, covering all of central NJ. They adopted a 5-year-old boy after about a year of marriage and are a happy family.

Eddie married one of the girls that followed the band back then. Being on the road all the time made it hard for her, but them and their two girls are still together and doing quite well.

David is still single. He plays a pretty big part in writing for his current band, the Scoundrels, and remains in the music business to this day.

Rich moved on from playing after he married Melanie but leads a regional sales team for Gibson guitars. Two of his guitar designs are in use by hundreds of guitarists around the world and around 10 highly professional musicians. Rich and Melanie have four children, two of each.

Apparently, my drunken stupor was accurate in renaming Gabe. Turns out he was gay and has been happily married to his partner for eight years. He hid it extremely well. He later told me that my and Ant's beatings prevented him from coming out sooner. They remain childless but both have very good jobs in the music business and travel extensively.

Ant and I were also married shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized. We've been very successful as a writing team, and both are also part of a mildly successful band. With the travel, we decided not to adopt, and we work with local LGBTQIA+ groups when we are in town.

The men that shot Tyler and I spent the rest of their miserable lives serving a life sentence for the murder of Mrs. Rosemary Taft. All three died violently in prison. While I didn't celebrate each of those deaths, I never shed a tear for them either.

The End