Page 68 of Stray for You

It’s a mystery that will have to wait for another time. My mother is rounding the stage, and her smile is so big it outshines the sun beating down on the gorge. I run to her, accepting a crushing hug and many kisses on the cheek.

“Oh, Cameron, you were amazing, baby,” she says.

I could weep. She’s seen me play, but having her here at the biggest show of my life is on a whole different level. Mom got me my first guitar. She drove me to all my lessons. She went to every single recital and performance she could.

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” I say, and I mean that very literally. I would not be here without her.

But there is one other person I owe this moment to.

I ease out of her hug. Miss Brooks stands behind her. And next to her, barely restraining a face-splitting smile, is Julian.

The moment we lock eyes he dives at me, nearly knocking me to the ground. He clasps my face, kissing the breath out of my lungs, peppering my lips and cheeks, whatever he can reach.

“Cam, that was amazing. That was fucking amazing.”

Before I can respond, he’s kissing me again, over and over, like he’ll never get enough. The past year and a half has included plenty of kisses while we’ve lived together in the apartment. Julian has started a new job downtown in Seattle, one he likes a lot more than his old sales job. It’s not quite as lucrative, but he’s having a lot more fun working for the Seattle Center and charming tourists instead of sales reps. Plus, we get free admission to the Museum of Pop Culture, which often has music exhibits.

I finally push him away, but gently.

Even after all that, my voice comes out timid when I ask, “So, you liked it?”

“Cam.”

He cups my face, forcing me to look into his eyes, eyes shining with fresh tears. He lowers his voice, speaking as though we’realone in our bedroom, no one in the world to interrupt us.

“I loved it,” he says. “I can’t believe you did that for me. It was perfect.”

It might sound like empty praise from anyone else, but I hear the truth in his words. This time, it’s me grabbing Julian and yanking him in for a kiss.

Someone clears their throat behind us.

We break apart abruptly, swiveling toward where my bandmates stand with their own families. And one extra person, a woman I don’t recognize. She’s out of place in her crisp pencil skirt and suit jacket.

“Which one is the guitarist?” she says.

“Dark hair,” Erin supplies.

The woman breaks into a broad grin. “Well, Mr. Cameron Ortiz. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was speaking with your band here. I’m with Rainier Talent Management and…”

The rest of her words slide away into static. I look to Erin and Kelsey and Tim, who must be hearing the same mind-bending words I am. Their faces reflect just as much shock as mine.

The woman holds out a business card toward Erin. “We should keep in touch. You guys are too good not to get scooped up by someone, and I mean to be that someone. When other managers come knocking, remember that I got here first, alright?”

She winks at us, then strides away, leaving us astonished and gaping.

“Was that…”

“Is she…”

“A real band manager?”

“Who wantsus?”

We’re too stunned to finish our sentences without each other’s help. At the end, we all look at each other, the same thought flickering through our heads.

We just got our break.

My life has taken a lot of twists and turns this past year or so. I never thought my band would get approached by a manager wanting to rep us. I never thought I’d be with Julian Brooks. But if I’ve learned anything in the course of this strange, strange journey, it’s that sometimes you have to let fate take the wheel.

She can be unexpectedly kind.

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