Page 28 of Higher Notes

“Funny thing is I only seem to be this way around you two.” Jason bounced to the bottom of the bed and hopped off. “Dibs on the shower.”

The little shit knew it only held one body at a time. The architects cut shower space for a larger tub. Normally, that was my go-to in a hotel room but that was before we had three bodies to fit into it.

“Hey, do we have time to make changes on our bathroom at the new house?” My one request and I completely forgot to ask when we met with the contractor.

“We did the walk-in shower that holds three and the oversized tub. Looking for a supersized toilet now, too?”

“Your ass is the next one going to pound town, Snipe.”

“Pound town? What are you, twenty?”

Was this what I had to look forward to? Not one but two smartass life partners?

I must’ve been a real shit in another life, but I tell ya, they’d keep me on my toes and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s funny how quickly we adapted to three grown men getting ready in one bathroom. Jason was the only one of us with any sort of hair or skin regime. Snipe and I hadn’t let ours grow out too much past a military cut, and kept the sides shaved. Most we ever did was shave our faces, though I’d toyed with the idea of a beard.

“What do you think?” I turned my head from side to side and brushed my fingers over the scruff. “Could I rock a beard?”

Jason smirked. “You could rock a tunic. You’d appear twice as formidable with a beard, but we’d know you’re a giant pussy cat behind the fur.”

“I’ve got your pussy cat.” I mussed the hair he’d worked so hard on.

“Dude!” His protest was wasted on me.

“Now he’s got to start all over again. Has to look his best for that old ass waitress at the restaurant.”

“Snipe’s a witty fucker today.” Adding Jason to our lives was like taking twenty years off them. We had more energy and drive, and the days were worth getting up for. Maybe that was due to getting laid, but I knew better. Jason was the bright light in what was once a dark life.

Day in and day out Snipe and I had the same boring routine. Wake up, work out, go to work, go home then do it all over again the next day. Somewhere along the way we lost our zest for life. Sure, sleepless nights battling demons didn’t help and we accepted that fate. But how had we already given up?

Young and invigorated.

That’s how Jason made me feel and likely Snipe, too. Whatever hand fate had in this rebirth, second chance at life, however you wished to label it, I would forever be in their debt.

If I felt this way after only a few weeks imagine how amazing the rest of our lives would be.

Fuck, I was such a sap…

Jason rode in the backseat texting away on the trip to the restaurant. “Hey, guys, Easton just called a meeting with Chaotic. It’s at their house with River. Must be something about social media.”

“Do we have time for breakfast?” We’d all reached the hangry point now.

“Yeah, I told him we were stopping to eat, and he said come on out and they’d feed us.”

I clearly saw how dating a rockstar, whether up and coming or not, would be a challenge for anyone not involved in the field. Thankfully Snipe and I were acclimated to the constant changesand fast-paced lifestyle. We had to be able to go with the flow and expect things to flip on a dime.

“Everything good with Mom and the kids?” Sikes asked as we merged onto I-5. Never was a quick or seamless journey when crossing through Seattle. Might as well entertain ourselves as we waded through the wall of traffic.

“Yeah. Mom’s nervous about quitting her second job but I assured her we had everything covered. I think that’s what makes her most anxious. It’s always been the two of us scraping by. She finds it hard to believe that two men we hardly know are willing to help.” Jason sounded a bit unsure of that himself. “I guess I question it, too. We’ve gone from dating to moving in together faster than a Lamborghini, yet it feels like we’ve been a constant forever.”

“Probably because we’ve been working together for a while now. Familiarity adds mental time.” Snipe had a point I hadn’t considered.

“True. Maybe later we can stop by when she’s home and try to talk her down. I really want her out of that overworked and underpaid job.”

“We can do that.” Whatever Dana, Jason, and the kids required from us in order to see we were the real deal we’d absolutely do.

“We’re in it for the long-haul, Jase. Sikes and I don’t play games. We mean what we say, and we say what we mean.”

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