Page 6 of Rocking the Trucker

With a sigh, Sam pushed away the memories of that night. The past was over and done with. For the next six weeks he would keep reminding himself that things with Gabriel were history, and going back was not a healthy thing to do. It would just end in another heartbreak when the rock star walked away at the end of the tour.

In the meantime, he needed to keep his focus on driving and keeping to the schedule that Gabriel’s agent had given him. At least with Gabriel in the cab with him, he wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the man would arrive on time for a show.

Chapter Four

Gabriel stood backstageand watched as the church band finished their set. They had been playing for almost an hour and had definitely done their job of warming up the crowd. He only hoped that he could keep the building rocking for another hour.

A fine tremor of anxiety ran through him and in response, he began tapping the fingertips of his right hand against the side of his thigh. It was a coping mechanism he had developed after his first few gigs more than ten years ago in order to keep anyone who might be watching from knowing how very, very nervous he became before a show.

Before every show.

They had arrived at the first church on his six-week tour mid-afternoon. The pastor had been waiting and helped Sam park the truck and trailer so it was behind the church and out of the way.

After that he and Sam met with the church officials, and after explaining what his plan was for the show, they fully supported his vision. They’d even recruited a handful of volunteers to sell the t-shirts and CDs that filled one of the bunks in the trailer. Alan’s agreement with every venue was that he would receive a portion of the ticket sales and all the money from merchandise sales.

Alan tried to talk him into adding other merchandise with his picture, the album cover, or his signature on them, but Gabriel refused. He was so far in debt to his agent now that he did not think he would ever see the light of day. Maybe in the future they could add other items, but for now, t-shirts and CDs were a good beginning. Alan had also had business cards printed up with the CD cover on one side and online buying information on the other. Those would be handed out to whomever wanted one.

“You okay?”

Sam’s soft, deep voice brought him out of his thoughts and back to the present. How had the man snuck up on him without him realizing it?

On his last tour, when he and Sam had been an unofficial couple, he’d always known where Sam was. He’d usually never been more than six feet from Gabriel’s side, unless he was onstage.

“I’m fine,” he said, forcing himself to stop tapping his thigh. Instead, he clenched and unclenched his hands, stretching the tendons and joints of his fingers and wrists in preparation for the next hour of playing and singing.

“No, you’re not,” Sam said, stepping around him so he stood between him and the stage facing him. “You’re scared to death and we both know it.”

Gabriel looked up into the man’s eyes, but instead of accusation, anger, or hatred, he saw compassion. With his short hair and cleanshaven face, he almost did not look like the same man as the one who had kept him on an even keel for so long. But all that ended when Gabriel had allowed his fame to go to his head and hurt this man so deeply.

Taking a deep breath, he released it in a whoosh before nodding his head. “Okay, yes. I’m scared. Scared to death. I’m about to walk out in front of an audience who may or may not throw rocks, stones, and rotten tomatoes at me. For the first time in three years, I’m going to play music I wrote all by myself, in hopes that I can regain some sort of footing in the entertainment world.”

Sam dropped big, heavy hands on his shoulders and squeezed them tight. While he did not smile, he wasn’t scowling as he had that morning, either. The wall of ice between them seemed to be thinning.

“Relax. They’re going to love you, and the music. They’re going to buy the t-shirts and CDs. They’re going to tell their friends and post on social media and by the end of this tour, you will be bigger than you ever were before.”

“I hope you’re right.”

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