Longing for You

Chapter 1-2

The words Call Ended populated the screen on Theo’s cell phone as he stared in silence. A dull thump formed behind his temples, forcing him to close his eyes and press his thumb and middle finger to the sides of his head.

This could not be happening. Not tonight. Not three hours before their gig at Midnight Blues nightclub.

Funny how a similar thought crossed his mind years ago, when he and Parker Pearson got into a fistfight their senior year. Unlike that day, he wasn’t in the middle of a fight or missing an opportunity to get his band noticed. They’d been noticed, which is why he was back in Savannah, experiencing déjà vu.

“Goddammit, Jeff,” he mumbled under his breath. All he needed was for his brother to hear him and start asking questions. Though he knew he had to tell Jonah what happened, the thought of explaining the details had him gritting his teeth.

This wouldn’t be a tea and cookie conversation. This would be an argument full of sarcasm, hostility, and guilt trips. Whoever slung the most s**t would win.

Shifting his eyes across the walls of Jonah’s hotel suite, he observed the empty hallway, feeling a sense of relief. Jonah was nowhere in sight. Good. If his brother hadn’t heard his phone call with Jeff, then there was still time to form a backup plan.

While Theo empathized with Jeff’s current situation, he couldn’t afford to lose his lead guitarist on such short notice. Not even for a night.

He promised Jonah that he and the guys would be ready for their recording session next week. They had to be. If Jonah hadn’t offered his help, Southern Scandal wouldn’t hit the studio for at least six months. Didn’t Jeff understand how grateful they should be?

The sooner they produced an album, the faster Theo would live his dream—to sing and play his guitar before millions of people, to have the songs he wrote played across the airwaves, to be able to look his father in the eye and say, ‘I made it, even though you doubted me’.

Jeff wanted this opportunity just as much. So did Jesse and Allen, but the driving force behind his bass guitarist and drummer differed from that of his lead guitarist. Jesse and Allen wanted the babes. Jeff wanted to support his girl and the baby boy she carried inside her.

Ironically, it was his motivation that kept him from his duties this evening.

Though he wanted to be pissed with his friend, he couldn’t be. At least Jeff was being a man and taking care of his responsibilities. Besides, it wasn’t his fault that his girlfriend had health issues that created complications with her pregnancy. Jeff was worried about her and his son. Theo would feel the same if he…

He laughed off the thought of him having a steady girl or a kid. Maybe he’d have both someday, but not now. Relationships slowed people down. They caused plans to change and dreams to be abandoned. No way was he giving up on his, especially when he was this close to getting everything he wanted. There was no woman in the world worth that type of sacrifice.

Well, maybe…

No. Not even her. Besides, that was years ago. The thing he had for her was just as dead and buried as the hope he had to be with her one day. Yet being back home brought those feelings to the surface. Did it do the same to Jonah? It was this same damn town where he lost his hope as well.

Of course, Jonah chose to let Ally go, but it wasn’t really his choice. It was one he was told would be best, thanks to Paula Jacobs. Old biddy. She should have kept her drunk a*s out of her daughter’s business and allowed her to make her own choices.

Ally would have remained in Savannah if she’d known how his brother really felt. Guess that was old news now. There was no point in thinking about the past. He’d just lost his guitarist for the evening. He sure as hell didn’t need this type of distraction, didn’t need to think about Jonah and Ally and…her. She was definitely a distraction, one that caused his groin to throb.

Damn! He needed to stop thinking about—

“Everything okay?”

The sound of his brother’s voice brought him back to the present and the not so pleasant conversation they were about to have. Thankfully, it removed the images in his mind and squelched the desire that had his d**k getting hard.

Just as well. There was no sense in wasting an erection when there would be plenty of honeys ready to satisfy him after the show. Hard to believe Southern Scandal already had fans. Not just any fans, but those who were anxious to drop their panties and wrap their legs around his waist.

“Hello?” Jonah grumbled from the hall. “Earth to Theo. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah…I mean no. Well, yes and no.”

He didn’t miss the confusion knitting his brother’s brow or the gruff sound it produced in his voice. “Come again?”

“How much do you love me, big bro?”

All the tension in Jonah’s shoulders faded as they dipped lower. He leaned his weight against the corner closest to the wet bar. “Well, I guess I have my answer. Everything is not okay. What’s going on, Theo?”

Fuck… Here it comes.

“I need you to do me a huge favor.”

The scowl hadn’t left Jonah’s face, but he kept his voice steady when he asked, “What type of favor?”

Theo forced himself to swallow.

“Remember those mad guitar skills you buried a few years ago?” He paused when he noticed Jonah’s eyes narrow. It was now or never. “How would you feel about digging them up and putting them to use? Your little bro needs a guitarist for the evening.”

Jonah snorted. Then a flurry of curse words followed.