I had just come from an audition at the theater. There was a new play coming out and they needed a talented percussionist to play tinkling sounds for dramatic emphasis to let the audience know that the ghost of the main character’s dead wife was nearby. They were choosing between me and two other percussionists I knew. One of them I even played with in the orchestra. In the past, when he and I auditioned for the same part, it was a close call between which one of us would get it. This time, I knew I’d gotten the part before I left. If I wanted it.

The director of the play had been at the Blades and Blasters concert and seen me perform. She had stars in her eyes and the way she looked me up and down felt like sexual harassment. Now I wasn’t sure if I wanted the part.

I had to make it back to the music shop. I’d taken time off to go to the audition, which was one of the perks of working at the music shop. They were cool about letting me go when I had an audition. That was the life of a musician.

I was just passing the Greek restaurant I had taken Shannon to on our first date. I looked across the street to reminisce about the sweet sound and sight of the bracelets at her wrist.

That was when I saw her. She was standing in front of the restaurant talking to Officer Todd. She was leaning against the brick wall and Todd was very close to her. Whatever she was talking to him about, his jaw was set, and her face was the perfect picture of anguish. If I were a passer-by who didn’t know Shannon and Todd, I would think that she was breaking up with him, or he was breaking up with her.

Still, I stopped in my tracks and watched them.

What was going on?

It didn’t look like Officer Todd was reprimanding her. It looked like he was a heartbeat away from putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her close to him. He was listening to her talk intently and then he licked his lower lip.

I put out my foot to cross the street when my phone rang noisily in my pocket. I took the call. “Hey,” I said.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Hey,” Rin said in her languid I-don’t-care voice. “How are things? I hope they’re cool. I want to talk to you about a gig.”

“I thought Blades and Blasters had moved on to Calgary,” I said, keeping my eyes on Shannon and Officer Todd.

“We did, except my little sister’s band is playing at the Eloquent Spider this Wednesday night and she needs someone to cover drums. I told her you were there and you were amazing and she should get you to come in. I’m coming too. She needs a backup singer and a guitarist. I said I’d throw on a wig and help.”

“I don’t get it. Aren’t you on tour? Are you free to run back and forth doing little favors for people? Aren’t you supposed to be concentrating on making your show in Vancouver next week a success?”

“Yeah, I should be… but the thing is… I’m not really coming back for her show. I’m using her show as an excuse. I’m coming to get you.”

“Really?” I asked with an unconscious smack of my lips. “Why?”

“My drummer is a shit. He keeps drinking too much and getting into accidents. He hit his head last night. I don’t know how long I can have you on tour, but if you’re willing to cover for him, I can offer you work for the rest of the tour.”

“I’ll bet if you used a drum machine, no one in the audience would notice or care, Rin. I can’t go on tour with you. I have stuff here I am dealing with.”

Across the street, Shannon had begun screaming and swearing and Officer Todd had put his arms around her in an obvious attempt to calm her down. They were about one pose off looking exactly like the picture Shannon and I had taken against the brick wall.

But Rin snapped my attention back to her. “If you’re worried about money, I promise I can pay you as much as your job and more. You and your six-pack will bring out more in an audience than a drum machine.”

“I thought Carver didn’t want you or anyone else he was producing to hire me anymore,” I retorted.

Her voice was slow. “Yeah, he said he didn’t want me to hire you, but he won’t be at any of our shows, and last week you turned our audience into a pack of raving beasts. I’ve always dreamed of singing for a crowd that was that psyched. Come on, Fletcher Litman. Don’t let me down.”

I groaned. “It doesn’t sound like I have any time to think about this.”

“No. You do. It’s only Monday. I’ll see you when I get there tomorrow. I’ll convince you then.”

We said good-bye and hung up, but when I looked across the street to see what had become of Shannon and Officer Todd, they were gone.