Jimmy Fassett’s band just broke up, but then he meets Landry Flannery, a truly gifted fiddle player. It doesn't hurt that Landry's a looker and has a bold pink stripe in his hair that drives Jimmy crazy. The two men jam together in the evenings -- banjo and fiddle -- and they hit it off. Soon, Jimmy wants to turn their budding friendship into something more, but Landry keeps putting obstacles in the way and inviting more and more people over to play. That’s not what Jimmy wants, so he walks away. Fate, however, isn't done with the two men. At the end of a festival where Landry's band was the headliner, Jimmy is forced to take Landry home because he's sloppy drunk. The two men argue the next morning, and Jimmy refuses anymore contact, until Landry forces the issue. Could things work out between the two men, after all?

Drowning in Neptune's Pool

“How would I have known you wanted something intimate unless you told me? What, I’m supposed read your mind? So what, our little feel-good music sessions changed to something you didn’t like, and instead of asking me what was going on, you get pissy and quit? Grow a fucking pair, already!”


Landry’s eyes widened as he realized he might have gone too far. “Ah, geez. I’m sorry, Jimmy. I didn’t mean to—”


I stood, stalked to the door, and flung it open. “Get the fuck out of my apartment.”


Landry scrambled out of his chair. “Wait, Jimmy. I’m sorry. What I said, it’s just my hangover talking. Forgive me.”


“Get. Out,” I said, enunciating each word carefully.


He got the hint, grabbed his stuff, and walked out into the hallway. “Jimmy, please listen. I’m really s—”


Chapter 8