Back in college, Larry Carson played drums in a friend’s band and fell in love with the lead singer, Geoffrey Mason. But all that’s in the past. Larry’s now thirty-five, divorced, and father to a precocious thirteen-year-old daughter. One day, when Larry picks Crystal up from school, a song comes on the radio by a new rockstar climbing the charts. Larry recognizes Geoff’s voice immediately, though Crystal calls him Geo and claims he’s the hottest new singer on the scene. Just hearing him brings back a flood of memories, reopening wounds Larry thought long healed. The more he listens to Geo’s music, the more Larry falls in love with his former boyfriend all over again. Partly to prove to his daughter that he used to know Geo back in the day, and partly to reconnect with his old friend, Larry buys tickets to an upcoming concert and manages to score backstage passes. But there was a reason Larry and Geoff lost touch -- and stayed out of touch for so long. Will Geo even want to see Larry again after all this time? Or will the magic of their old familiar song bring about a harmonious duet?

Old Familiar Song

Larry shook his head. “No, I’m good.”


But Larry was already making his way through the press of people pushing for a place at the table, eager to purchase their own souvenirs. He caught Crystal’s arm in passing and pulled her along after him. Though the show still wouldn’t start for a while, and there was the opening act to sit through, he wanted to get something to eat, then find their seats and get settled in—and out of the mad crush jostling and shoving him from all sides.


He checked his pocket to make sure the backstage passes and his wallet were firmly in place. They were. Though it’d be easier to wear the shirt than carry it, he wasn’t about to do that. The last thing he wanted was to be sporting Geo’s screen-printed likeness when he met his friend again after all these years.


Chapter 33