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

Marnie stopped in the middle of the atrium and spun around to face them. “This is it. Nice shirt, by the way.”


Larry glanced down at Geo’s face smiling up at him and wanted to die. “Yeah, um—”


“Never mind,” Marnie said. “Here’s what’s going to happen next. Geo will come through those doors in a few minutes. He’s put on a long show and he’s exhausted, so don’t waste his time.”


“I won’t,” Larry assured her with a nod.


“He’ll come over here, maybe shake your hand, give you a hug, whatever. I don’t know. It’s his call. Five minutes, tops. If you want to snap any pictures, get your phones out now.” She spoke over Larry as if he hadn’t said a word. Crystal shook free from Larry’s hand to fumble her phone out of her purse while Marnie continued. “Then he’ll head into his dressing room and you’ll head home. Got it?”


Larry nodded again, then shook his head. “Wait, what? Five minutes? That’s it?”


Chapter 46