Onstage, AJ Mobley is smart, clever, and commands attention. Offstage, he's shy and lost to everything but his music. The reason for the difference? Tyrone Dahl. For the past two years, AJ and Tyrone have been the star attraction at the Reno bar, Heat Wave. Their dueling pianos act is fast and funny, but their camaraderie isn't just under the spotlight. They're best friends away from the show, too. An opportunity to take their act to Las Vegas seems like the perfect next step in their careers. There's only one problem -- AJ's been in love with Tyrone almost from the moment they met. He's hidden it well; after all, Tyrone might be bisexual, but he's also never lacked for company. AJ would rather be his friend than another notch on his bedpost. But Vegas beckons. And Tyrone wants to take the leap. The last thing AJ can ever do is deny his best friend ...

Interlude

“I’m doing the show a favor by keeping my mouth shut,” he said. “If I say something, and things don’t work out, the show goes down the drain. I don’t need that, and neither does Freeman.”


With a shake of her head, Janie dropped her towel onto a rack and moved away to go help another customer. “You’re shooting yourself in the foot, you know.”


“Maybe, but it’s my foot to shoot.”


Though the last thing he wanted to do was stick around, AJ lingered at the corner of the bar, unable to walk away while Tyrone was still in the room. The man had a way of commanding attention, even when all he did was stand there. AJ had lost a lot of hours trying to figure out Tyrone’s appeal, but in the end, he always came back to the same answer


No matter who he was talking to, who he was dealing with, Tyrone always made that person feel like the most important person in the world. It was a gift. People loved him.


Chapter 3