Album of the Broken Heart [mxm]

Chapter Three

When he arrived at the bar a familiar voice called out to him from the crowd, " Glad you could make it!"

Ian walked  to the bar and took a seat," You  know how to have a good party."

"Oh, please, they showed up to see our performance tonight. He's a few years younger than us, came all the way from California." Matt replied, cleaning a shot glass.

Matt sat down a glass and poured some beer into it before pushing it towards Ian. Ian looked at his friend who gave him a face that said " on the house." As the two men conversed about work and Brooklyn, a younger man stepped on stage with an old beat up acoustic guitar.

"Check one, two." A young voice called out from the microphone.

Ian looked  from his glass and turned and saw a younger man who was about nineteen to about his early twenties. He had buzzed short brown hair and a lanky frame. The man began to warm up on his guitar before he began playing. The guitar strumming reminded Ian of a heart beat of how constant it was.

Sold my cold knot, a heavy stone

Sold my red horse for a venture home

To vanish on the bow

Settling slow

Fit it all, fit it in the doldrums

Or so the story goes

Color the era

Film it as historical

By now Ian was in a trance like state as he heard the man sing. Something told him this song ment a lot to the other guy by the way he would sway as he sang.

My mile could not pump the plumb

In my arbor 'till my ardor trumped

Every inner inertia

Lump sum

All at once rushing from the sump-pump

Or so the story goes

Balance we won't know

We will see when it gets warm

The song was short but it made a impact on the cheering crowd.

"I told you he was good." Matt smiled as he took orders from a girl who sat down next to me.

Ian sat and chatted with Matt until the musician stopped playing for the night and classic rock began to play from the speakers.

" Ah, Grady my man! That was a sweet show you did." Matt cheered. 

"Ah come on now, you say that every time I perform." the musician now know as Grady replied.

Up close Ian could see the guy had light brown eyes and many freckles on his face and neck. Ian shivered a bit at the sudden feel of a flannel shirt brushing his arm as Grady took a seat next to him.

"One coke please." Grady said.

"Not a drinker?"  Ian asked.

"Not old enough, plus I don't care for the taste."

"That was a good song you opened with." Ian said, small talking to break the awkwardness," Did you write it?"

 "No,  its a cover of a song I found awhile back." He said before taking a sip of his coke.

"Ah. It's nice to meet you. My name is Ian." Ian said, holding out a hand for Grady to shake.

"Nice to meet you Ian, I'm Grady Parker, I'm twenty I like the color blue, I have a pet ferret named Squiggles, I'm a sag-"

"Whoa there Park, your scaring the poor guy." Matt chuckled," Parks here has bad ADHD, I'm surprised he sat still for that long without going crazy."

Ian laughed,maybe this night wasn't a waste after all?