His Fresh Start ✔ (Book Three)

Chapter 10

"Thierry, this is Jim, and these two guys are Jason and Nick."

Aiden made the introductions and watched as I greeted his friends.

"Thank you for inviting us to play, man." Jim shook my hand.

"Thank you for traveling all the way here," I replied, giving him a small smile.

Aiden's buddies were an interesting bunch. From the little I'd gathered about them as I observed the guys unload the instruments, it was clear Jim was the leader. His commanding presence, paired with the way he held himself, made him stand out from the other two band members.

"It's an honor." Jim shrugged. "Listen, the room where we can rehearse is in the back of the restaurant, right?"

I pointed at the door behind me. "It's over there. Aiden's been there before; tell him to show you where everything is. The speakers and the amplifier are ready to use."

"Awesome." Jim nodded and turned his attention to Aiden, who was chatting with the other two band members. "Kennedy, lend me a hand with the guitars."

I watched the two guys exit the bistro and made my way to the kitchen. Marco offered to help me with the meal, even though we didn't usually open on Saturday mornings. Lou and Ellie would join us for brunch later, and I wanted everything to run as smoothly as possible.

"Everything's under control," said my assistant. "There's plenty of food for the GQ squad and your girls."

I laughed. "Jealous of the band?"

Marco rolled his eyes. "That Jim guy must live in the gym. I'm going to work out this afternoon. It's high time I put my membership to good use."

Grinning, I punched Marco's stomach. "You're right; I can see the signs of an incipient beer—"

"Don't finish that," Marco growled. "Seriously, those three make the rest of us look like losers."

The reply died on my tongue. Aiden stormed into the restaurant, followed by the guy we'd been discussing.

"Stop right now, little fucker. I'm not done."

Aiden turned around and glared at Jim. "I told you to drop it, and you just can't, can you? I'm tired of this crap."

Jim jabbed a finger at him. "It's not me you should be yelling at, Kennedy. It's just like it used to be, isn't it? Just like the last time, right? What are you gonna do? Do a vanishing act again and stop answering your damn phone?"

Scowling, Aiden made a step forward until his face was inches from his friend's. "You. Know. Nothing. Drop it, or you can forget we are friends. There's no solution, not until March. No choice, Jim. It's my problem, not yours. Now, let's do something useful, for fuck's sake. You didn't come all the way here to be my—"

"I am your friend, Kennedy. Stop being so goddamn stubborn."

Shaking his head, Aiden pushed past Jim and disappeared into the back of the bistro.

"Fuck," Jim muttered, raking both hands through his carefully styled hair. Taking a deep breath as if he needed to calm down, he exited the restaurant and strode toward the minivan parked in front of it.

"What was that about?" asked Marco. "I guess those two didn't realize we could hear them."

"They sure didn't," I replied, taking a mental note to talk to Jim later.

I didn't have time to dwell on the conversation we'd overheard. A glance at my watch told me Lou would arrive soon.

Having told her the whole story filled me with relief. Despite that, I couldn't help wondering whether she'd look at me differently.

I didn't want anyone's pity. What I wanted was to be the kind of man who could make a difference. If I could change at least one person's life for the better, maybe, just maybe, I could feel less guilty for letting the bastard of my mother's husband be free.

***

When Lou and Ellie entered the bistro, and Louise smiled at me, I instantly felt better. The kiss she gave me during one of the brief moments we managed to steal was even more of a mood lifter.

Aiden and Jim joked and behaved as if nothing had happened. Much to my disappointment, the time we spent with Louise was short. She and Ellie needed to go shopping.

Claude stopped by the restaurant to watch the band play. Just as I expected, Jim was the last one to leave. He told the guys to go home and stayed in the back of the bistro.

I waited for a while before making my way into the rehearsal room. "Do you mind?" I pointed at a chair.

Jim shook his head. "I hope you don't mind me being here still, man. I need to work on some riffs. Then, I'll be out."

"I gave you the key for a reason. Stay for as long as you want. I like good music."

Jim chuckled, shaking his head. "Okay, you can request a song."

Leaning back in the chair, I crossed my arms behind my head. "Surprise me."

The song Jim played was excellent. The way he sang it only made it better.

"Wow," I said.

Jim sighed, biting his lip. "Say that to Kennedy. The lyrics are his."

"What's your story with the boy?" I went straight for the kill, certain that I wouldn't have a better moment to learn more about Aiden.

"Story?" Jim smirked. "History, a whole lot of fucking history, is what we have."

"Come with me." I rose from the chair. "We might as well have a drink."

Jim and I sat at one of the tables with a bottle of Jack between us.

"Aiden was my little brother's friend. Well, little isn't accurate. The fucker is my size. I wish I saw more of him."

I filled the tumblers with the amber liquid. "You don't see him often?"

Jim shook his head. "Brian lives with our mom across the country. Our parents decided to take a break from each other. That was three years ago."

I took a sip from my glass. "It must suck."

"Nah, it's all good," said Jim. "My folks get on well, you know. There wasn't any drama. I guess they just got tired of the routine."

"You're way more understanding than I would be," I admitted.

Jim chuckled. "I'm a big boy. If they are happy this way, who am I to judge? Besides, I'm too busy with my degree and the band to whine about my family life."

"So, your brother and Aiden were friends?"

Sighing, Jim twirled the tumbler in his hand. "They were best buddies before Brian moved away. Aiden had already started to play with us. The guy's insanely talented."

"All of you are, Jim. I'm sure you'll be famous one day."

Jim's laughter filled the bistro. "Man, I wish, but—"

The phone buzzed on the table in front of Jim, then. He picked it up, frowning.

"Nick? Dude, are you fucking kidding me? Couldn't you check it sooner? Okay."

Resting the device on the tabletop with a sigh, Jim said, "I'm sorry. I have to go. The little fuckers forgot to take the key. They are waiting on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building where your studio is."

"It's okay." I shook Jim's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Jim nodded. "Alright. I gotta go whip some asses. No rest for the wicked."

"You got this, future rockstar," I teased.

"Keep calling me that, Thierry," Jim said over his shoulder. "I hope the right guy hears you." 

A/N

So, Jim...Sigh