Sunday Snippet: Quit the Music

Happy Valentine week to those who celebrate. I'll throw in Galentine, friends with benefits, and all things hearts and flowers, too. February is a short but sometimes brutal month. Celebrate whatever you can.

Very busy work week with some great projects. Ran into a few glitchy things in a manuscript and that slowed my flow down. I actually enjoy that sometimes. Makes me stop and think about the story and how to suggest better changes.

Semi-decent viewing week. Made it through my shortened list of shows but had no time for my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica.

Started off with the season three opener of My Life Is Murder. Still enjoying this show so much. I think three is the last season so I'm going to savor it.

Started a new two-part Agatha Raisin. Very much enjoyed the antics of Wilkes and I'm a little bummed that Bill and Toni aren't really connecting. Also kind of wish Roy had more to do.

Watched the season twenty-five opening episode of Silent Witness. Kind of cool to see Sam Ryan again. I think this season is focused around one main case and I'm kind of excited to see where it goes. Also kind of great to see Nikki and Jack maybe get their bookmark on the same page. We'll see how that goes.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. Very interesting premise for this one. Enjoyed the unraveling of the case to find out who did it.

Enjoyed another episode of Elementary. I like Joan's resistance to staying with Sherlock but it would be more interesting if she actually said why she didn't want to stick around.

Watched another episode of The Batman. I'd forgotten about this one and kind of loved how Barbara figured out who Batman is then decided she had it all wrong. Fun episode.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats. I have vague memories of the two vignettes and rather enjoyed both.

Got another episode of The Secret Life of Amy Benson in and pretty much loved it. The story is moving along and I'm excited to get more details to her past.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Quit the Music, a novella that pulls two people together then reveals a connection to the past.

Here's the miniblurb:

Prosper Bates, bartender and music lover, hears Drew Langerford play and his songs haunt her. Drawn to the gorgeous musician, she falls hard for him, but when his mentor shows up, the new relationship may end before it even gets started.

And a snippety peek…

Drew Langerford sat at the piano, his fingers picking out the tune of a popular song. He fumbled the keys and heaved a sigh.

"You know it doesn't have to be perfect, right?" His mentor took over, playing through the mistake and adding an extra riff to smooth out the chords.

Drew watched carefully. "So, when I screw up, just cover and go on like nothing happened?" Why did that always seem easier said than done?

Monroe transitioned into an ominous death march on the keyboard. "Absolutely. Playing should be fun. And being able to improvise on the fly will keep you in demand as a musician." He stopped playing and leaned in closer to Drew. "And contrary to what your dear old mom thinks, perfection is overrated."

Drew snorted. "You'll never convince her of that." He'd tried and failed. And now he had a damn competition over the weekend. He slumped forward. "I hate competing. It sucks."

Monroe shook his head. "No, competitions are a great training ground. You learn how to play under pressure and how to focus on the music." He shot Drew a sideways glance. "What do you think auditions are? They're informal competitions."

Drew cocked his head to one side. "Huh. Hadn't thought of that." His fingers flexed and he dove into a classical song on the list. "So, the higher I score, the better I'll do when I start auditioning for actual work?" He nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense." He turned the classical piece into a lively riff. "What do you think about a degree in music? Mom wants me to skip college and compete. But I want to explore the whole field of music." He stopped playing and turned toward Monroe.

Monroe took a moment before answering. "You've got enough talent to make a living without a degree. But having the education, understanding the theory behind the notes … gives you options you probably haven't even thought of yet." He slid off the stool and moved to sit in the armchair next to the piano. "What do you want to do? Competing gives you an opportunity to tour the world, but playing for a band does the same thing. It all depends on what your vision of the future holds."

Drew sighed. "That's part of the problem. Mom is determined to turn me into some kind of prodigy, but I really just want to play anything but classical music for the rest of my life." He frowned. "She won't even listen when I start to deviate from the songs on the competition lists."

Monroe made a commiserating sound. "That's rough. Having an audience that appreciates the effort is a big part of being comfortable playing." His lips twisted in a sad smile. "Before I became in demand, my little girl used to sit by my side and listen to everything I played. We could occupy the entire day, happy to share the music."

Drew hid his surprise. He had no idea Monroe had a kid. Questions buzzed on the edge of his tongue, but he didn't pry. Deep sadness filled his mentor's tone, and Drew understood how painful dragging up the past could be.

His mom reminded him almost daily that they only had each other since Drew's dad died in an accident at work.

Drew's curiosity got the better of him. "What were your daughter's favorite songs?"

Monroe huffed out a breath. "Man, she didn't have any. She loved everything. Blues, rock and roll, Irish jigs. It didn't matter what I played. She loved any kind of music."

Drew wondered what having an audience of one that loved everything would be like?

Too bad he'd probably never find out … especially if his mom refused to let him try anything new.

I love writing Drew and his dilemma. He's on the cusp of making a big decision and his mom won't be happy with it at all.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin