Gabe had never been to a recording studio before. He guessed, in retrospect, he’d seen them in music videos over the years. The kind where they showed footage of the artist singing into a mic with big headphones over their ears. But when he and Joey walked into the big, glass-fronted building later that day, it felt more like they were entering a fancy hotel.

“Wow,” said Gabe, looking up and around as they approached the gleaming desk. Joey grinned back over his shoulder at him.

“Good afternoon,” said the pretty girl at the desk. “How may I help you today?”

Joey looked a little flustered as he cleared his throat. “Um, yes, Joey Sullivan. I’m here to see Raiden Jones and, uh, Storm Sailor.” He practically whispered the producer’s name, like he was afraid of being caught out.

But the receptionist smiled. “Of course. Please take a seat and we’ll be with you in just a moment, Mr. Sullivan.”

Joey gave Gabe a little shrug and they both wheeled their overnight bags to sit on the sofa as instructed. Joey’s knee was bouncing and he kept glancing anxiously around. He had seemed fine on the rest of their drive this morning. Great actually. Gabe couldn’t have been more thrilled with their conversation after spectacularly failing to not have sex, twice. But if they both felt the attraction, there was only so much he wanted to fight it.

Yes, it was soon after Lewis. But Gabe and Lewis were over for good, of that he had no doubt. Gabe had had a fair amount of time now to consider how he felt about Joey, and although he still remained cautious, he wanted to try and trust his heart again. Joey could be prickly, and he was going through a lot right now. But he was also sweet and fun and ambitious and cute in that mouth-wateringly sexy way Gabe couldn’t resist.

If they made each other happy, they could work out the rest as they went along.

He placed his hand on Joey’s knee, stopping it from bouncing. “Hey,” he said with a smile. Joey looked at him. “This is going to be fantastic. You gotta just enjoy it, okay?”

The tension eased a little from Joey’s shoulders. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. He took Gabe’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I really am happy you’re here with me.”

Tingly warmth filled Gabe’s insides. “Thank you for letting me tag along.”

“Joey?” a voice called from across the lobby.

Joey leaped to his feet, his head snapping around. “Rai!” he yelled, breaking into a run.

A tall guy with broad shoulders and a slim waist laughed and threw his arms open to intercept Joey as he catapulted himself into him. This must be Raiden Jones, also formally of Below Zero. Gabe thought he had some Asian heritage in him with his dark, almond-shaped eyes and black hair that swept across his forehead and rested just above his shoulders.

From the satiny t-shirt he wore Gabe could see an impressive body despite his willowy figure. There was no doubt this guy worked out and probably looked gorgeous naked. But Gabe just smiled to himself. Those thoughts flitted through his mind without any kind of physical reaction. He could acknowledge Raiden was hot, but Gabe only had eyes for the excitable Joey as he hugged his friend tightly.

Gabe picked up both their bags and wandered over. He didn’t want to intrude on the moment, but Joey looked back for him as soon as he let Raiden go. “Hey, Gabe,” he said a little breathlessly. “This is Raiden. Raiden, this is my friend Gabe. He gave me a lift.”

Raiden stuck his hand out and gave Gabe’s a shake. “Nice to meet you,” he said with a slight Southern drawl. His movements were careful and smooth, reminding Gabe of a cat. Not his cat, who hissed and hid from everyone. But a regular cat who wasn’t scared of people.

“Nice to meet you too,” Gabe said.

Raiden clapped his hands together, looking from Gabe to Joey, a smile spreading across his face. “So are you ready to do this?”

“Hell yeah,” said Joey.

Gabe had worried that they should check into their little hotel first, but Joey had wanted to get to work right away. They had only driven for a few hours that morning, but still Gabe worried that Joey would be tired.

However, Raiden had texted saying the track was progressing well and they wanted to get the vocals down as soon as possible. Joey pointed out that if they messed around trying to find their hotel then trekked it into the city, that would only give them a couple of hours to work with. He explained that if they were lucky, they could get everything they needed from him today.

Gabe understood that time was money, and when Joey had listed several of the songs that Storm Sailor had been responsible for producing over the past few years, Gabe realized they weren’t fucking around in the minor leagues here. But at the same time, after the progress they’d made at the motel last night and that morning, Gabe really didn’t want to rush this trip.

He knew he should be thinking that if they could travel early tomorrow morning, even if they had to stop again before reaching Connecticut, he could be back at work by Monday afternoon and not take so much of his annual leave. But on the other hand, he wanted to protect these first few days of him and Joey officially trying to be together. Like a fragile flower desperately doing its best to bloom.

Gabe followed on after Joey, who had taken his own suitcase back, and Raiden who strode confidently down the hall lined with frame after frame of gold records. It looked like a lot of famous artists had walked these halls before them.

As they reached a door labeled ‘Studio One,’ Raiden looked over his shoulder and winked at Joey. Then, without a word, he pushed into the room.

Gabe hung back a second, feeling a bit like an impostor. This was Joey’s world, not his. He was just here to support him. But Joey looked back to make sure Gabe was there and waved him on over the threshold into the recording studio.

The room was atmospherically lit. Not dark, but kind of moody. There was a huge mixing desk in front of a glass window that stretched the length of the room. Beyond that was a brightly lit room with an enormous drum kit set up, several empty guitar stands, keyboards of varying sizes and a grand piano. In the corner was another small booth that, at a glance, looked to be padded with thick foam. A wide microphone hung down on wire from the ceiling.

A man in a chair by the desk spun around to face them. He might have been in his late thirties or early forties, but it was hard to tell from the tinted sunglasses he wore. He had long hair down his back, more of a beard than Gabe, and his ears were pierced several times. He was fit looking for his age.

“Joey Sullivan,” he said in a throaty voice with only a hint of a Swedish accent. He offered out a large hand for Joey to shake. “Welcome.”

“Thank you for having me here,” said Joey a little breathlessly. “It’s an honor.”

The guy, who Gabe assumed had to be Storm Sailor, waved him off. “No, not at all. Raiden here has written you a great track. He saved me the hassle of negotiating with several different artists like I usually have to. Your agent, Martha, is lovely by the way.”

“She’s pretty awesome,” Joey agreed with a nod.

He looked around like he wished he had more eyes, trying to take it all in. Like a kid in a candy store. Gabe’s heart swelled a little with pride.

“So, are you ready to jump in or do you need a minute?” the producer asked.

Joey shook his head. “Ready whenever you are,” he said, grabbing a bottle of water from his bag. “I’d like to do some warmups in the booth, if that’s all right?”

“Sure,” said Storm Sailor. “I’ll keep the feed muted until you’re ready, then just give us a wave.”

Joey glanced nervously at Gabe, who wished he could give him a kiss or at the very least a hug for support. But he wasn’t sure they were there yet and he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. So instead he just smiled and nodded.

It was amazing. As Gabe settled in one of the comfy spinning chairs he watched as Joey took himself through the two doors and opened his mouth, presumably to warm up his vocal chords. But Gabe couldn’t hear a thing.

“So where are you boys staying?” Storm Sailor asked as he fiddled with a number of sliders on the desk. Gabe realized he was the one being addressed when Raiden quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, um, just this little place downtown,” he said dismissively. “It was whatever we could find at the cheapest rate last minute.”

He was suddenly gripped with the fear that maybe he should have inferred they had two separate rooms. But he didn’t get the chance.

Storm Sailor frowned, already dialing a contact on his cell phone. “Well, that won’t do. Sorry, man. I thought my people had that fixed for you.” Gabe wasn’t sure what he meant, but then the call connected. “Yeah, Oscar? Get Joey Sullivan a room at the Four Seasons for tonight. A double okay?” He looked at Gabe, who took a second to nod. “Yeah, a double. Make sure there’s the usual welcoming pack too. We fucked up.” He looked at Gabe again. “You boys need upgraded flights home too?”

Gabe was stunned. He’d met this man about three minutes ago. “Uh, no, we drove. But thank you.”

Storm Sailor nodded and rubbed his beard. “Okay, we’ll get you gas money. You okay with that, Oscar? Thanks.” He closed the call and shook his head. “That’s what happens when you book these things in a rush. We dropped the ball. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, of course not,” said Gabe. “That’s incredibly kind of you. Thank you, Joey will be thrilled.”

Storm Sailor nodded like it was no big deal, then slipped some headphones on and started talking to Joey about some notes he had regarding the song. Or something. Gabe wasn’t really sure.

Joey acted like it was crazy the way Gabe spent his time volunteering and helping others. Yet, this guy had just thrown several hundred dollars at them without even pausing. Gabe was so touched, he couldn’t wait to share the news with Joey. Hopefully, this might change his mind a little bit. He could understand someone who’d grown up the way Joey had feeling like they always had to rely on themselves, wary of trusting others. But this made Gabe feel like he’d been right all along.

He realized Raiden was looking at him. Raiden had his own laptop on his knees, his elbow propped up on the armrest as he rubbed his chin. Gabe smiled awkwardly at him.

“Hot damn,” Raiden said. “You and Joey are together, aren’t you?”

Gabe ran cold. Had he just put his foot in it? Raiden seemed only curious though, his eyes not leaving Gabe’s despite the fact he was getting flustered. The seat he was in suddenly felt too small and he fidgeted.

“Uh, not officially,” Gabe said, anxious he was doing the right thing. “It’s new.”

“Yeah, it sure is,” said Raiden. “No offense, but usually he has real shitty taste in guys. You seem delightful.”

Gabe rubbed the back of his neck. That seemed an odd word to use to describe another guy, but Raiden’s tone didn’t suggest sarcasm. His stare was a bit intense though.

“So, you’re cool with him being, uh…” Gabe asked.

Raiden frowned then leaned back in his seat. “Oh! Gay?” He scoffed. “Knew from the second I met him. You know he’s been out for years, right?”

Gabe fiddled with the cuff of his hoodie. He wished he’d worn something a bit more presentable, but he’d assumed he’d get time to change at the hotel. He remembered he should probably cancel the reservation at some point.

“Yeah. I guess this is a bit strange for me. We’re pretty different.”

Raiden rolled his eyes then clicked and typed a few things on his computer. “My mom’s a botany professor, my dad and his entire family are in the military. She always says it’s opposites that attract.”

“Oh,” said Gabe nodding. He was starting to like Raiden, he thought. He was a little hard to read, but he seemed sincere in what he said. “Well, thanks. Like I said it’s very new. But I like him.”

Raiden nodded, narrowing his dark eyes. “Just be careful,” he said.

“I don’t want to hurt Joey,” said Gabe quickly. “I think he’s great.”

Raiden considered him for a moment. “Not what I meant,” he said. “You be careful. Joey…he doesn’t always know what’s good for him. Sometimes he’d rather be a fucking ass and do it all alone than let someone else in.”

Gabe glanced uncomfortably at Joey singing in the booth. Storm Sailor had his headphones on still and was nodding along to the beat.

“I thought you and Joey were friends,” he said slowly.

Raiden’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh hell yeah, of course. Love him like a brother.”

“Then why would you say that about him?” Gabe asked, hurt on his behalf. Joey would hate to know his friend was saying unkind things.

But Raiden closed his laptop and leaned on his knees, getting closer to Gabe. “Because I like you. And sometimes my little buddy in there needs saving from himself. You notice it’s not TJ or Blake recording this track?”

“Joey said it was in his range,” Gabe said quickly.

Raiden nodded. “Because I wrote it specifically for him. Because hell would freeze over before he took money from me or Blake. Fuck, Reyse could walk through those doors with a check for ten grand and that boy wouldn’t take it. He has to earn his way. His dignity’s the most important thing to him. You remember that, and let him do things for himself, you might just stand a chance.”

Gabe looked over at Joey. He was taking a break and swigging some water. He waved happily when he caught Gabe’s eye.

“I want to stand a chance,” Gabe said, returning the wave.

Raiden slapped his knee, the sudden contact making Gabe startle then laugh. “If anyone does, buddy, I think maybe it’s you. Good luck.”

Gabe bit his lip. Storm Sailor was ready to begin recording, so he unmuted the channel and made communications two-way. Gabe didn’t get another opportunity to talk to Raiden again as he and the producer began piecing the track together.

If one of Joey’s closest friends reckoned he was in with a shot and had essentially given his blessings, Gabe wanted to go for this. No more doubts. It didn’t matter if it was fast moving on from Lewis if it was right.

He just had to make sure this was really what Joey wanted too, and protect his own heart from getting broken again.