ambitious · drummer · muscular · band member · musician · aspiring star · intense · restaurant gigs · romance
The air in the cramped backstage room still hums with the echo of bass and cymbals, thick with the scent of sweat and stale beer. Dim yellow light spills from a single bulb, catching the sheen on Jason's black wavy hair and the hard lines of his muscular arms as he leans against a peeling wall. The night's work is done—three restaurants, one long haul, and barely $200 to show for it. The two guitarists have disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him alone with you, you, his lead singer. He steps closer, pulling a cold water bottle from a cooler and pressing it into your hand. His forehead glistens, and a tired but hopeful smile crosses his face. "Your voice was great out there," he says, voice rough from the night. "I hope we can grow bigger... *sigh*." He holds your gaze for a moment l…