of groans. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead, standing out in sharp relief against his chestnut skin.
“I would have, but I didn’t know you’d be bringing so much stuff.”
“Well, it’s good. It’ll be easier to load in and out,” Quinn said. “We brought all the stuff,” he told Shan, “because I thought it should live here. I’d like to make this the official practice pad.”
“There’s only me here, though,” Shan said. “All three of you are at Dan’s.”
“Not for long. I found a sublet. I move in on the first, if I can make it that long. Another week on Dan’s couch and I may be permanently disabled.”
“What about you?” Shan asked Ty.
“I’m staying with Dan. I get enough of Quinn during the school year and it’ll almost be like living alone, since Dan’s over here half the time.”
Quinn shot Dan a contemptuous look. Pussy whipped , he mouthed.
Dan ignored him. “Did you get a chance to look over the schedule?” he asked Shan.
She nodded. “I can’t believe you’re already booked three nights a week.”
“We are right now,” Quinn said, “but by next month it’ll be more.”
Shan was skeptical. She’d never been able to get work more than two or three nights a week on a consistent basis, no matter how much she lobbied. “What makes you so sure?”
“There’s a lot more work for a band than there is for a solo,” Quinn pointed out. “Don’t even question it—it’ll happen. You don’t have other commitments, do you?”
“A few. I play the Jubilee every other Thursday, and there’s the Wonder Café.”
“Cancel them,” he said.
“All of them?” She was rattled. “What about the Grotto? I’m booked every Sunday.”
“Cancel. You don’t have a day job, do you?” She shook her head.
“Good.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “I want to make sure you understand that this is a full-time commitment. It’ll be to your advantage. You’ll probably make more money over the next three months than you usually do in a year.”
“How do you manage to get so much work?”
“We’ve had quite a bit of radio play,” Tyrone explained. “Most of the places we played last year jumped to get us again. Quinn does most of the booking. He’s a good negotiator.”
“How long have you all been together?” Shan asked.
“Q and I have known each other since we were kids,” Dan said. “We went to the same music school, then we played in bands together right through high school.”
“Right,” Quinn said, “until Dan absconded.”
“I didn’t abscond,” Dan said and rolled his eyes. “I went away to college.”
“Whatever,” Quinn said. “Eventually I wound up at Berklee, which is where I met Ty, and that’s how Quinntessence was formed. There have been a couple of other guys that came and went for various reasons, but the three of us have been together for almost four years now.”
“But you only play together during the summers?” Shan said. “You must hate that.”
“I do. That’s Dan, too,” Quinn said, shooting him an annoyed look. “We tried to talk him into moving to Boston when he graduated, but he wouldn’t.”
“No, and I still won’t,” Dan said. “Denise can’t go anywhere until she finishes school next year and I’m not moving three and a half hours away from her. Not even for you, dude.”
“Whatever,” Quinn said again and Shan could tell this was a sore subject. “This is a good time to go over the ground rules. They’re simple. We never turn down a reasonable gig. We practice three days a week for three to four hours a day. It’s cool with your roommates to do it here?”
“It’s fine,” Shan said, “and there won’t be any problems with the neighbors, either. There are four other musicians in the building. One of them plays the trombone,” she added, wrinkling her nose.
“Great.” Quinn nodded. “There’s just one more thing. You.” He pointed at Shan. “No drinking on a gig. No drugging on a
“I would have, but I didn’t know you’d be bringing so much stuff.”
“Well, it’s good. It’ll be easier to load in and out,” Quinn said. “We brought all the stuff,” he told Shan, “because I thought it should live here. I’d like to make this the official practice pad.”
“There’s only me here, though,” Shan said. “All three of you are at Dan’s.”
“Not for long. I found a sublet. I move in on the first, if I can make it that long. Another week on Dan’s couch and I may be permanently disabled.”
“What about you?” Shan asked Ty.
“I’m staying with Dan. I get enough of Quinn during the school year and it’ll almost be like living alone, since Dan’s over here half the time.”
Quinn shot Dan a contemptuous look. Pussy whipped , he mouthed.
Dan ignored him. “Did you get a chance to look over the schedule?” he asked Shan.
She nodded. “I can’t believe you’re already booked three nights a week.”
“We are right now,” Quinn said, “but by next month it’ll be more.”
Shan was skeptical. She’d never been able to get work more than two or three nights a week on a consistent basis, no matter how much she lobbied. “What makes you so sure?”
“There’s a lot more work for a band than there is for a solo,” Quinn pointed out. “Don’t even question it—it’ll happen. You don’t have other commitments, do you?”
“A few. I play the Jubilee every other Thursday, and there’s the Wonder Café.”
“Cancel them,” he said.
“All of them?” She was rattled. “What about the Grotto? I’m booked every Sunday.”
“Cancel. You don’t have a day job, do you?” She shook her head.
“Good.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “I want to make sure you understand that this is a full-time commitment. It’ll be to your advantage. You’ll probably make more money over the next three months than you usually do in a year.”
“How do you manage to get so much work?”
“We’ve had quite a bit of radio play,” Tyrone explained. “Most of the places we played last year jumped to get us again. Quinn does most of the booking. He’s a good negotiator.”
“How long have you all been together?” Shan asked.
“Q and I have known each other since we were kids,” Dan said. “We went to the same music school, then we played in bands together right through high school.”
“Right,” Quinn said, “until Dan absconded.”
“I didn’t abscond,” Dan said and rolled his eyes. “I went away to college.”
“Whatever,” Quinn said. “Eventually I wound up at Berklee, which is where I met Ty, and that’s how Quinntessence was formed. There have been a couple of other guys that came and went for various reasons, but the three of us have been together for almost four years now.”
“But you only play together during the summers?” Shan said. “You must hate that.”
“I do. That’s Dan, too,” Quinn said, shooting him an annoyed look. “We tried to talk him into moving to Boston when he graduated, but he wouldn’t.”
“No, and I still won’t,” Dan said. “Denise can’t go anywhere until she finishes school next year and I’m not moving three and a half hours away from her. Not even for you, dude.”
“Whatever,” Quinn said again and Shan could tell this was a sore subject. “This is a good time to go over the ground rules. They’re simple. We never turn down a reasonable gig. We practice three days a week for three to four hours a day. It’s cool with your roommates to do it here?”
“It’s fine,” Shan said, “and there won’t be any problems with the neighbors, either. There are four other musicians in the building. One of them plays the trombone,” she added, wrinkling her nose.
“Great.” Quinn nodded. “There’s just one more thing. You.” He pointed at Shan. “No drinking on a gig. No drugging on a
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