A few words from the author:
I am reposting this under Celeb/Fan Fiction so it aligns with the other two chapters. However, be advised, the celebrity's name isn't mentioned until Part 2, and doesn't enter the story until Part 3. Also, there's no explicit sex (unless 2
nd
base counts?).
I do appreciate comments and feedback. If you think it stinks, that's fine. But please don't be rude. Tell me WHY it stinks, so I can fix it.
Finally, thank you to PastMaster and Dircan for their invaluable help in making this a better story.
Hope you enjoy it.
**********
Seth Broderick was sitting in his kitchen with a very beautiful woman on his lap, and they were kissing. He hoped that he was getting it right, as it had been, for him, a very long time. His partner did not seem to be complaining though; she was holding his head with both hands, fingers entwined in his hair, as she caressed his lips with her own. Her scent was intoxicating.
He almost groaned when he heard the sound of car doors slamming outside. He pulled back from his partner, and searched her face as she slowly opened her beautiful hazel eyes. She smiled and made shooing gestures, as she moved to the chair beside him, and he reluctantly got up and went to greet his mother and daughter.
"Daddy!" shouted Emma.
He knew he had a big grin on his face as he hugged his daughter. He rubbed his cheek against hers, and she pushed at him.
"Daddy, stop, I'm not a baby!" she complained. But she was laughing.
He asked, "Did you have fun with Nana? Get any cool stuff?" Emma had spent the weekend at her grandmother's, and judging by the number of shopping bags, they had been busy.
"Yep, we had lots of fun, didn't we, Nana?" Emma started to tell him about her weekend as she walked into the kitchen. And then her eyes got huge as she saw who was sitting at the table.
She turned and stared at her father, with a stunned expression on her face. He turned to look at his companion and she nodded at them both, smiling. Seth turned back to Emma, took her hand and led her over to the woman, who drew the girl into an embrace. "Hi Sweetie, I've missed you!"
**********
15 years ago
"Seth, I think I've put up with this nonsense for about long enough," said Rick Broderick, Seth's dad. Not for the first time, as Seth recollected.
"You need to buckle down and focus on your future," he continued. "One way or another, when you turn 18, you're not staying here."
Seth was aware that his dad was just trying to pressure him into going to college. But the problem was, Seth wasn't the college type, and he knew it. He had a job that he really enjoyed at a local classic car restoration shop. He'd been hanging around there since he was 14, and the owner finally just put him to work. He enjoyed working with his hands and learning the different aspects of the restoration process.
"You gonna be able to provide for a family as a mechanic?" his dad scoffed.
He also loved his music, but Rick just saw that as a hobby, not a profession.
"Playing bass in a garage band is no way to make a living, Seth," his dad would lecture.
To be fair, they were more than a garage band. Drummer, guitar, Seth on bass, and a lead singer who could play keyboards too. She sounded a little like Carrie Akre from Goodness, so they cultivated that image. Maybe a little odd, some kids from Philadelphia playing Seattle alt rock, but it made them different, and they did pretty well locally. Seth kept trying to convince them to try some different genres, but they were happy doing what they were doing. That was fine, it just started to get repetitive for him, so he had let them know that they should probably start looking for a new bass player.
Anyway, when his dad came down on him again, he was so tired of being lectured. He blew up, and yelled, "Dad, I'm not ready for college! I don't know what I want to do, but I know it's not more school! Don't worry, I won't be sticking around."
Tensions were high between Seth and his father from that point on, and finally, he realized things were never going to change. So the day after graduation, he loaded up his old beater, hugged his mom and his little sister, and headed for Nashville.
**********
Seth wasn't dumb; he did plan ahead. He'd mailed out applications to some auto body shops and restoration places around Nashville, and he had a included a good letter of recommendation from his current boss. One of them made an offer after a phone interview, so he was fortunate to have a job waiting for him when he got there. It didn't pay a lot, but enough for a cramped studio apartment. Frank and his wife Mary, the owners, seemed to take a liking to him, and that made it easier. Frank ran the shop, and Mary ran the office. They had a nice business going and Seth was excited about the opportunity.
Having a lot of musicians and record executives in the area made it a good market for luxury items like restored old cars, so business was pretty good. Seth's first passion was still his music though, so he spent every spare minute wandering around bars and clubs in town (the ones he could get into anyway), getting to know the local music scene, and practicing. Country was a lot different than rock and roll, so it took him a while to get used to it. But he persisted, and when he finally felt semi-comfortable, he started going to auditions.
There were a lot of rejections. He didn't quite fit the image, his playing style wasn't what they were looking for, or whatever. He tried not to let it discourage him.
He caught a big break when Jesse Smith from Sun Records came in to the shop to pick up his 1969 Mach 1. Jesse was one of those hands-on kind of guys and wanted to meet the people who had worked on his car. Seth had done some of the body work, and spent a half-hour showing Jesse what he'd done to try to fix gaps and make minor improvement to the lines of the car. Jesse was impressed, and asked if the design was his idea.
"No sir, I'm still just learning. The design stuff is all Frank. He showed me what to do, and I just did my best to make it look like he wanted."
Jesse appreciated the young man's honesty. Then he noticed the gig bag in the corner, tucked safely under a bench.
"You play?" he asked.
Seth laughed. "I guess everyone in Nashville dreams about music. That's why I came down too, I guess. Yeah, I play some, was in a band back home, but haven't had much luck here yet. But I have an audition after work today, so fingers crossed!"
Jesse asked him what he'd been doing to try to break in, and Seth described how he'd been practicing, checking out local artists, talking to other musicians, going to auditions, and learning as much as he could about Nashville.
Again, Jesse was impressed by Seth's seriousness, which belied his age.
"Well, that's a good way to go about it. But think about this. Being in a band is fun and all, but for steady work, have you ever considered maybe trying to hook up as a studio musician?"
"No sir, to be honest, I'm not too familiar with what that means."
"Basically, you work in the recording studio, and it's pay-for-play. People come in and want something recorded, and you play it. I'm not trying to insult you, but can you read music?"
Seth nodded.
"How are you on sight reading?"
"Ok, I guess?"
"Here's my card. Come by the studio next week and we'll see if you've got what it takes."
"Holy crap, thanks!"
**********
Seth did as he was asked, and it went about as well as could be expected for a not quite 19-year-old kid from the northeast.
Jesse told him, "Look Seth, please don't let this discourage you. You're not bad, I see real potential. I'm not blowing smoke. You're just a little young still. Need some seasoning. Listen, keep doing what you're doing, work your craft, and try again in a year or two."
