A Band-Com for Romance Geeks
Author: Kata ÄuiÄ
Genre: Romantic Comedy
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Title: Keep the Beat
A Band-Com for Romance Geeks Author: Kata ÄuiÄ Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 21, 2020
Blurb
Sophia Reston has never been bothered by the term band geek. The definition of geek is an enthusiast or expert in a particular field or activity. She loves marching band with all her heart, so the term is appropriate. Of course, one of the lesser known definitions of a geek is a carnival performer who is often billed as a wild man and whose act typically includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake. This definition also seems accurate since there is one snake Sophia fantasizes about maiming in the most deliciously torturous waysâher archnemesis, James Fossoway.
He has a stupid nickname, stupidly attractive muscles, a reputation for sleeping around, and he is a fellow band geek. Unfortunately for Sophia, heâs also an enthusiast of pushing all her buttonsâand not in a good way.
When their rivalry leads to one final showdown during the competition for head drum major, the entire band is invested in the outcome. And James has some new tricks up his sleeve to win the last battle theyâll ever wage against each other.
Because, after years of pranks, James isnât out for revenge. He wants Sophiaâs heart.
Or maybe it's just another dumb challenge.
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Excerpt
âWhere is this secret meeting being held?â I whisper as we hug the shadows, so none of the underclassmen will catch us.
Shannon is the trumpet section leader; Iâm one of the drum majors. That means weâre at the beck and call of any band member who needs help, especially this week. If a nervous freshman spots us, weâre done for.
âIn the instrument room,â she whispers back.
Right under my nose on hallowed ground. The nerve of Jimbo.
At least that helps us stay on the side of covert surveillance. We sneak into the main band room without being seen since the lights are on night mode then hightail it into the uniform room, which just so happens to be separated from the instrument room by a weird window. Itâs opaque enough to keep our cover but mostly, itâs a useless decoration, so we can still hear everything. With the lights off in here, it makes it even easier to see the vague forms of several bodies in the other room.
Four large bodies in fact. One for every drum major except me.
âShh,â Shannon hisses.
âYou shush,â I whisper back.
We stop shoving each other for the best viewpoint when the sound of Jimboâs annoying voice carries through the window.
âThere hasnât been a woman drum major in the past one hundred years. Thereâs not going to be one now.â
Fucking pig.
Nateâs voice pulls me out of my plans for homicide. âI dunno, man. All she has to do is use the #MeToo movement to get the spot. One word to the directors that sheâs faced harassment just because she has a pussy, and theyâll give it to her. You know they will.â
Eww! What the fuck? I always thought Nate was a decent guy, but obviously not. Why the hell would I make a false claim? Why wouldnât I want to earn my spot, same as anyone else in the history of the band? Obviously, Iâm already facing harassment as the only female drum major, but that only makes me want to crush them on my merits instead of on my breast size even more.
âAnd Iâm telling you they wonât.â Jimboâs voice sounds relaxed on the surface, but thereâs an underlying edge to it that makes me think heâs gritting his teeth. Heâs never had very much patience for people who donât bow down easily and accept him as their supreme overlord. âI have a plan.â
âOh, youâve got a plan?â Another of the guys, Tim, laughs. âTo put yourself in the head drum major spot. What the hell does that have to do with any of us?â
âNate isnât wrong. Sophie has the best chance to get it out of any of us.â
I clench my jaw. I hate it when Jimbo calls me Sophie.
âYou just said thereâs not going to be a female head drum major this year,â Jake, a fellow trumpet, practically sneers. I like Jake. âSo, how do you figure she has the best chance?â
âBecause sheâs a woman,â Jimbo emphasizes like theyâre all clearly stupid for not following his invisible train of thought.
I think itâs Tim who throws his arms up in the air. Itâs definitely his voice. âThat doesnât make any sense!â
A body presumably belonging to the snake I hate the most leans forward in a chair, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. âThe directors are putting it up to a vote this year, yes? And what is the ratio of men to women in this marching band?â
Nate huffs out a breath of frustration. âItâs about fifty-fifty. Whatâs your point?â
âMy point is, itâs not an exact split,â Jimbo explains, his tone quickly running out of patience. âThere are a hundred ninety-eight women and only a hundred twenty-nine men. Now, I donât know about everyoneâs sexuality, but Iâd rather stare at a sweet pair of tits on that main podium than an accidental boner in wool pants.â
Shannonâs body tenses like sheâs going to leap through the window, so I wrap her in my arms to hold her still.
âDonât. I need to hear this.â
âGet your phone out and record it,â she hisses. âShow it to the directors. Youâll get the spot and be rid of him forever.â
True, but whereâs the fun in that? Itâll hurt more if he fails and has to watch my sweet tits up on that podium every game.
âIâve never let him beat me before. Iâm not about to start now.â
âUgh, fine,â Shannon whispers and goes limp.
âWhich brings me back to my plan.â Jimbo grins with his words. âIf we take that fine rack and tight ass off the market, the guysâ votes are suddenly more ⦠changeable.â
âOnly if you donât care about the lesbians in band.â Jake snickers.
âIâm going to take care of their votes, too.â The silhouette of Jimbo leans back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose that indicates he thinks his plan is foolproof.
âSpit it out already!â Nate yells.
âIâm gonna make her fall in love with me.â
For a split second, everything goes deathly silent. Or maybe thatâs just because my heart stops beating.
A chorus of laughter defibrillates me back to life.
âI have never seen anyone hate someone as much as Sophia hates you.â Nate cackles. It takes him a few tries to catch his breath. âThereâs no way, man. Thereâs just no way. Itâs a great plan, but you need to let one of us do the wooing. At least weâll all have a shot at the votes that way.â
Author Bio
Kata ÄuiÄ lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three teens. Sheâs an actual marching band geek, and she attends alumni events for both high school and college whenever her schedule allows. Her children wouldnât exist today if she hadnât fallen clarinet over tuba in love with her spouse during their shared time in marching band. Coincidentallyâor notâthe kids are following in Mom and Dadâs footsteps. Band family isnât fictional at all.
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