Keep the Beat: A Band-Com for Romance Geeks

by Kata Čuić

  When she’s sure she’s not imagining things, she begins closing the distance between us.

  “I’m going to marry this woman,” I hiss to my brother as we both rise to stand. “Do not embarrass me.”

  “You popped the question already?” he whispers back. “Where the hell did you get the money for a ring?”

  I just roll my eyes because, honestly, I am also the smarter brother.

  Sophie approaches with extreme caution, reaching out to place her hand on my arm. “Jim?”

  I realize after a beat of confusion that she’s worried about my comfort, not her own. So, I give her a reassuring smile. “Meet Alex. One of the founding members of Sing Out. He also happens to be my older brother.”

  He offers her a steady hand and a genuine smile. “It is an absolute honor to finally meet the woman my brother has been telling me all about for the past few years.”

  Her eyes widen.

  Shit. Maybe she’s pissed I talked about her to someone else.

  Then, I realize she’s not looking at me or at Alex. She’s gazing at the back entrance.

  Where Rob and Eva Falls just walked in. The founders of Sing Out.

  Her body is frozen, her lips barely moving. “Oh my God, Jim. Is that who I think it is?”

  Alex kind of squints, and I try to rein in my laughter. I know exactly what’s running through his mind. He has as big a chip on his shoulder about quarterbacks getting all the adoration as I do about having a professional NFL player for an older brother.

  The joke’s on him. My big surprise was getting the wife of an NFL player here tonight.

  “It is,” I assure her then gesture to Alex. “I used my celebrity connection here to pull some strings.”

  “Oh my God,” she whispers, her entire body springing to life with trembling excitement. “Do I get to meet her?”

  “Well, yeah. Rumor has it, she flew here to personally thank the woman who put all this together.”

  It takes Sophie a second to realize that woman is her. I can’t hold back my laughter anymore.

  She seems to snap out of her trance and notices Alex is still holding out his hand. She barely touches it before pulling away. “Oh, hi, Alex. I’ll talk to you later, okay? No offense, but she’s one of my heroes!”

  Alex laughs and stuffs his hand in his pocket. “No, I get it. She’s one of my heroes, too. Go on. You’ll see a lot more of me from now on than you will of her.”

  Sophie throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you, Jim! I love you!”

  She’s gone a second later.

  “Wow.” Alex chuckles. “You weren’t kidding. She doesn’t care who I am. She loves you.”

  I nod, smiling as she nearly trips in her haste to get across the room. “She loves me.”

  I got exactly what I wanted after all.

  Also by Kata

  Why does Jim feel overshadowed by his older brother, Alex?

  How did the Sing Out Foundation get started?

  Who the heck are Rob and Eva Falls?

  Find out in the Moving the Chains Series:

  First and Goal

  Second Down

  Third and Long

  Fourth and Inches

  Stand-alone Novel

  Revenge Love

  About the Author

  Kata Čuić lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three teens. She’s an actual marching band geek, and she attends alumni events for both high school and college whenever her schedule allows. Her children wouldn’t exist today if she hadn’t fallen clarinet over tuba in love with her spouse during their shared time in marching band. Coincidentally—or not—the kids are following in Mom and Dad’s footsteps. Band family isn’t fictional at all.

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  Playlist

  Lizzo | “Good as Hell”

  (Come on. You knew this was going to be in here. I mean, did you even SEE that video???)

  Marianas Trench | “This Means War”

  Cheap Trick | “I Want You to Want Me”

  Post Malone | “Circles”

  Halsey | “Bad at Love”

  Demi Lovato | “Sorry Not Sorry”

  Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey | “The Middle”

  Hailee Steinfeld | “Most Girls”

  Beyoncé | “Run the World (Girls)”

  Rihanna | “Don’t Stop the Music”

  P!nk | “Just Like Fire”

  Ava Max | “Sweet but Psycho”

  Julia Michaels | “Issues”

  Khalid & Normani | “Love Lies”

  My Chemical Romance | “Welcome to the Black Parade”

  Meat Loaf | “Paradise By the Dashboard Light”

  Billy Joel | “Piano Man”

  Gary Portnoy | “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”

  You can listen to the Playlist on:

  Spotify