Banging the Drummer: Galentine's Groupies, page 1
banging the drummer
Kat Baxter
contents
Banging the Drummer
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Epilogue pt.2
Excerpt from Redeem My Heart
Thank you for reading!
GALENTINES GROUPIES SERIES
About the author
banging the drummer
My life has always been an open book.
Until now.
I have a secret.
I’ve been chatting online with Mason Bell, mysterious and brooding drummer from the boy-band Soul Obsession.
Suddenly, my infatuation feels less like a celebrity crush and more like two-sided flirtation. For a middle school teacher from a small Texas town, this is definitely the most glamorous thing that has happened to me.
Especially when Mason asks to meet me in person before one of his concerts, I don’t know if I’m about to meet the man of my dreams, or if I’m being catfished.
If you love a hot mess heroine with a celebrity crush, a hot rockstar drummer who falls for the awkward curvy girl, steam, banter and all the feels, you’ll love this book
***
This will be one boy band reunion to remember...
When former boy band heartthrobs, Soul Obsession, announce their long-awaited reunion tour, a group of friends seize the chance for an epic girls' getaway, following the tour from city to city.
Banging the Drummer
Kat Baxter
Copyright 2024 by Kat Baxter
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except where permitted by law.
Edited by: Emily Beierle-McKaskle
Copyeditor: BookReadingJenn
Book cover: Cormar Covers
With regard to digital publication, be advised that any alteration of font size or spacing by the reader could change the author’s original format.
Created with Vellum
chapter
one
Mason
I’m the black sheep of my family. Ironic, really, when you think about it. Considering by most people’s standards, I’m a highly accomplished and successful man. But my family of Juilliard graduates and Tony winners still thinks I sold out. Took the easy route.
Bloody hilarious. There was nothing easy about taking five teenage guys—all strangers—then turning them into the hottest, most successful boy band of all time. At our height, Soul Obsession ruled the charts and the radio and sold-out stadiums and arenas around the world.
Ten years ago, we all walked away from that success. From each other. And all the drama and fighting. Not to mention the damned paparazzi constantly hounding us.
We retired, still owing the record label one more album. They’ve called in their chips, as it were, and we’re back in the studio and priming for the reunion tour of a lifetime.
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve missed these fuckers. We’re like a dysfunctional family, a band of wayward musical brothers who grew up together on a tour bus. We might not all get along all the time, but I feel closer to each of these guys than I do my own damn brothers.
I sit at the table, drumming my fingers on the shiny black lacquered tabletop. This rehearsal room is large enough for all of us, including an upright piano and several guitars. The furniture is a black leather-looking material and fairly nondescript.
Jax, our resident bad boy, ambles over to the leather couch, guitar in hand. Asher, our lead singer, stares out the window, looking very much like the weight of all of this rests on his shoulders.
The heartthrob of our group, Crue, stands leaning against the wall. He hasn’t changed much at all, except maybe a few more tattoos. Probably true about all of us. His eyes flick to mine briefly before he continues to scan the room.
The fans all had nicknames for us. Jameson was known as the crooner. He took lead on most of the sultry songs and collected more panties tossed on the stage than the rest of us combined.
When our group first formed, management had us all out front, singing and dancing like a regular boy band. The truth is, though, that as much as I know rhythm, I’m a shite dancer. So eventually I was able to convince everyone I’d do better sitting behind the drums.
Considering I’m a classically trained pianist, it made my composer father nearly disown me when I picked up those drumsticks. But it kept me from having to make a complete ass of myself with the choreography. Needless to say, most fans called me the ’shy one.’
It’s not too far from the truth. I’m much more comfortable with practically anything sitting between me and another person.
Crue clears his throat. “Alright, ladies, gather round,” he says. “We all know why we’re here. One last album, one final tour. Then we’re free. We’ve got a lot to cover before we hit the road again.”
Jax shifts on the couch, his brow set in a frown. “Who put you in charge, Crue? Last I checked, this wasn’t a dictatorship.”
Those two were always at odds. Guess some things never change.
“Fine,” Crue says. “We’ll take a vote. All in favor of me leading this meeting say ‘aye’.”
Asher raises his hand. “Aye.”
“Aye. Let’s just get this over with,” Jameson grumbles.
“Aye,” I say, just to make things official.
Crue rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed we had to go through that pointless vote. “Excellent. Then, by the power vested in me by the band Soul Obsession, I now call this meeting to order.”
“Do you need a gavel there, Judge Crue?” Jax asks sarcastically.
Crue, thankfully, ignores him. Otherwise, they could really get into and we’d be here all day night.
“Alright, first order of business, the setlist,” Crue says. “Management wants us to focus mostly on our old hits, with a couple of new songs sprinkled in. I think we should open with Girlfriend since that always got the crowds pumped up.”
“Agreed,” I say. Maybe I can convince management to let me skip that one even though it was one I used to “dance” to. “Can I sit out for that one this time?” I ask. “I’m really not looking forward to all those synchronized group dances we used to do. Dancing was not in my original job description as the drummer, you know.”
“What exactly was in your original job description, Mase? Sit there and look brooding while hitting stuff with sticks?" Jax asks, turning his ire in my direction.
“That was the dream.” I grin and wink and Jax. “In all fairness, I offered to play any instrument they wanted me to, as long as I could do it without synchronize movements.”
“A proctologist appointment sounds more appealing to me than synchronized dancing,” Asher mutters.
“Come on, guys. It wasn’t all bad. We used to have fun together. Don’t you remember how great it felt to hear the crowd roar?” Crue asks, clearly trying to rally us up. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Oh yeah. Nothing fills the soul quite like having underwear thrown at you every night by screaming teenagers and running from paparazzi during the day,” Jax grumbles.
“It sounds like hell.” Asher winces, his face going pale. “Please remind me why we’re doing this to ourselves again?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll admit the fans could be...intense. But the point is, we had some crazy times together back in the day,” Crue says.
He’s not wrong. There was a lot to hate about our lives back then, but not everything was bad. The no privacy thing was the worst for me. I’m not a limelight kind of guy. Which has never really mattered to the rest of the world considering I was born into Broadway and West End theatre royalty. My father, the new generation’s Andrew Lloyd Webber and my mother, the lead actress with eleven Tony’s to her name. She’s only one award shy of the EGOT. That elusive Oscar.
“It wasn’t all bad,” Crue says.
“Says you!” Jax growls, his jaw clenching. “You weren’t the one getting blasted by the press for every late night out or questionable girlfriend. “’Soul Obsession’s Bad Boy Caught in New Scandal’,” he says with air quotes. “They ate that shit up.”
“Only because you kept feeding it to them!” Crue barks. “If you didn’t sneak out to a party or hook up with a new girl every night, they’d have had nothing to write about. Or maybe if you didn’t get stoned and tumble out of clubs?”
Jax rubs a hand down his face. “I was nineteen, man! What was I supposed to be doing, knitting sweaters and baking cookies?”
“Cookies sound good right now,” Asher mutters.
I take the opportunity to hopefully add some much needed lightness to this discussi
Jax sighs. “Shut up.”
“Yeah, leave the guy alone. We were kids, we all did stupid shit. Isn’t that why we’re here? For the fat paychecks so we can finally get the record label off our backs?” Jameson asks.
“I’m ready to be done with all this shit,” Asher says.
Jax grunts.
“This reunion is about more than money. It’s about giving the fans the closure they deserve. We owe it to them—and ourselves—to do this right,” Crue says.
Again, he’s not wrong. We didn’t end things right the first time around.
“Just say you miss the limelight, man," Jax says, his dark eyes roll.
Crue lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe I do miss parts of it. Sue me for loving the music that made us famous in the first place. But don’t pretend you all don’t miss it too. The music brought us together. Through all the messy stuff, that was the one thing we always had.”
“I miss some things more than others,” Asher says.
Jameson nods. “Crue is right. The music was always there for us, even when things got tough. I know I complained about the fans but seeing their smiling faces in the crowd…there was no better feeling.”
“How poetic, Jameson. Did you rehearse that, or are you just naturally this sentimental?” I tease.
“Naturally,” he says, not missing a beat. “Comes with the crooner territory.”
“Can you guys focus?” Crue says. “This is about more than closure. It’s our shot at finally controlling our narrative. We’re not those kids anymore. For once, we get to decide how we’re remembered.”
“That’s the important thing as far as I’m concerned. We get to introduce the world to the real Soul Obsession, the band they never got to meet back then. We get to decide how this ends for us. Not the label, not the tabloids, but the five of us. That’s worth all the bullshit.
Asher sighs audibly. “Just so you know, it kills me to admit you’re right.”
“I’ll admit it. We did kick ass together,” Jax says, surprising all of us.
“So, are we good? We gonna bring the fire one last time for our fans?” Crue asks.
“Let’s light this shit up!” Jameson grins.
chapter
two
Luna
As a small-town middle school teacher, I am the least glamorous, least interesting person in the universe. I love four things: my siblings, my cat Jar-Jar, weird historical facts, and the boy band Soul Obsession, specifically drummer, Mason Ball, the object of my life-long, not-so-secret crush.
It’s been a hot minute since my online friends, a group of fellow Soul Obsession fans that clicked and have kept in touch over the years, have gathered. But tonight we have a special meeting, so all eight of us are lit up in our little squares on our video chat.
I want to make a joke about the old game show Hollywood Squares, but I don’t think Ireland is old enough to even know what that is. I sigh, then chuckle to myself.
Earlier last week a huge announcement came out that our most favorite band ever was having a reunion tour and releasing one final album. Considering the way they abruptly ended things a decade ago, this was much welcomed news. To say we’re excited is the understatement of a lifetime.
The proposed plan from our little fan group was that we try to meet up on the tour and go to as many concerts with each other as possible. As lovely as that sounds, I do have a full-time job and real-world responsibilities that I have to deal with, so I’m limited to just two of the shows.
DANI: So, about the reunion, I have some news… Remember my grouchy neighbor?
DAISY: What about your neighbor?
DANI: Turns out he’s Jax… Bad Boy JAX!
ME: Wait, how did you not know that? Oh no, are they all old and bald now?
I hate to think of any of the guys aging poorly, but especially my favorite, the drummer, Mason Ball. He’s disappeared from the limelight almost completely. Except if you follow the musical theatre scene–which I do. His dad has written some of the most beloved musicals of the last two decades. His mom has performed in many of them. So, on occasion, he is seen in the background behind his parents and two brothers. He smiles and speaks when spoken to, but he never looks like he wants to be there. He just looks uncomfortable, as if he’s wearing someone else’s clothes.
I tune back into the conversation at hand where Dani is explaining that the beard made her not immediately recognize Jax.
DANI: But, there’s more. I'll be seeing you guys a lot because we’re kinda getting married!
CHASTITY: You’re marrying hunky, bad boy JAX PORTER!?
DANI: Long story. It’s not how it sounds. I’ll explain when I see you guys!
Brielle: That’s got to be some explanation.
I tune out for a minute while I answer a text from my younger sister, Shelby. Not to be confused with Ireland’s older sister and new manager of the band, Shelby. The girls on the chat give poor Daisy hell about the time she passed out at one of the concerts.
Not going to lie, I still love their music. They’re still my top played artist every year when I get my year in review. But I’m not a teenage girl anymore and having real life responsibilities has forced me to grow up maybe a little more than some of the other girls.
I’ve had to be partially responsible for my younger siblings. Thankfully Shelby has always had a good head on her shoulders. Our brother, Max, is a different story. As the baby, the only boy, we spoiled him rotten. He’s now playing hockey at the university in Austin, hoping to get flagged for the pros.
I sigh. It just makes me feel old and like a big party pooper. I want to ask Chastity, a fellow teacher, how she managed to get the time off to go on tour with a band. But it won’t matter. I think she works for a bigger school district with more money and resources than our little Saddle Creek Middle School.
ME: I can’t go on the entire tour with y’all. But I’ll catch up when y’all get to Austin.
ME: I will always be available to tease Dani for not realizing she was literally living next to Jax!
DANI: Funny but fair!
CHASTITY: Maybe they’ve traded skinny jeans for dad bods. Fame isn't always kind!
DAISY: Hey, I wouldn’t mind a bit of dad bod.
DANI: I don't know, Jax looks the same just… better! He aged like an amazing bottle of wine!
Brielle: I saw an interview with Asher a while back and he’s definitely aging well. (Fans herself)
IRELAND: Crue doesn’t have a dad bod. Do you think I’ll be able to convince him to give me an interview? My journalism professor would freaking die.
I laugh and watch Shelby roll her eyes at her younger sister. It makes me a little wistful that my own sister never jumped on the Soul Obsession bandwagon. She could have gone to the concerts with me.
Not that she would now, since she fell hard and fast for the second oldest Whitmore brother, Dane. I doubt she’ll be leaving his side anytime soon. I don’t think it’ll be too much longer before he marries her.
We finish up the video chat with promises to be in touch again soon. Shelby texts us all the official tour schedule.
I’m happy for my sister, I totally am. But I’d be a big liar if I didn’t admit I am also jealous. I guess part of me always thought I’d be married by the ripe old age of twenty-eight.
My phone rings and I smile when I see Dani’s name flash across my screen.
“Girl! I have so many questions!” I say in lieu of saying ‘hello.’
“I know,” she breathes.
“First off… how?” I ask. “How didn’t you know Jax was well… Jax!?”
“I don’t know,” Dani says with a giggle. “I mean, he always looked a little familiar to me, you know? And there was something about his voice, but Luna, I honestly never put one and one together.”
“And now you’re… you’re marrying him? Are you sure? I mean, you didn’t slip and fall and hit your head and this is all due to a concussion? Are you concussed, Dan?”
She laughs again. “I’m not concussed. I promise.” Then she exhales. “Okay, this has to stay between us.”
“Cross my heart,” I tell her.
Then she tells me about their first kiss and the conversation that led to the marriage proposal. Evidently, my sweet friend has been drowning in a sea of debt and needed a way out before she lost her mind.
