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The State was a grand old movie palace. She was built in the 1920s when everyone in the city had too much money and free time. No expense was spared and the theater was the pride of State Street. She stands eight stories tall with four balconies, five bars, and all of the opulence the designers could cram in to one building. There were carved plaster reliefs, marble staircases and columns, fine velvet seats, and big, bold chandeliers.
So many fucking chandeliers, Ed thought.
Ed had been blown away the first time he entered the State. It was nearly 25 years ago now. Izzy had dragged him out to see Buddy Guy. Ed agreed if Iz would go to Sum 41. And so it went as they kept swapping concerts as teens. Izzy insisted on Billy Idol, Meat Loaf, and King Crimson, while Ed countered with Good Charlotte, All-American Rejects, and Alkaline Trio. They became well-known to the theater’s staff since they seemed to show up to every show. They even got free tickets occasionally (which was how Ed and Izzy ended up in a mosh pit for Insane Clown Posse and met two other frequent concert goers, Ivan and Kevin, who went by Fang).
The foursome started hitting every show. They called in to every radio station contest, bought cheap tickets from the university box office, and sold plasma as a group to fund their musical habits. Those days were good.
Then the “Venture Bros” bought the State as an investment project. Ed and Izzy got drunk on boxed wine and lamented how they were going to ruin everything. Sure, they said they want to bring the State back to her glory but they would get more tax breaks by losing money, tearing her down, and building a stupid parking garage or something. Ed wondered if that cold December concert had been the last one. Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, and Cobra Starship did make one Hell of a sendoff.
The concerts did slow a bit. There was a six-week break before Flogging Molly took the stage and Ed and Izzy couldn’t help but notice the lower level had been gutted and redone. The floor in front of the stage was completely cleared for standing room and a new bar was put in the back so you didn’t have to leave the main floor at all.
More breaks in the schedule brought more changes. As soon as the snow started to melt, scaffolding went up to repair and repaint the terra cotta tiles on the front of the building. Ed even peeked behind the tarps to survey the work while he waited for Izzy to meet him at the Scissor Sisters show. The Italian landscape paintings behind the tall marble columns in the main theater had been restored by students interning with the art museum. The tired and worn curtains had been replaced with new velvet. The seats on the balconies were all recovered to match, too. All the broken stained glass had been repaired floor by floor. And those chandeliers that had captivated Ed the first time he came into the theater were slowly being rotated out for complete refurbishment and cleaning.
In July, a few days before the official reopening was scheduled, Ed’s Nokia sang its familiar tune.
“Hey, Iz, what’s up man?”
“Ed, get your ass downtown. Jackie wants to hire us!” Izzy squeaked.
“Jackie who?” Ed asked in confusion.
“Spanish Jackie. The floor manager at the State. She’s looking for floor staff and knows you and me and the boys know that place inside and out. Put your pants on and GET THE FUCK DOWN HERE!”
Ed hung up the phone and reflected on the call. He and Izzy had just graduated two months earlier and neither of them had a job lined up yet. Not much work for a graphic designer or a psychology major these days. Might be a bit of fun. Ed pulled on a clean shirt and headed for the bus stop.
That night Ed, Izzy, Ivan, Fang, Steak Knife, and a couple of other guys from the regular scene were sitting at a large table sharing pizzas and pitchers of beer in celebration. Jackie was done with the free-for-all atmosphere of the pit and wanted to run a tight ship. Izzy would be stationed on the stage with a big-ass fucking flashlight, shining on the crowd surfers headed toward the barricades. Ed would lead the rail staff. Their job was to catch the surfers, eliminate any trouble Izzy found with his spotlight, and keep the crowds from charging the stage.
Yup, the State was a classy joint now.
The first “official” show of The New State was Black-Eyed Peas. And there was Ed, front and center in front of a sold-out audience. As Jackie predicted, having her “husbands” on the rail deterred any funny business. After the show, the band brought the boys backstage and thanked them all.
Ed was over the fucking moon.
It went like that for years. Jackie found out about his graphic design skills and he was put in charge of designing the venue-exclusive band posters that were spread all over the city and suburbs. Jackie found out about Izzy’s degree too and put him to work hiring staff. Izzy was the HR coordinator in addition to running the pit light.
The venue had at least one show a week, sometimes three or four. As the years went on, the crowds got rowdier and Izzy hired Archie to run a light from stage left while he stayed at his perch on stage right.
Man, Ed loved the life. The theater was getting a reputation as a friendly venue with amazing acoustics and staff. Ed had seen everyone. Black Flag, the White Stripes, Green Day, and every color in between. And he had stories to tell. The roadies he had seduced, the bands he met. He had an autographed bass guitar from Jack White, a signed drumhead from Dave Grohl, and a joint from Willy Nelson. He had gone to that same old pizza joint that he celebrated his job with Jack Black and Kyle Gass, had snuck Hayley Williams and Zac Farro into Izzy’s beat up car to that run-down place in the Mexican neighborhood with burritos as big as his head, and he had gotten so drunk with the crew from Emo Night Brooklyn he had a two day hangover.
Not that it was all roses and rainbows. The first time Izzy’s flashlight caught some asshole with his hand in a girl’s underwear as she was surfing to the front, Ed jumped the rail so fast he felt like he was flying. He was over three rows and punching the guy repeatedly before Fang and Steak Knife even knew he was gone. Two of the boys followed him over the rail and dragged the guy out back while Ed was lifted back over the rail. That was when he messed up his knee. Moving too fast, not paying attention to his footing. He had to wear a knee brace to work after that. But Dexter Holland brought him backstage after the show to meet with their manager and arrange airfare to LA to see their final show from the best seats in the house. Dex had a daughter, he said, and was glad a good guy like Ed was looking out for the girls in the crowd.
Ed took Izzy with him and they had a great time.
Then there was the time Ivan caught a Doc to the nose. Ed had never seen so much blood and The Struts had to pause their show. Ed tapped out and a couple of guys from the front came to take his place on the rail while he took Ivan over to the university hospital to reset his nose. Man, he’d had two black eyes for almost two whole weeks.
Then there was the time Gary Floyd came on to him. Fucking flattering, that was. Or the time he practically offered to blow Rob Halford. He still gets embarrassed and fucking blushes when he thinks about it.
He had just rounded the corner to walk two blocks down to the State. Fang had giggled like a kid when he told Ed he could come in late today. Ed smiled. The crew was going to surprise him with a belated party for his 20th anniversary at the State. Everyone else had come and gone but he was there, every day. Even Izzy, Ivan, and Fang had taken breaks to pursue other things, but they came back. They always come back.
Ed’s thoughts were churning as he waited for the light to change so he could cross the street. He was getting too old for this stuff, he thought as he looked down at his knee. And the work schedule made it nearly impossible to date anyone. It had been ages since he’d had an actual boyfriend. Who wants to go out with a guy who was out of the house for 12 hours on show nights? Hell, even on nights when it was booked out for weddings or events he still had to help set up so he was home after dinner. Maybe it was time to hang it up and just stick with the poster design work.
The light changed and Ed glanced at his watch. 2:00. He was right on time. They would have their cake, then finish prepping for the show.
This show was always one of Ed’s favorites. Shooting Hoops was a DYI emo band from his college days, playing basements and garages before they moved to small venues and frat houses. The guys kept working at it though and soon they were opening for other bands and playing festivals. But they never forgot where they came from and always play a deeply discounted show at the holidays. For the last few years it’s been a great show with several other bands playing before Hoops ended the night as headliners. Ed hoped he could meet up with Chris and Nathan after the show for drinks. He would love to hear about their European tour next spring.
“SURPRISE!” everyone shouted. “Happy 20th workiversary!” Jackie exclaimed as she clapped a strong hand on his shoulder and moved him into the small staff room behind coat check.
“Thanks guys. You shouldn’t have,” he said with a blush as he looked around the room. Everyone was here. The bartenders, ticket takers, custodians, coat check girls, and the boys from security.
Wellington pushed a flute of something sparkling into his hand and shouted “Make a toast!”
“Uhhhh…” he started.
“Don’t worry boss, it’s sparkling juice. No booze before the show so we have clear heads. We know the rules,” Fang said.
Ed lifted his left hand a wiped his eye. The State was his home and the people in it were his family. “Well…I…Fuck,” he started. “I couldn’t work with a better bunch of folks…”
“Damn straight!” Archie shouted from the back as several in the group laughed.
“You all have been more of a family to me than my own family ever was. I’m happy to know each one of you. But doors open at 4:00 so someone carve up that cake so we can get out there,” he said raising his glass high before taking a drink.
Once the mess was cleared, Ed walked to the lobby. The bands were setting up the merch tables and Ed confirmed drinks after the show with Chris. He stood and surveyed the lobby. The two metal detectors were being tested by the boys, the bartenders were stocking the mini coolers, the small chandeliers were glistening and allowing the gold leaf trim on the ceiling to sparkle.
He made a bit of small talk with the Wellington behind the bar before moving upstairs. He checked the balcony railings on the fourth and third floors before moving to the boxes and tables of the second floor. He straightened a couple of the plush chairs in the boxes before looking out at the stage. The last band, or first band he supposed since they were opening, was setting up on stage. Ed took one last deep breath. He loved this part. Everything was ready before the crowds came in. He could feel the anticipation and the magic in the air. He was suddenly overcome with the feeling that tonight was going to be special.
Ed and the boys were standing in front of the stage. Ivan and Fang were trying to look menacing. Steak Knife was turned talking to Archie, who let out a loud cackle. The boys on Ed’s right were already scanning the crowd. Ed knew from experience they were trying to identify problems before they happened. Ed scanned the crowd. He made mental note of the guys who stopped at the bar before coming down front, the people wearing short skirts, that one guy (there was always that one guy) dressed in a full Grinch costume.
The first band started playing and the crowd started jumping. Ed and the crew stood vigil at the front of the room, but the crowd was small yet and no one attempted to crowd surf. The set was short, and after the band played the lights went up as the band cleared the stage for the next act. Ed kept an eye on the crowd as they milled around in the bar area.
Then he spotted them. A group of ten coming in together, looking like something Ed should keep an eye on. The tall one in a cropped red jacket seemed to be the ringleader and motioned everyone to the bar. One by one the motley crew stepped up to order. Lord, one of them was built like a fucking house, Ed thought. He was about to lean over and point him out to Fang and Ivan when the last man entered. He was a blond, about Ed’s age, wearing a powder blue suit. He definitely stood out from the rest of the crowd dressed in black or jeans and flannels. The man turned to look toward the stage and Ed could see he was wearing a red sash. He couldn’t read the writing on it, but it was definitely a sash…like Miss America or Bride to Be or something.
He tapped Fang on the shoulder. “Hey, checking the bar. You’re up,” he said as he moved toward the right to see what this was all about. Fang nodded and moved to the center position.
Ed weaved his way through the crowd, dodging college students hugging in greeting, middle aged guys in ugly Christmas sweaters, and loud women with rainbow colored hair. He finally made it to the bar and the group of ten were all toasting.
“Raise your motherfucking glasses!” the big guy shouted.
“TO STEDE! Happy Divorce and Joyous Coming out!” the tall one called out and everyone else cheered.
Ed cocked an eyebrow. “Coming out? You don’t say,” he thought as he raked his eyes over blondie. He was about Ed’s height, with wavy hair and hazel eyes. His shoulders were strong and his barrel chest was accentuated by the double-breasted suit jacket. Ed’s eyes dropped, nice tight ass, strong legs, and fucking loafers. If this guy got stepped on by his large friend’s Doc Martins he would have a broken toe. Who told him to dress like this?
“Everything ok, amigo?” a voice asked, snapping him back to reality.
Ed turned to see a shorter, angry-looking person scowling at him, tapping their toe. “Uh, yeah. Just scanning the room,” he said nervously. He wasn’t sure why this person made him nervous.
“Jim, knock it off, he’s doing his job,” a man with an orange beanie said, wrapping his arm around the angry terrier of a human in front of him. “Sorry about that, Jim’s suspicious by nature,” the man said.
“No worries,” he managed to get out before a bald man with a horseshoe on his belt buckle came up and grabbed Ed by the arms. “BLACKBEARD! IT’S YOU!”
Ed looked at the bald man in confusion. He hadn’t been called Blackbeard since his college clubbing days. And he sure as Hell didn’t recognize this guy. “Um….do I know you?” he asked gently.
“Do you know me? He asks does he know me. Blackbeard! It’s me, Black Pete! From House of Gary and Zombie Zone and Excellency!” he said as if that explained it all.
Ed was confused. He knew the clubs but could swear he had never laid eyes on this guy in his life and he had always been good with faces. “Oh, Excellency. Yeah, yeah. How are you, man?” he asked, thinking it better not to admit he didn’t know the guy who was so determined to know him.
“LUCIUS! I told you he remembered me! Come here!” he gestured at red jacket. “This is my boyfriend. Lu, this is Blackbeard. He was a legend on the club scene.”
Ed shifted on his feet, embarrassed to be called out like this when Lucius spoke. “Legend? You don’t say.” He was raking his eyes slowly down Ed’s form in a way that made him feel naked and exposed.
He snorted. “Hardly a legend. Just a kid enjoying to music. Are you uh…celebrating tonight?” he asked.
Lucius had clearly been waiting for this moment. He puffed out his chest and exclaimed. “Our dearest friend and boss, Stede Bonaparte Bonnet has thrown off the shackles of heteronormative marriage and has come out to the world. We brought him out for his first non-symphony concert followed by pizza and beer at the Rendezvous. Isn’t that right, Stede?” he asked a little louder, dragging blondie over.
Stede turned at looked at Ed with his mouth hung open. He stood blinking for longer than was comfortable when Lucius added, “I said, isn’t that right, Stede?”
Stede blushed deeply, right down his neck into the unbuttoned collar of his pressed white shirt. “Oh, yes. Perfectly right. Thank you, Lucius.” Then he cleared his throat and looked at Ed. “Were you going to introduce me to your friend?” Stede asked coyly, looking up through his lashes.
Pete grabbed Stede’s arm. “Blackbeard, this is our boss, Stede. Stede, this is…”
“Ed,” he interrupted, shoving his hand forward quickly. “My name is Ed.”
Stede took his hand. God it was soft. He was squeezing Ed’s hand and rubbing his thumb along the back of his hand gently. They stood for a second before Ed spoke. “Congrats on the divorce and the coming out. Big day for you, huh?”
Stede smiled. “I’m afraid they are both rather overdue. But thank you…Ed,” the last word almost a whisper.
The hairs on the back of Ed’s neck stood on end and he could feel the heat rise low in his belly. Then he noticed the song.
“Hey, it’s nice to meet you Stede, but I gotta get back to work,” he said, gesturing toward the stage.
Stede’s eyes grew wide. “Are you in the band?” he asked.
Ed chuckled while Lucius smacked his palm against his forehead. “Nah man, just security. But I’ll come back and say hi after this set. See ya in a bit,” he said as he turned and moved back toward the stage.
When he got back to his post, he could see Lucius leaning on Stede and Pete and talking to the others in the group before pointing at him. Ed turned away in embarrassment when the next band took the stage.
“THANK YOU STATE THEATER!!!!!” The next band ended their set and Ed quickly tapped Fang on the shoulder to move back toward the bar. There were more people here now and it took him a bit longer to find the group.
“Hey Stede, what did you think?” he asked, almost bouncing up to Stede’s side.
Stede removed his earplugs and smiled at him. “It’s not what I usually listen to, I admit, but it’s not bad. I feel terribly old, though. All of these youngsters seem to know all the words.”
“It’s not about knowing the words. It’s about enjoying the vibes,” Ed said, smiling.
“Oh, I think I’m enjoying the vibes,” he said with a blush.
“Hey, Stedey B, gonna introduce us to your tall, dark, and handsome friend?” a wiry man with curly hair asked as he leaned over Stede’s shoulder.
“Oh yes, my manners. Ed, these are my very kind employees who brought me out to celebrate my newfound…well, ‘freedom’ I think suits the mood. This is Frenchie,” he said, pointing to the man draped over his shoulder. “Then Lucius and Pete you know. I believe you spoke Jim, and Oluwande earlier,” he said, pointing to the scary one and the guy in the orange beanie. “Then we have Roach, Wee John, Buttons, and the Swede,” he said, pointing at a foursome behind him at the bar.
“Nice to meet you all,” Ed called out, wondering if any of the last four actually had names. “You from around here?” he asked hopefully.
“Oh yes, I just bought one of those old houses by the water. I’m going to fix it up and bring it back to its former glory…much like they did to the State,” Stede said with a smile.
Ed’s heart was pounding and he was feeling warm all over. “You followed the story of the refurbishment?” he asked.
“Absolutely. It was quite exciting. Did you know they sourced replacement crystals for the chandeliers from Paris and had the original company remake the tiles for the 2nd floor bathrooms to match exactly?” Stede asked. He was practically giddy. “I’m having the tile company make all of the tiles for one of my bathrooms and for the surrounds of two of my fireplaces.”
“Two fireplaces? How many do you have?” Ed asked.
Stede blushed deeply. “Oh, well, only three. I suppose I sound like a rich snob. I had friends like that from school but I promise I’m not. I’m refurbishing all of the brass myself with YouTube tutorials. And Frenchie and Wee John are going to teach me how to hang wallpaper and Jim will help me bring back the garden. My house will be a labor of love. Some people have jobs they love but I was stuck running my father’s company and I hate it. So I’ll show my love making something old beautiful again.”
Ed swallowed hard. He was of half a mind to find Jackie and tell her right now no more late nights and then give Stede his phone number but he heard the song over the speakers. Metro Station was his cue to head back up for the third band.
Ed took a deep breath to steady himself. “Hey, I would love to keep talking to you but I need to get back to the front and I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it back between bands again…can I…that is…will you stick around after?”
Stede smiled. “I would love that,” he said softly.
Ed huffed and blushed. “Me too. I gotta…” he pointed. “After. I’ll see you after.” He turned and pushed his way back to the front.
He came around the barricade and Fang was waiting for him with a big smile on his face. “Have you made a new friend?” he asked, twisting side to side.
Ed slugged him in the shoulder. “We were just talking.”
“Yeah, that’s what it looked like, right Ivan?” Fang asked over his shoulder.
“Did you get his number, man?” Ivan shouted.
Ed rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna meet him after the show,” he said, feeling the blush creep up his cheeks.
“Good. He’s a cute one. It’s about time you found someone to keep you warm in that silly warehouse of yours,” Fang said.
“It’s a loft. And it’s plenty warm…” he started but the lights went down and the screams started.
The fourth band was just starting and Ed heard Izzy shout from the side “GET UP!” The boys all braced themselves and followed the lights from both sides of the stage. Archie was flashing back and forth between two individuals while Izzy had lights on four, including the guy in the Grinch costume. Fucking figures, Ed thought as he grabbed the guy’s arm while Steak Knife grabbed his legs and pointed him to stage left.
And so it went. The surfers kept coming, a few people got rowdy. Steak Knife and the boys broke up a fight in front of Izzy and a guy was escorted out. A front-of-house guy escorted a pair of college-aged girls from the entrance to the floor back up to the fourth balcony. Someone brought out beach balls and Ivan had to jump to knock one down before it landed on the stage.
Ed hadn’t been able to leave his post, but he was keeping an eye on Stede and his group, now in the middle of the room for the third and fourth acts. The fifth act was just taking the stage and the room got loud. Ed had been looking forward to this. Blender was a bigger band that Shooting Hoops, and their last album had that one song that was everywhere for a few weeks.
The band started and Ed tried to pay attention to the music while also watching Izzy and Archie’s lights and calling out to Steak Knife and Fang as the surfers came close.
Then he saw it. There was no mistaking it. A powder blue suit hoisted over the heads of the crowd. The red sash was clearly visible.
Fuck. Stede was in the air. He was surfing. Ed had a flash of panic. How much had his friends given Stede to drink? What if he was dropped? Was this even his idea? What if someone gropes him? Every time a new person had his hands under Stede’s back, Ed sucked in his breath. His heart was pounding in his chest and he wanted to call Steak Knife and Fang over to the center to help with Stede, but they were already busy catching others.
Ed made the mistake of glancing at Izzy and his flashlight, bouncing between three different people and when he looked back there was no mistaking it. Loafers. Stede’s loafers. They were headed right at him. Stede was starfished as the crowd pushed him along to the front and those shoes were heading right toward Ed’s head.
The next bit was surreal. Stede’s feet were over Ed’s shoulders and the crowd kept pushing him forward. And forward. And forward.
Boom, there it was. Stede’s crotch, hitting him right in the face. Ed would have laughed out loud if he wasn’t so embarrassed. He reached out and grabbed for Stede as Stede spread his legs and allowed himself to slide slowly down Ed’s chest.
Fucking Hell. If Ed wasn’t in front of three thousand people and the coworkers he’d known more than half his life we would have grabbed Stede’s gorgeous fucking ass and shoved him against the rail to grind on him. As it was…
“Hey, go to your left,” he shouted in Stede’s ear as his feet hit the floor.
Stede immediately turned to his right. Ed reached out and grabbed his hand and pointed to the exit. Stede, without missing a beat, squeezed his hand and smiled at him, then turned and went back to find his friends.
Ed took a second to catch his breath when he saw Izzy staring at him with his eyebrow cocked.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah” he mouthed before turning to catch a young girl with reindeer antlers on her headband.
The next song started. Catchy tune. Sad lyrics. The tempo was down and Ed hoped that meant the crowd would slow down, but no such luck. They kept coming. The girl with ripped fishnets under her shorts, the guy with the buffalo plaid shirt, the fucking Grinch guy again…and Stede.
Yup, he was coming right for him again. What the Hell was he on about, Ed wondered. But he didn’t have time to think about it. He only had time to suck in his breath and reach out to grab Stede bridal style and gently drop him to the ground. Stede paused to smile at him again, then ran to the side.
Ed watched him go. Bastard was gonna do it again.
Ed was not proven wrong. As his favorite song played, here came the blue suit again. Ed tossed back his head and laughed. It was too ridiculous for words. Nothing like this had happened in his twenty years on the rail. Leave it to some pretty boy with an affinity for antique restorations and ridiculous clothes.
Blender ended their set and Shooting Hoops took the stage. Ed kept working but hadn’t seen Stede surfing for a while. It was probably for the best. The pit was getting rowdy. Nathan shouted “CIRCLE PIT, YOU ANIMALS” when there wasn’t room for it down here and the crowd went wild.
The set ended and Jackie turned on the house lights immediately. Ed and the boys started shooing people toward the back of the room. He was walking with his arms spread wide with the other guys from the rail but kept leaning up on his toes to try to see Stede through the thick crowd. He had moved halfway up the room before he saw Stede, standing next to the bar while Zheng was arguing and pointing at the door. Stede crossed his arms and shook his head in a bitchy little way that made Ed’s tummy do a flip. God, he needed to take this guy home and keep him forever.
“Hey, I’m gonna help Zheng with the guy at the bar,” he said to Fang before he pulled out of line.
Fang just shook his head and smiled.
He got to the bar and moved beside Stede, putting his hand at the small of his back. “Hey Zheng, I can get this guy out of here for you,” he said, smiling at the bartender. “Come on, you,” he said to Stede.
He gently led Stede passed the line for the coat check to the small door marked staff next to the bar. He took out his key ring and opened the door and pushed Stede in, then pulled the door shut behind him.
“Ed, what is this…”
Ed put his finger to his lips. “Liquor storage. I needed to get you alone for a minute.” Stede’s eyes grew wide. “Look, I don’t usually do this sort of thing, but I like you. I enjoyed talking to you and I want to talk to you more. Can I give you my number?” Ed was suddenly feeling nervous. He hadn’t thought this through. What if Stede said no and then they were locked in a closet together.
But he didn’t say no. “Here’s my phone,” he said, handing it to Ed. “But do I have to wait for you to call me? Can’t we go out tonight? Now? There’s a restaurant near here my staff recommend. It’s called the Rendezvous. Do you know it?”
Ed laughed in spite of himself as he handed Stede’s phone back. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard all about it.”
Stede puffed up his chest and smiled. “Can I…buy you dinner…Ed?”
Ed smiled, then reached over and pulled Stede into a hug. Tonight was special.