Catch My Breath Read Online Free PDF Page B

want to sing. I just need to be smart about it.”
    Elliot’s mother had tears in her eyes. She stood and walked around to Elliot’s side of the table and wrapped him in her arms, squishing his face into her abdomen. “I just don’t know if I want this for you, sweetie. It’s going to be so much pressure.”
    “Business school isn’t pressure?”
    “It is. Just… there are so many people in the music business out for nothing but their own gain. It’s not a nice place.”
    “I know, Mom. I’m not that naive. I just want to see where it goes. If it doesn’t work out, college is still there waiting next year. Can you please just call Uncle Kevin?”
    “Okay.” She petted his hair, tangled from the long drive home with the window wide open to combat his crappy air conditioner. “You’re still my baby, okay? If this isn’t what you want, you can always come home.”
    Elliot sighed and pulled away. “Mom, I’m not going to war, just Santa Monica. I’ll be fine. And I’m not leaving for a few weeks. I just have to go to rehearsals with the guys during the day.”
    “Do we get to meet these guys?” she asked.
    His stomach dropped at the idea of blending his two worlds. He didn’t know if he wanted to bring his four new friends back home where he was baby Elliot whose mom still made him breakfast every morning.
    “Maybe soon, Ma. We’re really busy.” It was the best he could come up with.
    She sighed. “I’ll call Kevin and see if he can come over tomorrow night. You’ll be here, won’t you?”
    “Of course. Yes. I’ll be here.” Elliot grinned. “I’ll definitely be here.”
     
     
    D ANNY opened his front door as soon as the doorbell rang. Katie . It was Katie. He felt so bad about how little thought he’d given to her over the last week. Other than a few cursory texts they hadn’t had much contact at all.
    “Hey, babe,” she said as she walked through the door. They kissed familiarly. Hell, it should’ve been familiar. He’d been with her for years. Danny gently tugged on her ponytail.
    “Sorry I didn’t call last night. I’ve been kinda busy.” He kicked at his heel with the other foot. Danny wasn’t sure why it was all of a sudden so weird being with Katie. Kind of like she belonged with someone he wasn’t sure he was anymore.
    Don’t be a moron. It’s only been a week.
    But he still felt different. He pictured himself as the Danny who was with the guys, not Danny who was Katie’s boyfriend and in the school choir.
    “You said you had something to tell me?”
    Danny didn’t know where to start. He hadn’t told her about the audition because he’d been so sure it was a pipe dream, but now that there was something to tell, something big to tell, he knew he’d look like an asshole for keeping it from her.
    “So,” he laughed softly and grabbed her hands. “This is kind of weird.”
    “Did you meet another girl?” Katie pulled her hands away.
    Danny reached for them again. “No, no, no. It’s not like that. I actually met four other guys.” Katie’s eyes widened and Danny laughed. “Just let me finish. A few days ago I met with a talent scout. Babe, he put me in a singing group. We’ve been practicing, and I guess they thought we were good enough. We just signed a contract today.” He hadn’t hesitated. He’d called his parents’ lawyer, who’d looked over the contract and proclaimed it sound and run-of-the-mill. Danny had signed on the spot and taken it back to the studio right away. It wasn’t like he was going to change his mind anyway. Freshman classes at UCSD could wait.
    “Wait, you signed a recording contract?”
    Danny nodded. “Yeah. With Blue Horizon. They’re hoping we’ll be the next big boy band.”
    Katie shrieked. “You’re kidding! You? In a boy band?” She laughed and hugged him and hopped around still holding on.
    “Sorry I didn’t tell you. I just wanted to wait until there was something to tell.”
    “It’s okay. Holy crap,