Mountain Town: Zander
By Ivory Harlow
I.
Zander
An enthusiastic ovation from the drunk crowd prompted Zander and his bandmates back on stage for another ‘final’ song. Buzzards’ Roost was packed on Saturday night. There wasn’t much else for youngish people to do in Mountain Town, but the crowd usually dwindled after midnight. However, this was Memorial Day weekend. The Roost’s dive atmosphere, ice-cold drinks, and excellent live music seemed to inspire everyone to hang out for last call.
“Thank y'all for coming out tonight,” Zander spoke candidly into the microphone.
“I love you!” A drunk girl screamed from a far off table. “We love you Otherside!” several more chimed in. Otherside of Nowhere is the name Zander, Juno, Eli, Rob, and Will gave their band after hearing people complain ‘Mountain Town is in the middle of nowhere!’ Their music was a testimony that nowhere had an outstanding other side, one that non-residents often missed while they were complaining there were no DoorDash or electric car charging stations.
“Thanks, thanks for that,” Zander looked in the general direction of the adoring fans. He smiled genuinely, even though he could not see the audience with the blinding spotlights pointed at the stage.
For the final, last song, he did not pick up the electric guitar he played lead on all night. Instead, he pulled his precious acoustic Martin D-28 out of its case.
He pulled a barstool up to the mic. “Since we’ve spent the night together [more whoops and hollering], I thought you might like to hear a work in progress…”
The crowd cheered.
Zander strummed. The band joined. He sang about a chance encounter with a woman so far out of his league that all he could do was observe her from afar. The lyrics likened her to the goddess Aphrodite, with beauty so radiant that she was often depicted with a veil. To a sea siren whose voice lures sailors to their deaths on the rocky shores. To Mona Lisa, known for her enigmatic smile and natural poise. Zander’s low, soft voice described the depth of her brown eyes, how the wind loosened waves of her mahogany hair, the way afternoon light warmed her olive skin.
The song was not country and definitely not rock. It was a stripped down, personal and emotional. It did not fit Otherside’s vibe, but their fans drank it up, regardless.
They stood when it was over, shouting approval. Zander felt energized. He could have sang all night, but the Roost owner came on stage, rested a hand on Zander’s shoulder and leaned to tell him, “late hours permit ended a half hour ago…”
He spoke into the microphone, “That’s all, folks! You don’t have to go home but you…”
“CAN’T STAY HERE!” the audience echoed the nightly sign off.
The lights came on. People came back to reality, chugged their drinks, and weaved toward the exit. The band packed up for the night. Zander kneeled reverently to set his beloved Martin back in its custom case and closed the lid. When he looked up, she was standing there, smiling.
II.
It was as if the song about her conjured her into being. What other explanation was there? She lived 7 hours away, on the other side of the state. Standing next to her, he dwarfed her. But kneeling on the stage, leaning over the guitar case brought his blue eyes level to Alyssa’s brown ones. Her head cocked to one side, hand resting on her hip. She wore a black crop top with a high-slit denim skirt and knee-high black cowboy boots with slant heels.
“Zander.” She said in greeting, keenly aware and seeming to enjoy that she struck him dumb.
“Alyssa.” He wasn’t sure if he said it out loud or in his mind, as he had been since he met her weeks ago. “Fancy meeting you here. What are you doing back in Mountain Town?”
“My brother and I brought the last load of things from mom’s house in Dallas.” Jackie, her mother, grew up in Mountain Town and had recently moved back and rekindled the romance with her half-brother Tommy’s father Tom. Tommy and his 2-year-old son Branson had followed, moving from the Dallas area to Mountain Town, specifically, a parcel of land that was part of the Bar C Ranch, where Zander worked as a cowboy.
“I seized the opportunity to spend the holiday weekend in Mountain Town,” she explained. “Tom promised BBQ and margaritas and I headed west on I-20 like…!” Alyssa signalled a fast, straight shot with her hand.
Part of Alyssa’s allure was her larger-than-life personality. She was extroverted, animated, always on to deliver a witty one-liner. The chance encounter occurred when Tom, Bar C Trail Boss, brought her to the ranch for a trail ride. Alyssa showed up looking like she’d stepped out of Cowgirl Magazine: tight denim blue jeans tucked into designer cowgirl boots. She wore a red silk western scarf to match her red lips.
Zander had just finished fixing a sucker rod on a windmill in the upper pasture. He didn’t bring a rag to wipe off the excess grease, so he used his t-shirt. As a result, his shirt had black streaks. His roper boots covered in mud from stomping around the water well while he tested the motor.
Zander was opposite Alyssa, in that he was usually quiet and reserved. He preferred to blend in, rather than stand out. The fact he was the lead singer for Otherside was simply because of his love of music, and fact he wrote all the band’s originals.
Zander felt intimidated to approach show-stoppers like Alyssa on days he felt dapper. The day he saw her, he was unsightly. But it felt like she wasn’t a choice. He had to approach her, wanted to know her. So he offered to saddle her horse, help her mount, and adjusted the stir-ups for her short legs while admiring her fancy boots.
Unlike Aylssa, Zander was soft-spoken, reflective. Instead of the life of the party, he preferred to be a fly on the wall. If she hadn’t chattered the entire time he helped with her horse, he wouldn’t have known what to say to her. Hell, he still didn’t know what to say to her. She left him tongue tied.
After gazing at her a little too long he asked, “Do you need a ride back to your mom’s?” Mountain Town was in a dark sky reserve. Unlit roads and abundant wildlife made nighttime navigation unnerving for nonlocals.
“My brother is here. I’m staying with him. I think everyone from the ranch cramped to carpool in three trucks tonight. They’re waiting in the parking lot.” Zanders' face fell in disappointment.
“I just wanted to tell y’all the band sounded great tonight.”
“Can I get a selfie with the band?” She batted her thick black eyelashes.
Juno, Eli, Will and Rob dropped what they were doing to gather around them. Alyssa turned, angled her phone camera, scrunched her perfect hair, and snapped the photo.
“Alyssa, this is Rob, he plays bass, Will on keyboard…”
“Don’t forget my mad harmonica skills,” Will winked at Alyssa.
“Right. Keyboard and harmonica…”
“Eli plays drums, and Juno plays slide, steel, and sometimes bass guitars, and vocals.”
“Mostly back-up vocals,” Juno extended his hand.
Alyssa added a filter and hashtags #fangirl to the picture, then posted it. She had searched for Otherside of Nowhere in her social apps only to discover the band had no online presence. “Why doesn’t the band have social media?” she frowned.
Shameless online self promotion seemed to be a strategy for aspiring musicians to get their stuff out there. It gave in-person fans a way to share Otherside’s music beyond the county lines. It provided a means for new fans to find, and possibly producers to discover, their music.
But Zander played music because he loved music. He wanted to spend his time jamming, singing, playing guitar, writing songs- not marketing and promotion.
“We suck at social,” Juno answered her question.
“We have some stuff on our personal accounts,” Will said.
“I uploaded demos to my personal YouTube last year, I think.” Eli scratched his head.
The guys laughed.
Alyssa took social media seriously. “I think you’re missing a huge discovery opportunity.”
“Y’all are the best kept secret in Texas!” She said, her influencer mind already scheming a promo strategy.
“I’ll see what I can do about that…” She said conspiratorially. The fact they simply smiled, nodded and told her it was nice to meet her informed Zander they’d also fallen victims to her charm.
“It was nice meeting y’all! See ya Zander,” she winked suggestively at him, then turned and walked away with an alluring sway in her step.
III.
Zander limited himself to one drink on nights he played; typically after the set, on the house- a tip from the owner. But he hadn’t had a drop last night. Alyssa interrupted his standard closing procedure, his breathing, his heart rhythm.
She continued to interrupt his thoughts Sunday morning, as he woken in a bay of snoring, hungover cowboys, pulled on his jeans and boots, and trudged towards the horse barn.
The morning air was cool and fresh. The horses were eager to get out to the pasture. Zander didn’t bother putting on halters and leads, he just opened the gate then their stall doors, and they trotted happily in that direction, and secured it behind them. Then the actual work began; mucking out 18 stalls.
Zander liked work that kept his body busy and freed his mind to wander. Today, it didn’t wander further than Alyssa Durran. He enjoyed thinking she was still asleep, in her brother’s house on the Bar C’s back 40. The ranch was 24,000 acres, so that still put miles between them but hell, it was closer than Dallas.
Zander heard Tom’s truck come down the drive. Technically, the trail boss bunked with the cowboys at the Bar C, but he’d been sleeping at Jackie’s since she moved back to Mountain Town. He was still at the Bar C to work every day, including Sundays, from dawn to dusk.
“Howdy,” Tom’s imposing figure entered the wide open bar doors. “Those lazy fuckers still sleeping?”
“Yup,” Zander laughed.
“You need a hand?” Tom treated all work as tasks to be accomplished by whomever was available. Unlike Post, manager and heir to the Bar C, who couldn’t be bothered with anything but training performance horses. Post probably hadn’t mucked a stall since he was a teenager.
“Nah, I don’t mind. I appreciated you though,” Zander smiled warmly. Zander liked Tom. He wanted to impress him. He wanted Tom to think he was a competent, hard worker. And not just because he had a severe crush on Tom’s almost step daughter…
Tom’s phone pinged in succession. Tom pulled it from his back pocket and squinted to read the text. He held the phone to his mouth to send a voice to text, “Just got here. But I’ll put on a pot in the ranch office. Come on down.”
Zander looked at him quizzically.
“Alyssa’s having a meltdown because Tommy doesn’t have coffee in the cabin. He doesn’t drink it.” Tom chuckled. “Said all he has is Monster- whatever that is…” “I’m going to start a pot in the office,” he gave Zander’s shoulder a firm pat.
Ten minutes later Alyssa Durran’s BMW zoomed down the driveway. Zander set his manure fork in the wheelbarrow and pushed it aside. He gave a two finger wave. The sporty car screeched to a halt, displacing gravel- he made a mental note to rake it back later.
She rolled down the passenger side window as he approached. Zander leaned inside, inhaling the smell of luxury leather and a fruity floral scent that must be her. Alyssa looked classy but casual in khaki shorts and keds. Although it was Sunday morning and everyone she’d partied with the night before were nursing hangovers, Alyssa had on a full face of makeup, and her hair was blown out. She was picture perfect.
Tom emerged from the office with an enormous thermos of coffee and waved it in her direction.
“My hero!” She extended both hands to cradle the thermos as if it were the crown jewels. “Damn Tommy, trying to kill me by withholding caffeine. Who doesn’t have coffee in their house?” Alyssa said exasperated.
Zander did not mention he aligned with her brother on this, he also didn’t drink coffee.
“Didn’t get it from me,” Tom shrugged. “Cream and sugar in there if you need it,” He pointed at the bunkhouse, and patted the hood of her Beamer affectionally. “I’m headed out to the upper pasture to check the calves, but I’ll catch y’all at the Memorial Day BBQ this afternoon.”
“You boys playing at the bandstand tonight?” Tom asked Zander.
“Yeah, last set before the fireworks,” Zander told Tom, but his eyes were on Alyssa.
“Looking forward to hearing y’all.” Tom said, oblivious to the fireworks already occurring between Zander and Alyssa.
“You could have heard them at the Roost with us last night,” Alyssa teased, taking a long drink of the coffee.
“I’m too old for that place, girl! I fell asleep before Branson last night!” Tom and Jackie had taken Tommy’s son, their grandson for the night so Tommy could go out. “Getting old ain’t for the weak,” he sauntered towards his horse, saddled and tied to the corral. “See y’all later.”
“You’re hard at work already…” Alyssa turned towards Zander and took a second drink from the thermos, breathing in the coffee and savoring the smell. “Want company?” she asked sweetly.
Alyssa put her car in park and followed Zander into the barn. She looked around for a place to sit. He held up a finger for her to wait, arranged 5 bales of hay into the shape of a chair, took off his overshirt and covered the seat. “Your thrown, my lady” he motioned for her to be seated.
She laughed with delight and sat all the way back on the bales, with her short legs extended, feet dangling over the edge. “Picture,” she waggled her phone at Zander asking him to snap one. Zander did and handed it back to her. Her fingers skated across the smart phone, adding finishing touches and posting the pic.
“Did you see my post with the band last night? It’s up to 15,000 likes.” She had not sorted through the comments about the up-and-coming band Otherside of Nowhere on her Instagram. The TikTok she made at the Roost, snapping and stitching pictures together with their music in the background had nearly 100,000 views in the seven hours since she’d put it up.
Alyssa had over a half million followers. She’d gained most of them posting about fashion and pop culture as a retail manager of Verge, a Dallas boutique that catered to the 30 and under crowd. Her followers loved being the first to find out about new hot spots, styles, and music- which put her in a unique position to attract the attention Otherside deserved.
Zander used social media so infrequently that he gave up on remembering the passwords and deleted the apps. “I did not see it,” he answered truthfully.
“Right, you’ve been… Home on the Range,” she motioned to the surrounding ranch, which Tom warned her had spotty service at best.
Zander didn’t correct her misconception. He welcomed the excuse.
“What came first, music or cowboying?” She asked.
“Music came first. I started messing around with my grandpa’s steel string when I was 13. Played until my fingers bled. He bought me my first guitar so we could play together. Taught me everything I know. My first name is actually Warren, named for my grandpa. My friends and family have always called me by my last name to differentiate between us because we were always together.”
Zander continued, “Cowboying came second. I was working odd jobs around Mountain Town after high school graduation, living with my mom at my grandparents' house.”
“Hunter and I were high school buddies. He came into where I was working at the time and told me he hired on at the Bar C. It sounded like a sweet gig: a regular paycheck, food and housing included. I asked him to put in a good word for me. Been here ever since.”
“Why not go all in on music?” Anyone with ears could tell Otherside of Nowhere had the potential to make it.
“I like working at the ranch,” he shrugged.
“Land a record deal and you can buy your own ranch,” she suggested as if it were common sense. She changed subjects without missing a beat. “Otherside is playing at the Memorial Day BBQ tonight. I can take some pics, video, post some content…”
“Y’all really need to get your stuff out there,” she reprimanded him.
“What I really need is one of those bales from your chair,” he said, lightheartedly redirecting the conversation as she lifted her left arm for him to take the bale beneath it.
She prompted, “Otherside is on stage at?”
“About 8.” Zander said as he divided the bales into flakes.
“What are you doing until then?” she asked before draining the rest of the coffee in her thermos, then gazing down into it disappointed. “You can take me to see the parade, buy me every flavor of margarita slushes, and we can eat our weight in BBQ?”
Zander had planned to lounge around the bunkhouse all afternoon, and roll up to the bandstand at ten til, but this sounded like a much better idea.
“What time can I pick you up?”
IV.
Mountain Town went all out for Memorial Day. By 3 p.m., the downtown area was barricaded for the parade. All 3,235 Mountain Town residents and their friends gathered for the full day of festivities.
Having grown up in Mountain Town and experienced hometown pride for 28 years, Zander expected the turn out and planned accordingly. He took Alyssa’s hand and wove through the crowd, towards an antique furniture store on Main Street.
“Are you buying a chaise for the bunkhouse?” she shouted over the hum of food vendors, lining the sides of the street.
“Nah,” Zander pointed at the large balcony above the store. Green ivy cascaded from the balcony flower boxes and trailed down the railings. “I got us box seats.”
“Really?!” she clutched her heart.
“I know the owner,” Zander explained.
The former Mason’s Lodge was a historic German brick building with over 4,000 feet of curated antiques. Alyssa ran her hand on a dark walnut armoire. She reclined on a royal blue velvet wing chair. Then opened and closed the top of a roll-top desk. “This shop is amazing! Not at all what I expected for Mountain Town.” Her tone for Mountain Town was one of distaste.
“Andi owns this place. She studied art and design in San Antonio, worked for a similar shop in the city, then moved out here to do her own thing.”
Andi was working behind the desk, helping a customer. He caught her eye. She gave a wave and pointed to the staircase. “There are drinks in the fridge; Help yourself!” She shouted and smiled at Alyssa.
Zander followed Alyssa up the staircase. He assessed her tight white, sleeveless bodysuit and billowing white skirt appreciatively. Her bangle bracelets jangled like tinkling bells.
The upstairs was renovated into living quarters. When Zander was a kid, the place was a restaurant. “The ladies that ran it lived up here. Hunter and I skipped out of elementary school and Hunter charmed them fro free pie.”
Alyssa laughed. “That’s his modus operandi it seems.”
“He’s got the riz,” Zander said, offering Alyssa her choice of drinks from the mini fridge.
“Odd match, you and him.” They walked out onto the ample patio. It was large with antique wicker furniture and bountiful container plants everywhere.
“Are you insinuating I am not charismatic?” Zander faked hurt.
“Nooo, I…” Alyssa tried to soften the accidental insult. “You are quiet…not shy exactly… introverted?”
“I am and it’s fine,” Zander laughed reassuringly. “Hunter has more than enough charm for both of us and the entire bunkhouse.”
Zander imagined Alyssa’s type to be a guy who wore a different, expensive suit to his high rise office every day. Drove a Land Rover. Took ski trips to Aspen in the winter and Lake Tahoe in the summer. She’d be his snow bunny and beach babe at both, and arm candy at fancy networking dinners. He should feel ridiculous for taking her on a date to a small town festival. Stupid for thinking she would like a guy like him. But really, he just felt lucky to have had the chance.
They took their seats to watch the parade. The high school marching band and Mountain Town Cheer led the charge, followed by dozens of decorated floats: Rotary club, Boy and Girl Scouts, and local businesses and organizations. The Mounted Border Patrol rode horseback. The Mountain Town Fire department drove a high shine red truck and tossed candy. There were mariachi players with folklórico dancers. A cycling club and go cart derby.
After the parade, they reluctantly left their very comfortable perch to sample BBQ at the cook-off. They moved from pit to pit, sampling brisket, pork, sausage, and chicken. Alyssa snapped a picture of her favorite pork ribs, and posted it, tagging @PorkhouseBBQ with hashtags #memorialday #meatlovers.
Zander couldn’t make it more than a few feet without running into someone he knew. Alyssa was already acquainted with everyone from the Bar C, but Zander introduced her to many townsfolk as ‘Alyssa, my friend from Dallas.’ She walked with her arm looped through his. He knew it set the Mountain Town rumor mill in motion, but didn’t mind being linked to the beautiful out-of-town girl erroneously.
As if conjured by their conversation on the balcony, the crowd parted and Hunter appeared. He introduced his girlfriend Holly while he licked BBQ sauce off her fingers. She swatted at him for propriety, but that only made him pull her close and covering her face with kisses.
“You like living in a small town?” Alyssa asked as they strolled towards the bandstand. It was almost time for Zander and the band to set up.
“Yeah. I mean, I have nothing to compare it to. The furthest I’ve been from here is El Paso hauling livestock.”
Alyssa stopped dead in her tracks. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He was about to admit he’d never wanted to go further, but as he opened his mouth, Tommy came into view carrying Branson. Tom and Jackie walked hand-in-hand a few steps behind.
Zander nodded at Tommy, then shook Tom’s hand, “Hey boss,” he greeted Tom. “Boss lady,” he tipped his hat at Alyssa’s mom. In the short time Jackie had been back in Mountain Town she’d become a sort of house mom to the Bar C cowboys.
“Rob and Will were at the bandstand when we walked by,” Tommy told Zander.
“Yeah, I better get over there,” His eyes shot to Alyssa’s. A soft smile rested on her lips. This might be the only chance he had to touch her, kiss her, before she disappeared back to Dallas tomorrow. If her entire family wasn’t there to witness, he would have. But he held back out of respect for her parents and brother, and gave her arm a friendly squeeze instead.
Otherside of Nowhere took the stage before a cheering crowd. The sun was setting. The temperature dipped from the mid 80s to a comfortable 72 degrees. BBQ smoke wafted through the air. Festival attendance increased steadily throughout the afternoon, and now the entire park was covered in blankets and lawn chairs. Despite his recent win as an acoustic artist, Otherside of Nowhere was known for their country rock. Tonight they toned it down with more traditional country tunes, to make the set family friendly. The set was a brief hour. Before Zander knew it, the event coordinator was signalling for them to wrap it up. Otherside played an electric guitar rendition of the National Anthem to signal the start of fireworks, then slipped off the stage while the crowd Oooo’d and Ahhhh’d at the fireworks display.
Zander jogged down the stage steps, feeling boundless after a good jam. Standing at the bottom, dressed in head to toe white, looking like an angel, he was pleasantly surprised to see Alyssa- waiting for him. He led her to Rob’s truck, which was backed up so the bed faced the fireworks. Zander climbed into the back and made a bed out of moving blankets, then extended his hands to Alyssa, and swooped her up into the bed beside him. She leaned into him watching explosions of red, gold and blue against the dark sky.
Zander brushed his hand down the goosebumps on her arms. “You cold?”
“A jacket didn’t really go with this outfit.”
He tsked disapproval, pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Her petite body fit perfectly wrapped inside his big one. She was soft and smelled like summer and he was, well, screwed, because he wanted her like this all the time, and they lived worlds apart, physically and figuratively.
The grand finale kicked into full gear. Colorful bursts filled the sky in rapid succession. Alyssa nuzzled her face into his close-cropped beard. This time, no step-fathers, brothers, friends or nosey neighbors stood in his way. He tilted her lips to his and kissed her like it was his last chance.
V.
Alyssa
Alyssa returned to work at Verge following a memorable Memorial Day weekend. It was crunch time to get summer collections on display. More marigold yellow than anyone could pull off, Barbie pink, and a color that reminded her of green grapes. Curating collections, creating perfect in-store displays, running online promotions on top of managing daily operations left little time for her new pet project: launching Otherside of Nowhere to stardom.
Fortunately, Alyssa’s social posts from the weekend were doing a lot of the heavy lifting for her. It took some digging, but she located and borrowed their demos from Eli’s personal YouTube. The sound quality left a lot to be desired, so she shot them to a podcast producer friend to clean up.
Next, Alyssa DM’d her friend Dominic. They joked Dom had ‘dominated’ the party planning scene since they graduated from UT Dallas eight years ago. He started out as a club promoter for the hottest themed nightclubs and bars in Dallas. Eight years later, Dominic worked as an event and entertainment consultant for high-end clubs to posh hotels to Dallas’s most elite private parties.
What’s up D? Did you see my posts from West Texas this weekend? [she knew he did because he’d liked two of them]. That band, Otherside of Nowhere, has a crazy local following, but is a fresh face on this side of the state. Here are a couple audio links. Let me know what you think.
XOXO
A notification pinged Alyssa later that afternoon.
Dominic: WOW. Where did you say these guys are hiding?
Alyssa: Mountain Town- Far West Texas.
Dominic: Nailed the sound AND they look so…authentic.
Alyssa stifled a giggle because their rough around the edges look was authentic.
Dominic: You know I want to use them. But if they aren’t on the internet, they don’t exist.
Alyssa: I’m working on it.
Dominic: K. Send me the contact info.
VI.
Rock N Rodeo is one of the wildest, most popular and well attended events in Texas. The rodeo portion attracted the best bull and bronc riders in the U.S., as well as athletes from Australia and Brazil. Attendees expected as much action and energy from the concert as they did the rodeo. Dom had been consumed with planning the event for weeks. He’d secured chart topper Grady White. Grady’s latest single Wildfire was at the top of both rock and country charts. This was his first time headlining Rock N Rodeo, but ironically, not his first rodeo in terms of musical performance. Grady White was nearly 50 when he got his big break. He spent the first 20 years of his career touring dive bars, scraping together gas money to get to the next gig. As a result, he had a soft spot for creating opportunities for aspiring country rock artists. Dom had been struggling to pitch the perfect opener for Grady White until Alyssa’s DM. Not only did Otherside’s sound complement Grady’s, Grady was also a native Texan. He
Dom gave Alyssa a week to exercise her social influence to gain likes and follows for the Otherside of Nowhere accounts she created, unbeknownst to the band. She did not disappoint. One of the audio tracks she posted to YouTube went viral. Clipped versions were trending on TikTok. At the end of the week, Dom pitched the collaboration to Grady’s manager, who suggested them to Grady, who wholeheartedly endorsed the band as his opener at Rock N Rodeo.
VII.
Zander
Zander thought it was a prank when Juno sent a group text to the guys telling them they were opening for Grady White at Rock N Rodeo. He waited to reply, to see if Will, Rob or Eli took the bait.
Will: THE Grady White?
Juno: THE.
Rob: When?
Juno: Next month in Dallas.
Eli: And we are getting paid to do this [raised eyebrow emoji]?
Juno: $15,000 fucking dollars. All expenses paid [astonished faced emoji].
Will: [fire emoji] How did this happen?
Juno: Apparently, Zander’s girl knew somebody who knew somebody.
Alyssa was not his girl. Zander hadn’t even talked to her since the kiss. She went back to Dallas, and that was that. Curious what she’d been up to, he fumbled to reinstall his social apps and remember his passwords. She was easy to find online and, interestingly, so was Otherside of Nowhere. The band had hundreds of thousands of likes, hearts, and follows. He returned to the group text.
Zander: When did Otherside get a YouTube? TikTok? Insta?
Juno: You’re just now seeing it- Where you been, man?
Rob: On the back of a horse. Doing cowboy shit.
Juno: Hope you can clear your shit shoveling schedule to play AT&T Stadium next month…
Zander could tell the guys were fully on board, thrilled, ecstatic. He, however, had reservations. First, Rock N Rodeo was a giant step up from the hometown gigs they were used to, both in terms of size and audience expectations. Second, success, money, fame was never Otherside’s goal. The guys already seemed to lose sight of playing for the love of music. Third, Alyssa had taken creative license, pirating music, lifting pictures from their personal accounts, and created an online presence for them without permission- and the guys didn’t mind? He thought it was fucked up.
On the other hand, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Grady White and earn three grand each doing it. Alyssa probably thought she was doing them a favor; it wasn’t like she had anything to gain from her effort. He spent the afternoon doing weed control in the lower pastures and mulling over the situation. He decided not to raise his concerns to his bandmates; Let them enjoy the 15 minutes of fame. Zander had not decided what, if anything, to do about Alyssa’s indiscretions. He doubted she even saw them as such.
That evening, Zander was zoned out pretending to watch basketball in the bunkhouse dayroom with the cowboys, when his phone vibrated with a text from Alyssa.
Alyssa: I see you finally followed yourself.
Alyssa: and me [blowing kiss emoji].
Zander typed two different responses, then deleted them. Her texts were flirty. She was trying to engage him in conversation. But that surge of excitement he usually felt for her was gone. He felt…violated. Resentful. He willed himself to text a simple ‘Thanks for your help,’ but it sounded cold and ungrateful.
Zander’s phone buzzed. He’d taken too long to respond and now Alyssa was calling him. Unlike Alyssa, he needed time to gather his thoughts and plan a response. He let it go to voicemail and text back instead: Sorry, loading gear for a gig. Ttyl?
“Who’s blowing up your phone?” Jake leaned over to look.
“Juno. Band stuff.” He lied.
“Juno got hot! I didn’t know he was transitioning…” Hunter had seen Alyssa’s picture light up the screen from behind the couch.
Zander shushed him. Nodding toward the kitchen, where Tom had a rifle disassembled for cleaning.
Hunter leaned over the couch between Zander and Jake, “Do you suppose he’s sending you a message about canoodling his daughter?”
“I didn’t canoodle her,” Zander shook his head at Hunter’s ridiculousness.
“But you wanted to.”
“I did.” Zander said.
“You did what?” Ryan returned from the kitchen with a fresh beer.
“Tom’s daughter,” Hunter said matter-of-fact.
“No, I didn’t,” Zander said directly to Ryan.
“Which is it?” Ryan asked, unconcerned.
Jake chuckled at the back and forth.
“Y’all will miss me when I’m gone,” he leaned back to sneak a peek at Tom, who was methodically pushing the cleaning rod back and forth through the barrel.
“You don’t got to worry about Tom- he’s known you like 8 years and loves the shit out of you. Tommy maybe. That friendship is new, and it’s his sister,” Ryan said with wide eyes.
“Nothing happened,” Zander reassured him.
“Yet,” Hunter smirked knowingly.
VIII.
Grady White lived up to his reputation as a down to earth, good ol’ boy from Texas. Otherside of Nowhere arrived in Dallas the day before the Rock N Rodeo, to meet Grady and his band and rehearse. After a long day, they checked into the Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas, met Grady for drinks, and jammed late into the night. The next day, Zander, Juno, Will, Rob and Eli got an exclusive tour of AT&T Stadium and did a sound check at the arena.
They had a few hours to rest back at the hotel before the show. Zander wished he could relax in his fancy private suite, which was as big as the entire bunkhouse. But he spent the time strumming his acoustic Martin attempting to flatten his balled up nerves.
A light knock on the door distracted him from being distracted. Room service had brought food, the stylist had delivered his ‘look’ for the concert, and concierge had brought up a new cell phone charger when he realized he’d left his in Mountain Town. Zander had no clue who this could be.
He opened the door to find Alyssa, leaning on the door frame, looking like a cowgirl movie star. She had on a western style red suede jumpsuit with beige fringe and matching snip-toe fancy boots that covered her knees. The red lips were back. Zander shifted uncomfortably and tried not to stare.
“Howdy,” she drawled, playing up the character.
“Hi Alyssa,” he stuttered.
“Can I come in?”
“Of course. Yeah. Come in.” Zander moved to give her plenty of space to pass, but she brushed up against him, regardless.
“Nice room.” She walked through the living area, admiring the leather sectional. Zander’s guitar was propped against a cushion. The flat screen TV covered half the wall. She ran her hand along the Butler’s Pantry, a wet bar and mini bar. Gift baskets and swag were piled on both. She assessed the sponsor gear and promo pics laid out on the billiards table. From there, Alyssa had a clear view of the super-sized bedroom which led to a private bath, separate from the half bath off the living area.
The wall to the outside was glass, with discrete French doors that opened onto a private terrace. Alyssa pushed them open and walked outside. Zander followed a few feet behind her. It had a large sofa, lounge chairs, and an electric fireplace with a spectacular view of the Dallas skyline. “I guess you’re not in Mountain Town anymore…” She offered a flirty smile. They leaned over the balcony, side-by-side, admiring the view.
“Are you ready for tonight?” She broke the silence first.
“I’m anxious, but ready.” Damn if her straddling him on that lounge chair didn’t seem like the perfect remedy for anxiety. He pushed the fantasy out of his head.
“I heard the sound check this afternoon. Y’all are going to rock out the arena,” she said with confidence.
“I didn’t know you were there. I would have offered to introduce you to Grady. Facilitated a selfie with him?” Zander knew a photo with a Nashville Superstar was speaking her love language.
“I figured you were mad at me,” she turned to face him, leaning a hip against the railing. “You never texted me back like you promised. The went radio silent leading up to this gig.” He batted her eyelashes, once, twice…and pushed out her lip in a pout.
God damn. He thought. Nowhere to hide now…Zander softened the truth. “This has been a lot for me, Alyssa. One day I’m babysitting calves in the upper pasture, and the next I’m playing in front of thousands of fans at the AT&T Stadium, at one of the top ten largest cities in the United States, opening for Grady White.”
“Most people would be happy about that.” Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest, insulted.
“I’m happy that they guys are happy. I’m happy Grady and his people are happy. I’m even happy you and Dominic are happy,” Zander told the truth.
“I think I know what would make you happy…” she uncrossed her arms and slid them underneath his shirt.
Zander cursed his body for betraying him. He reminded himself she was the source of the problem. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. D for Durran; D for Dallas; D for Drama- this would be his mantra. He removed her hands from his back and chest and took a big step back.
“I gotta focus on getting through tonight.” He said apologetically.
Her face fell in disappointment. “When we were in Mountain Town, I got the impression you were into this,” she motioned between them.
Zander didn’t blame her. He professed infatuation, in song, to a crowd of strangers at the roost. They enjoyed one another’s company at the Memorial Day BBQ; with a make-out session to ice the cake. She was clearly clueless how her meddling in the band’s business affected him.
“I was. I am.” Zander ran a hand down his face, flustered. “But I’m not into this,” he waved an arm around the lavish room, the ‘look’ the stylist laid out, the airbrushed promo pics.
“That’s because you have never experienced life outside Mountain Town,” Alyssa challenged him. “You can’t even see what’s possible for you.” Zander frowned, which prompted Alyssa’s mouth to tick up. She patted his arm as she swayed passed him. “We’ll see if you feel the same way after the show.”
“See you later,” Alyssa called over her shoulder as she exited the room.
IX.
The gates opened at 6 p.m. to a sold-out audience. The rodeo kicked off at 6:30 p.m. Otherside of Nowhere was slated to take the stage at 9 p.m. Meanwhile, the guys hung out in the green room, a space designed to provide comfort and privacy for talent before the performance.
The green room, ironically, was gray. Slate gray tile, soft gray walls. There were velvet modular sofas with brushed chrome and glass tables. A full wall of lighted mirrors for primping. Alyssa would like it; take a million selfies, Zander thought. He thought it was classy, contemporary, and uncomfortable.
15 minutes to showtime, the stage manager retrieved the band and delivered them backstage through a series of behind-the-scenes tunnels.
“Holy shit…” Eli said, peeking out at the packed stadium.
For once, Zander typically enjoyed engaging with the audience, but this time he was glad the harsh spotlight would blind him from seeing the crowd. Grady hadn’t fed them bullshit advice to ‘adopt a stage persona’ or ‘stick to the recorded sound’. He encouraged them to “Do y’alls thing and have fun. The audience will have fun in turn.”
Grady offered to introduce Otherside himself. He stepped out with open arms, as if to embrace 75,000 fans in a giant hug, then called Otherside on stage introducing the band as his “friends.” Zander hoped Grady’s vote of confidence would go a long way with fans that had come predominantly to hear him play.
Otherside kicked off the set with a surefire favorite they’d played hundreds of times before. It was a good tune to win the audience over- most of whom had never heard of Otherside before tonight. By the end of the first song, their anxiety had melted away. Juno, Rob, Will, and Eli were having the time of their lives. The crowd’s energy and feedback was fantastic. For the last song of their set and to kick off Grady’s first, the superstar joined them onstage again. They played Wildfire, Grady’s current #1, while Grady White sang.
Zander had never been so happy to get out of the spotlight. The stage manager high fived them as they rushed off stage. He directed them to a luxury box to watch the rest of the concert, after which they took a motorcade of black SUVs to the afterparty.
The club was everything opposite the roost. It had a moody atmosphere with Art déco lighting, polished brass fixtures, and deep red leather booths. The bar was polished marble, with glass shelves and deep blue backlighting.
“Who are these people?” Will scanned the sumptuous party goers.
Juno grabbed a champagne flute off a server’s tray and handed it to a passing woman in a snakeskin dress.
She gave them the once over and determined they were somebodys. “Come meet my friends?” She looped her arm through Juno’s and led him towards a table of scantily clad women, Rob, Will, and Eli trailing behind.
“Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do,” he called after them.
Zander felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Dominic standing with Alyssa.
“Great, great job tonight.” Dominic pulled Zander into a hug-handshake.
Zander’s eyes darted to Alyssa, who looked as smug as she did beautiful.
“I shouldn’t say ‘I told you so,’ but I told you…they were great.” Alyssa elbowed Dom in the stomach.
He held his hands up in surrender, “You did.” He beamed a polished smile at Alyssa, then returned his attention to Zander. “I want to introduce y’all to some industry people.”
They gathered the rest of the band and did a round robin, exchanging handshakes and accepting business cards from agents, publishers, music producers and directors.
Dom saved the best for last, delivering Otherside to a dimly lit booth. Zander had seen the man around the past couple of days- always on his cell, pacing. This time, he sat, fingers folded in a neat triangle. Otherside was his sole focus.
“Gentlemen!” The man stood slightly and motioned for the guys to fill the booth. He pointed to the server to refresh the bottle service.
“My name is Bill. I handle the business aspects of Mr. White’s career, including contract negotiations, booking gigs, and serve as a liaison with the record label, looking out for Grady’s best interests.”
He asked what they thought about the venue- the stage, the sound? How about their accommodations? Were they wanting for anything?
After reassuring Bill that everything was beyond their wildest dreams, Juno joked, “We could get used to this!”
“You can, actually,” Bill assured them. “In fact, I hope you do.”
“I’m sure you’ve seen the success of Mr. White’s album since the release in May... Grady is kicking off a global tour to promote the album in fall: Australia and New Zealand, England, Scotland and Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany…” Bill listed the countries, sounding board, but the guys were on the edge of their seats.
It was the reaction Bill was aiming for, he transitioned the conversation to a full-blown sales pitch how being the opening act for Grady’s global tour will ‘launch their careers’, ‘connect you to the right people’ and ‘gain exposure to a larger audience and attract new fans.’
“You’ll earn a flat fee and commission on ticket sales,” Bill promised.
It sounded too good to be true, but then, the entire night had been. Zander looked at Juno, Eli, Will and Rob, trying to gauge their reactions, but alcohol, dim lighting, and music pumping from the DJ booth made it nearly impossible.
Juno slammed a hand on the table. “Where do we sign?” He was two sheets to the wind.
“We got a long ride back to Mountain Town tomorrow. We’ll talk it over,” Zander intervened.
“What’s there to talk over?” Juno looked expectantly at Zander, then Rob, Will, and Eli.
“Of course. I’ll tell Grady you are considering it…” Bill sounded dejected.
Zander backtracked, “It’s not that we aren’t grateful. It’s just that it's a big decision.”
“Let’s reconnect about it early next week,” Bill suggested. “The sooner we finalize the details, the sooner we can assign an artist developer and get the ball rolling with PR.”
“In the meantime…” He refreshed their drinks. “Have fun tonight.” Bill raised his glass for a toast.
The tension at the table dissipated as they rejoined the party. Zander watched Alyssa in her element. She was the life of the party, dancing on the table, ordering round after round of shots.
Sometime around 2 a.m. Alyssa plopped into the booth next to Zander and leaned her head on his shoulder. He poured her a glass of water, which she downed in two gulps. He poured her another and smoothed her hair away from her face while she sipped.
Juno approached them with his arm draped over snakeskin’s shoulder. “I’m headed to the hotel. Eli and Rob had already left. Will was chatting up the guy who played keyboard for Grady.
"See you in the morning," Zander gave Juno a chin nod.
As soon as they’d left, Alyssa leaned towards Zander, until her lips were touching his ear, "Do you want to get out of here?"
Zander squeezed her hand and led her out of the club. A black SUV was waiting to transport them back to the Adolphus.
A short ride later, they stumbled into the hotel lobby holding hands. Zander pulled Alyssa tight to his side as she suppressed her laugh. She playfully pushed him into the elevator and against the wall. Her hands roamed his body. Her kiss was feverish. He broke it, leaning his head against the elevator wall to space between them.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing’s wrong.” He took her in. “I just want to look at you."
"How ro-man-tic," She enunciated, teasingly, and pushed herself back onto him.
He sighed. Alyssa had red flags all over her: self-absorbed, high maintenance, entitled. His boss's step-daughter. His friend's sister. She’d exploited his talent. Decided what was best for him without asking what he wanted or considering his feelings. But Zander was still amped up from the concert and partying with his friends. His mind was spinning around Bill’s proposal; how much the guys wanted it, how much he didn’t, and how to reconcile those things. By the time the elevator doors opened, Zander was armed and ready with his key card. He all but carried her to the door, eager to make a perfect ending to a perfect night.
To be continued…
Mountain Town: Zander, Part Two will be published June 15, 2025
Listen to Zander on the Mountain Town Podcast