Jo sat at home, failing to write lyrics and fixating on a fragment of melody stuck in her head. Her father asked her to open the Revelry early, teasing her about overworking and suggesting doing something unexpected to break a rut. Jo, anxious about the club’s impending sale and her stalled creativity, took the keys and headed to prepare the venue.

At the Revelry, Jo checked the register and AC, noticed the building’s age in harsh daylight, and pinned a new band photo in the foyer. As she worked, the earworm resurfaced. A disembodied voice startled her—her telepathic connection had returned—and the man asked if she heard the same song. He hummed the melody; Jo realized the tune was not from her and that both only knew the same incomplete fragment.

The two joked about out-annoying each other with children’s songs and traded barbs that eased Jo’s tension. When the man mentioned choosing to play music for a living, Jo inferred he was a musician. Troubled memories of Sebastian Fell’s condescension resurfaced, and Jo admitted she had a bad experience with a musician who did not respect her. The man called that musician an ass, which embarrassed but comforted Jo.

Jo stepped out to the loading dock, reflecting on the looming end of summer, the sale of the Revelry, and her mother’s decline. She asked why she did not hear him more often; he suggested her mind was busy, while he found mental emptiness crushing. They briefly considered trading lives, then rejected the idea, acknowledging their separate burdens.

To preserve boundaries, Jo said it felt less strange if they stayed strangers and asked for a nickname. He offered “Sasha,” and Jo reciprocated with her own nickname, Jo. The tone between them softened; she noted how warmly he said her name, and the exchange marked a tentative trust within their anonymous bond.

A minivan blasting Celine Dion arrived with the Rocket Men, five middle-aged men in jerseys and trunks. Jo shifted back into work mode, greeting the band and offering help, readying the club for the night’s show.