Broken Little Melodies(64)
Roman reaches for the car handle, but some old dude in a suit opens the door before he has a chance, greeting us both with a, “Good morning,” and a cheerful smile.
“Relax,” Roman tells me once we’re standing on the pebbled driveway. He takes my hand in his much larger one and grins as his starry eyes work their magic. “I could tell last night that my grandma likes you. Don’t let the outrageousness of this place intimidate you.”
If he hadn’t been wearing jeans and Chucks too, paired with the black leather jacket that never fails to turn my insides all mushy, I probably would’ve worried what I’m wearing isn’t cut out for this visit. But as we breeze through the grand double doors leading into a heavily decorated foyer where his grandma appears in a blue pantsuit, white hair loosely curled around her head in a puffy halo, I strangely feel at ease.
It’s hard not to warm to the elderly woman. My grandparents were gone before my earliest memories begin, and there’s something about Roman’s grandma that’s easy to love. She seems exceptionally spry for her age, and the way her wrinkled face lights with a smile reminds me of Roman.
“There’s my superstar!” she says, holding her thin arms out for Roman. When he hugs her she chuckles and wiggles about. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you after the show how proud you made me! The security people said you had already left. I suppose you were eager to get going before your fans lined up outside.”
Roman releases her, flashing me a guilt-ridden look. “I figured it would be best to introduce Belle to this way of life slowly. Last night was enough of an adjustment without her watching women try to grope me.”
She clicks her tongue. “Don’t they have any pride?” Then she motions for me to step forward and wraps me in her frail embrace. “I’m so glad you and Roman found each other again, sweetheart. You and I have some catching up to do.”
Not sure how to answer, I squeeze her gently before letting go. Roman’s arm slips around my back. “How long before we eat? Do I have time to give Belle a quick tour?”
I snort quietly to myself, wondering how a tour of this massive home could possibly be quick.
His grandma claps her hands together. “Actually, I was hoping you could take a look at the toilet in the master bathroom. I know it’s probably a matter of lifting the top and giving it a jiggle, but that porcelain is so heavy, and I’m afraid I’d let it drop.”
Roman chuckles softly. I love how I can feel the rumble deep in my chest like we’re somehow connected. “Sure, Grams, I’ll give it a look. But isn’t that what your maintenance crew is for? If you want a few minutes alone with Belle, you just had to ask.”
“I promise I’ll mind my manners,” she promises him with a wink.
After dropping a kiss on the top of my head, Roman chuckles again. “I won’t be gone too long.”
“Your grandma and I are big girls,” I tease. “We’ll be fine.”
As Roman starts for the grand stairway, the old woman hooks a gnarled hand through my arm. “Let me show you my lovely greenhouse out back. You’ll love my prized collection of roses. I’m no longer able to take care of them myself, but they smell wonderful.”
I step forward with her, smiling from ear-to-ear. Her enthusiasm is adorable and contagious. “Your home is beautiful, Mrs.—”
“Please, dear, call me Caroline.” She sighs wistfully as she’s leading me into another room. “At first I found it obnoxious, but my husband insisted I was his queen and needed a castle.”
We enter a grand sitting area flanked with impressive artwork where an ivory grand piano takes center stage among velour furniture. I stop to appreciate the piano when I remember Roman saying his grandma was passionate about music.
“My pride and joy, aside from my grandson, of course,” she tells me with a soft laugh. “Did Roman tell you I once performed in Carnegie Hall?”
Shaking my head, I walk over to perch on the cushioned bench and tap at a few keys. “I knew you played, but he never mentioned you had played there. We still have a lot to learn about each other.”
“Do you play, Belle?”
“I’ve never taken lessons, but I’ve taught myself a few things.” My fingers dance over the ivory keys, playing the opening chords of a Coldplay song. I never had much of an interest in playing piano until one of my high school students played me a classical sonata that left me in tears. Ever since, I’ve toyed around whenever there was a piano at my disposal, thinking maybe it would add a new dimension to our performances.