“I wouldn’t dare. I trust you to keep me grounded, Mrs Ferris.”
“Mrs Ferris,” I said, with no small amount of wonder. “How about that?”
“Hmm.” His fingers stroked my face.
I caught his bare hand, inspecting it. “You don’t have a ring.”
“No, I don’t. We’ll have to fix that.”
“Yes, we will.”
He smiled. “Hey, Mrs Ferris.”
“Hey, Mr Ferris.”
There wasn’t enough room in me for all the feelings he inspired.
Not even close.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We spent the afternoon back down in the recording studio with Tyler and Mal. When David wasn’t playing he pulled me onto his lap. When he was busy on guitar, I listened in awe of his talent. He didn’t sing, so I remained in the dark about the lyrics. But the music was beautiful in a raw, rock ’n’ roll sort of way. Mal seemed pleased with the new material, bopping his head along in time.
Tyler beamed behind the splendid board of buttons and dials. “Play that lick again, Dave.” My husband nodded and his fingers moved over the fretboard, making magic.
Pam had been busy while we’d been upstairs, starting on unpacking the collection of boxes. When she made a move to return to the job in the early evening I went with her. Unasked or not, it wasn’t fair that she got lumped with the task on her own. Plus, it pleased my inner need to organize. I snuck back downstairs now and then as the hours passed, stealing kisses, before heading back up to help Pam again. David and co remained immersed in the music. They’d come up seeking food or drink but returned immediately to the studio.
“This is what it’s like when they’re recording. They lose track of time, get caught up in the music. The number of dinners Tyler has missed because he simply forgot!” said Pam, hands busy unpacking the latest box.
“It’s their job, but it’s also their first love,” she continued, dusting off an Asian-style bowl. “You know that one old girlfriend that’s always hanging around the fringes, drunk dialing them at all hours and asking them to come over?”
I laughed. “How do you deal with never getting to come first?”
“You have to strike a balance. Music’s a part of them that you have to accept, hon. Fighting it won’t work. Have you ever been really passionate about something?”
“No,” I answered in all honesty, eyeing up another stringed instrument I’d never seen the likes of. It had intricate carving encircling the sound hole. “I enjoy college. I love being a barista, it’s a great job. I really like the people. But I can’t sling coffee for the rest of my life.” I stopped, grimaced. “God, those are my father’s words. Forget I ever said that.”
“You can totally sling coffee for the rest of your life, if you so choose,” she said. “But sometimes it takes time to find your thing. There’s no rush. I was a born and bred photographer.”
“That’s great.”
Pam smiled, her gaze going distant. “That’s how Tyler and I met. I went on tour for a couple of days with the band he was in at the time. I ended up going right around Europe with them. We got married in Venice at the end of the tour and we’ve been together ever since.”
“That’s a wonderful story.”
“Yeah,” Pam sighed. “It was a wonderful time.”
“Did you study photography?”
“No, my father taught me. He worked for National Geographic. He put a camera in my hand at age six and I refused to give it back. The next day he brought me an old second-hand one. I carried it everywhere I went. Everything I saw was through its lens. Well, you know what I mean … the world made sense when I looked at it that way. Better than that, it made everything beautiful, special.” She pulled a couple of books out of a box, adding them to the shelves built into one wall. We’d already managed to half fill them with various books and mementoes.
“You know, David’s dated a lot of women over the years. But he’s different with you. I don’t know … the way he watches you, I think it’s adorable. It’s the first time he’s brought anyone here in six years.”
“Why was the place empty so long?”
Pam’s smile faded and she avoided my eyes. “He wanted it to be his place to come home to, but then things changed. The band was just hitting it big. I guess things got complicated. He could explain it to you best.”
“Right,” I said, intrigued.
Pam sat back on her haunches, looking around the room. “Listen to me rabbiting on. We’ve been at this all day. I think we deserve a break.”
“I second that.”
Nearly half the boxes were open. The contents we couldn’t think of an immediate home for were lined up along one wall. A big plush black couch had been delivered. It fit the house and its owner perfectly. With various rugs, pictures and instruments strewn about, the place had almost begun to look like a home. I wondered if David would approve. Easily, I could picture us spending time here when I wasn’t in classes. Or maybe holidays would be spent touring. Our future was a beautiful, dazzling thing, filled with promise.
In the here and now, however, I still hadn’t caught up with Lauren. A fact that caused me great guilt. Explaining this situation didn’t appeal and nor did confessing my fast-growing feelings for David.
“Come on, let’s go grab some food from down the road. The bar does the best ribs you’ve ever tasted. Tyler goes crazy for them,” said Pam.
“That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll just let him know we’re going. Do I need to change?” I had on the black jeans and tank top, a pair of Converse. The only shoes I’d been able to find among Martha’s buys that didn’t feature four-inch-plus heels. For once, I looked almost rock ’n’ roll-associated. Pam wore jeans and a white shirt, a heavy turquoise necklace around her throat. It was casual in theory, but Pam was a striking woman.
“You’re dressed fine,” she said. “Don’t worry. It’s very relaxed.”
“Alright.”
The sound of music still drifted up from downstairs. When I went down there the door was shut and the red light shining. I could see Tyler with headphones on, busy at the console. I’d forgotten to charge my phone with all the recent excitement. But I didn’t have David’s phone number so I couldn’t have texted him anyway. I didn’t want to interrupt. In the end, I left a note on the kitchen bench. We wouldn’t be gone long. David probably wouldn’t even notice.