Page 23 of Broken Chords

Chapter Ten

Grace note:an extra note added as an embellishment and not essential to the harmony or melody

Charlie

Damian slips his arm around my waist in an undeniable display of our relationship status and tugs me against his side, a wide smile on his face. “Mom, Dad, this is Charlie. Charlie, these are my parents, Hector and Elisa.”

Damian’s mom smiles at me and reaches for my hands. “We’re so glad you could join us today. Damian’s told us about you. We’ve told him to bring you by for Sunday dinner, but he keeps claiming you’re both too busy.”

I glance at Damian out of the corner of my eyes, but he’s not looking at me. “Mamá,” he says, his tone full of warning.

But she just rolls her eyes at him and gives me a smile. “But you’re here now. Welcome. Come in, come in, let’s introduce you to everyone and get you something to drink.”

The next few minutes pass in a whirlwind of introductions and greetings, questions about my name—“It’s short for Charlotte,” I tell them, which makes them all nod in understanding—and settling in the living room. It’s clean and comfortable, if a little dated with its floral print upholstery on the sofa and loveseat and the coffee table with the three inset panes of glass. One wall is taken up by a large entertainment center boasting books, family pictures, and a flatscreen TV. More pictures of the kids through the years dot the walls alongside older family photos and groups of people who I assume are extended family. I recognize what looks like a younger Marco and a little girl with a missing front tooth who can only be Martina.

A glass of ice water is placed in my hand by a smiling Sara, who sits on the loveseat adjacent to my end of the sofa. “So tell us more about yourself. You’re a music student too?”

Swallowing a sip of water, I nod. “Yes. I’m a freshman this year. I play piano.”

Sara, Benjamin, and Sara’s husband Josh, a tall man with sandy hair and hazel eyes, all exchange looks. “Um, you’re only eighteen?”

“Oh, no.” I laugh. “I’m twenty-one. I took some time off to decide what I wanted to do before going to college.”

“Oh, okay.” Sara looks almost relieved, like I’ve cleared up something that didn’t sit quite right. “What were you doing before?”

“Um …” I glance at Damian, trying to remember what I’ve told him. “Traveling with my family. Helping out with the, uh, family business.”

“What kind of business?” This question is from Ben, Damian’s older brother.

I take another drink of water to buy some time without seeming like a weirdo. I finally decide on the closest thing to the truth. “Music tours.”

Damian’s fingers brush my thigh, and his brows are knitted together when I turn to look at him. “I thought your parents didn’t want you to study music.”

“Oh, well, no. They aren’t upset I’m studying music. Just that I’m going to college at all. They—well, my mom really—wanted me to stay and continue helping with their business.” The lie flows easily now, since it’s mostly rooted in truth. It’s just that the business in question is really mine. Even though from the way things have been run, you wouldn’t know that once I reached twenty-one I had full access to all my accounts. But they still make a percentage as part of my management team. Even though my manager is officially someone else.

Sara’s eyes widen. “Wow. That must’ve been something, traveling on tour like that. Did you tour with anyone famous?”

“Yeah.” That’s an easy one, and it’d be funny if I could tell them all the truth. But before I can offer any names, Carla scoots forward, looking past Damian so she can see me.

“Have you toured with Jonny B?”

I grin at her question, asked with all the excitement of a true fan. “We were at some of the same festival stops over the summer.”

Her eyes get huge. “Did you actually get to meet him?”

I nod, still smiling. “A few times.” Ha. “He’s a nice guy.”

“What about his fiancé? Have you met her? Damian knew her, but he says he doesn’t know Jonny B.”

Damian rolls his eyes when I glance at him, giving a tiny shake of his head to express his exasperation with his sister. I’m guessing this is a subject that’s come up a lot. “Yeah. She was on the tour with him, so we’ve met. I’m actually living with her former roommate.” We’ll just gloss over the part where she’s the one who introduced me to Lauren and helped me through the whole admissions process.

I’m saved from answering more questions by Damian’s dad poking his head into the living room to announce that dinner is ready.

Everyone stands and files into the dining room, Damian guiding me with his hand around my waist. He leans his head in close. “See. I told you they’d love you.”

It seems too early to make that kind of declaration, both with regard to his family, as well as each other. Even though we came close in the car. When I turn to respond, all thoughts flit away as I catch and hold his eyes, so full of tenderness and emotion that I feel the need to rethink my assessment of the situation. Is it too soon after all?

He gives me a smile, and I smile back out of reaction more than intention and stumble along next to him, bringing up the rear as we make it to the table.

---