For a moment Sam just stared back at him, not sure she wanted to answer with a smile. She’d been in a good mood coming in but he’d gone and changed all that with his grumpy greeting, and two could play that game.
“Just tell me what you need,” she said, her tone cool and her face expressionless.
“I’m…not sure.” He seemed lost, out of his depth. He looked around the room. “I guess we could start here. What would you suggest?”
He looked so bewildered that Sam could not remain aloof. It was just not in her nature. Relenting, she granted him a tiny smile. “Why don’t we start with a tour of the house?”
A look of relief passed over his face and it softened in a smile. “Thank you,” he said humbly. “I’ll lead the way.”
First Jake took her back to the living room which was almost bare except for a few old pieces that did nothing for the room. Its only saving grace was a beautiful fireplace adorned with an elaborately carved mantelpiece. That, she would save. Pretty much everything else would have to go.
The dining room had a long, soulless table that just sat there in the middle of the space with its six equally uninteresting chairs. When Sam raised an eyebrow Jake gave her a rueful smile and admitted that he’d inherited it with the house – among other things.
“I didn’t care what the house looked like,” he said, a slightly bitter tone creeping into his voice. “I just wanted to get away and this place was available, old furniture and all.”
Sam looked back at him, full of curiosity. He’d wanted to get away. From what, exactly? Where had he come from? She opened her mouth to ask then clamped it shut. He’d already started off glum. Now was not the time to try to dig into his past or his private life. Instead she said, “Well, I’m here to help so don’t worry. Let’s see the rest of the house.” She held up the tiny notepad she’d pulled from her pocket. “I’m taking notes as we go along.”
The tension in his face eased and he nodded then led the way upstairs to the bedroom. After that he headed back downstairs with Sam in tow.
“So,” she said, speaking to his back as he descended the stairs, “why did you decide to redecorate now?
He shrugged but kept on walking. “I guess this was just the right time.” At the bottom of the stairs he turned to help her down then said, “You already know what the basement looks like so I just have one more room to show you.”
They headed down the hallway toward a room Sam hadn’t even noticed. “I don’t come here often,” he said and his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “Let’s just have a look.” He pushed the door open and switched on the light then beckoned for her to enter.
Sam stepped in and her eyes widened as she surveyed the space. Of all the rooms she’d seen so far this was the most beautiful. Spacious and airy with a high ceiling, it had the look and feel of a grand ballroom. Huge windows looked out onto a country garden where flowers, shrubs and stately trees cohabited in a harmony of nature.
And then her eyes focused on the one thing in that room that made her heart flutter – a shiny black baby grand piano. Even with its thin layer of dust it gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the window. Outside of the piano and its stool there was nothing else in the room which made that beautiful instrument stand out even more, impressive in its solitude.
Sam stepped forward then turned back to look at Jake who still stood in the shadow of the door. “Did you get this with the house?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No,” he said quietly, “I brought her with me.”
Sam nodded as she looked at him. He’d said ‘she’ and she knew what that meant. This piano was special to him.
She pulled her gaze from him and turned back toward the piano. Slowly, almost reverently, she approached it and when she got close she reached out to rest a hand on its smooth ebony surface. As a child she’d loved playing the piano. It was one of the few luxuries she’d had growing up – her own piano at home and private lessons from the age of four. At one point she'd dreamed of being a concert pianist but, as much as she loved music, it was not to be. She’d put in the hours of practice and she developed her skill to a high level but still there was something missing. That thing was inborn talent.
Of course, with her years of practice she could perform competently. But that was not enough.
On an impulse she turned to Jake who had approached and was watching her intently. “Play something for me,” she asked eagerly. “I’d love to hear music fill this room.”
To her dismay Jake’s face which had been serious before now turned dark with obvious anger. “No,” he said, his voice flat, his tone as cold as an arctic glacier. Then, as if that weren’t bad enough he marched over to the wide window to stare out into the yard, his back rigid, both hands shoved into his pockets.
What in the world? Sam stared at him in consternation. What had she done to deserve his cold rejection? All she’d done was ask him to play. A simple request, in her opinion. But for some strange reason that request had ignited the flame of fury in this unfathomable man.
She sucked in a breath then let it out slowly. “Do you want me to leave?” she asked, her voice quiet but clear in the stillness of the room.
“No.” His answer was quick and he turned suddenly, away from the window and toward her. And on his face was a look that she could not read. “No,” he said again, more gently this time. “Please stay.” He drew in a deep breath before he spoke again. “I will play something for you.”
Jake bit his bottom lip then walked toward the piano. Sam stepped back as he approached and he slid onto the bench and positioned his fingers on the ivory keys.
And then he began to play. His fingers moved tentatively at first, as if trying to remember a once familiar piece, and then he began to caress the keys, his fingers moving expertly and effortlessly as he played.
As the music filled the room Sam could only stand by, staring in awe as Jake played with a skill she could only dream of.