She fell in closely behind him.
The hall was empty besides the piano and it didn’t seem as though there was anything else in the room to look at. Alexander walked up the steps to the stage, over to the old ebony-colored piano and sat down on the bench. He patted the spot beside him, inviting Emily to sit next to him. With a quick glance around Emily made her way to the bench.
“This is a Steinway built in nineteen ten. It was Pierpont Morgan’s piano. His son donated it along with the entire library after his father’s death.”
“It’s absolutely beautiful.” Emily was hesitant to even touch it.
“Yes, well, it had to be restored, but it still holds its original character. This grand piano plays the most beautiful music.” Alexander gently struck a key and let the melody of the single note echo off the walls. “Do you play the piano?”
Emily nodded “I’ve played since I was a young girl.”
“Would you play something for me?” Alexander scooted off the bench to provide Emily with the room needed to play.
“Oh no, I couldn’t, I don’t think they want me touching an antique like this. What if someone caught us?”
Alexander gave a boisterous laugh. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can do whatever you want, no questions asked. It will be fine, I promise.”
Emily twisted on the bench to face the piano. She had never played for anyone besides her parents and teacher. They had all often tried to convince her to take part in recitals, but Emily was always too nervous. They never pushed her to overcome that fear. When she played the piano it was always for her own enjoyment. It was relaxing for her, a way to let her mind escape and dream. So without delay, she could feel her nerves forming into a tight ball. She wasn’t sure she could do it.
“I don’t have any sheet music.” Emily’s excuse sounded pathetic, even to her as she glanced over at Alexander.
“Just play a song from memory. I am sure you know something.” Alexander gave an encouraging smile.
She turned back to focus on the piano, placing her hands on the keys and her feet in the proper position to use the pedals. She waited a few moments, took a deep breath and then began to strike the keys. The tune was rich and cheerful, “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven.
As soon as she was through the first measure, the melody seemed to come from within her, flowing through her fingertips and spilling out on the piano. This was a favorite, a piece of music that had often lifted her spirit when she was feeling sad or depressed. This time was different though, Emily played because she was feeling joyful. As she reached the middle of the song she played softly and quietly, inserting a few of her improvised notes that she had added in throughout the years.
The music echoed off the wooden walls and carried all the way to the back of the hall. The room was alive with the melody that was coming from the old piano.
When Emily finished she sat as still as a statue. She relished the moment. It was undoubtedly thrilling, a measure of time that could not have been doused.
“That was by far the most beautiful piece of artwork I have witnessed today,” came Alexander’s soft deep voice.
Emily fully turned around on the bench to meet his gaze.
“Thank you. That’s the first time I’ve played for anyone besides my family.” Emily let out a deep breath.
“Well, you need to do it more often. I’m not sure you realize how talented you are.” Alexander sat down beside her on the bench.
They both sat in silence, replaying the music in their heads.
“Alexander, can I ask you something?” Emily questioned hesitantly.
“Anything at all,” he replied softly.
“Are you… well, I mean--” Emily searched for the right way to phrase her question. She was afraid she would end up sounding like some silly little love-struck teenage girl, but she had some strong feelings she could no longer keep bottled up. “Do you ever feel like we were supposed to meet?”
The short silence that followed felt like minutes to Emily. Even though in reality, it was only seconds.
“No, I wouldn’t say I feel like that.” Alexander paused briefly.
Emily felt her heart sink in her chest.
He continued. “There is a difference between just feeling something and the surety of knowing something…Emily… I know we were supposed to meet.” Alexander’s voice was almost a whisper as he gently took Emily’s hands in his.
Her heart reversed its downward course and now felt like it just might pound its way right out of her chest. She welcomed the warmth of Alexander’s hands surrounding hers as she glanced up at him. This all had to be a dream. There was no way this was really happening.
They sat in silence for close to a minute. It wasn’t an awkward silence. Emily could tell they were both trying to absorb all that had taken place and figure out what it meant, and where it would lead.
“Does this mean you enjoyed your day with me?” Alexander gave her hands a gentle squeeze.
“Of course. I don’t think I would want to be anywhere else right now.” Emily blushed a bit. These feelings were still so new to her; it was a bit embarrassing expressing them out loud.
“That settles it. I can come around more often then, yes?” Alexander asked playfully.
Emily gave a slight laugh. “Yes I would like that very much.”
The door to the hall opened and Carl peeked his head through. “Sorry Alexander, it’s time to prep the hall for tonight.”
“That’s fine. I think we’re finished in here. Thanks Carl, we’ll be on our way.” Alexander stood in one swift graceful motion and using Emily’s hand, guided her up from the bench.
They walked off the stage and made their way to the door. As they passed by Carl, Emily noticed some sort of silent exchange between the two men, but before she caught a glimpse of what was being conveyed, it was over.
“Everything is ready for you in the dining room.” The old man smiled, his crystal blue eyes sparkled.
“Excellent. I must thank you again, Carl.” Alexander gave him one last glance and then led Emily out the door.
“This place has a dining room?” Emily was stunned with what kept turning up at this museum.
“It does, and the room is actually located where the original Morgan family dining room was. Of course they have renovated it and made changes, but it is still in the same spot it used to be.”
“This place is amazing; I absolutely love it. Thank you for such a wonderful day.”
“It’s not over yet.” He paused. “Unless you want it to be. You have to be starving by now, so I think you should at least let me feed you before you call it a day.” Alexander’s light tone and humor could be found in almost anything he said.
Emily had questions that had developed throughout the day and were now acting as splinters, festering their way out, if she didn’t release some of them she just might burst. “So I have to ask. How have you arranged for all this special treatment?”
“I’ve made a few contributions to this museum. Artifacts, not money, of course. I have also known Carl for a very long time. He is a good friend, and I can always count on him to help me out.”
“Of all the information you leave out on our tour you chose not to tell me that some of the things I viewed were here because of you.” Emily’s voice was full of lighthearted banter.
“I don’t like to toot my own horn. Besides, the items weren’t from my personal collection. I was more like the middle man or delivery boy, that’s all.”
“So what were the items?”
“Just a couple Egyptian scrolls, some original copies of various seventeenth century books and two Renaissance paintings. Nothing big,” Alexander explained nonchalantly.
“Oh, just that. That’s no big deal then,” Emily said sarcastically. She couldn’t believe it. “How on earth did he get all of those things?”
“So how is it that you came across such old and rare pieces of history?” Emily voiced her thoughts out loud.
“That is a long story. One I shall save for another day when you are getting bored with me. For right now let’s worry about getting you something to eat.” Alexander ushered Emily through the doors and into the dining area.
The room was classy and held the same old-fashioned elegance that the other original rooms possessed. The walls were an antique white and were generously covered in all types of wood molding and embellishments. Several large columns surrounded them reaching all the way to the ceiling, sporting a slight Italian flare. It was a warm and inviting atmosphere and Emily wondered if she would ever find a place like this again.
“These rooms make me feel like I’m stepping back in time. It’s so wonderful.”
“I know what you mean. I come here often because I love the feeling I get when I’m in some of the rooms. These walls are rich with history.” Alexander pulled Emily’s chair out for her and then went to seat himself.
He had ordered the food ahead of time. As soon as they were seated the food was brought out to them on finely decorated Staffordshire plates.
Emily didn’t realize how hungry she was until she smelled the roasted chicken sandwich. It was almost two o’clock and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The day was so fascinating; so very stimulating that Emily hadn’t paid any attention to what her stomach was saying. She had a hard time not devouring the food like a starved animal.
Alexander, however, didn’t seem hungry at all. He took a bite here and there but mostly just watched her enjoy her meal. Embarrassment washed over Emily when at the end of the meal she realized she had cleaned her plate entirely and Alexander still had food on his.
“How could he have gotten that big eating like that?” Emily wondered.
After the meal they began their walk back to Emily’s apartment. They kept to a slow stroll to give themselves as much time as possible. Their conversation was mostly about how fantastic the museum was and the history behind it. Alexander seemed to know so many facts concerning the original Morgan home and library, it was almost like he was there himself for the construction of the buildings.
Emily absolutely loved history. Her grandfather was a history teacher and had a true talent for making the stories come to life. She had always been captivated. Alexander had that same effect. He gave such detail that it made her feel like she was there witnessing the events he spoke of.
When they arrived at Emily’s building she wasn’t ready to say goodbye even though she knew she would be seeing Alexander again.
“Since tomorrow is supposed to be warm again maybe we could spend some time just strolling around Central Park,” Alexander suggested.
“I would love that,” Emily replied enthusiastically. Tomorrow was forecasted to be the last day of this odd heat wave and she was more than willing to soak up the warm weather before it went frigidly cold again. But more importantly it meant more time with Alexander.
“Perfect! When is a good time for you?” Alexander was now leaning in toward her.
She was starting to feel flustered. Her stomach felt like it was about to leap up into her throat and prevent her from responding. “How about right after lunch? My dad and I always spend Sunday mornings at church together, so around one o’clock would probably be best.”
“I will be looking forward to it then. I’ll meet you out here just as we did today.” Alexander now had both of Emily’s hands in his and was leaning even closer.
The butterflies in her stomach felt more like oversized ostriches.
“Until tomorrow then …” Alexander whispered.
He was close enough that Emily could feel his warm breath as she waited for a little kiss on the cheek that didn’t come. Instead she felt his hold on her loosen and then slowly he turned and walked away.
She let out a deep sigh. “Oh my,” was the only thing that looped through her mind as she watched Alexander until he was lost from her sight.
She stood motionless for a few more minutes, completely engrossed in her thoughts. Emily was surprised at how strong her feelings were today. She hadn’t felt this alive since before her mother had been diagnosed with cancer. And though Alexander could not replace her mother, Emily felt like he just might be the patch that could mend her broken heart.
Chapter 5
* * *
Truth
Math class ticked by slowly for Emily. She continually checked the clock which seemed to make time pass like molasses. Concentrating on the problems on the board was impossible. Instead she gave in to daydreaming about the past Sunday.
She and Alexander had gone to Central Park as planned and had spent the whole afternoon just talking. Alexander asked most of the questions. From music to politics to events in her life, he had wanted to know everything.
Emily had never given someone so much information about herself in such a condensed amount of time but she was now past her shyness. She felt she could completely trust him.
Some people could have argued the sanity of her conclusion since she had only known him for two weeks. Even still, she could not formulate a logical explanation of why she trusted him so completely. Every part of her just knew she was safe with Alexander.
They had stayed in the park until dusk. Reluctantly, Emily called it a day; she had to get home. Her father thought she had gone to see Candice and enough time had passed to qualify for a lengthy visit. It was difficult to say goodbye but, they had agreed to meet on Tuesday and pick up the violin.
Monday had seemed like the longest day of Emily’s life, all because she knew she wouldn’t see Alexander that day. And now, she was that much closer to seeing him, but time was torturing her.
She glanced at the clock once more. There were still fifteen minutes left of class and they were all supposed to be working on homework. Emily acted as though she was studying, but so far hadn’t even assessed any of the math problems on the chalkboard.
“I wonder why he hasn’t kissed me. Maybe he’s not attracted to me in the same way as I’m attracted to him. Well of course. He’s beyond gorgeous and I’m… well… I am not even sure what I am compared to him. That must be it. He just isn’t drawn to me like I am to him.”
Emily’s thoughts wandered for the remainder of class. As soon as the bell rang she was up and gone as quickly as if the fire alarm had sounded. When she got home she had twenty minutes to change and meet Alexander in the lobby. She grabbed a purple cashmere sweater that had a mock neck and buttoned down the side. She put on a properly fitted pair of faded jeans and then pulled her boots up over top of them. Glancing in the mirror she was even more grateful for the shopping she had done. Everything fit perfectly, complementing the shape and curves of her body.
When Emily exited the elevator into the lobby, Alexander was already there.
“How is he always early?”
She had yet to arrive before Alexander, even when she herself was five minutes early.
“He looks stunning, as usual.”
Emily was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious. She had determined that the lack of kissing was due to the fact that Alexander had the face and body of a god, and she could be classified as no more than a mere peasant.
As they embraced, Alexander’s lips lingered near her forehead and she felt her heart skip a beat. He held her there for an extended moment and then quickly released her, moving her out to a safe distance. She shrugged it off as just more evidence for her hypothesis that Alexander’s desire did not stretch as far as hers. She knew he enjoyed her company but she just wasn’t so sure how physically attracted he was to her.
They kept the conversation light as they rode in the cab. Alexander asked about school and trivial things. Emily was getting anxious because she wanted to be the one asking questions. He knew everything about her at this point, and she still hadn’t gotten much information out of him. He never gave her a chance.
When they arrived at the music store, Mr. Hunt had the violin on the counter beside the cash register. Emily felt her excitement growing; she couldn
’t wait to see it. Mr. Hunt seemed equally as eager in revealing his handiwork.
When he pulled the violin from its case Emily was struck with wonder. It didn’t really look that different at all. The crack in the neck was gone, the strings all looked new and the wood seemed to be a bit shinier but that was the extent of the changes.
“Well I guess that’s the point of restoration, it is supposed to look like the original.”
Mr. Hunt handed it to Emily and she examined it.
“It looks beautiful; you did such a wonderful job. Thank you so much.”
Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance (Tales of the Guardian) Page 8