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“That answers that,” Zane said dryly as they shuffled from the room.
“Make sure you put them away when you’re finished,” Izzy called out when they left.
“I will,” Caleb answered loudly.
“Amy’s doing some last-minute touch ups in your room, Lex,” Gabe admitted, grinning as they left Caleb’s room. “Let’s see what Zane thinks of his. Go ahead, son. It was mainly Izzy and Harry who worked on yours.”
Lex could see by the look on Zane’s face that he might have been ready to cry when he walked inside.
Painted a creamy brown to compliment several posters of musicians that were framed in black along the upper walls, the room was laid out openly, obviously so that Zane could practice his vocals or guitar whenever he was in the mood. Lex noticed that they’d gone with black modular furnishings to keep things simpler and contemporary as well.
A double bed had been tucked into one corner without a headboard or footboard, so that it was the perfect height to sit on the edge of the bed. There was also a twin bed on the other side of the room which was set up like a couch with cushions and a comforter that matched the one on Zane’s bed, which was the same color as the walls. Above it there was a small multi-sound system, where rows and rows of wall shelves were filled with upright containers, obviously meant to hold CDs, USBs and even sheet music.
“We did a little soundproofing with panels while we were at it behind the shelves,” Eve admitted.
Eve suggested the storage so that stuff doesn’t pile up in the solarium when you’re on tour,” Izzy observed. “Plus, you might need a place to show off all your awards.”
“You’ll probably get a lot of fan mail and packages when you’re not around,” Eve explained, grinning at Harry. “That way, everyone can stack everything up on the single bed and you’d still have somewhere to sleep when you’re here at home.”
Zane grinned. “I love it. It’s really cozy up here with the fireplace on the outer wall and,” Zane’s eyes went wide, “is that a TV?”
This time Harry smiled. “In case you’re restless. I know how hard it is sometimes to sleep.”
Zane kept looking around the room.“And a desk and computertoo?”
“You’ll need the computer,” Gabe answered gruffly. “Since it’s a laptop, you can take it along with you on the road to keep in touch with us.”
Zane said on the bed, shaking his head as he continued noticing the little things around the room.
They’d gone all out, Lex noticed, grinning at the picture of Billy Idol that stood out where it was centered on one of the walls.
Obviously at a loss for words, Zane cleared his throat. “Thank you everyone. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
Gabe patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go check out Lex’s room. Hopefully, he’s not going to mind the big surprise we have for him.”
Lex blinked, looking at Amy uncertainly as she peeked inside Zane’s room.
“It’s ready. Come on in everyone and check it out,” she said. “You go first, Lex.”
Inhaling an unsteady breath as he walked across the hallway, Lex opened the door of his room.
He could hardly believe his eyes when he stepped inside and saw the small piano tucked in front of the window that overlooked the river.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the late-night concerts when I’m working in my office,” Gabe teased. “But I thought it would benefit you more if you had a piano close by for the restless nights you’ve obviously been having.”
“Dad didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Amy reassured him. “I promise I didn’t say anything.”
Reaching out, Lex squeezed her shoulder, smiling. “I know. I was going to say something about it sometime soon since I’ve ended up downstairs in front of that piano a lot more since that first night.” He held her gaze. “Plus, I told Zane that you stopped me from leaving, even though I didn’t say anything about my weird ability to play the piano.”
“What’s this about a piano?” Zane asked, stepping into the room. “This is great, Lex. It’s so big, it’s like having your own apartment. And look at that monstrous bed. If I were you, I’d never want to leave home.”
Lex finally glanced around the rest of the room, which he realized was pretty amazing. Someone had chosen a thick fluffy comforter of navy and maroon to cover the massive carved bed, which seemed to go well with his blue gray walls, and there were even a couple padded chairs with ottomans near the fireplace. A patterned navy rug covered the dark wood flooring, while similar colored blinds were open to let in the light.
And just like Zane, he had a television over the fireplace, with a computer already set up and resting on the massive roll top desk, which had been placed in front of the other window that overlooked the back of the property along with the winery.
“I’m not exactly sure about how to use it,” Lex admitted to Gabe.
Gabe didn’t seem too worried. “I’m sure you’ll catch on pretty quick. But it serves a couple purposes, Lex. I’m sure you’ll get the knack of using it for keeping in touch with Zane to begin with. You can actually take all your courses online to start. After Jake and I talked about it for a while, we thought it might be a little less awkward for you to have a daily lesson without having to interact with a curious tutor. I thought you might be interested in sticking to a daily schedule, and possibly working with me at Northland Community College or even with Jake at the Inn. There are a lot of jobs available around here for boys your age. Especially during the winter months. It just depends on your interests along with your comfort level in public. We’ll wait on that a little longer.”
