Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
The fire crackled in the great room and board games were scattered across the coffee table. The air was filled with a mix of laughter, playful banter, and the occasional groan of defeat from the assembled Parkes family. Camilla sat on the leather sofa, Jade close beside her.
Theresa, never one to miss an opportunity to stir up trouble, had been peppering them with questions all night, each one more pointed than the last.
"Tell us about your first real date with Camilla,” Theresa said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I’m not talking about your coffee date, but your first evening date.”
Camilla tensed, but Jade stepped in. "Oh, it was lovely," she said with a warm smile.
"We met in this little French bistro in Beverly Hills, tucked away on a side street.
Camilla had made the reservation, but she was running late from work.
When she finally arrived, flustered and apologizing, I was already halfway through a glass of wine. "
"She looked stunning, of course," Jade continued, giving Camilla an affectionate glance. "But she was so nervous, she knocked over the bread basket reaching for her water glass. We both scrambled to clean it up, and when our eyes met, we just burst out laughing. The ice was broken after that."
Camilla blinked, momentarily thrown by the detailed fabrication. She'd never been to a French bistro in Beverly Hills, had never had that experience, and yet the way Jade told it made it feel real.
“We had a lovely dinner and so much to talk about. I remember they were playing La Vie En Rose,” Camilla added. “It’s our song now.”
"How sweet," Theresa replied, her tone making it clear she didn't believe a word of it. "And Camilla, when did you realize you were in love with Jade? It must have been quite a revelation, given your... previous non-existing dating history."
Camilla opened her mouth to respond, but found herself at a loss for words. How could she describe falling in love with someone when she wasn't even sure what those feelings were supposed to feel like?
Jade's hand found hers, giving it a squeeze. "Oh, come on now, Theresa," she said lightly. "You know Camilla's not one for public declarations. Besides, isn't the important thing that we're happy together?"
Uncle Robert chuckled. "Well said, Jade. Now, who's up for another round of Monopoly?"
But Theresa wasn't done. She leaned forward, a glint in her eye that Camilla recognized all too well. "You know what might be fun? A game of Truth or Dare. I'm sure we could all learn some very interesting things about our new couple."
"Theresa," Aunt Vivian admonished, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "We're hardly teenagers anymore. Let's stick to more... mature entertainment, shall we?"
Camilla’s stomach churned. She knew Theresa was trying to trip them up, to catch them in a lie. And while Jade seemed to handle the pressure just fine, Camilla was struggling.
As if sensing her discomfort, Jade suddenly stood up. "You know what? I have a better idea," she said, making her way over to the grand piano that stood in the corner of the room. She ran her fingers lightly over the keys. "How about a little sing-along?"
The tension in the room immediately dissipated as the family perked up at the suggestion.
"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Aunt Lara exclaimed. "It's been ages since we've had live music in this house."
Jade grinned, settling herself onto the piano bench. "Any requests?"
As the family called out various song titles, Camilla watched as Jade's fingers danced across the keys, her face lit up with genuine joy as she played. It was yet another side of Jade that took her by surprise, and she was captivated.
After a few songs, Jade beckoned to Jack and Emma. "Hey, you two! Want to help me out with the next one?"
The children eagerly scrambled over to the piano, their faces alight with excitement.
"Okay, Jack, you sit here next to me," Jade instructed, scooting over on the bench. "And Emma, you can be my special helper on the other side."
Jade positioned Jack's hands over a few keys on the lower end of the piano. "Alright, Jack, when I nod at you, I want you to press these three keys, just like this." She demonstrated a simple chord. "Can you do that?"
Jack nodded, his tongue sticking out of his mouth with concentration while he practiced the chord a few times.
"Perfect!" Jade praised. She then turned her attention to Emma. "And you, my little songbird, are going to help me with the high notes. When I nod to you, press this key right here, okay?"
Emma giggled, poking at the key.
"Great job, both of you," Jade said. "Now, let's see if everyone recognizes this tune."
With a wink at the family, Jade began to play the opening notes of "Heart and Soul.
" It was a simple, recognizable melody that brought smiles to everyone's faces.
As she played, she nodded to Jack, who dutifully pressed his chord, filling out the bass line.
Every few measures, she'd point to Emma, who would hit her high note with glee.
The result was a slightly wobbly but utterly charming rendition of the classic tune, and Camilla was laughing along with the rest of the family, all thoughts of Theresa's interrogation forgotten.
As the song came to an end, the room erupted in applause. Jack and Emma beamed with pride, and Jade gave them both high fives.
"That was wonderful!" Uncle Robert boomed. "Jade, you're full of surprises. Where did you learn to play like that?"
Jade shrugged modestly. "Oh, I took lessons as a kid. It's just something I've always enjoyed and it comes in handy when I’m doing theater."
Jade launched into another song, encouraging the whole family to sing along, She effortlessly charmed them, bringing a whole new level of joy and togetherness to the room.
As the evening wore on, the family gradually began to disperse, heading off to bed, some a little tipsy from the wine and still humming melodies. Soon, only Camilla and Jade were left in the great room.
"Well, that was fun," Jade said. "Your family seems to really enjoy music."
Camilla nodded, suddenly feeling strangely shy now that they were alone. "They do. We used to have nights like this all the time when I was younger, before…” She paused. “Well, Mom used to play."
Jade nodded and patted the piano seat for Camilla to sit next to her. “You must miss them a lot.”
“I do.” Camilla shot her a sad smile. “But this has been lovely. Mum would have liked you.” She frowned and shook her head when it dawned on her how ridiculous that sounded. “I mean, this isn’t real of course,” she added, “but if it were real… Dad would have liked you too.”
“Oh yeah? Are you sure they would be okay with you being engaged to a woman?” Jade teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“You know what? I think they would have been fine with that,” Camilla said with a chuckle. “They just wanted me to be happy.”
“And? Are you happy?”
The question hung in the air between them, and Camilla needed a moment to answer. “I think so. I have a wonderful life on paper. I have a great job, I’m wealthy and healthy…” She met Jade’s eyes. “Are you happy?”
Jade tilted her head from side to side. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m happy. I may not be wealthy – in fact I’m totally broke – but I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone else. And right now, I’m actually very, very happy. You’re great company. I like spending time with you.”
“Me too,” Camilla whispered, meeting her eyes. Jade's words hung in the air between them, and she felt overwhelmed by the realization that despite all her success, she'd never felt as alive as she had in the past few days with Jade.