Theo guides me down to his basement, which is pitch dark. “Is this where you introduce me to your roommates who like to bind and torture for funsies?”
“Cute.” He flips on the light when we hit the landing, and my jaw drops. “Holy shit!”
The basement spans the width of the entire house, and there are thousands of dollars in instruments organized throughout.
“Okay, what in the hell is this? Are you storing the band’s equipment?”
“No.” He shakes his head with a grin.
“So, you’re in a band too?”
“Nope.”
“Fess up, sir. Who do these belong to?” I walk through the room full of brass, several different drum sets, including a pair of bongos and every string instrument imaginable.
“You’re always asking what instrument I play.” He shrugs.
“You play all of these?”
“Not yet. I’m up to eight. Prince played thirteen. I’m determined to beat him.”
“This is insane.”
“I’m a music major,” he crosses his arms. “Why does this surprise you?”
I stop at the short piano in the far corner of the room and press a key. “I guess because you didn’t tell me any of this.” I narrow my eyes. “Why?”
“Because this is personal to me. I don’t play much for an audience unless I really know what I’m doing. And this is where I work.”
“This is your job?”
“I run an app-based business selling ditties, you know, jingles for commercials and other promotional stuff.”
“You what?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty easy, really. I either compose my own or take an old track and mix it up with something new.”
“So, you’re a musical prodigy?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I spend a lot of time on this. I was playing piano as a toddler. I mean I’m pretty good at most instruments, but I like to consider myself more of a musical architect. I plan on doing scores for movies and more advertising stuff when I graduate and can give it the time.”
“Do you sell a lot of ditties?”
He chuckles, and I scowl.
“Enough with the accent bullshit, answer me. You’ve been living a double life.”
He sucks his lip into his mouth, and it’s so sexy I forgive him.
“Honda is one of my best customers. I could probably get you a discount.”
“I refuse to indulge in that conversation. Now fess up. Do you sell a lot of your songs?”
“I do okay. I just sold an entire library.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah. It’s paid for most of these.” He gestures to the room full of instruments. I giggle and point to one standing next to the wall. “You’re going to learn to play the harp?”