Supernatural Boarding School #2 - A Touch of Red ✅

Chapter 42

“I hope you all enjoyed your dinner,” Benjamin called. He was standing in front the piano he had been playing at while the four us were eating. I didn’t know squat about instruments – all I had was my voice – but Eros kept telling me Ben was exceptionally good at what he did, even though my uncle seemed positively bored while playing the light classical pieces his boss had picked out.

All seniors angled their chairs towards Benjamin, and excitement went through the room like a ripple. It was obvious the geriatrics all considered him some kind of novelty. A woman in her late sixties cheered as Ben winked at her, even going so far to blow her a kiss.

“He’s the king of the elderly,” Dylan mumbled. “Whoo-hoo.”

Ben beamed at his captive audience. No matter how overconfident he acted all the time, it was obvious he loved every single senior citizen in the room. The feeling was obviously mutual.

“Before I start today’s after-dinner show, I would like to introduce you to some lovely people.” He gestured for me and Eros to join him. “My niece Demona and her dashing boyfriend Eros, all the way from Missouri!”

The crowd cheered politely, clapping their hands together while we made our way to the front. I found I was slightly nervous, something I rarely experienced when I was going to sing or just make a spectacle. Eros wasn’t fazed even the tiniest bit and I caught him winking at an older woman who seemed extremely charmed by him.

“Should I be worried?” I teased, putting my arm around him and squeezing his side.

“Very,” he mumbled. “Just look at her beautiful grey hair and fake teeth…”

“Today, we will be playing some songs by the boy band The Vamps,” Benjamin announced. He went to retrieve a guitar and tossed it at Eros, who caught it without pause. There was a drum set on the edge of the stage and Benjamin looked at Dylan and Carl speculatively. “Would one of you boys happen to know how to play the drums?”

To my surprise, Carl got up and joined us. “Don’t expect miracles,” he warned Ben. “I haven’t played in ages, but I should be able to at least give you a beat or something.”

Benjamin sat down behind the piano after handing me a microphone and setting one up for Eros as well. He waited for Eros to tune his guitar while I fiddled with the mic. I didn’t recognize the first few notes of the first song, so I let Eros take the lead. It was amazing so see him play the guitar with such ease while he sang flawlessly, his voice filling up the room.

“I was walking away, but she's so beautiful it made me stay. I don't know her name, but I'm hoping she might feel the same.” He winked at me, smiling when he realized I finally recognized the song. “So here I go again, she got my heart again!”

I took a deep breath and jumped right into the chorus of Wild Heart. “Tonight we’ll dance. I’ll be yours and you’ll me mine. We won’t look back. Take my hand and we will shine.”

While I joined in, Benjamin stopped playing the piano and let Eros do the music on his own for a moment. He pulled a woman out of the audience, dancing with her to the music. I kept on singing, but followed Ben’s lead and offered a man in his early seventies my hand. He graciously accepted and we danced a few steps before he pulled his wife off her chair and danced on with her.

When the song ended, Eros took charge. “This is a song that’s been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. This one’s for you, Dem.” He started towards Benjamin to whispered something, and he grinned wickedly. Eros nodded at me. “I changed the lyrics a bit, obviously. Okay, here we go.”

I smiled when I recognized Golden. It seemed fitting, since he insisted that back when he had been able to see my aura, he had seen gold in it, even though Simon hadn’t been able to spot it. I remembered the gorgeous golden dress he’d bought me for Christmas, when he had been my secret admirer. We had come a long way since then.