Page 23 of A Country Kind Of Love
The outside of the museum is designed to look like piano keys. Cleo informs Peyton it looks amazing at night when the keys light up. Is that an invitation for a second date already?
They opt for the self-guided tour of the three floors. Peyton’s instinct is to run from one piece of memorabilia to the next like a crazed country music fanatic, but Cleo is the picture of composure, so she remains calm.
They exit the elevator on the third floor; Peyton is immediately immersed in music. Posters cover the walls all around her; TV’s play old songs, and there are half a dozen different rooms to explore. There are outfits in glass cabinets with instruments and concert posters. Peyton stops by the iconic Elvis Presley cream-coloured blazer. She takes a minute to examine the guitar heonce played.
“What’s your favourite Elvis song?” Peyton asks Cleo.
“It has to be ‘Always on My Mind’. Whatabout you?”
Peyton nods; that’s acceptable. “It can’t be anything other than ‘Suspicious Minds’. Do you know what year it went to number one?” Peyton examines the concert poster fromthe sixties.
Cleo smirks. “No, but you’re goingto tell me.”
“Nineteen-sixty-nine.” Peyton grins. “It was his eighteenth and last number one hit.” Her mom was a huge Elvis fan, so Peyton knows more about him than Wikipedia.
“Who wrote it?” Cleo entertains her.
“Mark James. He also wrote, ‘Always on My Mind’.”
Peyton turns away with a coy smile. She will not be beaten.
“Do you have some cue cards hiding away?” Cleo teases. She breaks the personal space barrier and starts to pat at Peyton’s pockets. “Are you wearing a wire?” She wraps her arms around Peyton’s front and playfully squeezes her hips.
“I’m not wearing a wire!” Peyton laughs. They hold eye contact. For a second Peyton thinks Cleo might kiss her. It’s way too soon and unrealistic, but she kind of wishes she would anyway. Their eye contact is broken by an old lady who audibly sighs at their inconsiderate blockage of the Elvis tribute; theycontinue on.
“We could make some money here with your knowledge and my charm. We could start our own tour company.” Cleo laughs. She touches Peyton’s arm to emphasise her point. Her hands are smooth; of course they are. She looks like she moisturises fifteentimes a day.
“You’re going to wish you never suggested that.” Peyton smirks. She has a fetish for spewing useless pieces of country trivia.
They take the spiral staircase from the third floor to the second. Hundreds of records are lined up across the walls, each shows the artists name, song, and release dates. The light shines through the windows and bounces off each record which creates a unique reflection in the glass frames. She takes her time to examine the wall of gold records.
“Aside from your love for all things country, what else do you like to do?” Cleo asks.
What does she like to do? Her hobbies have changed over the years. She no longer paints rocks. That was her favourite craft project as a seven-year-old. She still has a rock shaped like a guitar. She went through a phase of hiking, but the boots rubbed her feet so badly she started walking like her dad after one too many beers. The salesman was right when he said, “they’ll rub until you wear them in”, and way beyond that point it seemed.
She tried Yoga for a short period in the months after her breakup with Chloe. Once she managed to stop crying every time she saw someone in a pair of running leggings and a cropped sweater—the staple Chloe outfit—she enjoyed it. When the introductory offer ran out, she put it on the not essential list along with her daily smoothie and acai bowl.
“Write songs.”
“Yep, got that from the piano, and the four thousand notebooks strewn around your bedroom.” Cleo grins. She’s observant. “Anything else?”
“Playthe piano.”
“Pretty obvious.”
“Erm... does reading count?”
“Sure, what do you like to read?” Cleo asks.
“Rolling Stone.”
“And here I was thinking you were about to reel off some famousliterature.”
The music magazine is Peyton’s idea of famousliterature.
“Nope.” Peyton shakes her head. She really does need to getnew hobbies.
The gold-plated Cadillac once owned by Elvis is the highlight of her experience. It has a record player and a TV inside, which according to the plaque was unheard of in the 1960s. She spends ten minutes in awe ofthe vehicle.
