Change in Harmony (A Silver Script Novel Book 4) (8 page)

Nate ground his teeth as he passed the spot where he’d first met Allison. The thought of her with that guy frustrated him. He’d thought they were just dance partners. He had no idea they had a history together.

He couldn’t bring himself to pull out his phone and play the game they’d played together. He could still hear her laugh and feel her hair tickling his cheek.

As soon as the train stopped, he pushed his way out and up the stairs. Last night he hadn’t slept, and it was beginning to wear on him. He grabbed a coffee from the break room and dropped into his chair.

Sometime during the night, he’d had a flash of brilliance for one of his clients and needed to get that done before concentrating on the commercial for Mr. Byrne. Ideas were still running through his mind for the Irish twist, but he needed to get the others done first.

He pulled up a fresh template for the ad and pulled the outfits to figure out a better way to put them on paper. Once that was done, he could call and discuss their commercials. He changed out the backgrounds a few times before deciding on a royal blue that would directly contrast the pastels of the clothing. It was against everything he’d been taught, but he wanted them to stand out. Then if the client didn’t like it, he could go back to the original and they’d be happy with it. He could win either way. Or lose the account, but he was pretty sure this would work.

He coordinated the outfits differently, finding ways to complement each other instead of the contrast he’d used before. Another “rule” he was breaking, but again, it looked better now. Once he was done, he picked up the phone.

“Hey, Debra? Could you come in here for a sec?”

“I’ll be right there.” Her door opened a few minutes later, and she stood behind him, peering over his shoulder. “I thought I’d approved the other ad for this line. Why’d you change it?”

Nate cringed. “They wanted something different. I wasn’t able to tell you before I had to take off yesterday.”

Debra frowned. “I’m not sure it’s something that will get their attention. Give them a call back and tell them it’s too late and that you already sent it in.”

“But I’ve worked on this all morning.” Nate ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t just keep changing things to people’s whims.” Debra walked back to her office, and Nate stared at her closed door. Normally he agreed. Normally he shut them down immediately by pointing out the contract.

But Allison and Mr. Byrne had gotten under his skin. Sometimes it was good to change things up, and he really liked this one better than the other. He turned and held his breath as he sent off the ad. He was sure they’d like this one better. Even if it cost him his job in the process.

His hands shook as he answered other emails and assured customers that things were going well with their accounts. He’d never gone against what Debra said, wanting to make the best impression he could so that he could get the better clients.  But he knew he was right this time.

It wasn’t until after three meetings and lunch with his accountant that Nate finally heard back. He’d just sent an email to Debra with his plans for an Easter candy commercial when she appeared at his door. He could tell by the set of her shoulders that she was upset.

“In the second meeting room. Now.” She turned without saying anything else, and Nate stood and followed her, heart thumping in his chest.

Lyn Booth, the head of the clothing line, sat near the end of the table with a wide smile, while some of her assistants sat next to her chatting softly. Debra sat at the end, her hands clasped together.

“Ah, there you are.” Lyn stood and shook his hand. “I was worried I’d interrupt something by just showing up here, but I had to come and thank you personally.”

Nate stood there stunned. “Really?”

“This is brilliant. I would never have thought to use the colors you did, and the way it pulls out each of the designs is exactly the change it needed.” She turned to Debra. “If it is all right with you, I’d like him to become our official agent here at Silver Script. I’ve seen his other work, and I’m highly impressed. This was just the deciding factor. I mean, is that something I can request?”

Debra glanced over at Nate before answering. “Of course. We’ll make sure that gets taken care of. You won’t be sorry. Just send all of your inquiries directly to him, and I’ll get something written up in the meantime.”

Nate chewed on his lip, hoping the strained smile didn’t mean a lecture after Lyn left, but he had a feeling that was exactly what it meant. It didn’t matter though. He’d just gotten one of the larger accounts set up directly under him.

Debra walked out with them and turned to mouth “In my office,” before continuing out the door. Nate swallowed and walked out of the room, still dazed from what had just happened. He stood inside Debra’s office, tapping nervously on the desk.

“Sit.” Debra slammed the door behind him and strode over to her desk. She waited for him to sit and then leaned forward. “What do you think you’re doing? I told you to stick with the one that had already been approved.”

“I know, but they wanted something different, and since I was already changing the Bróga Shoes commercial, I figured I could try it with this one as well. I’m sorry, but I don’t regret sending it on. I think it worked better with the line of clothes she wanted to advertise.” Nate clenched his jaw, trying to keep his temper in check.

Debra narrowed her eyes. “There was a big difference between the two. This one had already gone to print, which means it cost us money to change. The other one had time to change.”

“There’s no difference. Either way, we’re going to have to redo the shoe commercial and pay more for taping, actors, and the crew. It’s the same. Look, you know I’m right, here. And I’m sorry for disagreeing with you, but I stand by what I did.” Nate took a deep breath.

Debra jerked back as though she’d been slapped. “You—” She stopped and studied him for a moment. “Don’t do this again or I will fire you. I won’t have you wasting the company’s money on a whim. Follow the procedures or you’re gone.”

Nate stood. “Understood.”

There were curious looks from other agents who stood near Debra’s door, but Nate ignored them as he went back to his desk. He buried his face in his hands, trying to calm down the anger and frustration that threatened to overflow. This job was his life, and losing it would have been devastating.

He pulled out his phone and uploaded the photos he’d taken of the memorial and other Irish buildings throughout the city. There were a few ideas running through his head, but he needed to figure out the best way to make it work. Allison was in a few of the pictures, lost in thought as she gazed at the memorials.

There was the option of running each of the commercials he’d thought of, but it would cost more money to do it that way, and he didn’t think Debra would approve the budget. Nate wrote out each of the options and ran through them a few times before he was satisfied. Once he had them right, he sent the ideas to Mr. Byrne to see which one he liked best. There was something missing, and he needed to figure it out.

A message popped up on his email and he clicked on it.

These are exactly what I had in mind. Well done. I like the second option the best, although I think we need a better way of showing off the actual shoes. Is there a way you can incorporate that more
?

Nate rubbed his chin. The idea had been to show the different ways the Irish culture had affected life in the city, but Mr. Byrne was right. Maybe if someone walked through wearing the shoes from each era? That could work. He emailed back the suggestion and stood to stretch. It was long past his lunch, and a walk would allow him to clear his head.

The sun shone down on him as he walked down the street toward the small deli nearby. It seemed that spring was finally showing its head. It was about time. He waited in line to order and his eyes fell on the soup on the menu. From what Sam had tried to tell him the night before, the Darren guy had taken Allison some soup because she was sick. Would it be too tacky to take her some today? Nate checked the time. He had an hour to eat and get back to work.

He went out on a limb and ordered the soup and sandwich combo for her and another sandwich for him. The worst she could do would be to kick him out of the apartment, but he needed to know if there was anything between her and Darren. And it bugged him that he cared so much.

A cab sat nearby at the curb, so Nate jumped in and gave the driver the directions to Allison’s house. He buzzed up to her apartment and waited for an answer.

“Yeah?” It was Sam’s voice.

“Hey, it’s Nate. Can I bring up some food?”

There was a slight pause before the door was unlocked. He tried the elevator, but after a few minutes, he gave up and took the stairs. When he knocked, Sam answered immediately.

“What took you so long?” She had her coat on and purse in her hand.

“Elevator’s broken.”

Sam sighed. “Of course. I’m late for work, so it makes sense that it would be broken. See you later tonight.”

Nate moved so she could go past and then walked into the apartment. Tissues were spread all over the floor, and Allison lay on the couch covered in several blankets. Her eyes widened when she saw Nate standing in the entry way.

“Nate. Why are you here?” She tried to sit up, but held her head and groaned.

Maybe he shouldn’t have come. After all, he’d stolen the soup idea from another guy. “Uh, well, I brought soup. But if you want to sleep, I can go.”

She waved him over. “No, please stay. I could use the company. Only don’t look too close because I look terrible.”

Nate chuckled. “You look fine. Well, except your hair. That could use some help.”

“Hey, I’ve been stuck on the couch since last night.” She tried sitting up again. “What kind of soup did you bring?”

“Well, you had chicken noodle yesterday, so I figured I’d bring tomato. I hope you like it.” He handed her the cup along with a plastic spoon.

She pulled the lid off and breathed in. “Oh, that smells so good. All it needs is a grilled cheese sandwich.”

“You mean like this?” Nate pulled out her sandwich.

She grinned. “Wow, you’re totally prepared.”

“It’s my favorite meal when I’m sick, and figured you could use it. Most people go for chicken noodle, but my mom always insisted this was better.” He took a bite of his chicken sandwich and watched as she took a sip of her tomato soup. “How is it?”

“Best tomato soup I’ve ever had. Where’d you get this?” She dipped her sandwich into the soup and bit into it.

“Small deli by my work. They’re pretty cheap, but the food is excellent.”

They sat in silence as they ate, and Nate was glad he’d come over. A glance at the clock told him he’d need to take off soon, but it was hard to leave. He pulled up the document that he’d sent to Mr. Byrne and handed it Allison.

“What do you think?”

Allison read through them. “They’re great. Did he decide on one?”

“Kind of. He likes the second option, but wants the shoe more prominent, which makes sense since that’s what it’s about. I was thinking of showing the evolution of the shoe over the decades. I’m waiting to hear what he thinks.” Nate took the phone back and glanced at it. “I just hope it works.”

“It’s much better than the original idea, so I think he’ll love it.” Allison set her cup down and nestled into her blankets.

Nate stood and took the garbage into the kitchen to throw away. When he came back into the living room, her eyes were closed. He leaned close to her ear. “Thank you for the idea.”

She smiled, but kept her eyes closed. Her cheeks had more color, and she looked better than she had when got there. “You’re welcome.”

“Get feeling better. I’ll come by later. I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course.” She rolled onto her side. “I won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”

Nate leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be back then.”

Allison stood in front of her closet, deciding what to wear. She was finally feeling better, and it was time to get back to work. After going to dinner with Nate. He’d come by every night for the last week, bringing her dinner and showing her progress with the commercial. He was still convinced something was missing, even though she’d assured him several times that it was perfect.

The knock on the door made Allison’s stomach jump. He was early. She grabbed her favorite red dress and pulled it on. It flowed, so it was fun to dance in, but it also fit perfectly to her form. She grabbed some earrings and put them in as she left the bathroom. She stopped short when she saw Darren standing in the living room.

“What are you doing here?” She cleared her throat. “Sorry. I mean, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I came by to see if you could practice our dance tonight. My date fell through, so I’m free for a bit.” His eyes swept over her. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

The worst. “I’m just about to head out, actually.”

The disappointment was evident on his face. “Okay, well, I’m glad you’re doing better.”

Another knock came at the door, and Allison groaned. Not now. Not when Darren was standing right there. Nate opened the door. “Hey, are you ready—what are you doing here?”

Darren glanced between Nate and Allison. “I just came to see if we could practice our dance. What are
you
doing here?”

“Taking her out.” Nate’s face was a mix of emotion. “But if you two need to practice, we could always go there first.”

Allison looked at him with surprise. “Really?”

“You told me you needed to practice. The university isn’t too far from where I have reservations. You could practice and then we can go from there.” He paused. “If that works for Darren.”

Darren nodded. “We could do that. The audition is only a couple of weeks away and we’re not anywhere near ready.”

“Okay, let me grab my other shoes.”

The cab ride to the university was probably one of the most awkward ten minutes of Allison’s life, and she was relieved when they could climb out. Darren opened the door to the classroom and went over to the stereo to pick the right music.             

Allison turned to Nate. “Thank you for letting us practice.”

Nate smiled. “Of course. I know how worried you were about this.”

“Yes, but you also just put off our date so I could dance with him.” Allison beamed up at him.  Most guys wouldn’t have let her go off and dance with someone else when they were supposed to go out to dinner.

“This is important to you. Besides, I like watching you dance.” He looked over her shoulder and went over to sit on a bench.

Allison sat and quickly changed shoes before walking over to Darren. “Let’s go all the way through and then we can decide what needs to be worked on from there.”

“I was going to say the same thing.” He pushed play and they went through the movements.

Allison concentrated on the angle of her arms, the way she held her body, and her leg movement. The dress she’d chosen to wear whipped out around her as he spun her around. He seemed to keep her closer to him, lingering with each move as if he didn’t want to let go. The spark that had been there before was back, and it made their dance that much smoother. And the longing in his eyes … She blinked, pushing the thought away as she remembered the man sitting on the bench in the corner of the room. He was the one who had her heart. When the song ended, Darren dipped her, then pulled her toward him so they were face to face.

Nate stood and clapped, breaking Darren’s gaze as he looked over and glared. He let go of Allison and turned back to the stereo.

“Let’s do that again. We lost the rhythm for a few beats near the middle, and we have to make sure it works.” He glanced over. “Make sure you’re counting right or we’ll be off when the song is done.”

“I was counting. It was you who stepped wrong right there.” Her response was sharp, but his tone stung. He was never that harsh to her while they danced.

He smirked but didn’t say anything else. They went through the dance two more times, and it was clear neither of them were into the dance. The moves were sharper, and Allison felt better about going into the competition, but Darren’s comments had only gotten worse. When he demanded one more time, Nate stood.

“No, I think we’re done here. Our reservations are in twenty minutes, and that barely gives us time to get there.” Nate took Allison’s hand. “We’ll see you at the competition.”

Allison looked up at him in surprise but didn’t say anything until they’d left the building. “You’re coming?”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Especially if he’s that rude to you again.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. It was the first time he’d held her that close, and she loved how at home she felt there.

“He’s never been like this. Pretty sure you intimidated him.” Allison laughed. “So where are we going to eat?”

Nate was silent for a moment. “My apartment.”

Allison stopped walking. “Your apartment?”

“Yep. I figured we’d had enough soup to last a lifetime, and I wanted to cook for you. We could do it at your place instead if you want.”

“But you said … were you lying to Darren?” Allison tried really hard not to laugh, but it was hard when Nate blushed. Yes, dinner at a restaurant would be nice, but a quiet evening at his apartment sounded so much better.

Nate cleared his throat. “I may have said that to have an excuse to get you away from him. Sorry if you were expecting more. We can go out instead if you’d like.”

Allison took his hand. “No, I think that sounds good. Where’s your apartment?”

Nate flagged down a cab. “Chelsea.”

“Whoa.” Allison had only been there once, but she knew how nice it was. She watched out the window as the buildings went by. “How are you enjoying it?”

“I’m unpacked, finally. Not hard when you only have a few things. The movers finally delivered everything from storage so I’ve had fun organizing things just how I like them. Much nicer than dealing with a roommate.”

Nate had told Allison all about Roger the night before, and she could totally understand what he meant. She’d been lucky to share with Sam. Of course, she wouldn’t have moved here if Sam hadn’t insisted. “I’m sure it is.”

The cab pulled up to the curb and they climbed out after Nate paid the driver. Allison took in the chatter of the area around them as she waited for Nate to unlock the door. The hallway inside was much cleaner and well-kept than the one she lived in.

“Wow, is this building new?” Allison asked as they waited for the elevator.

“No, but they just renovated parts of it. I was lucky enough to get one of the newer apartments.”

The ride was smooth and opened to show another hallway identical to the one below. Nate’s apartment was just a few doors down from the elevator, and while it was slightly smaller than Sam’s, it was newly painted, and Nate had done a great job decorating. The furniture was sparse, but she liked the look.

“This is amazing.” Allison set her coat and bag on a chair and straightened her dress.

“Thanks. I still can’t believe I managed to snag it.” Nate moved into the kitchen and pulled out vegetables and a few pans. “Make yourself at home. This shouldn’t take long.”

Allison leaned on the counter. “I can help cut vegetables or something if you’d like.”

Nate pulled out a cutting board. “Are you sure? I don’t want to wear you out after all the dancing you just did.”

“I’ll be fine.” Allison took the knife from him and chopped up onions, peppers, and garlic while he started cooking some chicken. She smiled at his humming as he cooked.

“What?” Nate poured some oil into a pan, and turned on the burner.

“Nothing.” Allison finished chopping and set the board next to the stove.

Nate slid his arms around Allison’s waist, making her breath catch. He’d put his arm around her before, but this was the closest she been to him. “Are you making fun of my humming? Not everyone can sing as beautifully as you.”

“I’m not making fun of you. I thought it was cute. Besides, you have a very nice voice. You just don’t realize it.” Allison gazed up into his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down to kiss her just as she caught the smell of burning oil. She jumped away. “Um, I think it’s ready for the onions.”

Nate blushed as he dumped them into the pan. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“I didn’t mind the distraction. I just didn’t think you’d want your pan to get destroyed.” Allison watched as he stirred the onions.

“Maybe not, but it would have been worth it.” He winked at her and scooped in the garlic. Once it was cooked, he added the peppers and then the sauce. He turned. “Now where were we?”

Allison couldn’t help grinning as she let him pull her to him. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “I like this kind of cooking.”

Nate laughed. “I must say that it’s my favorite.”

The thought of moving from that spot was too much as she looked up into his eyes. Her stomach tied in knots as Nate leaned down, his face just inches from hers. Their lips met, sending a shiver of pleasure through her. She was hesitant at first, but relaxed and leaned into him, enjoying his arms around her and the hunger she felt for his kisses.

The moment was suddenly shattered by the loud ringtone from Nate’s phone. Allison broke away.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Allison asked, pointing toward the phone on the counter.

Nate pulled her closer to him. “No, it can wait.”

Allison laughed as he came in for another kiss. It was amazing how alive she felt after one simple kiss, but she wanted more. When the phone stopped and immediately began ringing again, she pulled away. “Are you sure? It seems urgent.”

He grabbed his phone and checked it, grimacing before setting it back down. “No, it can wait.”

The elation dampened slightly as she caught the name Katie on the phone. Who was she? A sister? When Nate kissed her again, she forced herself to forget the paranoid thoughts and just enjoy being with him.

A couple of minutes later, the pot of sauce began to simmer, so Nate had to pull away to stir it. Allison sat at the counter and watched him cook. He moved between the sauce and checking the rice in the rice cooker. The phone buzzed again with a text. It was Katie, telling him to pick up the phone.

“Is that your sister?” Allison asked casually.

“No. It’s just a girl I dated a while back.” His discomfort was evident, but she didn’t push it any further. Soon the pasta was finished and Nate pulled out two plates. “I hope you’re hungry, because I made enough to feed an army.”

Allison took the plates from him and set them on the small table. “I’m starving.”

“Great.” He set the pot of noodles down and then grabbed the sauce. He added an extra flourish to each of the steps and then set the plate in front of Allison. “Dinner is served.”

Allison scooped some of the pasta and red sauce onto her fork and took a small bite. The flavors burst in her mouth with a zing of spiciness at the end. “This is fantastic. I’ve never had spaghetti with peppers before, but I think I’m hooked.”

“It’s my grandma’s special recipe. People would come and eat at her house all the time throughout the year. Maybe that’s why I made so much. I’m used to watching her.” Nate laughed.

“That’s so sweet that she did that.” Allison tried to picture her grandma doing the same thing, but it was impossible. Not that she didn’t love her grandma. She was one of the most wonderful people Allison knew. She was just more into going out dancing or other social events than cooking for people.

Nate smiled. “She was the best. She passed away two years ago this next Wednesday.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“That’s part of life, I guess. But I sure miss her.” Nate stabbed at the pasta on his plate. He checked his watch. “Oh, we’d better get going. You need to be at work soon.”

Allison was shocked to see how much time had passed. She ate the rest of her food quickly and went into the bathroom to change. When she was sure her hair was just right and that there was no food in her teeth, she went out to find Nate.

They walked out of the apartment and down to find another cab for the ride. The breeze bit her cheeks as they waited.

“Ready to go on stage?” Nate asked once they’d finally found a taxi.

“Yes. I need to perform again. I just hope my voice can hold out.” She’d lost it for a day or two, and she worried that it would take longer to come back.

They hurried into the bar to find that the crowd had gathered already. Allison squeezed Nate’s hand before hurrying backstage to drop off her jacket. She grabbed the guitar that Eddie kept in the dressing room and made sure it was in tune.

She smiled out at the crowd. “Man, it’s good to be back. Who’s ready to dance?”

Everyone cheered as she started her first song. She closed her eyes to concentrate on the notes, trying not to cringe at the huskiness to her voice. Maybe she should have waited another day.

Her replacement, Leah, waved from the side of the stage, and Allison nodded to acknowledge that she’d seen her. She ended the song and bowed before introducing Leah. The applause wasn’t quite as loud, but Leah had only come a few times and hadn’t gained as much of a following.