Change in Harmony (A Silver Script Novel Book 4) Read online

  Nate turned to Allison. “Lost puppy? Do you do this often?”

  “No. She just likes to tease.” Allison played with a sugar packet in front of her. “So, tell me about yourself. What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m in advertising.” Nate took a drink of the water that Bonnie left in front of him.

  “Wow, that’s really cool. So, would I know any of your work?” Allison felt . . . small. She hadn’t made anything of herself yet, and here was this big advertising guy sitting with her.

  He leaned back and rested his arms on the back of the booth. “Probably. I did a few of the Super Bowl ads, and worked on a few jingles for Valentine’s Day.”

  Allison could tell she hit on what he loved to talk about. “That’s great. Do you ever have a hard time coming up with ideas?”

  “Sometimes, but usually the ideas just flow. My parents always told me I needed to do something like this because I was constantly making up my own jingles for things.” He laughed and shook his head. “Some of them were pretty terrible, though.”

  “Really? Like what?” Allison leaned forward.

  Nate studied her for a moment before shaking his head. “Honestly, I don’t remember. I just know they were terrible.”

  Allison laughed. “Right. You just don’t want to tell me.”

  “Maybe. So what about you? Do you just play down in the subway all day? Or do you have other things you like to do?” Nate took a drink of his water, seeming not to notice how much he’d hurt her with the offhand insult.

  “Actually, I only do that when I’m not auditioning.” Allison looked down at the sugar packet in her hand. It was smashed and a small hole had formed, spilling sugar onto the table.

  “Really? What kind of auditions?”

  Allison glanced up to see his head cocked to the side, and his expression seemed sincere. “I love to perform. Anything, really. I love to sing, dance, play my flute. I’ve tried a few places, including Broadway, but haven’t found anything yet.”

  Nate frowned. “Don’t you think it would be better to pick one thing and stick with it? Maybe not spread yourself so thin? Then you’d actually find something and be able to stop the whole subway thing.”

  Tears threatened to spill over, so Allison jumped up. “Excuse me.”

  Nate called her name as she hurried blindly into the bathroom, but she didn’t turn around. She hid in a stall and let the tears flow. She should never have let him come with her to the diner. And what was she thinking probing him for his background when she couldn’t answer him back? Yes, she was spreading herself too thin. But it was the only way she could think of to get a job in the city. She needed this independence, but living off her roommate and whatever she could get from the subway wasn’t cutting it. Maybe she should just go home. Her dad had a job waiting for her if she did.

  No. Not this time. She wouldn’t let Nate push her into feeling sorry for herself. The job the next day seemed promising. A small bar where they usually held karaoke had decided to hire a full-time singer, and the bartender had liked what he’d heard on her demo. She took deep breaths and left the stall to check her makeup. After a quick splash of cold water on her face, she felt like she could face him again. Maybe.

  When she left the bathroom, though, Nate was gone with his box, and cash sat in the middle of the table for his portion of the meal. Allison pushed down the anger and frustration, and focused on the meal in front of her. It was still nice and hot. Bonnie must have just brought it out. She ate several bites before she finally gave up. So maybe she was a little more upset than she wanted to admit.

  “Not hungry?” Bonnie asked.

  Allison jumped. “Oh, you scared me. I guess not. Can I get a box?”

  “Sure, sweetie. And don’t feel too bad about him. He’ll be back.” She winked and walked back to the kitchen.

  Allison shook her head. She didn’t want him to be back. Maybe she’d need to switch to a different platform. That way she wouldn’t have to see him again.

  Bonnie brought a leftover box out and handed Allison the bill. “I know that look. Don’t let him get to you. He meant no harm by what he said. You’re just tired and hungry. Things will look better tomorrow.”

  “If you say so.” Allison dished her food into the box, then pulled out cash to pay Bonnie. She stood and gave her a hug before grabbing her things. “Give John a hug for me, ’kay?”

  “Of course.” She smiled. “He’ll be sad he missed you.”

  Allison left the diner and walked the two blocks to her apartment. It wasn’t much, but she couldn’t complain. Two tiny bedrooms branched off of a living room and kitchen. Once her best friend, Sam, had her own place, she’d convinced Allison to come and live in New York. Not that it had taken much convincing.

  When Allison got back to the apartment, Sam sat in the kitchen with Chinese takeout boxes set on the table. “There you are. How’d it go today?”

  Allison dropped her things on the couch and sat at the table with her leftovers. “I got a pretty good take today. Until the subway broke down, at least. How was work? Did you get the raise?”

  Sam grinned. “Yes. I was going to share my celebratory dinner with you, but I see you brought your own food.”

  “We can share.” Allison opened her box, then grabbed some chopsticks. “So, tell me about it.”

  “Well, they were just going to pass over me in the meeting, but Shawn stepped in and reminded them that they’d forgotten me. It annoyed Mandy to no end, but she let me have my say. When I went into the research I’d put in, the rest of the group wanted to read my article. Mr. Reynolds gave me the promotion before we left the room.” Sam’s face glowed with pride. She’d worked hard on the magazine article.

  Allison squealed and jumped up to hug her. “I knew you could do it.”

  “I didn’t.” Sam laughed and handed Allison a carton. “Okay, I’ll trade you some of this for your steak.”

  “Deal.” Allison handed over her carton and dug into the cashew chicken. “What did Mandy do when you got it?”

  “Screamed. Freaked out. Nearly got fired.” Sam grinned and took a bite. “Mmm. Bonnie went all out with this, didn’t she?”

  “She really did.” Allison pulled out some sodas from the fridge and sat at the table.

  Sam took a soda from Allison and opened it. “Ready for the audition tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” She’d been ready for months, but that was beside the point. “I just hope I don’t choke when I get up there.”

  “You won’t. And you know why? Because you are amazing.” Sam grabbed one of the fortune cookies and tossed it to Allison. “Do it.”

  “Fine.” She broke the cookie open and read the message, her eyes widening. “‘A chance meeting opens new doors to success and friendship.’ That has nothing to do with tomorrow night.”

  Sam took the fortune out of Allison’s hands. “You don’t know that. You could meet them at the bar.”

  Allison bit her lip. So why did she think of Nate when she read that? It was just coincidence. “Sure. What does yours say?”

  “Let me see. ‘You will become great if you believe in yourself.’ I think this was yours.” Sam set it down and laughed.

  “I don’t think so. I think it works great with what you did today.” Allison stood and threw the box away.

  “Ready for a movie?” Sam took the leftovers to the fridge. She held up a DVD and grinned.

  “You know I’m always ready for The Labyrinth.” Allison finished cleaning and dropped onto the couch with a smile as Sam got the movie set up. As the opening scene unfolded, Allison was able to push away the frustrations of the day and nerves about the gig tomorrow, and just enjoy the Goblin King.

  Chapter 3

  Nate set the coffee maker back in its spot and grabbed the newspaper off the counter. The warmth coming from the vents was a welcome change to the faulty heater in his old place. The view from his window was much better as well. The lack of furniture was something he
’d fix later. He needed to get to the office soon.

  He changed into his nice navy blue suit and gold vest, then ran his fingers through his hair one more time. His coworkers joked that he overdressed for work, but he wanted to make a good impression on the clients. Today he had a few meetings with different clients that he was hoping to win over.

  The air was crisp as he made his way to the subway. The longer commute was the one downside to his new place, but that also gave him time to do a little work before he got in. He glanced over the shoe campaign, happy with what he’d come up with. They’d revamped their summer collection, and he hoped he’d get the account. Erin had several already, so he just had to prove that he could do a better job with this one.

  Images of Erin played across his mind. Nate had hoped to persuade her to date him, but she never caved. And then Jake came along and swept her away. Nate shook his head. That ship had sailed, and it did no good to wish it had been different. He’d tried to date other girls, but they just didn’t compare.

  And then Allison came along.

  Nate shook his head. Why did he just allow his mind to go there? He tried to forget about what had happened at the diner, but those eyes, and that smile . . . ugh. Stop it.

  Silver Script Ad Agency still had their Valentine’s Day decorations up when Nate arrived at work. He winked at the receptionist and punched the button on the elevator. Two women rushed in before the doors could close, and Nate smiled at them. He’d seen them around, but didn’t know their names.

  Erin, Cassidy, and Debra were already at work when he set his bag down in his office. Whatever project they were working on had them in early and out late at night. Of course, if he got this account, he’d have the same schedule.

  Nate poked his head into Debra’s office. “Hey, I just wanted you to look over these before the meeting today.”

  Debra took the papers from him and looked through the sample. “I like it. Great job.”

  “Thanks.” He took back the offered folder. “Once this gets approved, I’ll have time to start another project as well.”

  Erin rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. Debra turned to her computer and pulled up the list of current projects.

  “There are a few on here I’ll send your way soon. For now, just concentrate on this one.” Debra smiled up at Nate. “How’s the new place?”

  Nate leaned against the counter. “It’s nice. Smaller than my other one, but it’s in great shape with no leaking pipes.”

  Debra laughed. “That’s a bonus.”

  “Definitely. I better get going. I’ll be watching for those assignments.” He smiled at Erin and left the office. Hopefully, he didn’t get the leftovers after Erin picked the ones she wanted. She was beautiful and did a great job with all of her clients, but just once he wanted to get the better project.

  The conference room was empty when Nate walked in. He set out the papers for each person and made sure the projector was set up just right. Along the sides of the screen, he set up the larger posters that his assistant had put together so they could keep the ads in mind while they looked at the flowcharts. It was something he constantly reminded Erin to do, but she insisted she had her own way of doing things.

  As the room began filling, Nate made sure to stand near the door and welcome each person, complimenting them in one way or another. That way, everyone was smiling by the time they sat at the table.

  Debra slipped in at the last moment and smiled at him from the back of the room. Nate picked up the remote for the projector and took a drink of his water.

  “Welcome to Silver Script Ad Agency. I hope everything is to your liking. As you know, we’re here to discuss the new campaign for the summer lineup.” Nate flipped to the first slide. It showed groups of children playing at the park. “We want to make sure that everyone not only enjoys the look of the shoe, but that they see how much fun they can have while wearing them. Especially because most kids these days are stuck on their electronics and forget—”

  Nate caught the signal from Debra and cleared his throat. He was rambling again. Right, the shoe. He turned back to the slides and went through the dialogue, just as he’d rehearsed all night. He had two more reminders from Debra before he got to the end, but otherwise, he thought it went smoothly. And from the smiles on the executives’ faces, they were happy as well.

  Mr. Byrne, the head of Bróga Shoes, stood and shook Nate’s hand. “Wonderful. We love the ideas you have presented. I’ll have my secretary get back to you with the details tomorrow.”

  Nate caught the faint Irish lilt as he spoke. “That’s perfect. Thank you. Let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll be happy to help you out.”

  Mr. Byrne nodded and turned toward the door. He followed the other executives out, leaving Nate to revel in the success of the meeting.

  Nate had worked hard, and it had paid off. He just needed to find the perfect people to air in the commercial. He gathered up the extra papers and dumped them in the recycling bin as he left the room. Debra stood at the end of the hall, talking to Mr. Byrne. He slipped into his office and set his folder on his desk before doing a victory spin in his chair. With any luck, he’d land some bigger accounts after the way that went.

  Nate closed his browsers and turned off his laptop, frustrated. Debra had given him smaller accounts yet again. Hadn’t she seen what he’d just done in the meeting? He gathered up his things and slid them into his bag, reminding himself to buy a new bag. Erin was nowhere to be found, so Nate walked quickly to Debra’s office. He had to figure out what was going on.

  Debra’s office was dark, and it looked like her coat and purse were gone. Of course. Ever since she’d started dating the guy from Walker Apparel, she’d spent less time at work. He sighed and turned to leave, nearly running into Erin.

  “She left for the day. Did you need anything?” A lock of hair fell into her face and he resisted the urge to brush it back. She was engaged.

  “I just had a few questions about the accounts. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” Nate brushed past Erin and headed for the elevator. Once upon a time he would have stopped to flirt, but it wasn’t worth it. He saw how she looked at Jake.

  Snow had begun to fall, so Nate pulled his hood up. He couldn’t wait for spring. It had been one awful winter and he was ready for warmer weather. Someone bumped into him and he turned to say he was sorry.

  “Nate?” the girl asked.

  “Yeah?” Nate studied her face to figure out who she was. Oh, right. The New Year’s party. “Katie, right?”

  The girl beamed. “You remembered. How are you? I haven’t heard from you for a while.”

  Nate caught the angry edge to her words, even though she smiled as she said them. “Yeah, sorry. Work got crazy. How are you?”

  She shrugged. “Good. I’m just heading to get some dinner. Want to join me?”

  “Sure.” He should have said no, but the other option was going home to an apartment that wasn’t quite unpacked yet. Besides, he’d had fun with her at the party.

  They found a small restaurant and ordered their food before finding a place to sit. Katie leaned forward in her seat.

  “So, tell me about your job. What are you working on right now?” Her smile seemed sincere enough, but she hadn’t acted all that excited at the party that night. Yes, they’d had fun, but talking hadn’t exactly been her strong point.

  “I’m working with Bróga Shoes. I’ll be in charge of advertising their summer line.” Okay, so the contract wasn’t signed, but it was only a matter of time.

  Katie’s eyes lit up. “Bróga Shoes? I have, like, three pairs of their shoes. Think you could get a discount?”

  Ah. So that was it. “It’s a possibility, but we’ll find out the details tomorrow. Most likely it would just be a pair for me.”

  “Well, maybe you can get a family discount or something.” She went to pick up her order and Nate watched as she argued about whatever ingredient they’d gotten wrong.

  W
hat had he seen in her that night? Well, besides the obvious desperation to have a date for the evening. Nate’s number was called, so he stood to get his food. Katie was still arguing, and Nate wished he could just leave before it got out of hand. Flashes from the day before came to mind. Being with Allison had been completely different. She seemed to genuinely care about what he said, and not what she could get out of him.

  Katie dropped her tray on the table and huffed. “I can’t believe they got the bread wrong. I’ve been here too many times for them to bring something different.”

  “Sorry.” Nate took a bite of his French fry. “So, do you work nearby, then?”

  She waved her hand. “I work next door. I just hate the food, so I wait until I’m off my shift to get food somewhere else.”

  “Makes sense, I guess.” Nate took a big bite of his hamburger, trying to finish quickly. The sooner he could get out of there, the better.

  Kate rattled off about everything she hated about Italian food, and Nate bit his tongue so he couldn’t ask why she would work there if she hated the food. After seeing how she went after the employees, he knew he didn’t want to be on her bad side.

  As soon as Nate took the last bite of his burger, he crumpled up his napkin and dropped it on his tray. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to get home and unpack. It was great seeing you again.”

  “You’re already leaving? I thought we’d catch a movie.” Katie’s hurt expression didn’t quite match the anger in her eyes.

  “Sorry. I have movers coming in the morning, and I need to make room for the boxes.” Nate stood.

  “I could come and help you. I’m great at unpacking.” Her smile was more predatory than friendly, and Nate knew it was time to go.

  He smiled. “I’ll have you over when everything is done. I’d hate to have you see how it looks right now.”

  Katie pouted. “Fine. But you better call.”

  Nate dropped off his tray and waved as he left. He wouldn’t be calling her anytime soon. He took the steps down the subway and waited for the next train back to his apartment.