by Meg Ripley
Of course she had. Because Brianna would have done anything for the little girl, no matter what it took. “I’m sorry. I must have gotten wrapped up in my work. I’ll be there in a minute.” When the door closed, he wanted to kick himself. He had taken off early in order to spend more time with Stephanie, but in the end, he had done nothing but wallow in his own misery. That wasn’t going to happen again.
And as he headed across the house toward the stairs, he realized that maybe it was time for things to return to normal. There were probably tons of talented artists out there he wasn’t finding because he was staying home instead of hitting the nightclubs and checking out other small venues where hopefuls gathered. He would talk to Brianna about extending her hours. He already paid her far more than most au pairs earned, and he didn’t think she would mind more time with Stephanie.
But as he headed up the stairs, an angelic sound drifted down to his ears. Someone was singing. Did Brianna have the radio on? No, he realized from the slow swing of the music that it was a lullaby. Damien couldn’t quite hear it clearly, and he strained his ears as he approached the landing. He didn’t recognize any of the words, and in fact, he didn’t recognize the song at all. But it was sweet and soft, and it was the most beautiful thing he’d heard in a long time.
“Good night, sweetling,” Brianna said as Damien approached the door, which had been left open just a crack. “Your daddy will come say goodnight in just a minute.”
Damien paused where he was so he wouldn’t run into her as she came out of the room. She stepped to the side to let him pass, and he pointed a finger at her as he did so. “Can you wait here for a second? I need to talk to you.”
He stepped onto the plush pink carpet of Stephanie’s room. She looked so small in her big girl bed, a white canopy bed that he had bought at a high-end furniture store before Stephanie was even old enough to leave her crib. It just looked so pretty, so right for his baby. He would do anything for her, and as he approached her bedside, he realized that his thoughts about work were already proven to be wrong. He couldn’t go back to the way things used to be. So what if he missed out on some artists and another record label picked them up instead? The one thing he didn’t want to miss out on was his daughter.
“Are you all ready to go to sleep?” he asked quietly, brushing her dark hair back from her forehead.
“Bri sing,” she replied sleepily. “Bri sing pretty.”
“Yes, I know. “I want you to have sweet dreams, okay? And I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.” He leaned forward, kissing her forehead and her cheeks and inhaling the clean scent. She was the most precious thing in the world.
Stephanie’s little hands wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer, pressing her own lips against his cheek. “Love you, Daddy.”
He’d already said it, but he would say it a hundred times a day just to make sure she understood. “I love you, too. Good night.” It was so hard to leave that room. He wanted to just sit on the edge of the bed and watch her drift off, studying the delicate curve of her cheek and the way her lashes lay against it, but he knew there was other business to attend to.
Brianna was wringing her hands when he came back out into the hallway. Her eyes were wide when she glanced at him and immediately looked away. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Van Buren. Should I have gotten you for dinner? I didn’t want to disturb you.”
He felt like an ass, not only for sitting alone in his office for so long, but for making Brianna feel like it was her fault. She could be confident when she needed to be. He had seen her talk to the mailman as though they were old friends, and she had introduced herself to the cook without hesitation. But she never seemed to have that self-assurance when he was around. Damien shook his head. “You didn’t tell me you could sing.”
Her cheeks colored visibly, and she looked away again. “I love to sing. It’s my greatest passion in life,” she replied quietly.
“It is? Then why have you been keeping it such a secret?”
“I didn’t really mean to, but when you said you were in the music business, I didn’t want to give you any cause to think I was here to take advantage of you. I’m sure you get people all the time who want you to get them signed, and I don’t want to be one of them.”
“I appreciate that.” And he did. Most other people wouldn’t have had that kind of courtesy, and it was so endearing that he wasn’t sure what else to say about it. “What was that song?”
Brianna brushed her hand through the air as though waving aside the lullaby. “It’s called the Ballyeamon Cradle Song. It’s silly, I know, but my mother used to sing it to me all the time when I was little. I turned around and sang it for my cousins, and it’s just become an old habit.”
“It’s just lovely. Stephanie says you ‘sing pretty.’” He had to agree. There didn’t seem to be anything about her that wasn’t lovely.
“Thank you. I’ll just go clean up the kitchen and get to bed.” She rushed down the stairs and disappeared.
Damien watched her go, his mind working overtime. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on his business that afternoon, but suddenly, that was no longer the case.
Chapter Six
Brianna wiped down the kitchen counters and rinsed the sponge. She peeked into the living room to make sure Stephanie was still happily watching My Little Pony before throwing in a load of laundry. She worked quickly to make sure she would still get some time to snuggle up on the couch with the little girl before she got bored and wanted to go play with her Barbies or her Cabbage Patch Kid. Brianna loved to play with her, and the two of them had made up all sorts of interesting storylines for her dolls, but there was also something extremely gratifying about curling up on the couch with Stephanie. She would wiggle her little body against Brianna’s thigh, reaching out to pat her leg or touch her hair. It was endearing, and it was at those times that Brianna knew she had made the right decision by coming to America.
It had been a little easier to feel she fit in as long as she avoided any place where she thought she might run into Linda again. Brianna had accidentally overheard Damien on the phone, so now she at least knew his ex-wife’s name. Once or twice, she had considered telling him about the incident. But it seemed clear the only reason Linda had said anything to her at all was because she was angry at Damien, and if Brianna had actually delivered the message Linda had given her, it would’ve just continued to fuel the fire.
Instead, she made the best of her time around the house with Stephanie, swimming in the pool or playing in the back yard. They walked down to the park to play and have picnics. Once or twice, the two of them had taken a ride with the cook to the grocery store. It had been delightful to fill the cart with food and never worry about how much money they were spending, although Brianna was always careful not to abuse that right. Damien was a good boss, and she truly enjoyed her job. She wanted to stay as long as she could. She just had to hope that he wanted to keep her when she reached the end of her probationary period.
“Which pony is your favorite?” Brianna asked as she joined Stephanie on the couch.
She pointed to a yellow pony with butterflies on its rump.
“I like that one, too. I think her name is Butterscotch. What about that one?” Brianna pointed to a pink pony with white dots. “Do you remember that one’s name?”
Stephanie shrugged, an adorable gesture on such a little girl.
Brianna smiled. “I think it’s Cotton Candy.” The two of them continued to watch. Stephanie was no doubt lost in the bright colors and the high voices of the characters, but Brianna took the time just to enjoy being with her and to plan out the rest of their day. When she got the chance, she wanted to ask Damien if there was a library nearby. He had stayed home to work, but she didn’t want to knock on his office door unless it was absolutely necessary. Her boss hadn’t even come out for lunch, so Brianna figured he must have had a heavy workload.
When the show ended and Brianna was just about to suggest they go outside for a
little while, Damien appeared in the doorway. “Brianna, could you please come to my office for a minute?”
“Of course.”
He left, and she looked down at Stephanie. “Here. You can watch a little more TV, and I’ll be right back, okay?”
Stephanie’s focus was on the screen, and she nodded absently as Brianna got up from the couch.
Her blood thrummed against the walls of her veins, and she tried to walk calmly to the office. It was getting close to the end of her trial period. Was he going to tell her whether or not she would be allowed to stay? As far as she knew, she had been doing a good job. She liked to think Damien was the sort of man who would have told her outright if he wasn’t happy, but she had only known him for a few weeks. She paused uncertainly in the doorway of the office, and Damien waved her in.
“Have a seat.” He gestured at the leather chair across from his desk. “I have a few things I’d like to talk to you about.”
She sat, hoping the shaking she felt inside didn’t show.
Damien tapped a stack of papers, lined them up and then set them aside. He smiled at her. “So, you like to sing, right?”
Her heart shot up into her throat, but she pushed it back down again. She couldn’t let herself even hope that Damien was going to help her achieve her dreams. “I do.”
“Good. I’ve secured an audition for you.” He watched her expectantly, letting the words sink in.
But Brianna couldn’t seem to process them correctly. “I… I don’t understand…”
“It’s my job to find new talent, but having talent is only the beginning. The right songs need to be paired with the right artists, and sometimes bands and singers need to be put together as well. There’s a lot more to being an A&R director than just hearing good music and signing artists.”
Brianna nodded. “That makes sense.”
“A few months ago, before you came here, I heard a new wave band in a nightclub that belonged to a friend of mine. They were pretty good, but I could tell they needed some tweaking. I had them come in and record a demo with us. They already had one of their own, but I wanted to see what our sound guy could do with them. I still felt like something needed to be changed, and then their singer up and quit. Would you like to audition to be their new singer?”
“I…That’s…” Brianna couldn’t believe her ears or even catch her breath long enough to give Damien a solid reply. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he was handing it to her on a silver platter. “Me?”
Damien laughed, a sound she hadn’t often heard from him. He was always so serious unless he was around Stephanie. “Yes, you! You’ve got a wonderful voice, and it was even better that I got to hear it when you didn’t know I was listening. You were just being yourself, so I know I was hearing the real deal. I think your bright, clear voice could be a wonderful contrast to the heavier synth sound this band has.”
“Oh my god, that’s… that’s awesome! Thank you so much!” So many times, Brianna had dreamed up something like this. She’d heard of singers being discovered in odd, random ways, but she had never imagined she would be one of them. Her mind raced, her heart surging with excitement, and without thinking, she ran to Damien, wrapping her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight hug. Her dragon quaked at their sudden closeness, sending bolts of electricity through every cell in her body, and she stumbled back, her face flushed. “I—I’m sorry; that was entirely inappropriate. I—”
Damien stepped forward, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear and she felt the heat of his touch once again. “Hey, don’t worry about it.” He flashed a warm smile, pausing before placing his hands into his pockets. “I don’t think talent like yours deserves to be hidden away, so I’m happy for the chance to have you audition. Now, again, there’s nothing definite here. We’ll have to see how well you can work with the band and if your sounds will truly mesh as well as I think they will. Then I’ve got to get the approval of the president. But I honestly think you have a strong chance.”
“Thank you. I’m so grateful.” A tear trickled down her cheek from the excitement of it all. “But what about Stephanie?”
Damien tipped his head slightly to the side. “You know, you’ve been wonderful for her. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am that with this big opportunity thrown in your lap, the first thing you do is think of her. But I’ve already got it taken care of. My mother will come by that day to watch her, and I can take you to the audition. I’ve got everything covered.” There was that smile again. When Damien looked at her like that, she could always see the kindness in his eyes. “I’ve got the original demo tapes here. You can listen to them for the next couple of days to familiarize yourself with their sound and with the songs. Then you and I will drive to the studio, and you can spend some time in the booth with them. That’s really all you have to do.”
“Okay,” she replied breathlessly. He made it sound so simple, but he wasn’t the one getting behind a microphone. “I’d better get back to Stephanie. But really, thank you.”
She felt dizzy as she went back to the living room. Brianna knew there was a chance that this wouldn’t work out. She loved to sing, and her friends and family always told her she had a real knack for it. Even Damien seemed to think so. But she had never worked with a band before, and her modest recording session back home had taken place in little more than some guy’s remodeled basement. That seemed like such a long time ago now.
And then there was that fiery jolt he sparked within her as they touched. She couldn’t even begin to explain it, and she certainly couldn’t ignore it. But for the time being, she decided it was best to do so, as much as possible.
Sinking down onto the couch, she watched as Stephanie danced excitedly to a Toys ‘r’ Us commercial. It was adorable, just like everything else she did. Someday, if this worked out, she would have to thank Stephanie. It was all because of her that this was happening, after all.
“Play?” the little girl asked when the commercial was over.
Brianna was grateful. She had so much excitement and energy in her, she didn’t think she could possibly sit still. “Let’s do it!”
* * *
As much as she loved her job, Brianna couldn’t wait for her shift to end that day. Damien insisted he would feed Stephanie her dinner, and so Brianna rushed up to her room. It had its own phone line and she immediately picked up the receiver and dialed.
“Hello?” Cathy asked moments later.
“Cathy! It’s Brianna!” Hearing her voice, Brianna realized just how much she missed her best friend back in Ireland. The two of them had been close for so many years, and it was odd not to be able to talk about everything on a regular basis. She wanted to keep her international calls to a minimum for Damien’s sake, even though he’d told her not to worry about it, and the first phone call she had made had been to her mother.
“I just got your postcard the other day! How are things going? Tell me everything! Have you met any celebrities?”
Brianna laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm. “Things are wonderful. Stephanie, the little girl I’m in charge of, is wonderful. She’s sweet and playful, and she never complains when it’s time to go to bed.”
“What kind of place are you staying in? I always imagined that if someone is hiring an au pair, they must be some crazy rich person. But I guess that doesn’t mean they don’t keep you in a closet under the stairs.”
Brianna laughed. “Nothing like that at all.” She went on to describe her room, which she had taken small measures to make her own. It was a wonderful room already, but she had bought a rug and a few wall hangings that she liked to add her own personal touch. She had justified them to herself with the fact that even if she didn’t stay with Damien, she could take them to her next place. She lay down on her bed, feeling like she had died and gone to heaven. “And you should see the house itself; it’s huge. It must be six times the size of my mother’s place. Everything is top-of-the-line, and there’s even an indoor pool. I ca
n’t tell you how lucky I am.”
“Oh, it really sounds like it!” Cathy enthused. “But what about the celebrities? They must be all over the place out there.”
“Not really. There’s definitely a lot of money here, but I can’t say that I’ve met any. There was a guy on the sidewalk who looked an awful lot like Lionel Richie, but I doubt it was actually him.”
“I’m sure you’ll find one eventually. Do you know if you’re staying yet? Because if you are, then I’m going to save up for a plane ticket to come and see you. I don’t care if I have to tag along while you work, but I’ve just got to see all this with my own eyes.”
Brianna laughed as she twirled the phone cord through her fingers. “That would be so rad. I’d have to clear it with my boss, but I’m sure we could work something out. He’s pretty cool. As a matter of fact…” She trailed off, not sure if she should say anything yet. There was, as Damien had said, nothing definitive.
“What? Tell me!”
She pulled in a deep breath. “It turns out he’s a record label executive.”
“Wait! Let me guess. You gave him your tape, and he loves it. You’re going on tour with Duran Duran next summer, and you’ll be stopping in Ireland, and you can’t wait to introduce me Simon Le Bon.”
“No, nothing quite that good.”
“You can’t blame me for dreaming.”
“Anyway, I never gave him my tape. I didn’t want him to think I was just here to use him. But he happened to hear me singing little Stephanie a lullaby, and he offered me an audition with a band that he’s trying to get for his record label. I’m going to the studio on Wednesday to see how we sound together.”
She had to hold the phone away from her ear so Cathy’s screams wouldn’t burst her eardrums. “You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s totally awesome! I can’t wait to tell everyone. I’m going down the street first thing tomorrow morning, and I’m going to tell that awful Rose Meyers what you’ve done with your life.” Rose had been the most popular girl back in school, and that notion seemed to have carried over into her adult life.
