by Haley Travis
C-Flat to C-Sharp
Sweet Instalove Romance
By Haley Travis
Copyright 2021 Haley Travis. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or duplicated in any form whatsoever without express written permission of the author. This book is intended for sale to adults only. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual people or specific locations or details is completely coincidental, or intended fictitiously. All characters are over 18, no sex partners are related, all sex is consensual. This is fantasy. In the real world, everyone practices safe sex at all times. Right? Right.
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Check out the whole series - PR Girls & Instalove:
A-Hole to A-List , B-Roll to B-List , C-Flat to C-Sharp
CONTENTS
Chapter One ~ Corina
Chapter Two ~ Ethan
Chapter Three ~ Corina
Chapter Four ~ Ethan
Chapter Five ~ Corina
Chapter Six ~ Ethan
Chapter Seven ~ Corina
Chapter Eight ~ Ethan
Chapter Nine ~ Corina
Chapter Ten ~ Ethan
Chapter Eleven ~ Corina
Chapter Twelve ~ Ethan
Chapter Thirteen ~ Corina
Chapter Fourteen ~ Ethan
Chapter Fifteen ~ Corina
Chapter Sixteen ~ Ethan
Epilogue One ~ Ethan
Epilogue Two ~ Corina
Other Stories and About the Author
1
_____
Corina
I vaguely recall somebody famous once saying that your work life and your personal life are never fabulous at the same time. Sayings like that are not always believable, but I’ve been having major success at work, while my personal life is precisely as it’s always been. That is to say, non-existent.
Sure, I have my two best friends, and my monthly book club, as well as two online book groups. I’m fairly friendly with a few of my coworkers, but that mainly revolves around working lunches.
My friends Jenna and Brynn had suddenly found incredible boyfriends through their work. I was genuinely happy for them, but at the same time knew that they’d likely be much less available for our occasional Saturday night movie fests.
The thought that had been spinning around my head for the past month was that I really wished I had a boyfriend. Or even just a crush. Any love interest whatsoever.
As I tidied my office at the end of the day, looking forward to going home and diving into the ending of the amazing book I was reading, I couldn’t help but acknowledge a twinge of melancholy.
The one crush that I had back in high school hadn’t worked out well at all. Ethan was tall but skinny, with shaggy, unkempt hair. His sweet smile paralyzed me with fear, since I knew I’d never be able to really talk to him.
I was round and doughy, with my black hair shaved up the back in an attempt at an edgy style. It failed completely, since I didn’t have the attitude to back it up.
The one time we were partnered together in high school band, he was incredibly sweet, but I couldn’t talk about anything other than the project. We had to do a duet, with him on guitar, and me playing the flute.
At one point Ethan laughed with me when I referred to a note as a C-flat. That technically doesn’t exist – it’s a B. But in the moment of figuring out a tricky piece, it had sent us both into a fit of giggles that had ended up with his hand on my shoulder and my lips so close to his that I had honestly thought I was about to have my first kiss in the music room.
But he had backed away. There was no way such a sweet guy would really be interested in the weird girl, which I understood. I knew it likely also had a lot to do with the fact that I had skipped a grade, and was a freshman while he was a senior. Five years is a big age difference in high school.
Yet that was the first and only moment of pure heart-galloping lust that I’d ever felt coursing through my veins.
Checking my email one last time, I took my teacup to the kitchen to wash it, then grabbed my purse and went to the elevator. I’d been up late helping Jenna brainstorm a project over the phone last night and couldn’t wait to get home and into my fluffy slippers.
“Corina, perfect! Thank god you’re still here.”
I spun to see my boss, the ferociously cheerful Hannah Harper, charging toward me.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, turning toward her as I ignored the opening elevator doors.
“You like music, right?” she asked.
“Yes. Of course.”
“What about poetic indie rock?” She ran a hand through her short white hair, looking more frazzled than I’d ever seen her. Which is about ten percent as frazzled as I felt all the time.
“I’ll give any music a chance. What’s up?”
“I know it’s last minute, but can you meet with a new client right now?”
“Absolutely.” Automatically straightening up, I followed her down the long hall while she spoke low and fast.
“It’s the kid of an old college friend, so we’re doing a bit of a favor here. He’s apparently a super talented musician, but it’s hard to be noticed since the indie scene is so crowded. Luckily, his parents are putting some money behind him, so we’re going to give him a quick PR kick and make sure that his big showcase in two weeks is packed with both fans and the right media.”
“Two weeks?” I asked as we stood outside the boardroom door. That seemed awfully soon.
“Yeah, I know.” The shoulders of her stiff black blazer moved up and down as she shrugged. “That’s why I’m so glad I found you first. You’ve already helped run some successful events. You take in new information super fast. I’m running to another meeting, but he’s in there, and since time is of the essence, I hope you can start brainstorming tonight.”
“Okay, thanks.”
As she dashed off down the hall, I felt a twinge of pride. My boss was trusting me with a personal account. That had to speak well of her opinion of me. Or I was just the only person still in the office. Either way, I was going to make the most of this.
Rolling my shoulders back, I took a slow breath. Professional and calm, I told myself. This was going to be a great project.
I told myself that with every new job that came my way, but somehow this time I really believed it, as a prickle of warmth ran through me. Every new client was an opportunity to be a bit less shy, a bit more outgoing.
Opening the door, I stepped in as a tall man was slowly rising to his feet. “Hello, I’m Corina Taylor, and I’ll be working on your account.”
A strong hand shook mine as I focused on his face. A chiselled jaw line. A perfect nose. A sweet smile that nearly knocked me flat.
Dark brown eyes locked on mine, sending every molecule of breathable air flying straight out of my body.
“Ethan Cooper. So nice to see you again, Corina.”
2
_____
Ethan
Like everyone else in this odd little world, my life had been a series of strange occurrences and weird luck. And the harder I worked, the more hours I put in, the luckier I seemed to get.
Every time I practiced my vocal technique for three straight days, I’d get a few hundred more followers on social media. Every time I played guitar for a ten hour stretch, I’d have a few new fan
s contact me. And every time I pulled an all-night songwriting session, I’d be offered an amazing gig.
But since I moved back to my home city to live near my mom instead of my dad, things were really taking off. I was renewing old connections, and people were very eager to help with absolutely everything.
I’d asked everyone I could from high school if they knew whatever happened to Corina, but nobody could tell me. She was much younger, and I wasn’t in any classes with her, so I didn’t even recall her last name. All I remembered was that when we were thrown together for that one band project, I was absolutely infatuated with her.
The thing was, there was no way in hell she would have noticed me. I was skinny and pimply with bad hair, and couldn’t really talk to girls.
I remembered that Corina kept referring to B as a C-flat, which was totally wrong, and completely charming. Her delightful laugh had made me yearn to kiss her. I’m glad that I didn’t, in a way. She was too young for me at the time, and I wouldn’t have wanted her first kiss to be so awkward and clumsy.
I was like the C-flat. I didn’t really exist – shy and ugly, and nobody ever looked at me. It was like the walls of that school wanted me to dissolve into them and disappear completely.
Time always seemed to go more slowly when Corina was around, as if my senses needed more space to take her in. Or perhaps it was just that I was trying so hard to remember every vivid detail.
It was shocking that Corina had been friendly with me. She was so adorable – those bright brown eyes, incredibly observant. Her hair was a little weird, but it was bold of her to try something different. I loved that she was an unapologetic bookworm. I loved that she didn’t try to be like the rest of the kids. I loved everything about her, from her blue beaded bracelets to her lovely full lips.
The ones that were currently flattened into a straight line as she stared at me, wide eyed. “Ethan?” she whispered, dropping my hand, and sinking into the seat beside me.
“Your hair looks amazing that long,” I said, stopping my hand from reaching out to tuck it behind her ear.
“Thanks.” Her intense stare traveled over every inch of me, analyzing. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
I attempted a grin to put her at ease. “I’m so glad I found you again.”
Giving her head a shake, Corina pulled a notebook from her purse. “Let’s get started. I understand you have a big concert that needs to be packed?”
Just like years ago, she preferred discussing the project at hand to idle small talk.
Quickly giving her the details of the showcase, the venue, and the opening band, I noticed that her fast handwriting was remarkably tidy. I also noticed that she seemed to be enjoying the way I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
Outside the giant windows, the clouds covering the sun blew past, releasing the soft glow of sunset light to beam around Corina’s face and hair. Like an angel.
In that second, I knew that we were meant to be together. It was a simple fact, as certain as the table under my elbows and the breath in my lungs.
“What’s the point of this concert?” she asked, her beautiful eyes fixed on mine. “I mean, beyond entertaining your fans and all that. Why is this one a big deal?”
“Always getting to the main point,” I said, nodding. “I admire that about you.”
To my absolute delight, she actually blushed. That tiny spark I imagined years ago was real. I could feel it.
“Let’s see,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “My new album was released two months ago, but I just moved back here, so this is sort of my hometown launch, I guess. A homecoming.”
Her elegant pen skimmed across the pages.
“There are two record companies that are apparently interested, but I’m also looking into a distribution deal with another. That way I could control everything, but they would do some of the grunt work with manufacturing CDs and merchandise.”
“Bromney Hall is a huge venue,” she said. “I’ll need to verify, but nearly a thousand people. How are ticket sales so far?”
“Great question,” I smiled. “I think it’s around seventy percent sold out.”
Her nose crinkled as she stared into space, thinking. “Do you have confirmation that the record execs are attending?”
“I think so.”
Corina’s eyebrow raised.
“I mean, there’s no way to tell for sure, right?”
Her soft sigh of exasperation made me choke back laughter. “Is there a VIP area for them?”
“No.”
She made another note. “Who is handling the booking?”
“I am.”
Her pen tapped against the notebook for a moment. “Okay, I’m going to take everything over. I’ll meet with the venue manager, find a way to create a VIP area, and confirm that your record company contacts will be attending. I’ll connect with some podcasts and bloggers to give away tickets as contests and giveaways.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess I never thought of giving tickets away.”
“We need to create buzz,” she said, her bright eyes locked on mine. “Several days before the show, we need to advertise that it’s sold out. That way, the people attending will be more excited to have that ticket. They’ll feel like they’re special, since they managed to get in and others didn’t. It creates a sense of exclusivity at a public event.”
“Wow. I never would have thought of that.”
“That’s why artists need people like us,” she smiled. “We only think of things like that. Plus, when I get you on a dozen radio and podcast interviews, it lets the interviewer know that you’re successful and current.”
I ran a hand through my hair, leaning back in my chair. “I’m so glad you’re the one working on this, Corina. You were always great at the fiddly little details.”
“Some would say a nerd,” she said with a grin.
“Smart and talented does not equal a nerd,” I smiled. “Hey, I’m sorry you got pulled onto this project so late in the day. Everything around me is happening at strange times. Can I take you out to dinner so that we can catch up?” I hoped that my casual tone would make her agree automatically.
Those beautiful eyes just stared, blinking at me several times while I nearly held my breath. Finally she nodded. “Sure.”
Corina grabbed her things and we left the office, taking the elevator down to my car. “Let me guess,” she said, looking around the lot. “That one?” She smirked while pointing to a brown van with retro bubble windows.
“Not quite.” I led her to my plain gray SUV. “That’s actually a bad choice for a band van. You never want anything with windows, because thieves can look in and see what’s inside. You want something white or blue that looks like a plumbing company, or some other boring thing. My bass player has a van like that for hauling gear to shows.”
As we drove off, the sound of her laugh so close to me in the car sped up my heart.
“I guess we’re both experts in our own fields,” she said.
“Do you like Thai food?” I asked.
“Of course.”
Within minutes we were seated in the corner of a lavishly decorated restaurant, ordering a bottle of wine. Luckily, the booth was a comfortable bench, so I could sit close beside her.
“I love how you’ve barely changed,” I said, watching her expression as she looked up at me. “You’re still sweet, and driven. But you seem a bit less timid.”
Her head shook automatically. “I don’t think so. We just learn to hide things better as we age.” Then she looked at me carefully. “You’ve changed completely.”
“Not really. I got bigger, sure. And I finally figured out how to cut this mop.” I ran a hand through my hair as she laughed. “But I’m still just a music nerd.”
“And I’m still a bookworm nerd.” She shot me a look. “I’m glad we’re reclaiming that word, for the record.”
“You’re gorgeous,” I said softly, reaching over to take her hand from her lap. “You’re still th
e most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Just with longer hair, and an interesting job.” I didn’t mention that her full curves were now irresistible, or her pouty bottom lip drove me wild.
Her cheeks tinted with a faint blush, highlighting how pale and delicate she was. As I leaned closer, I was relieved that she didn’t back away, as her face tilted up to mine. I knew that it wasn’t quite appropriate, since we were working together, but I’d waited years for this moment.
“Corina, have you ever kissed a music nerd?”
3
_____
Corina
At first I hadn’t known if he was just flirting, or trying to rekindle our old friendship. But the hungry look in his eyes, the way he squeezed my hand gently, and the way he kept moving us closer together was giving me every sign, even before he said that.
