Perfect Harmony

by Lodge, Sarah P.

“I’m sorry, but it’s irrelevant. Our minds are made up.”

  “That’s it? Do you bastards have no feelings at all, for god’s sake! You’re all sick.”

  “Duncan!” I say. “Stop it. This isn’t helping.”

  “Why aren’t you helping me fight, Mel? Why aren’t you standing up for yourself?”

  “Because, I’m tired, Duncan. I’m tired of fighting all the time. I tired of wanting so much and getting nothing no matter how hard I try. Let’s just get this over with. Nothing can save us.”

  There’s a commotion outside in the waiting room. A baritone voice, angry, and a woman’s voice trying to placate.

  Suddenly, the door thunders open and Chase marches inside.

  “Melody?” he says, his eyes wide with wonder. “Thank god. I’m just in time.”

  “Chase? What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you.”

  Duncan grinds his teeth and marches towards Chase. “You bastard!” he growls. Duncan raises his fist and in a flash, punches Chase square in the face. He topples to the carpet.

  “Chase!” I rush over to him and kneel to check his injuries. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. Caught me off guard, is all.”

  Duncan looms over Chase like a dark statue. “After everything you did to my sister, you think you can just waltz in here?”

  “It wasn’t a waltz, more of a stride.”

  “You bastard, you think what you did was funny?”

  “Just stop it!” I shout. “Stop it, the both of you. God, you’re just as bad as each other, you know that?”

  They’re both say nothing.

  I stroke Chase’s cheek with my thumb. “It’ll probably just leave a bruise. A week from now, no-one will know,” I say with a smile.

  “What are you doing, Mel? This man knocked you up and threw you away like a piece of yesterday’s garbage!”

  “I am aware of my sins,” says Chase.

  “Sins? You ripped out her heart. You accused her of lying to you about everything, the baby, that she’s a corporate spy-“

  “That’s why I’m here,” says Chase, holding my hand gently in his powerful palms and staring deep into my eyes with that penetrating gaze. “To make amends. I’m sorry, Melody. I jumped to conclusions. I was a fool.”

  “You’re not a fool, Chase,” I say. “With everything that happened, I’m not surprised you didn’t trust me.”

  “But I should have. After everything we’ve been through, I should have. Mercedes, she’s the spy. After you left, she drunkenly bared everything to try and get me to take her back. The vile woman even broke into my office and stole my files. She’s been working with your old pal Wrenwick, both of them trying to bring down both of our businesses.

  “That’s preposterous,” spits Duncan.

  “How else do you think you received the information about the Taiwan deal? Or how I knew you wanted to buy that factory in Mexico? Or the vineyard? All that sensitive information, where do you think it came from? They’ve been pitting the two of us against each other.”

  Duncan is silent. He knows it’s the truth, as do I. Except the truth to me is far more crushing.

  “This is my fault,” I say. “Both of them, they only did what they did for revenge. Because I caused them so much hurt. If I didn’t-“

  “I’m glad you did,” says Chase. He squeezes my hand. “Otherwise, I would never have met you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying... I’m saying I’ve been a fool. You were right, Melody. All along, you were right, about everything. My father and how he treated woman, it weighed so heavily on my mind. I swore I would never turn out like him. I was so scared I would. I did it to protect myself, but it changed me. It made me afraid of letting someone close because I knew I’d end up hurting them eventually. So I pushed you away.”

  “Oh, Chase.” My stomach tightens, but I can feel butterflies alive inside, a glowing warmth building within me and threatening to break through.

  “All the things I did, the obsession with work and my friends and that whole world, telling you how to act and talk and dress, I did it because I couldn’t face the truth.”

  His fingers brush away a stray lock of my hair and lightly caress my skin. I sigh on contact, more alive than I’ve ever felt.

  “I love you, Melody Strong. Dear God, I love you so much it hurts.”

  I smile. I can’t help it. I beam and cry and everything falls away. “I love you, too.”

  His hand holds my cheek in that way he always does, and I feel like I belong. Like the world has finally righted itself, and everything is how it should be. Complete and safe and so bright it’s blinding.

  “Oh God, I love you Chase. I love you. I can’t tell you how much I wanted to say that. I love you!” The tears of joy stream from my eyes.

  He kisses my forehead and his lips are so soft that I shudder in delight. “I never want to lose you again.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I bring his hand to my bump. “Neither of us.”

  A light shines in Chase’s eyes, so blazing and brilliant that it overwhelms us both. “Melody, what your father said, he was right. Love is all that matters in this world.” Chase lets go of me and rises. Tall and proud, his attention turns to the board members. “And that is why,” he continues, “...that is why I’m giving up my company.”

  Everyone is shocked into silence.

  All eyes are on Chase as he stands at the end of the table. The sunlight breaks through the window behind him and covers him in a head to foot golden glow, like a Greek god commanding his followers.

  “I have a proposal for everyone here: a merger between Harmony Records and Magnum Records. With my financial influence along with Harmony Record’s assets and Magnum Record’s market power, we would be unstoppable.

  The board members look to each other, surprise and interest alive on the faces.

  “Your offer, Mr. Strong, it’s intriguing,” says Ned. “Very intriguing. Not to mention, with the legendary Chase Strong leading the charge-“

  “You misunderstand me,” says Chase. “I’m stepping down. Completely. I’ll be a silent partner, nothing more. I will control nothing.”

  “Why the devil would you do such a thing?”

  Chase turns to me and silently gazes, eyes alight with wonder. “I want to spend time with my family.”

  “You would really do that for me?” I ask. “Give up everything?”

  “I already have everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  The tears burn my cheeks, and my nose stings. But my heart thunders in my chest and screams for him.

  The men turn to each other and mutter amongst themselves.

  “I’ll admit,” says Ned, “we’re interested. Of course, we’ll have to find a suitable replacement.”

  “No need,” says Chase. “For I nominate my brother in law to be in charge.”

  “Me?” says Duncan.

  “Unless you do not want it.”

  “No no, I’m just surprised, that’s all. Very surprised.”

  Ned shakes his head. “I cannot abide by that decision. This man cannot be CEO of such a large conglomerate.”

  “This is my only condition,” says Chase. “This is a one time offer - do right by my family, and I’ll do right by you.”

  The men return to their hushed muttering. It seems to take forever, as they argue and point, and gesticulate.

  Ned turns back to Chase. “Your terms are... acceptable.”

  “Yes!” I cheer and rush into Chase’s arms. He catches me and we embrace. I squeeze his chest, happier than I ever thought I could be. Happier than anyone could ever be.

  And Chase hugs me, holding me close. His skin is like silk against my own, the heat of bodies together and as one. I squeeze and squeeze, never wanting to let go.

  He holds my head up and we stare longingly into each other’s eyes. And we say nothing, just living the moment, together at last.

 
; “I guess I should say thank you,” says Duncan. He holds out an outstretched hand.

  Chase releases me and shakes Duncan’s hand.

  “And for the record,” says Duncan, “I’m kinda sorry I punched you in the face.”

  “For the record,” says Chase, “I kinda deserved it.”

  Duncan pats me on the shoulder. “Congratulations, you two. Or should that be you three?” He walks away and leaves me and Chase alone. But we’re not alone - we have each other.

  “Melody,” says Chase, “you and the baby, I’m never going to let the two of you go, ever again. All this time, if only I’d listened to my heart and realised how I felt, then maybe-“

  “Shut up,” I say lovingly. “Stop psychoanalysing and kiss me.”

  He lets out a baritone laugh, then scoops me up into his mighty arms. His soft lips are on mine, and we kiss, and it’s full of passion and want and desire and need and protection. And love.

  The world falls away and the music and song serenades us in an eternal dance, rising and swelling and beautiful.

  And life is so perfect. Everything I’ve ever wanted is mine; family and love and a place in this world. I feel protected and safe and for the first time, truly and irrevocably happy.

  The whole world is alive and real and magical because we’re together. And I know, deep deep down in my soul, that nothing will ever tear us apart.

  EPILOGUE

  Melody

  I look out into the ballroom and see all the wedding guests laughing and smiling and chatting amongst themselves.

  It’s been over an hour since Chase and I got married again. Properly, this time. He even jokingly sent me divorce papers the night before. He said he didn’t want us to just renew our vows; it must be special. A new beginning. It was so heartfelt and sweet, I couldn’t help but sign. Afterwards, he made a crack about alimony payments since technically I was now the biggest earner in the household and our son must be provided for. He laughed, so I pushed him on to the bed, and we made passionate love.

  On the family table, I can see Duncan and his wife Kate playing with my son Ray. He’s only a few months old, but he has his father’s deep dark eyes. It was Chase’s idea to name him after my father, as a way to remember him, and I’m glad he did. Every day now, looking at Ray reminds me how easy it is to never be honest with someone about how you feel, and how your life is so much richer if you take the bull by the horns and live.

  At the bar, I see Liz polishing off another free margarita. She broke up with Richard two months ago after he got a job with a prestigious design firm in London. He asked her to go with him, but she was adamant her life was here in New York. They parted amicably, but I could see she was hurting.

  But now I can see the man she’s talking to by the bar, his salt and pepper hair disguising nothing of his identity. It’s Sidney Remington. And they seem to be getting on like a house on fire. She’s touching his shoulder and he’s throwing her a trickster grin. Maybe a new romance is on the cards...

  Chase invited Sidney himself - it was the least he could do after Sidney signed me to his label. I’ve been writing and recording for a few months now, and Sidney says my voice sounds like an angel. I blush every time he says it, because I’m sure it’s not true and he’s just being nice, but he’s very adamant that he wouldn’t have signed me if he didn’t think I could be a star.

  I hope he’s right. Dear god, I do.

  I’ll just have to wait and see what the universe has in store.

  In the mean time, I’ve got my boys to keep me busy.

  In fact, against all odds, Chase and Duncan seem to have become best of friends. It would have seemed insane to think that would be the case only a year ago when they were at each other’s throats, but now they’re always playing holes on the golf course and discussing how the new business is going from strength to strength. The shareholders are certainly happy. Ned even sent over a bottle of wine when Chase and I announced our plans to remarry.

  Everything is perfect.

  “Are you ready?” asks Chase.

  “Yep, been practising all night. Got to make sure I’m able to hit the high notes.”

  “You know, I’m always happy to help with that.”

  He grabs me in his arms and I yelp in joy.

  “Stop that,” I say “What about you?”

  He smiles knowingly with a cheeky schoolboy grin. “I can handle myself.”

  The lights dim and the orchestra begin to play.

  Chase leads me up on to the stage hand in hand, my dress flowing behind like a princess.

  Everybody cheers as we nod to the crowd. Silence falls upon the hall.

  And Chase and I sing our duet. Our voices fit together and mould and become as one, as if they were always searching for each other and now they’re joined and complete.

  And everything is in perfect harmony.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Sarah P. Lodge is the pseudonym of a famous British screenwriter and author. When she isn’t writing screenplays and novels, she spends most of her time preoccupied with her kittens.