“Since you have nothing else on your plate.” Sam leaned back on the couch. “Eddie asked me to dinner tomorrow night.”
Allison squealed. “That’s great.”
“Maybe. What if he turns out like Nate?”
“They might be good friends, but I really don’t think he’s anything like Nate. But then, I only know him through business so I could be completely wrong. My point is, he’s obviously head over heels for you and deserves a chance to prove it.” Allison took another bite of ice cream and then put the lid on. “I’m off to bed. I have to tutor a few students, and they signed up for early slots.”
“Bummer. Good night.” Sam turned on the TV and grabbed her afghan.
Allison chuckled as she went to get ready for bed. It didn’t matter how long Sam had worked for the day. She still had to get in her favorite shows before she could sleep.
Allison yawned as soon as her last student left the practice room. She’d fought the exhaustion for the full hour, hoping to make it until the end of the lesson. Her dreams last night had gone between her parents fighting and being left by Nate over and over in different settings. When she was left stranded in the middle of an island with no way to get home, she’d given up trying to sleep and gotten up to shower.
If she hurried, she could get home and sleep for a few hours before work that night. The snow that had threatened the night before had given way to the sun. Allison stood outside the building for a moment to enjoy the warmth on her face. It had been an awful winter, and she was ready for spring to come. She hurried past a group of students and took the subway back to her apartment.
As she made her way out of the subway, she froze. Nate was only a few feet away, looking at his phone. If she could just get past him … she ducked her head and pulled her collar up higher, then took the steps two at a time. She heard her name called, but she continued down the sidewalk, her face burning. Every ounce of her wanted to turn around and walk back, but she forced herself to keep going. She’d been burned three times, and she wasn't about to let it happen again.
Sam looked up in surprise when Allison threw open the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I need sleep.” Allison dropped her bag and shoes inside her room and flopped on her bed. She had four hours until she had to go to work. Four hours of sleep—if only her brain would allow her to drift off.
The thought of calling in and canceling was tempting after waking up with a sore throat. But with Eddie going out, the last thing he needed was an angry crowd. She’d just have to leave early if her throat got worse.
Allison reapplied her lipstick and straightened her hair one more time before she was satisfied. She could hear Sam humming to herself in the other room, which meant she was ready and wanted to leave, but didn’t want to bug Allison. She grabbed her coat and a few cough drops before going out to the living room.
“Oh, there you are. I was just about to come and get you.” Sam wore a formfitting red dress that accented her curves.
“Sorry. You look amazing. I’m glad I made you get that dress.” Allison grabbed her keys off the counter.
“So am I. You don’t think it’s too much?” Sam followed behind. She’d meet Eddie at the bar before heading out.
Allison laughed. “No, and Eddie won’t know what hit him.”
They arrived at the bar just a few minutes before Allison had to go onstage. She waved at Sam as she went back to drop off her stuff. Her throat had only gotten worse on the way to the bar, and she was pretty sure she was getting a cough. Maybe walking all over outside the day before hadn’t been such a great idea.
The crowd was large that night, but it was clear after only a few songs that Allison wouldn’t be able to do much more. Her muscles ached, and her voice had a raspiness to it that wasn’t normally there. She forced out one more song before bowing.
There were a few protests as she left the stage, but she didn’t care. She was freezing, and her eyes felt puffy. It was definitely time to go home. The call for an encore made Allison cringe, but she crept out the back way, hoping she wouldn’t lose her job over this.
Allison’s phone buzzed as she stumbled down the sidewalk. She pulled it out of her pocket and almost dropped it. “Hello?”
“Hey, this is Darren. I got your message, and I have some free time right now. Want to practice? I could grab a classroom.”
Allison groaned. “I’d love to, but I’m really not feeling well. I must have caught something. Are you free tomorrow?”
“No, I have meetings all day. This is really the only time I can until class next week. How sick are you?”
I’m ready to die. “I think it’s a cold, but I’m not sure. I just know I need to sleep.”
There was silence for a moment. “Can we just run through it a couple of times? Then you can go home.”
Allison bit her lip. They really needed the practice, but she wasn’t sure how well she’d dance when she was this sick. And she’d just skipped out early from work.
“Listen, I have my car. I’ll come and pick you up so you don’t have to take the train. I’m not too far away anyway.”
“Fine. But if you get sick, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Meet me at the apartment so I can grab my shoes.”
“Got it.”
Allison stared at her phone for a moment before continuing home. She collapsed on the couch and wrapped herself up in a blanket, hoping she could sleep for just a little bit before he got there.
The knocking on the door was muffled, but it was enough to pull Allison off the couch. She stumbled over to the door, shivering.
Darren stood in the doorway smiling and holding a bag. “Hey, sorry I was late, but I wanted to stop by and grab this for you.”
Allison took the bag and pulled out a container of chicken noodle soup from the diner just down the road. Their diner. “You remembered.”
“Of course I did.” He slid past her and went into the kitchen for a spoon. “Now, go lie down on the couch and I’ll bring you some.”
There was no way she was going to argue with that. She grabbed a couple ibuprofen for the achiness, and then curled back up in her blankets. Darren brought her a bowl of soup and then sat next to her with his own bowl.
The heat from the chicken broth soothed her throat while the ginger burned. It was Darren who had introduced her to the soup when she’d first moved to New York.
“Is it helping?” Darren set his bowl on the coffee table.
“Yes, thank you. It was exactly what I needed.” Allison drank the last bit of the broth and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes.
Darren stood, and Allison could hear the rattle of dishes in the kitchen. She knew she should get up to change into her shoes, but she didn’t want to move. A moment later, she felt Darren sit next to her and he brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“Oh, wow. You’re burning up.” Darren jumped up and came back with a damp washcloth that he set on her forehead. “Where’s Sam?”
“On a date.” Allison kept her eyes closed, willing her forming headache to go away. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to dance tonight. I’m sorry.”
Darren pulled her close to him so her head rested on his shoulder. “Just rest.”
The sound of the TV murmured in her ears as she drifted in and out of sleep. Allison vaguely heard Sam come in, along with a few voices talking to each other before the door slammed shut. Darren stood, and Allison rested her head on the pillow next to where he’d been sitting. The door opened and closed again before Sam came and sat next to Allison.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“I don’t even know, but I’m not sure I’ll survive it.” Allison coughed and sat up. “What was that all about?”
“Um, well, Nate came to say hi, and kinda flipped out when he saw Darren with his arm around you. I tried to explain that you two were just partners, but he didn’t seem to care.” Sam’s eyes narrowed. “That’s all it was, right?”
Al
lison coughed again, trying to remember what had happened. The medicine had kicked in, so the aches were gone, but her head was still cloudy. “He came over to pick me up so we could practice our dance, but he brought soup instead.”
“Right, I’m sending you to bed. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were sick before.”
“I’m not about to argue. Night.” Allison stood and shuffled to her room where she dropped into her bed. Nate had come by? What in the world for? She rolled over and closed her eyes. It was something she could deal with later.
Chapter 9
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 hi
s 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.
Change in Harmony (A Silver Script Novel Book 4) Page 6
