Driving Tempo

by Thomas, Raine

“Because it made you cry,” he said loud enough to have heads turning from the nearby sidewalk. “Because you were standing in a lobby full of people heaving your guts out into a trash can. Because watching you suffer like that absolutely killed me, Lily.”

  Tears again filled her eyes over the raw emotion she heard in his voice. She should have considered how difficult this was for him too. She leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.

  “I can’t have either of us go through that again,” he said in a quieter voice. “I won’t.”

  “Okay,” she replied just as softly. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

  He brushed his lips against hers. “Okay.”

  They sat in silence for a while. She felt Dane’s phone buzzing in his pocket. It reminded her that they were shirking their media obligations on what was likely the most key moment of the tour and the show’s season.

  “I guess we should get back,” she said eventually.

  “Not yet. They’ll still be there when we’re really ready to deal with them.”

  Knowing he was right, she settled back against him and allowed herself to be comforted. Reality could wait.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Three days after their return to L.A., Archer and the rest of the band were on set wrapping up the production of the “Not Mine” video before they all went their separate ways for a couple weeks. Most of the production work had been done while the band was still touring. The producers had sent a crew to a few of The Void’s locations to film specific portions of the video and those segments had been through most of the editing process. Today involved filming segments with the actress who was playing the woman Archer was singing to in the song as well as the last of the montage footage the creative team envisioned for the final product.

  Archer was pleased with how things were moving along. It was unusual for a single to be written, recorded, and released all within a few months, never mind having a music video produced. Money spoke, though, and he knew where to invest. He wanted them to strike while the iron was hot. It was rumored that “Not Mine” would take the number one spot on the charts that week. They needed to keep the strong momentum going.

  Even if it meant fending off the advances of the clingy actress currently doing her best to convince him that married life wasn’t for him.

  The actress’s name was Kymberli Marie, which sent him all kinds of signals in and of itself. The complicated spelling and using two first names just screamed trying too hard. They had filmed a few steamy scenes for the video, not the first time Archer had done as much in his career. The scenes involved a lot of close contact and touching while he mouthed the words to the song. Kymberli kept insisting it would have more impact if they kissed, something both Archer and the producers agreed didn’t suit the song.

  Between takes, she trailed after him while trying everything in her arsenal to get his attention. He considered doing some flirting back since the House of Archer cameras were there. It would make compelling footage for the next season of the show, but he knew better than to play with fire. Kymberli would take any flirting as a green light.

  No, thank you.

  He had taken to hiding out in the green room between his scenes. Only the band, their security team, and their significant others were allowed access. He took a deep breath now as he entered the room, leaving Kymberli on the other side of the door.

  “We need Noelle, Keith, and Xander for their last scene,” one of the production assistants announced from the open doorway.

  Archer gave each of them fist taps as they rose and made their way out to the set. Sydney and Mandy went with them, leaving Archer alone with Sage and Kaila. They were sitting in two easy chairs adjacent to the couch and loveseat. Archer started to suggest that they move somewhere they could be closer together before deciding it might be best not to interfere. Sage had been hard to read since Kaila reconnected with him. It was difficult to know how to be most helpful to his friend.

  “You don’t get on screen much, do you?” Kaila asked Sage.

  “Nope,” he said.

  The resulting silence felt uncomfortable. Archer couldn’t stand it for long.

  “You know, Kaila, you could go out and see how the filming is going,” Archer suggested. “It’s kind of fun if you’ve never really been behind the scenes at something like this.”

  “Really?” Kaila said. “You don’t think anyone would mind?”

  “Of course not. Go hang out with Sydney and Mandy. You can all exchange stories about dating Void members. That’s bound to be entertaining.”

  Kaila laughed. “That sounds fun, thanks. It’s too bad Lily couldn’t join us.”

  Lily was neck-deep in wedding planning so Archer had insisted she pass on the video shoot. The winner of the band’s shadowing contest, Jada Morgan, was there capturing footage for social media instead. Lily had changed Jada’s shadowing opportunity to include up to five different days, both to give Jada more experience and to give Lily a chance to evaluate how Jada might work out longer-term.

  “Yeah, she wishes she could be here too,” he replied. “Go on and enjoy yourself.”

  “Do you mind?” she asked Sage.

  “Of course not. I should have suggested it myself. Please go ahead.”

  Archer wondered why Sage didn’t offer to take her himself. He pressed his lips together to avoid blurting out the suggestion. If Sage wanted to escort her, he would say so.

  Kaila smiled and shot to her feet. “Great. I will.”

  Pausing by Sage’s chair, she leaned down to give him a kiss. It was chaste enough to make Archer think of two people with no more than a couple of dates under their belts. He fought not to wince over the awkwardness of it.

  “Don’t skip the candy bar,” Archer said as she headed to the door. “It’s fully stocked.”

  “Ugh,” Kaila said, holding a hand to her flat stomach. “Carbs. No can do. But I’m excited to see how everything’s going out there.”

  She gave them a wave and hurried out the door, leaving Archer with Sage. When Sage pulled out his phone to scan his messages, Archer figured he didn’t want to talk. He sank into the loveseat and pulled out his own phone to text Lily.

  On break, he texted. Managed to avoid Kymberli’s tongue yet again.

  He saw the bubble indicating that Lily was texting back. Good for you, too bad for her. How’d the scene go?

  Smiling, he typed, Great. Only took a couple of takes. I think I might be done.

  Yay!

  How’s it going over there?

  I unpacked my last box. You’re truly stuck with me now.

  His smile widened. Most of Lily’s things had been moved into his house while they were still on the tour with the help of her roommate, Aria. The movers hadn’t done much more than deposit the boxes where they’d been instructed since they didn’t know where everything was going to end up, so he and Lily had spent the past few days unpacking. It thrilled him to know she was officially done and getting settled into their home.

  Couldn’t be happier, he texted.

  He glanced over at the sound of Sage sighing. His phone was no longer in his hand and he was staring off into space.

  Archer sent Lily one last text. Gotta go...Sage is off.

  He saw her quick response of “K” before he clicked off and put his phone in his pocket. Sage caught his movement and looked over. He worked up a smile that looked strained.

  “Lily?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Archer replied. “She’s been rooting us on today.”

  “I’m sure she has. What’s she up to?”

  “She had an appointment with Rosemary to get their nails done and finalize some of the wedding details and then she spent some time unpacking.”

  “Ah,” Sage said, giving a jerky nod and avoiding Archer’s gaze. “So, uh, how are the wedding plans shaping up?”

  Archer knew that wasn’t what he really wanted to know. “They’re going well. Rosemary really knows what she’s doin
g. I think we might even have time to sit around and do nothing for a couple of weeks before the big day.”

  Sage tapped his fingers on the chair’s arm. “That’s great.”

  Yeah, something was definitely off. “Yeah. And how are things with you and Kaila?”

  “They’re fine.”

  “Fine? You’ve waited all this time to be together and they’re just fine?”

  Frowning, Sage said, “It’s complicated.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Sage opened his mouth, then closed it. “I think it’s better that I don’t,” he said eventually.

  “Why?”

  “Because Elle jumped down my throat when I talked about it with her.”

  Archer leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee. “She didn’t like you choosing Kaila over Rosemary?”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “What was it like then?”

  Once again, Sage started to reply. Once again, he stopped. It occurred to Archer that even Sage wasn’t entirely sure where everything went haywire in his love life. He took pity on his friend.

  “Look, are you happy with Kaila?”

  “We’re getting to know one another again. We’re not rushing into things. It’s working for us.”

  Archer lifted an eyebrow. “Okay. But are you happy?”

  Sage looked at him like he didn’t understand the question.

  “I ask because Rosemary only wants you to be happy. If you’re not happy, then she’s suffering for no reason.”

  At the word suffering, Sage blanched. Archer guessed he could have used a less dramatic word, but from what he’d witnessed and gleaned from Lily it wasn’t inaccurate.

  The door opened and the production assistant reappeared. “Archer, we need you one more time with the rest of the band.”

  Archer got to his feet. “Just think about what I said, okay?” he said to Sage.

  After receiving Sage’s glum nod, he headed back out to the set. It took another hour for the producers to feel confident that they had everything they needed. Once they called it a wrap, Archer walked with Trey out to the studio’s parking lot and climbed into the sedan waiting for him. Seeing Lily waiting in the backseat, he grinned.

  “Well, hello there,” he greeted her, leaning over and giving her a kiss. “I didn’t expect you.”

  “I know,” she said with a small shrug. “I figured I’d save you the trip home before we hit the jewelers. Traffic is already unbearable.”

  “Great idea.” He grasped her hand as Barney pulled away from the curb. “Have you given any more thought to the style of ring you want?”

  Her nose wrinkled. “You know I’m not too fussy. I’m happy with the ring I have, which makes it hard to choose something else.”

  The ring she currently wore cost him little more than a hundred bucks and it was only that expensive due to the real tanzanite accent stones. “I’m sure once you start trying them on something will speak to you,” he assured her. “We can stick to round center stones since you like that round cubic zirconia.”

  “Yeah, I suppose,” she said, not sounding convinced. “Did you firm everything up with the jeweler?”

  “Yep. They’re prepared to deal with my drama queen fiancée and her need for the most expensive ring in the store during filming. Once we boot the camera, we’ll get to the rings you’re more likely to want.”

  She nodded. “Good. Jada’s going to meet us there too. I wanted some of this posted on social media.”

  “I really like her,” he said. “She jumped right in at the video today.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. If things work out during this shadowing opportunity, I just might offer her a job.”

  He liked the idea of someone easing some of the pressure from Lily. “I can see that being a good fit.”

  “Me too.”

  Her phone buzzed, causing her to pull it out of her purse and glance at the screen. Archer saw Rosemary’s name next to the text message icon. The text was brief, telling him it was likely the end of a conversation.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked when Lily darkened her phone.

  “It’s touch-and-go. I think the wedding planning helps. She’s been really busy with our wedding and the other weddings on her calendar. Monique’s also helping to keep her distracted.”

  He wasn’t sure how much he should pry. He knew Lily was in a sticky situation being Rosemary’s sister and Sage’s friend. She didn’t want to put him in the same situation, though he was doing his best to let her know he’d be happy to help however he could. At the moment, he knew she didn’t want to get into it.

  “What did you two decide today? Will I be wearing a purple zoot suit at the wedding?”

  Much as he’d hoped, Lily smiled. “If you were, you’d still look sexy as hell. But today we talked about napkin folds, menu selections, charger plates, and chair rentals. You’d be flabbergasted at the sheer number of decisions that have to be made for a wedding.”

  They spent the rest of the drive reviewing what she and Rosemary had worked on earlier that day. Archer didn’t really care outside of Lily being happy but he knew when to listen dutifully.

  At Archer’s request, the press had been tipped by the jeweler that a high-profile client had reserved the store for the afternoon. Archer and Lily were greeted by a horde of paparazzi as Barney stopped in front of the jewelry store and Trey opened the door to assist Lily out of the car. Archer climbed out after her, ignoring the shouts and cameras aimed their way as he took Lily by the hand. They walked up the short sidewalk, moving slow enough to make sure there were plenty of photos, and entered the store. Only Duff from House of Archer was allowed to follow them in.

  “Hello, Mr. Archer, Ms. Montgomery,” greeted the jovial store owner.

  “Hey there, Sal,” Archer said, exchanging a brief hug with the man who had helped him choose his mother’s birthday gifts for the past ten years. “Thanks so much for doing this.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sal said, the words layered with his rich Italian accent. “You and your family have been coming to D’Antonio’s since we opened this location. It’s an honor for us to help you today.”

  He turned from Archer to Lily, reaching for both of her hands and grasping them in friendly welcome. “And you, Ms. Montgomery, it’s a pleasure to finally meet. We are so excited that you have agreed to help promote our brand.”

  “Please call me Lily,” she said, turning a delightful shade of pink. “It’s so nice to meet you too. I’m excited to be working with you. Please don’t judge me based on the behavior you’re about to see.”

  “Don’t you worry. Mr. Archer explained everything,” he said with a wink. He lifted her left hand and inspected the ring she wore. “Now, here...let me see this ring you are wearing.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing like what you have here,” she began.

  “But you like the style, yes?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “This helps to know. We can choose some styles similar to this for you to try.”

  “Okay.”

  She turned as Jada walked out from the back room with a tall, slender woman with rich black hair pulled back in an elegant twist. They were both carrying flutes filled with champagne. Sal turned to smile at them.

  “My wife and business partner, Teresa. Teresa, come and meet Archer’s love, Lily.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Teresa said warmly, handing a flute to Sal so she could extend a hand for Lily to shake. “Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of such a special occasion. Can I offer you some champagne?”

  “Sure,” Lily said, accepting a flute from Teresa.

  Jada handed another flute to Archer. “Why don’t we enjoy a little of the bubbly before the cameras get rolling?”

  Archer smiled. “Sounds like an excellent idea.”

  “How about I get a photo of you four toasting the glasses before shopping begins?” Jada suggested, pulling out
her phone.

  “I love that idea,” Lily agreed.

  They all posed for the shot, then sipped the champagne. Since Lily would be trying on multiple rings, Teresa offered to take her current ring and clean it for her while they shopped. Archer could tell Lily was anxious about letting it go. It touched him that she already had such a sentimental feeling towards her engagement ring, even if it was just a placeholder.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Lily said after they finished their glasses of champagne. “Maybe we should pretend we’re just arriving. Duff?”

  The cameraman, who had been sitting unobtrusively on one of the stools near the display cases, straightened to attention. “Works for me.”

  And so it began. They spent the first forty-five minutes of the appointment with Lily acting like a diva polished with a façade of politeness.

  She took a sip of the second glass of champagne she was offered and asked if they had another option. She asked them if they had any strawberries to go with the champagne, preferably chocolate-dipped. She said that it was nice to meet Teresa but she really felt Sal would better understand her needs, dismissing her. She prodded Sal to pull rings with bigger and bigger center stones until the last one all but dwarfed her hand. She plied him with questions about the quality of the stones, the names of the designers, whether the settings were custom or mass-produced, and things Archer could only guess she had researched online beforehand. He didn’t understand half of it.

  Sal held his own, remaining courteous throughout and answering all of Lily’s questions. Archer felt confident that the footage would show D’Antonio’s in only the best light, which was bound to help business. He knew that had been one of Lily’s goals in setting this up.

  As the filmed portion of their visit ended, Lily had three different rings nestled in a velvet display stand in front of her. Each one was priced over six figures. If Lily had genuinely loved any of them, Archer would have paid the money without hesitation. He knew she didn’t, though.

  “I’m torn between these three,” she said, twirling the stem of her empty champagne flute. “They all look amazing on my finger. Don’t you think, honey?”