Imperfect Harmony (House of Archer #1)

by Raine Thomas

  She didn’t add that she knew she had raised Dane’s suspicions earlier by not letting him into her hotel room. She hadn’t wanted him to see the huge floral arrangement on the coffee table with the card reading, “Love, Johnathan” and figure out that her ex-fiancé had been there.

  Not kissing Dane when he clearly wanted to couldn’t have helped either. She had been worried about her still-tender lower lip and knew if she made any signs of pain when they kissed that she’d give herself away.

  If only that kind of thinking had served her when she took that sip of her latte earlier, she mused glumly.

  “What did you tell Johnathan?” Christopher asked.

  She turned back to him and frowned, thinking of the camera. “No offense, but I’d like to have that conversation with Archer first since it involves him.”

  Christopher’s mouth worked in a way that told her he was suppressing a smile. “I understand. Well, then, let’s talk social media.”

  Lily ate her breakfast and shared some of her ideas with Christopher, pleased when he seemed to like them. Just as she finished her latte, they reached their first destination. Then she and the band were bouncing from interview to interview.

  It would have been a fun day if Dane hadn’t persisted in ignoring her. There weren’t many opportunities for them to talk, but even the few that she tried to take advantage of were foiled by him staying as far from her as he could and interacting with everyone else. As a last-ditch effort, she tried texting him to say she really wanted to talk and could easily clear things up. That, too, went unanswered.

  She tried not to worry too much about it. Dane was tired and she had done a fine job of putting herself in this position. It was just a simple misunderstanding. He would listen to her eventually even if she had to tie him down and make him.

  By the time they were on the way to that afternoon’s performance, however, her spirits were low. Dane could be hot-tempered, sure, but he hadn’t ever given her the cold shoulder like this. In fact, he always made her feel like the most important person in any room, something she didn’t think she had ever fully valued before now.

  Guilt sat on her like a heavy weight. She should have just told him what happened with Johnathan in the first place. Now they were both miserable for no good reason.

  She carried her depressing thoughts with her as they arrived at that evening’s venue, a spectacular estate in Old Palo Alto. This was a private event, Lily had been told by Christopher while they made the day’s social media plans. Rick Kingston, the popular heartthrob from the hit medical drama, Sacred Heart, was hosting a Sweet Sixteen birthday party for his younger sister, Jenny.

  They were expecting about two hundred guests. Since it was otherwise closed to the public, hired security was on site checking everyone’s IDs as they arrived. They issued Lily a press pass that she wore proudly on a lanyard around her neck. She was so excited to officially be considered a member of the press that she intended to frame it later.

  She didn’t know if Rick Kingston would let her share images of his home, but that didn’t stop her from shooting a number of photos and even a selfie video as she, Nikki, Christopher, Trey, and The Void passed through security and made their way along the paver stones leading to the beautiful backyard. She realized that they were among the last people there outside of the guests, as everything looked ready to go.

  Linen-covered tables had been set up around a wooden dancefloor. Purple up-lighting, chair sashes, napkins, streamers, and balloons gave Lily a hint as to the birthday girl’s favorite color. Hints of silver and magenta were also threaded through the décor, enhancing the feminine party vibe. Strings of fairy lights wove through the beams of the pretty wooden arbor extending from the house over the large patio where a buffet had been set up, casting an enchanting glow over the space. More lights glimmered from the trees and shrubs of the richly-scented garden encircling the lawn. Once the sun went down, it would look like a breathtaking wonderland.

  Guests were scheduled to arrive within the next thirty minutes. The Void’s crew was already there and had set the stage on the far side of the lawn. There was what appeared to be a VIP table near the stage, roped off with purple rope and metal stanchions. Lily assumed that was where Jenny would sit to enjoy the concert and thought it was a great touch.

  The Void was going to be staged in the guest house on the far side of the property leading up to the concert. Christopher had told Lily earlier that he wanted her mingling with party guests and getting their reactions and expectations about seeing The Void, so she wouldn’t be waiting with the band like Nikki was. While that was fine, she had really hoped to talk to Dane before his performance. She couldn’t stand the thought of him being upset when she could fix it with a few words.

  She finally found her chance when he was stopped by a bold female in a catering uniform asking him for an autograph. Everyone else continued on as Dane and Trey stopped to interact with the female. Lily stood in the background waiting for Dane to wrap it up, all too aware of the House of Archer camera operators standing nearby.

  At last, the fan was called back to work and Dane turned to head up to the guest house. Lily hurried forward.

  “Dane, wait,” she said, having several heads turning over her use of his first name.

  Dane flicked a glance at her over his shoulder. “God, Lily,” he said with irritation biting through each word. “Give it a rest.”

  She stopped walking and just stared at his back for another minute until he reached the house and went inside. Mortification was far too mild a word for what she felt as the camera zeroed in on her face and several members of the catering team snickered or gave her belittling looks.

  So much for sparing Dane more stress, she thought bitterly.

  “I see you still haven’t made up with Archer,” Aria said as she approached, staring down the rude catering staff until they all went back to their duties.

  “Clearly,” Lily muttered. “When did you get here and why are you early?”

  “It’s entirely Sydney’s fault,” Aria said as she took Lily’s arm and led her towards a seating area next to the patio. “She told me the party started at five o’clock.”

  “It starts at six.”

  “So I’ve gathered.” Her lush, painted lips turned up into a smile. “I suppose I’ll just have to enjoy the unusual experience of being among the first to arrive.”

  “It’s usually awkward and boring.”

  “Not when I’m around.”

  Lily couldn’t argue that. Aria made her own entertainment.

  “Where’s Sydney?” Lily asked.

  “She forgot her driver’s license back at the hotel,” Aria replied, propping an elbow on the back of the rattan loveseat they were seated on. “She had to go back with Barney to get it. The suits out front wouldn’t let her loiter.”

  Lily winced. It was a thirty to forty-five minute drive back to the hotel at this time of day. “Guess that’s karma for lying to you.”

  “Indeed.” Aria searched Lily’s face as she toyed with the sparkling earring dangling from her earlobe. “Are you going to stay mad at her for a while?”

  After experiencing the day suffering Dane’s anger, Lily had no desire to put anyone else through that. She shook her head.

  “Sydney didn’t really mean to get me in trouble with Archer,” she acknowledged. “I pretty much managed to do that myself by trying to keep things from him.”

  Aria lifted an eyebrow. “I suppose so. I wonder what he’ll say when you tell him.”

  It took Lily a moment to realize Aria was being deliberately vague to ramp up some drama for the camera filming them. “I don’t know,” she replied, trying to look troubled. “I hope he understands. I don’t want to lose his friendship over this.”

  “He’s an artist,” Aria pointed out. “He’ll have to understand that the heart wants what the heart wants.”

  Lily stifled a grin. Damn, Aria was good at this double-speak stuff.

  “Wel
l, seems like you won’t be dealing with him for a while yet,” Aria said. “What do you want to do while we wait for guests to arrive?”

  “How about some social media cross promotion?” Lily suggested. Her model friend had a strong social media following, so some mentions about her being at a private Void event would benefit both of them.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  They had fun with it, taking photos, shooting mini-vids, and creating hashtags for the posts. Before too long, guests started filtering in. Aria took Lily along with her and showed her the ins and outs of hobnobbing.

  Most of the guests were either the many teenage girls in attendance or their family members. Lily met politicians, high-powered attorneys, doctors, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and, of course, actors. The last group was far and away the most fun and entertaining. Thanks to Aria’s subtle interrogation techniques, Lily learned that the actors were also stars of Sacred Grace. Never having watched the show, Lily found herself eager to check out a few episodes just based on some of the antics the stars revealed.

  The one star Lily had yet to meet was Rick Kingston himself. She caught glimpses of him and Jenny as they made their appearances as the party host and guest of honor, but before she could politely extricate herself from the conversation she was having and try to approach them, she lost sight of them.

  Dinner was scheduled for seven and the concert for eight. By the time the catering team prepared to open the buffet, the party was hopping with what seemed to be every single one of the two hundred invited guests.

  Lily made her way among them in hopes of finding Rick or Jenny. She hadn’t seen either of them in at least fifteen minutes, which was disheartening. She had promised Christopher that she would get an interview with Jenny at some point that evening and she figured it would be best to do it before dinner and the concert, maybe following it up with a reaction after the concert ended. It would be hard to conduct an interview if she never found Jenny, however.

  Her investigative nature took over. Glancing around and seeing that the closest House of Archer camera operator had turned to film some of the party-goers, Lily hurried after a catering person who entered the house through a service door. She felt like a thief as she caught the door before it closed and then tiptoed behind the oblivious catering person, peeling off to head deeper into the house as the catering person entered the kitchen. The words, “I was looking for the bathroom,” ran through her head like the refrain of a song.

  Her heart pounded as she slipped through a formal dining room done in elegant black and white and then a living room that looked like it had fallen out of a magazine before edging over to a hallway on the other side. The lure of voices, one a male and one an obviously distraught female, lured her closer.

  “Jenny, you’re imagining things,” Lily overheard the male say.

  “No, I’m not,” the female cried. “No one is here for me. They’re all ogling you and hoping to meet the band. Do you know how many people have actually wished me happy birthday? Four, and one of them was you. The other three immediately asked if they could meet the band.”

  “Jenny—”

  “Just leave me alone, Ricky. No one will notice that I’m not there.”

  Lily’s heart went out to the girl. What an awful way to feel on your sixteenth birthday.

  Thinking quickly, she moved back down the hallway and slid into a corner of the living room. She called Aria, praying her friend picked up.

  “Lily?” Aria said after three rings. “Where in the world are you?”

  “I’m inside the house,” Lily whispered. “I need you and a camera in here ASAP.”

  A sound from the adjoining room had Lily ending the call before her friend could reply. Just as she stuffed her cell phone into her purse, a male server appeared from out of a door she hadn’t noticed. Judging by the fact that he was adjusting his bowtie, she figured he had been in a bathroom fixing his appearance. He frowned when he saw her and opened his mouth, probably to ask who she was.

  “Excuse me,” she said in a voice that carried. “Can you please direct me to the birthday girl?”

  The server’s frown eased into a confused look. He merely shrugged and continued at a brisk pace out of the room. As Lily had hoped, Rick Kingston strode out of the hallway she had abandoned.

  Wowzers, she thought. No freaking wonder this guy was considered such a heartthrob. With his raven-black hair, chiseled good looks, and eyes that could only be described as molten silver, he made a powerful impact on the senses. Of course, right now he looked like he wanted to pummel someone.

  She gave him her sunniest smile in hopes it would disarm him. “Mr. Kingston, hello,” she said, extending a hand. “I’m Lily Montgomery and I’m the social media manager for The Void. How do you do?”

  He scanned her with obvious suspicion, but accepted her handshake as his gaze fell on her press pass. “How do I do? Can’t say I’ve ever been greeted that way before.”

  That embarrassing little gem had just slipped out, but Lily had to roll with it. “Sets me apart, don’t you think?” she asked with a little wink.

  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Charmed, I’m sure,” he said, bending over her hand in an old-fashioned manner that mimicked her dated greeting.

  Oh, yes. She could easily see why the ladies were so enamored with him.

  “I’m looking for Jenny,” she told him. “I’d love to do an interview with her for our blog and get her to guest post on social media for a while this evening.”

  He looked surprised. “Ah, okay. I’m going to need a minute on that.”

  “Of course,” Lily replied.

  She watched him head back down the hallway and started counting the seconds. She hadn’t even reached ten before she heard a horrified exclamation.

  “What? Look at me, Ricky! Do I look ready to be on camera? Forget about it!”

  Lily knew by Rick’s expression when he again came into view that he was about to apologize and insist that she leave. She also knew that wasn’t really what Jenny needed.

  “I know what you’re about to say, Mr. Kingston,” Lily said in a professional tone. “But I promise you everything will be fine. I won’t take any photos or video until Jenny is ready.”

  Then, surprising even herself, she plowed down the hallway before he could object.

  She found Jenny’s bedroom a short distance down the hall on the left. Fortunately the door was open. Lily opted to knock on the doorframe to announce her presence.

  “Oh my God,” Jenny shrieked when she saw her, holding up a hand as though to block her ravaged face from an invading camera. Then she did a double-take. “Wait. Lily Montgomery?”

  Rick charged up to Lily and grabbed her arm. “What the hell do you think you’re—”

  Lily let out a yelp and pulled her arm from Rick’s grasp, rubbing the bruise he had injured.

  “It’s okay, Ricky,” Jenny said, rising from her bed with gathering excitement. “Do you know who this is? This is Lily Montgomery!”

  Rick didn’t seem to know what to say. He looked startled over Lily’s abrupt reaction to his touch, confused over who on earth Lily was, and pleased over his sister’s obvious excitement.

  “No, I...I’m sorry if I hurt you, Lily,” he said at last.

  She waved that off. “It’s okay. I injured myself yesterday and it’s still a little sore.”

  “Was it on the Xtreme Highflyer?” Jenny asked, bouncing a little on her feet. “Were you as scared as you sounded? What was it like being so close to Archer? Is he as ripped as he looks in photos or is that all Photoshop?”

  Well that explained how Jenny knew her, Lily thought, fighting embarrassment. The teen had been among the now twenty thousand fans who had viewed the video from the day before.

  Rick rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “I’m not hearing this.”

  Lily laughed. “Why don’t you give us a little girl time? Oh, and would you clear my friend and the camera person who’s with her
when they get inside?”

  Seeing that Jenny wasn’t objecting, Rick smiled. “Sure.”

  “It’s so cool that you’re standing in my bedroom,” Jenny said as her brother left.

  “I’m excited to be here. Today is all about you, Jenny. The Void and I want you to feel special.”

  Jenny’s smile vanished in a blink. “I’m not special. I’m the sister of someone who’s special, which isn’t the same thing at all.”

  Moving into the white and purple bedroom, Lily brushed her fingers over a silver-framed photo of Jenny and her family sitting on her dresser. “That’s a load of crap,” she said conversationally. “My best friend is a rock star and another of my friends is a professional model, but that doesn’t make me any less special.”

  “You mean Archer?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “Seriously?” That had Jenny’s attention. “And you’re friends with a model?”

  “Yep.” Lily’s gaze moved over the assorted music and fashion magazines scattered over the teen’s bed and nightstand. “In fact, she’s waiting out there to fix your hair and makeup before the concert as our gift to you.”

  At least I hope she is, Lily silently added. Jenny’s eyes went so wide that Lily fought another laugh.

  “I’ll go check and see where she is.”

  Lily headed up the hallway and saw Aria speaking with Rick in the living room, a camera operator standing to the side looking bored. Her friend excused herself when she spotted Lily, walking over to meet Lily near the hallway’s entrance.

  “Are you going to explain any of this to me later?” Aria asked under her breath.

  “Of course,” Lily whispered back, keeping her smile in place since Rick was observing. “Just please rescue Jenny.”

  Aria studied her for one more beat and then nodded. She walked down the hallway and paused when she reached Jenny’s bedroom.

  “You must be Jenny,” Aria said. “I’m—”

  “Aria Simpson!” Jenny squealed.

  Lily smiled. Jenny would be in great hands.

  She glanced up as Rick approached. The camera quickly swiveled into action, but she ignored it, focusing on the actor.