Change in Harmony (A Silver Script Novel Book 4) (5 page)

“I still trust you to come up with it. Take a few days and tour the Irish memorials here to learn more about my people. I’ll be back at your office on Monday, and we’ll discuss where we want to go from there.” Mr. Byrne dropped a pamphlet on the table. “Call me if you have any questions.”

“All right. I’ll see you Monday, then.” Nate dropped some cash on the table and stood, feeling dismissed. His head spun as he went back outside to find a cab. What had just happened? Just a couple of hours before, he was sure that the contract was going perfectly, and then he was told it wasn’t what they wanted. Anger and frustration flowed through him as he stood in the light snow that had begun to fall. And where were the taxis? It wasn’t even all that late.

After waiting for another minute, Nate swore and went to find the subway entrance. He’d only been in that part of the city a few times, and he had no idea what line he was even supposed to get on. The angry thoughts of a wasted evening beat against his head with each step he took. Snow dropped down the back of his collar, and it made him angrier. No one had rejected his work like this before.

The idea of going to work in the morning with this mess over his head was irritating, but he had no choice. There were other contracts he had to work on. Maybe he could pass on this account and let someone else deal with it.

The subway platform was full when Nate finally made it down to the train. He checked the schedule to find the best route home, and one of the stops stuck out to him. Three stops down he could get off and go to Eddie’s bar. Maybe he could get lucky and find another date there. At least then the night wouldn’t be totally wasted.

Allison bowed and waved at the crowd. The bar was full again that night, and she recognized several familiar faces from the past shows.

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Allison went backstage to put her guitar into her case. Her throat was parched from singing, and she looked forward to a drink with Eddie and Sam before heading home.

The crowd had thinned out while she’d been in the back, and it was easier to get to the bar. She dropped into a seat next to Sam. “I’m parched. Please tell me you ordered me a drink.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sam gestured behind Allison. “I don’t have to say anything. You order a ginger ale after every concert.”

Eddie set a large glass in front of Allison. “Great job. You really had them going during that last song. Another new one?”

“Yeah, I wrote it last night.” She didn't mention that it had something to do with a guy she’d met on the subway a week ago. She took a drink of her ginger ale, relishing the burning as the ginger went down her throat. It was exactly what she needed.

“Whoa, slow down. You’re going to choke.” Eddie laughed. “Want another one?”

Allison nodded and stood. “Just bring it out. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She weaved through tables toward the bathroom and stopped in her tracks when she saw Nate sitting at the bar with a blonde girl hanging on his every word. He looked up just then and stopped talking.

Allison jumped, pushing herself to keep going for the bathroom. He wasn’t worth it. They’d barely even talked. But curse those blue eyes and his crooked smile. They still got her heart racing. Allison washed her hands and stared into the mirror, trying to convince herself that she was fine without him. After all, she’d already survived twenty-three years with no Nate in her life.

But when he still sat at the bar when she left the bathroom, she knew it was a hopeless cause. She pushed past him and sat next to Sam.

“What has you all flustered?” Sam asked.

“Nothing. Ready to go?” Allison downed the glass Eddie had refilled for her and immediately regretted it as it burned and made her eyes water.

Eddie sat next to Sam, setting his arm on her chair. “Don’t tell me you need another drink already?”

Allison sputtered, trying to catch her breath. “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You’ve met my friend, Nate.” Eddie nodded toward Nate as he sat next to Allison.

“Yeah, I’ve met him.” The room suddenly seemed to be lacking in oxygen, and Allison couldn’t help checking her hair. She had to be a mess after the performance.

Nate leaned forward, accidentally bumping into Allison. “She hasn’t quite forgiven me, and I don’t blame her. I was kind of a jerk.”

“Kind of? You ditched me. Speaking of which, where’s the blonde girl?” Allison snapped. She could have kicked herself for how she treated him, but he was infuriating. And gorgeous. A very annoying combination.

“She had other plans. Besides, she wasn’t my type.” Nate played with the straw wrapper that sat on the table.

Allison snorted. “So, she had class?”

“Allison, stop it,” Sam hissed.

“No, she’s right.” Nate stood and threw some cash on table. “That’s for my drink. See you later.”

Allison watched him stalk out of the bar, and instantly felt terrible for how she treated him. She caught the look on Sam’s face. “Yeah, I know.”

Before Eddie or Sam could say anything else, she stood and grabbed her things, then ran out of the bar. The crowd on the streets had lessened and she could see Nate’s head towering over the others around him.

“Nate!” she called out. When he didn’t turn, she hurried after him. “Nate, please stop.”

A few other heads turned, but Nate kept walking. With a growl of frustration, she pushed past people until she was nearly to him. This time, when she called for him, he turned. The look of surprise turned to a glare.

“Wait, please stop.” Allison ran the last couple of yards and stopped, trying to catch her breath. “I’m sorry. I was rude.”

Nate took Allison’s guitar from her. “You’re not the only one. Where are you headed?”

“Home, I guess. It’s a few blocks away. I can take that.” She reached out to take the guitar, but he pulled it away.

“I’ll take it. It’s the least I can do after ditching you.” He gestured for her to walk and then caught up to her. “You sang great tonight.”

“Thanks. How long were you there?” Visions of him with the blonde made her cringe, but she pushed it away.

Nate shrugged. “I caught a few songs. I’ve never heard a few of them before.”

“They were mine.” Allison turned the corner and stopped at her apartment. “This is me. Thanks for walking me home.”

“You’re welcome.” He handed back the guitar. “See you tomorrow.”

Allison hesitated. “Are you okay? I mean, besides me being rude.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just had a crazy day that turned into a disaster.” Nate shoved his hands into his pockets.

Allison should have just let it go. But she couldn’t. She knew those bad days all too well. “Anything I can do to help?”

“I doubt it. I mean, not that I don’t want it. I just have to start all over on a project and I have no clue where to even begin.” Nate ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end.

“Well, maybe it’ll help to bounce some ideas off someone.” Allison smiled. “Want to talk about it?”

Nate hesitated. “I guess.”

“I just need to drop off my stuff and then we can go somewhere else to talk.” Allison fumbled with the keys and shoved them in the lock. “I’ll be right down.”

Nate frowned. “Maybe I’ll go. I need to get to work.”

“I thought you were stuck.” Allison’s finger hovered over the elevator up to her room.

“I am. I just can’t afford to just sit here.”

Allison rolled her eyes. “I’ll be three minutes at the most. That is, if the elevator works.”

The elevator opened and Allison stepped in. The groan as it started up matched her own. She really needed to start taking the stairs. It wouldn’t take any longer.

She unlocked the door and dropped her stuff in her room. A quick glance at the mirror told her she needed to brush her hair. She quickly redid the ponytail, and then reapplied her makeup and put on a dab of perfume. They were talking business, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look her best while she helped him.

As the elevator door opened, Allison half expected Nate to be gone, but he stood across the hallway staring at one of the tacky paintings the apartment had put up. He turned and smiled, his dimples showing.

“Ready?” Allison adjusted her jacket to protect herself from the cold.

“I guess so.”

“So what is this campaign you’re working on?” Allison sat on one of the old chairs in the lobby and patted the one next to her.

Nate sat down and pulled out his phone. “Ever heard of Bróga Shoes?”

Allison’s eyes widened. “They’re your client? I love their shoes.”

“You and the rest of the country. Anyway, I had this great campaign all put together, and we had the shoot today.” Nate handed her his phone with pictures from the shoot. He went on to explain everything that Mr. Byrne had said.

Allison took the phone away from him. “These look great. But I can see what he means. While it’s good, this commercial is pretty much like every other shoe commercial out there.”

Nate took the phone and shoved it back into his pocket. “I just can’t figure out what I want to do that will embrace his background.”

“You just have to do what he suggested and visit a few places that were established by the Irish. I bet you can come up with something that way.”

“I know. I just don’t know where to start. And besides, I have other clients who need me.” Nate leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

Allison stood and held out a hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Nate took her hand and stood.

“Just wait.” Allison led him out of the building and headed north. “I had to study this in high school, and it stuck with me. The Irish played a big part in the building of the city, so there are several locations to choose from.”

“Are you from here?” he asked.

Allison shook her head. “No, I just had a teacher who was obsessed with anything Celtic, including those who immigrated to the US. Oh, here we are.”

The small bar was nearly empty when they went inside. Music played in the background, and the bartender waved as she walked past. “You’re out late.”

“Hey, Philip. Just teaching my friend a little history.” Allison gestured toward Nate. “We won’t be long.”

The bartender nodded and wiped down the bar in front of him. Allison made her way to the back and found a booth for them to sit.

“So, do you know everyone in the area?” Nate laughed.

“Nope, but Sam and I come here when we’re sick of studying for finals, or want to get out of the apartment.” She set her purse next to her on the bench and folded her arms on the table.

Nate glanced around the room. “What does this have to do with the Irish culture?”

“This building was built by the Irish, but really, I just wanted one of their Irish Roses.” Allison smiled up at Philip, who had brought her a drink. “Thanks. Can you get one for him as well?”

“Irish Rose?” Nate raised his eyebrows. “If we’d wanted drinks, we should have stayed at Eddie’s.”

“Trust me.” She took a sip of her drink. “The real Irish Rose has whiskey in it, but we like this version, and he makes the best. Usually it’s for kids, but we stumbled onto it when we needed a serious study break.”

Philip set the drink in front of Nate. “Enjoy.”

Nate took a drink and rubbed his jaw. “Aw, man. That’s sour.”

Allison laughed. “Yeah, it is. But you get used to it.”

“I can see why you drink it. Talk about a wake up call.” He took another drink.

“Now, let’s make this happen. If you want my help, we can visit a few of the places to help you learn a little more about the culture. Or I can just tell you where they are and you can figure it out yourself.” Allison had a couple of classes in the morning, but she was always up for a tour of the city.

Nate stared down at his drink for a moment before looking up into her eyes. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because I’m a decent human being?” Allison smiled. “My guess is that you do the same thing with every single ad. You look at what sells best, throw it together, and then present it. It’s just not quite as easy this time because he wants you to think. Right?”

“I put more thought into it than just throwing it together. I have to study that particular line and what works best. But yes, it’s usually something similar. But that’s why I’m one of the top agents for Silver Script.”

Allison could tell she’d hit a nerve, and she tried to feel bad for it, but she’d just proven her point. She leaned forward. “You’re the top agent because you can sell your campaign. Not necessarily because it’s the best idea. From what I could see of your shoot today, it’s a commercial that anyone would be happy with. Now he just wants more—I don’t blame him.”

Nate’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know anything about advertising? Or are you just arguing to argue?”

“Just arguing. But I also know that I’m right. Give his idea a chance. I’m assuming you can’t afford to lose him as a client. It’s time to stretch your usual methods and do something completely different. That’s what it’s all about, right? Finding the newest and greatest way to sell something so people don’t forget that brand?”

“Well, yes. But he should have told me that from the beginning. We put a lot of work and money into the shoot today.” Nate pushed his drink away.

Allison nodded. “You’re right. But it’s possible that it took seeing it for him to realize how important it was to go the other way.”

Nate studied her for a moment. “Maybe. But I still have no idea what to do.”

“I have two classes in the morning and then I can go with you. That is, if you’re willing to let me go.”

Nate’s eyebrows shot up. “You have classes? Where are you going to school?”

“Columbia University.”

“Wow. That’s great. My sister wanted to go there. How about if I meet you around eleven?”

“That works. Meet me in the arts building and we can head out.” Allison pulled out her wallet and grabbed some cash for her drink. “I better get to bed. Do you know your way back to the subway from here?”

Nate stood. “I’ll be fine. And thank you.”

Allison smiled. “Of course.”

They walked out of the bar together and parted ways. Allison looked back to watch Nate walk around the corner. This wasn’t how she’d planned to end her night, but it had been exactly what she needed.