Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HARMONY
What with Cheryl Weaver’s sneering attitude toward Preston, Harmony would have thought the way she’d been spending time with him would be like rubbing Cheryl-repellant all over herself. But apparently Cheryl’s desire to girlboss her way through everything going on in town was even stronger. Which was how Harmony found herself surrounded by the self-approving chatter of the Brookville Business Association’s social hour and struggling through the chewiest bite of calamari ever, or possibly a deep-fried deflated balloon.
She gave a closed-mouth smile to Ellie Vickes, one of Cheryl’s friends, whose California fusion tavern was hosting the business association’s monthly meeting. Harmony made a mental note, as Ellie zipped off ordering waiters around, to keep seafood off the menu when they did the paperwork for their booth at the festival.
Cheryl had insisted on introducing Harmony to several business owners she approved of, and Harmony at least could round out her list for the food stalls and supply orders with these wealthy proprietors who would put heavy pressure on Travis when the time came.
The mayor was talking nearby with Ellie’s husband Raymond, a tall, dark-haired guy with incredibly hairy forearms that made Harmony glad he wasn’t in the kitchen tonight. They were discussing franchising, which apparently Travis was all about. “I’m telling you, Raymond, that’s where the money is. You’re never going to be big time working for yourself. Get others working for you.”
“You mean besides Ellie?” They both laughed. “Profit margins are too slim.”
Travis shook his head ruefully, tone turning bitter. “I hear you, man, after all those cybersex rumors about my place, investors have been skittish. I’m still doing damage control. I’d planned to launch our expansion without liquidating any of my own funds.” He took a long draw of his drink, and the conversation turned to the house brew, which he and Raymond were each half a pint into. All around, men and women in blazers and button-downs and sheath dresses, expensive watches and flashy jewelry, drank the blond ale or complicated cocktails and munched on appetizers, as the evening outside the wall of windows settled into darkness.
Harmony finally swallowed down the calamari, ready to tackle another potential festival investor, but Cheryl swept back up to her where she stood by the spread, a nearly empty glass of white in hand. “Well, you seem to have met most everyone worth meeting tonight!”
“I’m very grateful for your guidance.” Appealing to Cheryl was all about balance. Treating her like an inspiration while maintaining her own aspirational allure of connected and cool.
“That’s what the business association is for, making the right connections.” She raised her glass in acknowledgment, then added, as an afterthought, “And of course our important work giving back to the community.”
Harmony let her irritation with how Cheryl really treated important parts of the community turn into a conspiratorial scrunch of her nose. “That and these amazing little bites!” She held up the plate of calamari. “You’ve got to try one. Absolutely worth it.”
Harmony said a silent thanks to all that wine as Cheryl actually popped one into her bright-pink mouth.
Preston was busy giving lessons tonight, but Harmony wished she could see the way he’d fight the smile off his face watching Cheryl slowly realize the pickle she was in, clinging to her pleasant expression as her eyes went just the tiniest bit frantic.
Thinking of Preston also made Harmony wish she could drag him off somewhere she could rub a lot more of him all over herself.
Travis drifted over to his wife just then, squashing any thoughts but revenge, and Cheryl grabbed a napkin to dab daintily at her still full mouth.
Back to business. Harmony beamed at Travis. She’d still love to get him on the hook for more of his own cash. Really scrub those accounts spotless in the end. “Lovely to see everyone’s excitement about the festival.” She tilted her head toward Cheryl. “Excited about what we can give back as well.” Like every bit of pain Travis had cost her dad.
Cheryl nodded emphatically, trying and failing not to look like she was chewing a mouthful of rubber bands.
“I don’t know, Miss Hale.” Travis shifted his weight, taking a leisurely pull of his drink. “I’ll be very interested to see who this headliner of yours is.”
“Of course, you got your start in music, so you know that the right artist is the key to hooking audiences, and I know you’ll especially appreciate the caliber of performer we’ve partnered with, and just how important that is to the success of this venture.”
Travis sucked his teeth. “I’ve heard the pitch from everyone in town, even over my own damn dinner table. I’m still not convinced this whole thing’s going to be anything more than a giant drain on my city.”
What the hell? She’d thought she had Travis squared away. She’d already been out to the festival site getting quotes from contractors for clearing the fields of stumps and setting up fencing, major expenses for making this all seem real, and tonight had set meetings with potential key suppliers, shifting into working on all the other businesses that would be drawn into the scheme and push Travis into her trap. If he got it in his head to try to pull the plug on the festival after they started actual work and she began taking vendor payments, that could leave her in a sticky position with some of the contracts she’d be using to fund the rest of the grift, trying to cover everyone’s investments herself. And she never left community members holding the bag, only her deserving targets. Travis causing trouble—throwing up municipal red tape, warning friends off of investing—would ruin the momentum she needed to drive this con home and make it that much harder to get him on board in the end.
For a split second, Harmony debated laughing Travis’s concerns off, but decided if he was still dragging his feet on the festival, he’d respond better to the serious touch. “Now, Mr. Mayor, the documentation of our past successes should reassure you—”
He shook his head. “I’ve been checking over everything you’ve supplied, and went looking online at some of your festivals.”
Thank god for Alice and her expert internet fakery. “And so you must have seen how our events are anchors of the communities where we’ve worked.”
“Anchors can drag a ship down, Miss Hale. There’s still time to pull the brakes before this train leaves the station, if you don’t live up to all your promises.”
Lips pursed, Cheryl made a noise of protest and flapped her napkin.
Harmony refused to be deterred, despite Travis’s questionable and mixed metaphors, giving him her savviest smile. “I get it, you didn’t get where you are today by doing anything by half. I’d be happy to reach out to representatives at some of the municipalities where Rhythmic has done events, ask them for letters of recommendation as it were—”
“A meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Video call. Let’s hear it direct.”
“Of course, excellent idea!” She tilted her head at Cheryl. “That’s why they made him mayor, right?”
“This week should work for me,” Travis said. “Call my girl at the office.”
By “girl,” Harmony assumed he meant the fortysomething mother of three she’d chatted with while getting some details about traffic regulations nailed down the other week, who was clearly the one actually keeping the city running. Harmony’s smile was tight over her teeth. “No problem. I’ll get my best intern on it.” She cast another knowing look to Cheryl, who choked down her calamari to gush about Nina’s leadership and organizational skills and all the colleges she’d be applying to next year and all the plans Cheryl and Travis had for her career in politics. That let Harmony spend half her mental focus thinking through how she was going to pull off Travis’s request.
It kept her busy the next few days, planning with Alice, putting together an online profile for a city councilor—who looked remarkably like an older, stuffier Alice—whose little city outside Indianapolis hosted a family folk fest. They seeded the information artfully online, in case Travis decided to do any more digging. Thanks to Travis’s demands, Harmony didn’t get a chance to see Preston, but that was the business, always putting out one fire or another. This was nothing compared to the time she’d had to hire a gospel choir last second to show up and sing to convince that handsy pastor to trust her with his church’s investment in the Christian music festival. Or when she found an overnight veterinarian to put a cast on her arm because the millionaire real estate bro she was charming out of his portfolio had decided they’d discuss business details after skydiving. Something about bonding through adrenaline. Too bad Harmony slipped in her hotel’s bath and couldn’t make it after all! She still managed to close the deal and put an end to the guy’s illegally evicting entire communities from their gentrifying neighborhoods. Hiccups always came at some point in a job. Harmony did not panic—and that was partly because Harmony never did stupid shit like jumping out of freaking planes.
Alice, however, was panicking just a little as Harmony did her hair and makeup over at her place before zipping down to Travis’s office to take her call from Indiana. “You know I’m not the greatest at the lying stuff.” She fidgeted in her desk chair near the window under the slanted roof. Alice had rented a furnished studio above a game store at the fringe of downtown, its entrance up a flight of stairs tucked into the garden alley behind a line of small shops and offices.
“Please.” Harmony brushed some more eyeshadow over Alice’s lids. With the boring color and her usual cat’s eye swoop tamed to a conservative line, plus the updo Harmony had already pouffed her hair into, she’d gain ten years on her twenty-three. It would be convincing enough over video, especially with only the indirect sun at the window for lighting and the poor connection Alice had devised. “I’ve seen you go all in with a pair of fives and scare an entire table of grown men into letting you get away with their money.”
“Poker table’s different. And background support for you, sure. That’s not what I mean. One on one with Travis? I can’t steer things the way you can.” She kicked her sneaker against the chair leg. “Conversations get away from me.”
“You know this stuff inside and out. You just have to tell him about it.” Harmony dabbed some staid maroon lip matte on Alice’s tense mouth. “Plus, you won’t be alone. I’ll be right there beside Travis.”
A knock came at the door.
Harmony frowned at Alice. “Does anyone even know you live here?”
She shrugged, the shoulder pads of her blue business suit shifting. “Maybe it’s Gary from downstairs? He mentioned inviting me to his D&D campaign …” She rose and went to check the peephole. “ It’s Evan .” Alice spun, wide-eyed. “What is he doing here?”
“Stalking you, apparently?” Harmony wiped her pigment-stained hands on a tissue. “Get rid of him!”
“But—” Alice pouted. “Biceps. And that adorable belly of his. I just wanna curl up and take a nap on him. After I wear myself out doing other things on him. Which I’ll never get to do if I brush him off.”
“Alice! I have to be at town hall in fifteen minutes. And you have to be in Indiana !” The one full-height wall across from Alice’s desk would serve as an office backdrop, with a few framed pictures of park events and commendations they’d slapped up earlier. Her bed wouldn’t show in the frame.
“Alice?” came a rich baritone from outside.
Alice wrung her hands, looking ready to run in circles. “He must have seen me!”
“Maybe he’s canvassing for souls or something.” Harmony raced for the bathroom. “Tell him yours is already saved. Backed up to the cloud. Just get him out of here.” She pulled the bathroom door halfway shut to block herself from Evan’s line of sight just as Alice turned the deadbolt.
“Evan! Hi!”
There was a pause before Evan said, “Hi. You look—awfully nice today. Got a date?”
Alice patted her hair with a grimace. “Job interview.” Which started in like ten minutes.
“Oh.” Harmony could hear the relief in Evan’s voice. She peered through the bathroom door hinges to see him dressed in another nice button-down and shorts, holding something in both hands. He did have a cute belly, and sheesh, the man had legs like tree trunks.
“So,” Alice said, wedged in the doorway. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Evan winced. “Hope it’s okay I stopped by. Gary mentioned at service last week you were renting in the building.” Small towns were going to be the death of Harmony. “And the other day you mentioned you were still settling in and didn’t even have a corkscrew yet. So I thought—”
Alice grabbed the offered corkscrew. “That’s super nice of you, thanks.”
“I thought maybe we could …” A bottle of wine dangled in his other hand, but Alice was inching back inside, the door still hiding most of the apartment, and he stiffened. “Sorry. Do you have company? I should go.” Harmony thanked whatever saints this man prayed to for giving Alice the perfect out.
But Alice shook her head hard enough to put the structural integrity of that French twist in jeopardy. “No, no company.”
Evan made a sheepish shrug, running a hand over his short dark hair. “I thought I heard you talking to someone.”
“Just practicing. It’s a really important interview.”
His mouth pulled into a smile. “So you’re thinking of getting out of the coffee game? What kind of job?”
“Public works.”
“That’s amazing.” Evan’s eyes lit with a twinkle of true enthusiasm. “You’d be great. Helping people. Do you need a ride there or anything?”
“It’s a video interview.”
He grinned down at Alice’s sneakers and suit. “I’m surprised you have pants on. I mean—” His gaze jumped back to Alice’s face, his own flushing. “I meant, I’m surprised you put pants on. Suit pants.” He swallowed. “Your pants look really nice.”
He looked like he was considering cracking open that wine right now and guzzling it. Harmony could certainly use a drink watching this train wreck.
“Yeah,” Alice said after a moment. “It’s in Indiana.”
“Indi—so, like, back east?”
“Yeah,” Alice repeated, before offering, “the Hoosier State.” This conversation was definitely getting away from her. It was making a break for the state line. Approaching the outer atmosphere.
“So maybe not settling in after all?” You didn’t have to be an expert at body language like Harmony was to tell how crestfallen he was at the idea.
“Oh, you know,” Alice said like she’d just murdered his puppy but was trying to make light of it. “I move around a lot.”
Evan’s brow flexed with thought. “Must be late there.”
Alice gave a weak laugh. “Which is why I’d better get to it!”
“Of course.” Evan stepped back. “Good luck!”
“Thanks. Thanks for stopping by. And for this.” She waggled the corkscrew, almost stabbing Evan, who took another step back. If he fell down the steps, Harmony was going to give herself away when she screamed out of frustration.
“Okay, bye.” Finally Evan turned and disappeared down the stairs.
“Goodbye!” Alice carefully shut the door. She walked over to Harmony, emerging from her hiding place, and dropped her head against her shoulder. “Goodbye, dream of using Evan as a giant Totoro nap pillow.”
Harmony patted her back affectionately. “You are so weird.” She gave Alice a bracing shake by the shoulders. “But the show must go on.” Alice groaned into her blazer before raising her head and nodding.
The curtain went up at Travis’s office, where he and Harmony took Alice’s call at the conference table to one side of the room. Alice had pulled herself together and was perfectly in character. Despite her worries about directing marks without them catching on, she was great at playing a part, and they’d rehearsed their opening. “Hey, there’s our superstar.”
Harmony beamed at Travis’s screen. “Melissa! How’s the outdoor gear game?
“Not bad.” Alice pitched her voice lower than her typical chirp, and even managed a Midwest accent that only veered a little into Canadian. “We just opened a new flagship in Indianapolis.”
“Congratulations!”
Alice tapped her pen and nodded. “Franchising hasn’t slowed down.”
Travis perked up from where he’d been resting his chin on a propped fist. “Franchising?” They’d let him stew, ignored him just long enough to feel excluded but not to sink into complete irritation. And dropped this bait to get him to come to them.
But they weren’t going to come on too strong. Harmony waved a hand. “Oh, sorry, we should get to city business. Mayor Weaver here is very strict about keeping his public duties and private work separate.”
“Very noble of you.” Alice smiled. The barest trace of a smirk. Let him worry he was missing out without making him angry. This had to be his idea. “Well, I’m certainly happy to share with you all about our experience working with Rhythmic.”
“It’s been beneficial to your town?”
Alice let out a convincing surprised laugh. “Oh, yes. I can definitely say that. I had my girl pull together the numbers from this last year—” She rattled off a few key figures. “That last one, the wider impact survey, really shows the financial snowball effect. Though I guess you don’t get too much snow out there, huh?”
Harmony made a polite affirmative laugh. Travis, though, barely flashed a brief smile. More like baring his teeth. Normally Harmony would’ve gotten a guy to speak with him, because he was more likely to take men as trustworthy and knowledgeable, but she didn’t want to reach out to her networks, not with Zach’s probation coming up and the need to keep invisible heightened. Besides, there’d been no time.
She could only wait and see how Alice managed. Councilor Melissa’s expression turned pensive. “We have to make do during our nice months. It means a lot, having an event like this, not just as a draw for the city, but for the sense of community it’s built.” And dang, she was doing just fine, because even Harmony felt convinced—and again wondered if she was doing enough to pay back all the people, all the kids, whose hopes and efforts were the engine of her scheme. Normally her cons prevented real harm by taking down their targets, and Travis and Cheryl were real dirtbags with too much influence, but this was also personal. She shook off the thought as Alice cocked a brow. “Though the economic boost is nothing to sneeze at. I admit, once Miss Hale started working her magic here, I figured, everyone else in town was getting a lift from the festival, the real unfairness would be denying my business the same. My employees. My investors.”
Travis tapped his knuckles against his lips, before saying, “I’ve had some interest in taking my virtual reality arcade wider.”
“You should jump on that if you can,” Alice advised. “Franchising’s turned my business into a self-running moneymaker. Left me so much more time to focus on my public service.”
Travis shifted in his seat. “Wish I could. Things weren’t helped with the recent questions going around about the nature of the entertainment.” He shot Harmony a dark look.
Harmony met it with a thoughtful smile of her own, as if they were ruminating on a problem together. You had to let negativity like that glide right past you. “You know, our festival would be the perfect opportunity to showcase your business to investors. You could have a whole tent, let people come in and experience what you offer, let the money men see the engagement. Good family fun. Just like the festival.”
Travis dropped his arm to the table and leaned forward. His graying brows rose. “My own tent?”
Harmony kept the smile she felt locked away, deep inside. It was a smile between her and her dad. “A big one.”
She let Alice feed Travis more metrics about partner businesses’ sales, but she could already read her success in the mayor’s body language.
As Travis might say, this ship was leaving the station, with him on board.