Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
The next evening, Melody stared at her laptop screen, the cursor blinking mockingly at her.
The words that usually flowed so easily were stuck somewhere between her brain and her fingers.
Instead of her characters' voices, all she heard was Nate's low chuckle, all she saw were his blue eyes crinkled with laughter.
She typed a sentence, deleted it, typed another. Her protagonist, Olivia, was supposed to be having a heated argument with her love interest, but all Melody could think about was the way Nate's hand skimmed hers at the literary event.
After an hour of this torture, she gave up. Clearly, her muse had gone on vacation and left a Nate-shaped distraction in its place. She needed reinforcements.
She grabbed her phone and dialed Hannah's number. Hannah picked up on the third ring, her voice chipper.
"Melly Mel! To what do I owe the pleasure? Don't tell me you've finally decided to let me set you up with my yoga instructor."
Melody snorted. "Sorry to disappoint, but my love life is complicated enough at the moment. Twisting myself in pretzels for the fun of it sounds like more complication than I can handle.”
"Ooh," Hannah cooed. "Spill the tea, girl. Is this about the dreamy editor?"
Melody groaned, flopping back onto her couch. "Is it that obvious?"
"Honey, you've been obsessing over Nate Carlisle for weeks. I'm surprised you haven't started doodling his name in little hearts all over your manuscript."
"I'm not that bad," Melody protested weakly.
Hannah's laugh crackled through the phone. “It’s a good thing you’re better at writing fiction than you are at telling it. Now, what's got you all twisted up? Did something happen at that literary event?"
Melody sighed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Nothing... and everything. We went for dinner afterwards. And we talked. We laughed. We had these intense discussions about literature and creativity. And then there was this moment..."
"A moment?" Hannah prompted when Melody trailed off.
"Yeah, you know. One of those moments where the world seems to stop, and you're hyper-aware of every little detail. The way he smells, how freaking blue his eyes are, how big his hands are…”
"Wow," Hannah breathed. "That's... that's not nothing, Mel. That's definitely something."
Melody growled out loud, covering her face with a throw pillow. "I know! And that's the problem. He's my editor, Hannah. We're supposed to have a professional relationship."
"Says who? "Last time I checked, there's no law against editors and authors falling for each other. In fact, I bet it happens all the time. It's probably a whole subgenre of romance novels."
"Great, so I'm a walking cliché."
"Hey, clichés become clichés for a reason. They resonate with people. Now, let's break this down. What are the pros and cons of pursuing something with Nate?"
Melody sat up, grabbing a notepad. "Okay, pros: He's intelligent, funny, passionate about literature. He challenges me creatively. He's supportive of my vision for my book. And, well, he's not exactly hard on the eyes."
Hannah whistled. "Sounds like a keeper to me. What about the cons?"
Melody chewed on her pen, thinking. "He's my editor, so there's a power imbalance.
If things go south, it could jeopardize my career.
His father is the CEO of Carlisle Publishing, which adds another layer of complication.
And... I'm scared, Hannah. What if I'm misreading things?
What if I'm just another author to him?"
"Melody Archer," Hannah said sternly. "I've known you since college. You're many things, but 'just another' anything isn't one of them. From what you've told me, it's clear Nate sees you as something special."
Melody felt a warmth spread through her chest at her friend's words. "You think so?"
"I know so. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
Melody sighed, looking at her abandoned manuscript. "Nothing, for now. I've got a deadline looming, and I can't afford to be distracted. I need to focus on my work."
Hannah made a disappointed noise. "Are you sure? Having a career doesn’t mean a fine man can’t, uh…book a one-way ticket for you to Pleasure Town, if you get my drift.”
“Oh, I get your drift, Han. If I were blind, deaf, and dumb, I’d still get your very obvious, borderline R-rated drift. But right now, I need to prove to myself that I can do this. That I can finish this book and make it great, without relying on anyone else."
"Even if that anyone else has dreamy blue eyes and wants to revolutionize publishing with you?"
Melody laughed, feeling some of the tension leave her body. "Even then. Thanks, Hannah. I needed this."
"Anytime, sweetie. Just promise me one thing?"
"What's that?"
"When you and Nate finally get together, I get to be maid of honor at the wedding."
Melody spluttered, nearly dropping her phone. "Hannah!"
Her laughter filled the line. "Just saying! I've got a good feeling about this one, Mel. I mean, it’s been so long since you’ve made regular trips to Pleasure Town. And you deserve it. There’s nothing wrong with being mostly ‘Work’ with a dash of ‘Play’.”
After they hung up, Melody sat for a moment, letting Hannah's words sink in. She was right – Melody certainly didn’t mind the type of “play” Nate had introduced her to. But she also couldn't ignore her responsibilities.
She turned back to her laptop, a new determination filling her. She might not be ready to confront her feelings for Nate, but she could channel all this emotional turmoil into her writing. After all, isn't that what she did best? Turn real-life complexities into compelling fiction?
Her fingers flew over the keys as she dove back into Olivia's world. Her argument with her love interest took on new depth, fueled by Melody's own conflicted emotions. The words flowed freely now, charged with an intensity that wasn't there before.
Hours passed in a blur of creativity. When she finally looked up, the sun was setting, painting her apartment in hues of orange and pink. She stretched, feeling the satisfying pop of her spine.
"Well," she murmured to herself, "I guess Hannah was right about one thing. Work and play aren't mutually exclusive after all."
She saved her work, a sense of accomplishment washing over her. She might not have figured out her feelings for Nate, but she had made significant progress on her manuscript. It was a start.
As she closed her laptop, her phone buzzed with a text. It was from Nate:
Just read your latest chapters. Brilliant work, Archer. Your characters' emotional depth is really shining through.
I’m heading to a dinner of my own tonight. But I’m thinking I may just owe you one as well…
Melody stared at the message, her heart doing a little flip. Professional, she reminded herself. We're keeping things professional.
She typed out a reply.
Thanks, Carlisle. Glad you're enjoying it.
A future dinner date sounds great – strictly business, of course.
His response came quickly.
Of course. Wouldn't dream of mixing business with pleasure. ;)
Melody laughed, shaking her head at his cheekiness. As she set her phone aside, excitement for tomorrow simmered beneath her skin. Professional boundaries or not, there was no denying the spark between them.
But that was a problem for tomorrow's Melody. Tonight, she had a date with her manuscript – and it was turning into one hell of a love story.