Her nose crinkled up again. “But the one I watched yesterday had a commercial.”
He grinned. “It’s my first. And it’s why I called you. I think you’re the ticket.”
“You mean the golden ticket,” she said with some sass.
He liked her confidence. “Exactly. So, a royalty split. Are you in?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What you aren’t telling me is that if this bombs, then I get nothing.”
He nodded slowly. “It’s a possibility.”
She picked up her tea again. The steam no longer rose from the cup, and she wrapped her hands around it as if needing to warm them up. After a moment, and a sip, she said, “I’m not usually one to gamble, but I feel good about this. Better than I’ve felt about anything for a long time.” She hurried to drain the cup and set it down. With a flourish, she signed her name and reached for her scarf. She had the wool around her neck and her hat on her head in a blink. It was like she had to move quickly or she’d talk herself out of her decision.
Breck stood, gathering her purple coat off the back of the chair. He held it out for her, and she slid her arms inside.
“Thanks.”
He placed his hands on her upper arms, stilling her movements for a moment. She quieted, and he leaned in. “Welcome to the world of magic.” He used the closeness to slip a gold coin into her pocket. Hopefully, when she found it, she’d smile.
She stepped forward and buttoned up. “Text me where and when you’d like to start, and I’ll be there.” She was out the door before he could say “jingle bells.”
“And people say I have a disappearing act,” he muttered. He sat back down to enjoy the rest of his drink. Harmony was a tough nut to crack. Even so, she’d agreed to be his assistant—until she left town. Why did her moving away feel so wrong?
He shook off the feeling. What Harmony did with her life was none of his concern. What he needed to focus on was creating a fantastic Christmas magic trick that would delight audiences and viewers of all ages. His mind sparked to life, and an idea took hold. He’d need a couple of days to bring it together … in the meantime, he could do the card tricks with Harmony that he’d planned to do alone.
Then, he’d up his game. With any luck, not only would he gain more subscribers, but Harmony would open up a little more. Yes, he should keep it professional, but there was so much chemistry between them that ignoring it was impossible. At least, it was for him. He wasn’t so sure about her.
Chapter Six
December 7
Harmony
Harmony fingered the gold coin in her pocket, as had become her habit over the last two days. She’d found it upon returning to work after meeting with Breck. She’d pulled it out of her pocket and grinned at the bunny on one side and the top hat on the other. Knowing Breck had slipped it in her pocket made her feel special. The fact that he’d taken time to leave her a little surprise was sweet.
Sam had never done anything of the sort. Ever.
She glanced at her reflection in a store window as she made her way to the entrance to the park where Breck had said to meet for their show today. He was going to arrive early to set up the cameras. She would get there just a few minutes before the show started, because she had to do this on her lunch hour.
While Ambia was supportive, the holidays were big for online orders and they needed every possible person on the phone and computers answering customer questions. Thankfully, Harmony did the online chats and not the phone calls. Only angry people called in, and she had enough anger in her life right now.
She passed the saxophone guy, the one who was there every day. He played an upbeat version of “Angels We Have Heard on High,”moving his feet like a chimney sweep fromMary Poppins.
She rounded the last corner and spotted Breck’s setup. He’d added an A-frame chalkboard sign with his channel name written across it in man-writing. She stood in front of it and frowned.
Breck came up behind her, his strength and presence causing her heart to tremble like a sleigh bell on a harness with the horse running through the woods. “I thought it was a good idea,” he said.
They’d texted back and forth several times over the last two days, the conversation ongoing. Therefore, talking in person was like picking up where their thread left off.
Now that she was invested in the channel and the success of each video, she felt a need to help it along in any way she could. “Idea? Yes. Follow-through … meh.” She wobbled her hand back and forth. “Please tell me you brought the chalk.”
He jerked his chin toward a black bag resting next to his table. “It’s in there. I have to find a spot for this last camera.” He scanned the nearby trees, glancing down at his phone.
Harmony had no idea how to run all the electronic equipment. She could learn; she wasn’t a total dork. She paused while riffling through the bag to remind herself that she wasn’t going to be here long enough to need to learn all that stuff. She found the box of multicolored chalk and went to work.
A few minutes later, Breck stood behind her. “That’s way better.”
She rocked back on her heels and admired her work. “I think the elf is a nice touch.” She dusted off her hands.
