Page 19 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF

“ H armony,” Rick said when she walked into the corporate headquarters of the makeup company she was scheduled for a job shoot with. “We are so glad you could come in earlier than the rest.”

“Not a problem,” she said. “You didn’t tell me what this was about?”

She was meeting two other influencers here today to do a short video with them all in it. Rick’s company was shooting it. They’d all get a copy and then a small video of them individually. It’d be going out tomorrow as a promo to start the new year with their line of new makeup.

“We’ve been struggling to find others to work our campaigns that are a good fit. I heard that you’re kind of a liaison now for this,” Rick said.

“I am,” she said. “It’s a new part of my business and it seems to be taking off.”

Thank you, Erica, for coaching her to always sound confident!

“Great,” Rick said. “Tell me how it works.”

“Think of me as a recruiter for both sides. I’ve got a list of influencers that are looking to earn money and I vet them out, check their channels and social media following, and make sure they meet the needs of what the company is looking for.

I also have a list of companies and what they are looking for, what they will pay, and their products. Then I match them up.”

“I like that,” Rick said. “It saves my staff the work. What do you get out of it?”

“Ten percent commission from both sides if a contract is signed. The payment from the influencer gets paid to me from the company so that I’m not tracking them down. Their payment is reduced by the ten percent and added to my ten percent fee.”

This way she only got one deposit and it was easier to keep track of.

“Smart,” Rick said. “It’s a lot of work for you to just get ten percent.”

She smiled. “Twenty percent when it’s done. Most of my clients are mid-tier to macro-influencers. I have some smaller ones just starting out, but again, the work is upfront for me and I’ve got my lists ready to go now and continue to add to it.”

There were people reaching out to her daily that she was vetting. It was more important to build her company list right now.

“Consider me part of that list,” Rick said. “Do you have a contract for this?”

“I do,” she said. “I can send it to you after the shoot when I’m back with my laptop.”

“I’d like that,” Rick said. “Now about Belle and Marion. You’ve never met them before, correct?”

“Not in person, but we interact online.”

She wasn’t always one to travel and meet others in person unless she knew it was safe, or if there were third parties she’d worked with before, like today, or there was a lot of money involved for her business.

The whole “make a friend and meet up for fun” was never on her radar. She was too afraid of the risks and being taken advantage of.

“Marion is a little on the high note,” Rick said. “She’s more about fashion and will be heavy on the product.”

She grinned. “I know,” she said. Marion was twenty-six and liked the club scene. The heavy sultry eye. Marion wore just as much daily, but not as dark. Marion was the type of woman who took hours to get ready to walk out to the mailbox.

“Belle,” Rick said “He’s a new strategy for us. His following is crazy, male and female. He’s more into the bright and bold during the day, drag queen at night.”

“I love Belle,” she said. “He’s great. Very down to earth and his following is pushing a million.”

Harmony was a mega-influencer and still didn’t know how she got over a million followers in such a short period.

In her mind, it was luck that started it and the rest was being herself.

“He is,” Rick said. “And I’m sure he’s going to top it after this campaign. That is the hope. And then there is you.”

“The girl next door,” she said, laughing.

“That’s right,” Rick said. “We want it known our makeup is for everyone and every style. Whether they are getting ready for a night out, their job, or a lunch with a friend.”

She smiled. “My makeup is pretty much the same for all that.”

“And your followers know that because they’ve seen you fresh faced. By the way, I loved your Christmas morning post. You’re real when so many worry that others aren’t.”

Because she knew she might be in the minority there, she was hustling to build her business in other ways. Her time would come for this to end, she knew it.

When she had a family someday, she’d never expose them the way others did. Her children would have a choice to be online and she wasn’t going to be the one to make it for them. Not for a buck or for an extra follower.

“Rick,” she heard over his phone. “Belle is here. Marion is running late but on her way.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll be out in a minute to get them.” Rick turned to her. “Marion has an issue with telling time. Her followers are the only thing that keeps her going, but she’s not the easiest to work with. In your business, will you let companies know if that is a problem?”

“I’ll hear both sides of it and weigh what might be an issue,” she said. “And I’ll give feedback with it also.”

“Good,” Rick said. “Why don’t we go out and you can meet Belle in person?”

She stood up and walked out of Rick’s office with him and down the hall to a conference room where he was waiting. Belle stood up. He was in black leather pants, a red fuzzy sweater and red patent leather pumps that had to be six inches easy with the platforms.

How the hell did he balance on them?

“Harmony,” Belle said. He had no makeup on, but she had to admit she loved watching him apply it flawlessly in some of his videos. He had a buzz cut, also making him look like a fairly normal man in his forties other than his wardrobe.

He gave her a big hug that she almost had to jump up to get. “I’m so happy to meet you in person, Belle,” she said. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“I can’t wait,” Belle said. “I don’t suppose you’ll let me do your makeup for the shoot?”

“Sorry,” Rick said. “You’re all doing your own. And because Harmony wears the least, she will finish first, so she can then walk over and interact with you both. The next one done will do the same to the third, then you’ll all be in the last video when we go through editing.”

“I like that,” Belle said. “I’ll be second as I can do it faster than Marion. She’s a lot more bougie than me.”

Harmony giggled over that statement. “It might be about equal,” she said.

Belle winked at her. “You might be right. She’s also the diva coming in fashionably late.”

Rick smirked when she looked at him. “If you two don’t mind relaxing until she gets here, that will be great. My assistant has instructions for Marion to be no more than thirty minutes late or the video is only the two of you.”

“Oh snap,” Belle said, waving his hand in front of his face. “She will come running in here all out of breath at the last minute asking if she missed it. She’ll probably be waiting in the hall to time it that way. Not being judgy or anything.”

“Are you sure you’re not?” Harmony asked Belle. He winked at her again.

“Gurrrrl, you and I are going to get along famously. Come on over here and tell me a little more about yourself. Some things are just so private.”

“For a reason,” she said. “You know, Belle. Like the name of your partner.”

Belle put his arm around her and led her to the couch. “The thing about you and me, we understand the need for the other’s privacy. We do what we do, but our loved ones don’t have to be part of it.”

“No,” she said. “They don’t.”

“But you can still tell me some juicy bits about you that won’t track back to others,” Belle said.

“Maybe,” she said, smiling. “Only if you share the same.”

“Deal,” Belle said, putting his pinky out for them to hook them together.

And as Belle predicted, Marion came rushing in with two minutes to spare, out of breath, saying she had to run up the stairs to the sixth floor because she was afraid the elevator was too slow.

Overly dramatic as always, but she loosened up and they started to film.

“The light isn’t right here,” Marion complained. “I need it moved. Can I just do it myself?”

“Hang on,” Rick said. He instructed one of his staff to move and get it the way Marion wanted.

Harmony finished her makeup in less than two minutes. She’d keep it just like this while she went out with Lizzie tonight too.

She had light-colored baggy jeans on with canvas sneakers on her feet and a short pink sweater that was fitted to her waist. They were given instructions for everyone to wear a specific color top. Their bottoms and style of clothing could be their own. She’d change before she went out tonight.

She loved that Belle was over the top with bright red and his makeup followed suit.

Harmony was in pink and her makeup was always thin and on the light side. Fresh was how she liked to be described.

Marion was in burgundy and putting her signature smoky sultry eye with black razor thin liner on.

Sitting by Belle now, Harmony was leaning on his table with her chin in her hands and handing him the next color to apply, the two of them laughing freely, and not even needing to be instructed on what to do.

When they were done, of course Marion was last because she was starting and stopping enough, so she and Belle went there to interact.

Because things weren’t going as planned, Rick stopped production, ordered Marion to complete her work, and warned her to stop hogging the spotlight or he would fire her.

The threat worked. Marion finished, they got their group shots done, and were walking out the door thirty minutes later.

Harmony’s phone went off and she pulled it out quickly to see Lizzie telling her that Danielle wanted to join them tonight. Danielle had worked with them at Media Creator.

She replied that was fine and put her phone away so she wasn’t being rude.

“I know you live here,” Belle said. “Or in the area. What’s a great place for lunch close by?”

“I know a lot of places,” she said. “Tell me what you’re interested in.”

She had no care in the world that Belle was in full makeup, his red wig in place matching his sweater. She thought it was awesome.

“I’m going back to my hotel,” Marion said. “I need to rest up for tonight. I’m meeting some others online that are here. Do you want to join us, Harmony? I know you know a lot of them.”

“No,” she said. She noticed Belle wasn’t included in that.

It could be that Belle had already said what his plans were earlier or that Marion liked to pick her group.

Since Harmony had more followers than Belle, she was assuming it had more to do with Marion wanting to brag or show off.

“I’ve got plans with friends. But thanks for asking. ”

“What are your plans?” Marion asked. “You didn’t say.”

And she wasn’t going to. She didn’t trust Marion to not put it out there where she was going to be and who she’d been with earlier today or was in the area.

She expected it actually, but didn’t want it broadcasted where she was going later.

“We are still working that out,” she said. “You know what it’s like here.”

“Yes,” Marion said. Though Marion was from the Midwest so she really didn’t. She was just one of those women who always experienced something or was an expert when a question was asked.

“Do you want to join me for lunch?” Belle asked. “I’ve heard that you tend to tell most people no. Not just because I witnessed it with Marion but, others have quietly said that you turn many down.”

Harmony frowned. “I didn’t know that.”

Belle patted her arm. “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad, just that it’s one of those quiet known things that you don’t participate unless it’s business. No girl trips for you. A night out drinking. Those types of things.”

“I’ve never been one to do it,” she said, shrugging. “I keep to myself, which I know sounds weird considering my online presence.”

“Not to me,” Belle said. “But maybe it’s good that you know what might be said about you too. Awareness is a wonderful thing in life.”

“I think so. And I’m aware that I’m starving. How far can you walk in them?” she asked, pointing at Belle’s high heels.

“I can walk for hours,” Belle said. “I perform with these on twice a week.”

“I can barely move in kitten heels,” she said.

Belle hooked his arm in hers. “I can give you a lesson if you’d like. Maybe for someone special in your life who might want to see the good girl vanish for a night and the naughty one come out.”

“You’re still trying to get it out of me,” she said. “But it’s not working.”

She turned an imaginary key in front of her lips and hoped she didn’t come off as a bitch to mix in with the comments about her not socializing.

“I really like you, Harmony. I’m glad to know in person you’re just as genuine as you are online. I’m sorry if anything I just said bothers you. That wasn’t my intention.”

She wouldn’t let it be known if it did bother her. Life was just easier that way.