Etching Our Way (Broken Tracks 1)

“The zone?” I ask, lifting up off the desk and walking over to him.

“Yeah,” he says slowly, moving his gaze to mine. “The zone.” He brings his hands out, trying to tell me something that I don’t understand. “It’s when your ideas are flowing and you can’t stop.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve been working for thirty-six hours straight. I need to get back ASAP.”

“Okay, we’ll make this as brief as possible then.” I clear my throat, turning away and sitting down, waving my hand to a seat opposite me but he shakes his head, declining the offer. “So you want new software for an up-and-coming show?”

“I do.” He looks out of the window and back at me again. “I want your best tech guys on it. They need to be able to bring to life what I’m envisioning.”

“Done.”

“Send them to my studio in three days at six a.m. I think I’ll be ready for them by then.”

I stand up as he walks away, but I frown, baffled that the meeting has been so short. We could’ve done this over the phone.

“Do you have a budget?”

“Nope,” he says, pulling the door open and turning back to me. “I’ll pay as much as it takes. This show is gonna be big, Carter. Real fucking big.” He grins before he walks out, leaving me standing in the middle of my office, completely confused but excited about the new venture.

Now all I need to do is get my best guys on it.

HARMONY: Blue, yellow, or pink?

I stand in the fancy dress shop, staring at all of the different assortment and styles on the racks in front of me. Who knew there’d be so many choices for an adult princess dress?

I blow out a breath and scan them all: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel... Elsa? Who the frig is Elsa?

TRISTAN: Well, that completely depends on what I’m picking. I’m partial to pink myself.

My raucous laughter ignites a strange look from the shop assistant and I stifle it with my hand as I type out a reply to him.

HARMONY: I’ll bear that in mind, Mr. Carter.

HARMONY: I’m out of my comfort zone, staring at princess dresses for Izzie’s party in a sketchy, fancy dress shop... Who is Elsa?

I smile as I click send on the second message and scan the dresses again, deciding to try a few on before I buy one.

I pick up the three I’m leaning toward and take them into the fitting room, pulling off my summer dress and squeezing into the first puffy, itchy number. I turn to face the mirror and laugh out loud.

I look completely ridiculous and like a puffy marshmallow, but it doesn’t matter because I’d do anything to make Izzie happy; she has after all requested that we all dress up as princesses and princes. I chuckle, wondering what Tristan will be wearing. I can’t wait to see.

My cellphone pings again and I fight through all of the layers of tulle to get it out of my purse.

TRISTAN: I’ve always loved you in yellow.

My head snaps to the side and I pull the curtain back as I scan the inside of the shop, convinced he can see me. After not seeing anyone else in the shop, I shut the curtain again and gaze down at the bright yellow dress I have on and shrug; yellow it is.

TRISTAN: And Elsa is the newest princess on the block… she shoots ice out of her hands. Kind of like Spiderman with his webs.

I frown down at my cellphone; ice? They’re really struggling for new princess concepts, aren’t they?

I struggle to pull the dress off over my head and lose my balance, falling into the wall and causing a loud crash.

“Everything alright in there?” a voice calls through the curtain.

I scramble to get the material out of my mouth, my arms flapping wildly as I huff out a breath. “Yep, just stuck in a layer of ruffle hell.”