Author's Note: Another chapter for the book! I hope when everything gets better, we will get another reunion between Ilse and Charles so we can hear another O Memory live performance. I hoping the song will be released on the upcoming The Common Linnet album in 2021! I hope everyone is well and I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review!

Chapter III

Her schedule changed after becoming a mentor and producer, but she quickly adapted to these new surroundings quite easily. But this meant more meetings and shared communal spaces with Deacon since gaining an office space and spending more time at Highway 65. Today, she found herself watching a young recording artist in one of the many studios at the label, giving this girl advice on control and technique. The young singer was talented but would put a strain on her voice by using unhealthy singing techniques from not having the regular singing lessons that most of these kids had. Ilse was so focused on helping this artist with on a vocal run; she didn't notice the man she had been thinking about entering the studio.

"How is she?" Deacon startled Ilse as he looked at her then to the artist as he settled his hand upon her shoulder. Which somehow eased the nerves bubbling in her stomach.

"She is very talented." Ilse smiled only for a second as she shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "Just helping her remember about controlling her powerful voice, so she doesn't end up hurting herself."

"I'm so glad she's benefiting from your mentorship. Ils, I'm so thankful that you are a part of this company." They both looked at each other just for a moment, but to them, it felt like forever. Even though it was only for a moment, the other people in the room noticed, but they decided to ignore the slight flirtation between their boss and the newest producer hire.

"You signed a very talented artist." Ilse gave a little shove to Deacon's side.

"Ilse? How did that go?" Paige, the singer, asked as she pulled the recording studios headphones off her ears. "Oh, hi, Mr. Claybourne." The girl waved through the glass.

"I'll let you guys get back to work." Deacon nodded to the sound engineers as he headed out, taking one last glance at Ilse. "Great work Paige. Keep it up." Deacon waved back to the girl.

"Wow. I can't believe I just met the DEACON CLAYBOURNE, and HE KNOWS MY NAME." Paige squealed as she bounced on the couch after walking into the control room. "He was only at my signing to give me a quick congratulations. He's a busy man, I know. I've heard he's writing new music. His first music album after his wife passing is going to be a big thing for the music community, especially the Rayna fans."

"Oh?" Ilse looked at the girl as she nodded to the sound engineers after they asked for a quick five. She never thought about how Deacon hasn't released anything since the passing of Rayna. Ilse hoped that fans of Rayna would not take the two writing together in the wrong way.

"Just some words being spread by the new artists at Highway 65." The girl shrugged. "So it might not necessarily be true. Percy just thought he heard Deacon working on this new song in the recording studio with Avery Barkley."

"Ah." Ilse licked her lips, wondering what Deacon was planning on doing.

"I'm so jealous of your career and that you get to work with the Deacon Claybourne on a day to day basis." Paige looked in awe. "My mama is a fan of his and Rayna's music, which made me a fan. She was so excited that I would be working at his label...Rayna's label."

"You will get there someday. It just takes time, and you have to be in it for the music." Ilse gave her a curt nod. "Let's get back to work, Paige."

"Okayyyy." Paige dragged on. "But honestly, I think you guys would make one cute couple."

"Why would you say that?" Ilse froze in her footsteps, turning to face the girl.

"You guys, we're making heart eyes at each other." Paige shrugged. Ilse made a note to herself to try harder at covering up her feelings for Deacon, especially around the younger artists.

Deacon was in a business meeting when he first saw her first appear through the conference room's glass-walled windows. He was staring at every movement she made but then realized what he was doing, so he turned his focus back to the meeting. After a few minutes of listening and discussing at the table, he looked up to see that she was still there talking with another staff member about something that made her smile. She took his breath away. He never knew that somebody else could give him this feeling that Rayna gave him. The feeling was, of course, different, but it almost felt similar at the same time. She only had been part of this label for a week; she melded perfectly within the company almost like she had always been there. Deacon noticed her perfect laugh when the staff member said something funny. He had to admit that he adored that infectious smile from day one of meeting each other.

"Deacon. Earth to Deacon." Zach said to snap him out of his daydreams. "What do you think about this plan?"

"Sorry, can you repeat the question?" Deacon apologized to several others in the room. Zach told them what the plan was to which Deacon agreed with the idea that his co-owner proposed. They continued with this discussion for several more minutes.

So when Deacon did decide to look through the glass windows for her again, he saw that she had left the room, and the employee was back to work, which made him frown for just a second. The meeting wrapped up having all in attendance exiting the building, but Zach.

"Deacon, what was that for?" Zach looked at him, thoughtfully. "I've never seen you space off like that in a meeting before. Like NEVER."

"I know. Sorry, man. I left you hanging." Deacon looked at him apologetically. "I've got some personal issues that have been filling my thoughts recently."

"Sorry, Deacon. I didn't know. It's not the girls?" Zach's face fell in worry.

"Oh, no. Nothing is wrong with them. It might involve them later on, but it's something that I'm not ready to share yet. But I'll let you know once I am because it could affect the label."

"Of course. Let me know if there is anything I can do at Highway 65 to take the load off your shoulders." Zach patted his, now called, friend on the back.

"Thanks, Zach." Deacon nodded. He was grateful that he could trust Zach as a friend and business partner. "I'll let you know." He spotted Ilse as she returned to the lobby, and this time, she noticed him. "I'll see you later." Deacon moved quickly to approach her, but she was already off with another client after she handed the receptionist some paperwork. He was bummed that she was gone once again but wished to find more excuses to be near her.

The two met for another writing session, they had already completed five songs, and two were in progress. Keeping her attraction towards him was becoming harder and harder to hide as time went on. Both parties noticed that the little accidental touches and glances were becoming more purposeful. But Deacon and Ilse both felt that they couldn't admit their feelings just yet, worried that everything would crash and burn at that very moment.

The meeting was quieter and felt a tad tenser than their past encounters.

"So, Ummm?" Ilse looked at him with a face etched with worry. They noted to themselves if someone else was in or walked into the room, they could probably see that the two were burying their feelings for each other.

"Yeah?" Deacon looked at her with intrigue.

"So Paige said that Percy heard you play a new song?" Ilse arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "Was it one of our songs?"

"No. I've been working on a couple of songs of my own for an album. It's just not to the point of sharing with you...yet." Deacon muttered, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Oh...okay," Ilse said as the two felt the awkwardness fill the room. It remained quiet for a few more moments before Deacon cleared his throat.

"Uh...Have you been...working on any new music...of your own?"

"Similar position. Early stages."Ilse hesitantly laughed. He cracked a smile that broke some of the tension in the room.

Ilse took a look at the clock. 1:08 am. Damn. They had been writing for the past 6 hours. By this time, she was feeling her eyes droop as she leaned her body into his, and both Deacon and Ilse's eyes flutter closed. They remained like this for several more hours.

Deacon's eyes were the first to open. He shifted to get comfortable but looked down to see Ilse curled into his side. Her face was at peace, and he found it beautiful. He began brushing the hair out her face and just admired her sleeping position for a few more minutes before waking her.

"Hey. Hey Ilse. It's time to wake up." Deacon lightly shook her shoulder. Ilse began to wake by rubbing her eyes.

"Hey..." She sat herself up on the couch. "What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning." Deacon whispered to her as they both saw the sun bleeding through the blinds.

"Oh, I should get going." Ilse began to stand but still being woozy from sleep; she lost her footing.

"Woah there." Deacon caught her before she hit the floor or anything else on the way down. They were face to face and were getting closer and closer before realizing what they were doing. They jolted apart, banging their heads together.

"Ouch."

"Ow."

That was close.

Ilse was walking down the hall after meeting with a financial consultant at the label when she spotted Deacon speaking with Zach Welles at the end of the hallway. It seemed that his conversation with Zach was wrapping up and not wanting to confront Deacon; at this moment, she decided to duck into an empty studio. She had this feeling if she was to talk to him that she would plant a kiss on his lips in the middle of Highway 65 with all eyes to see. That would be so unprofessional and could end all the good that is going on in her life. Her heart was racing, hoping that he hadn't noticed her or had reserved this exact studio that she decided to hide out in. Suddenly musicians began filing into the recording studio.

"Excuse me?" A sound engineer looked at her as she came into the control room, followed by the producer.

"We have this room reserved."The producer spoke to her with a hint of annoyance.

"I know. I'm sorry I was just using this room to avoid talking to someone." Ilse said, embarrassed.

"Oh, haha. I totally get it. There are those days where you just don't want to talk to people." The sound engineer laughed, peeking out the door to the hallway. "Whoever you were hiding from is gone. There isn't a soul looming around."

"Try hiding somewhere else next time." The producer frowned. "Maybe a storage closet?"

"Thanks." Ilse smiled gratefully at the sound engineer as she slipped out into the hall. "I really appreciate you letting me hide out here."

Ilse began walking down, keeping an eye out for him. She was almost in the clear and was a foot out of Highway 65 until…

"Ils?" Deacon caught up to her. "Heading out for the night?"

"Yeah. Meeting up with some friends." Ilse frantically nodded as she stumbled out of the building. "Have a good night, Deacon."

Ilse wanted to kick herself because that moment was so awkward, mostly on her part. Meanwhile, Deacon was thinking about how cute that moment was and how he wished it was longer.

Deacon stood talking with one of Highway 65's sound engineers about a technical problem that the employee had run into. Deacon was listening to the employee talk when the conversation turned to work with the singers and musicians when he saw Ilse walking down the hall with a male singer around her age. Something was boiling within him. Jealousy? He wished to be the one making her smile at this moment instead of this talented musician that he hired a couple of months ago. How could he be jealous? They were just friends, nothing more, but why did this simple interaction between a male colleague make him so… He even knew that this guy was a gentleman around the women. He seemed like he had no mean bone in his body, so he knew Ilse would be lucky to be in a relationship with this guy. But he noticed that the two were chummy as ever. How did they get so close?

Deacon turned away but kept his ear on the situation and back to the other on the employee he was supposedly listening to.

"That was an awesome session, Jedd." Ilse smiled. "Thanks for asking me to be a feature on your album."

"It's not a problem." Jedd smiled back. "Your voice was the exact thing my album needed. So thank you." Ilse nodded. Deacon had been staring at her at that moment and noted that it was the same nod she gave when she didn't do anything to help Daphne. He began gripping his pencil a little harder than usual. Deacon wanted to walk over there and break up their conversation, so he didn't have to see Ilse standing with him any longer.

"Hey, Deacon." Max, the receptionist, said. "You're treating that pencil like crap." Deacon handed the pencil to Max so he could continue watching the scene before him. He and the sound engineer had finished their conversation, making it easier for him to listen in on this interaction.

"When we release the song. I would love it if you could come to perform with me." Jedd chuckled nervously.

"I would like that." Ilse cheerfully said.

"They have been working together for the past month." Max looked at Deacon as he noticed what Deacon was watching, which was Ilse and Jedd.

"Oh?" Deacon continued to focus on the pair when he witnessed the two hug and Jedd exit.

"Yeah. It's a gossip between Ilse's young artists that they might be dating because he's been stopping by all of her sessions with them."

"Really…" Deacon frowned. Why hadn't Ilse told him about this? They had been spending more and more time together, and so was this guy. He was jealous of this Jedd Mason if he was dating Ilse. Maybe Highway 65 should drop his ass.

Deacon knew that he wanted Jedd and Ilse to work separately, but he couldn't do it through the business because that would be considered unprofessional. He saw Ilse sigh as she headed back with a young artist. He let out a sigh of his own from all the pent up angst from watching that moment...

TBC