Grimm fashions a story that will pull on your heartstrings. Isabeau Montgomery is a child prodigy. By the age of twelve, she's an accomplished pianist, but when she loses her mother in a car accident, her world shatters into a thousand pieces. Can Noah tear down the battlements that surround her heart?
"After Midnight" is set in Long Island. Noah Clark is the front man for Black Phoenix, a rock and roll band video recording a demo for a come back record. Noah ventures into the nearby bar and finds Isabeau. Izzy intrigues him like no other woman he's meet, but she's cold and aloof and friendlier with his friend, Dominic. If it's one thing Noah has though, it's patience and persistence. Noah continues to visit the bar and wears Izzy down. Slowly, she lets down a wall or two and allows herself to get to know Noah.
Izzy Viper reluctantly admits to herself that Noah has gotten under her skin. When he loses his grandfather, she travels to England to support him. There's no denying the sparks of attraction between then anymore. Izzy and Noah make love, but when a series of accidents begin to look more than accidental, Noah realizes he's fallen for Isabeau, but can he convince her what he feels for her is real?
Wellness program decision makers face a challenge: how to help personnel stay enthusiastic and motivated. With the worst recession since the Great Depression, layoffs, downsizing, and business failures are commonplace. Employees surviving this turmoil see negative effects on their workloads, paychecks, job opportunities, security, and personal self-worth. A Global Workforce Study of employee attitudes and workplace trends conducted by Towers Watson reflects changes in the way US employees view their work. Traditional motivators that used to drive performance and loyalty have been replaced with a risk-averting, survivalist attitude that stifles creativity and innovation.
Izzy acknowledges that when a company is in crisis the use of humor is a tricky line to walk. "Despite the best intentions people can still feel violated by a misuse of humor. Certainly, don't joke about the situation itself. Just recognize what is going on and find ways to help them deal with it positively. And remember, this situation won't last forever. As our mothers always said, 'Someday we'll look back on this and laugh.'"