Musician Sam Greene will play the piano at any dingy Chicago establishment that will hire him. At the end of many evenings, he can count on his longtime mentor, jazz great Ben Webster (the piano player, not the sax player,) to join him for a few numbers. In his seventies, Ben loves playing piano, but one night he leaves the club before playing a tune. The next day, Sam is devastated to learn that his best friend is dead. After Ben's death, Sam's perspective on life takes an abrupt change.
He notices how pathetically insignificant one person's life can truly be. Sam trundles through the next few months, conflicted about whether he should allow himself to fall in love with Kate Buckley, the reporter trying to get a story about his friend Ben for Esquire, or continue his unhealthy relationship with Liz Brightwater of the Brightwater Marble fortune.
Stumbling through interesting yet awkward situations, both funny and sad, Sam realizes that life is happening now. It's admirable to respect the past, but he must also learn to trust his future.
What happens if you fall in love with the wrong person?
Maddie McCarthy must try to answer that question when she begins to fall for her best friend's ex-boyfriend Jasper Barratt. What makes everything worse is the fact her best friend is still in love with him and that he's just dumped her in front of everyone. The once annoying, cheeky neighbour may now be 'The One'.
The only hitch: her best friend now hates her.
They say you can't help who you fall in love with, but Maddie wishes it could have been anyone else but him.
Can she really ignore fate? Ignore her heart? Or can love conquer all?
And can she really be with anyone else but him?