Spotlight (20 page)

The following morning, Lily wasn’t nervous. She’d done this before and knew what to expect, so she walked into the room feeling confident. Her favorite charcoal gray blazer and pencil skirt—paired with a deep teal camisole (and her black leather Calvin Klein slingbacks)—had an air of seriousness that felt appropriate for New York.

She breezed through the first three press conferences, taking notes and asking what she hoped were thought-provoking questions. She surreptitiously watched the door, looking to see if Nate would pop in.

A slight charge filled the air as they took their seats for the fourth session.

Daniel seemed oblivious to the commotion around him as he walked through the door. He caught Lily’s gaze as he made his way to his seat, giving her a quick wink in acknowledgement. She raised her right hand in a small wave before starting her digital recorder.

As she settled in to take notes, a movement to her left caught her attention. Nate stepped in, looking thoughtful as he glanced around the room. When his eyes landed on Lily, no one else would have seen the small smile that graced his lips. But Lily saw it, and a smile of her own broke across her face. Stealing a play from Daniel’s book, she winked at him before turning her attention back to the matter at hand.

She didn’t catch the flush of his cheeks.

What Lily did notice was the way Daniel’s eyes glazed over from time to time when a reporter asked a question that’d been posed countless times before or one that had little to do with the movie. It pleased her to see the spark of life in them as she raised the microphone to ask her question, as well as the grin on his face after he’d responded.

When the press conference ended just twenty short minutes later, Daniel quickly disappeared, heading upstairs for one-on-one interviews before taping his appearance on
The Late Show with David Letterman
later that night. Lily watched as he followed his bodyguard out of the room with Nate trailing behind them. Catching Lily’s eye, he discreetly nodded in her direction before he turned to leave.

Lily had a warm feeling in her stomach and a smile on her face for the remainder of the day. When the press conferences were done, she returned to her hotel and got started writing. Still, her smile remained. After finishing her third story, Lily ordered room service and opened her Internet browser to see how a fan event across town was going.

She knew Daniel and Nate would be there. The studio had organized a meet and greet featuring the author and the cast of the movies at an enormous Barnes & Noble Booksellers just outside the city. While Lily had been seated in a room filled with journalists at the junket, fans had been lining the building, just hoping to be let in for the event. Unsurprisingly, fan sites and blogs were on hand to provide extensive coverage.

Lily tuned in to her preferred fan site just in time for the live stream to start.

For the most part, the questions posed by Daniel’s fans mirrored those asked at every other event like this one: “
What do you think of the books?
” “
What’s your favorite thing about playing Grady
?” “
Do you like doing all the stunts?
”

Lily half listened while going through her notes and planning her next two stories. Eventually, one question caught her attention.

Someone in the audience asked Daniel if he liked attending meet and greets. He’d answered this question before, and Lily was curious to see how he would phrase it this time. His answer was not what she expected.

“Sure. It’s great to be around fans of the movie. You know, we’re in the middle of the press tour for this one, and it’s the most mundane thing in the world. But events like this—where we get to be around people who love the books—can be refreshing.”

Lily came very close to spraying her laptop screen with the drink of water she’d just taken.

Mundane?
she thought with a roll of her eyes.
So sorry this isn’t more entertaining
.

Lily tried not to take that slight personally, but it was hard. After all, she’d been sitting in that room with him, asking the questions. And her question had given him food for thought. So while she could imagine that being asked the same questions over and over again was monotonous, she also knew that many of the journalists in that room, like her, worked hard and put serious thought into their questions.

Sighing, she closed her laptop. She’d had enough of Daniel Brighton for one day.

Luckily, Lily had two days between the junket and the premiere, so she put them to good use. Most of the time was spent writing. But she did make a point to visit some of her favorite spots in the city. She took in the scenery at Central Park and wandered through the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The morning of the third day, Daniel sent her an unsigned text message, true to form.

How about dinner tonight? Meet me in the lobby at 7:30.

His demanding messages always made her laugh.

At seven twenty-seven, she stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. She was bundled in dark indigo skinny jeans, a tunic the color of the finest merlot, black boots, and a black pea coat. Her scarf, gloves, and bag matched her tunic. She quickly checked her phone for messages as Daniel breezed through the doors. Lily laughed when she saw what he wore. They matched in their jeans and pea coats. She smiled as he gave her a quick hug in greeting.

“Come on, let’s go. The cab’s waiting.”

Her smile grew wider when she ducked into the taxi and saw a familiar pair of hazel eyes looking back at her. Lily figured Sam might be here to celebrate with Daniel on his big night.

“Hi!” the actress said, smiling. “I hope you’re okay with me crashing dinner. Daniel didn’t think you’d mind . . .”

“Of course not! I’m glad you’re here.”

“Good! I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

“Me, too. So . . . is anyone else joining us?” She did her best to pull that question off as casually as possible. But she failed miserably.

Daniel’s eyes darted to Sam’s before he turned toward Lily. “Um, no. Nate won’t be joining us. He’s at the venue.”

“Oh,” Lily responded. “Well, that makes sense. I’m sure he wants everything to be perfect.” She quietly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

The cab took them to Little Italy. Daniel had made reservations at a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant he swore had the best food in the area.

He wasn’t lying. A moan escaped Lily’s lips when she took her first bite of manicotti. “Sorry. This is amazing. And absolutely sinful. There is no way I’m going to fit into my dress!”

Daniel rolled his eyes when Sam echoed her remark. “I know, right? I’m always worrying about that when I know I’m going to be photographed.”

She winked and took a huge (and quite unladylike) bite of her angel hair with pomodoro sauce. Lily laughed. She loved this girl.

Later, they discussed the next day’s plans over dessert. “Hey, Lily, speaking of the premiere, I was wondering . . . we’re staying close to your hotel. I was thinking maybe we could get ready together. I could come over to your room with my hair and makeup artists.”

Lily was caught off-guard for a moment before she nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love that. Nate asked me to be there at four o’clock, so why don’t you come over around two?” Without Maggie and Colette there, she was glad to have someone to help her get ready for her first red carpet event.

“Fantastic. That works perfectly. I’m looking forward to it.”

Lily could tell by her smile that she meant it.

Daniel had zoned out of the girl talk but jumped back into the conversation when Lily asked what he’d been up to since the last time they’d talked. The wine and words continued to flow well into the night, and Lily was exhausted by the time she got back to her hotel.

Despite her anxiety about the premiere, Lily fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. She woke up at an early hour but felt well rested, which was good. She figured it was going to be a very long day. She showered and dressed before ordering what she thought of as her power breakfast—oatmeal and a bowl of fruit—from room service. She always ate that particular breakfast on days she knew were going to be trying. It was simultaneously comforting and healthy, giving her strength and fuel.

Just like at home, she watched the morning news shows as she ate. She loved their mix of stories. Where else could you find the latest entertainment news and reports from the Middle East all in one place? When she finished eating, she spent some time going over her notes from Nate. He’d told her several times not to worry. He just wanted her to observe. To see what these premieres were like from a media perspective. He planned on putting her in charge of the notes he would normally take. He kept detailed records of who Daniel spoke to and what they talked about so that he knew what to expect in media reports during the following days. He had apparently noticed how organized Lily was and thought the task would be the best way to give her a full picture of what he did at red carpet events.

When she knew Nate’s material as well as she could, she decided to burn off some of her energy. She had the city at her feet and decided to use them to take a walk before getting some lunch. She pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail, slipped on her sneakers, and grabbed her warm, dark gray jacket from The North Face and a cross-body bag before heading out the door. The fresh air complemented her fresh-faced appearance. She hadn’t put on any makeup or done much with her hair since she’d be glamming it up tonight. The crisp, cool air cleared her mind as she walked the crowded streets. A few blocks later, she passed a bistro. No one sat in the outdoor dining area—it was too cold—but the smells drew her toward the menu posted near the entrance. The dishes sounded flavorful, and it seemed like a good place to enjoy a quiet meal. She wanted energy for tonight, so she opted for the grilled chicken breast with roasted asparagus and a Mediterranean-inspired tabbouleh salad that was full of herbs. It was light, refreshing, and filling and as flavorful as she thought it would be.

Lily relaxed when she got back to her hotel, watching a couple of episodes of
Giada at Home
on the Food Network. Just after two, she heard a knock on her door. Her newest friend stood on the other side of the door. Sam had a dress bag slung over one arm and a tote bag hanging on her other shoulder. The hair stylist and makeup artist followed. Lily let them in and pointed to where they could put their things. The women each grabbed a bottle of water and chatted for a few minutes while the stylists set out makeup palettes and hair accessories across the double vanity in Lily’s bathroom.

“Thank you for letting me join you in the glam squad treatment,” Lily commented as the makeup artist dusted her face with powder on a fluffy brush.

Sam laughed as the hairstylist twisted and pinned her long, dark blond hair into an elegant chignon at the nape of her neck. “You’re more than welcome. It’s one of the perks, I guess, so why not share it?”

The woman never struck Lily as particularly girlie. She wasn’t a tomboy, by any means, but Lily was somewhat surprised at how elegant she looked when they finished. Her eyes were rimmed with a deep blue that was just shy of navy. It made her eyes appear golden, enhancing the butterscotch flecks in her hazel eyes. A silvery, pale blue eye shadow worked well with the darker blue liner. The look was completed with pale pink blush and lip gloss.

Lily knew this look would make the pages of
InStyle
magazine and countless others. Her friend slipped on a midnight blue Elie Saab dress. Made of wool with cutout panels of chiffon and three-quarter length sleeves, it stopped just above her knee. She paired that with silver accessories, a clutch, and Manolo Blahniks.

“Wow. You look amazing,” Lily exclaimed.

“Well, so do you!”

Despite her fears, Lily had no trouble fitting her dress. The makeup artist rimmed Lily’s eyes with thick black eyeliner with shades of silver and gray eye shadow. The smoky look made the blue of her eyes even more vivid. She, too, had on pale pink blush and lip gloss.

Lily shared a cab with Sam and the stylists back to her hotel. A limo was scheduled to pick both the actress and Daniel up in about an hour, and Lily continued on to the theater.

She couldn’t decide if she was more nervous about being on the red carpet or seeing Nate again.

Well
, she thought,
here goes nothing
.