Spotlight (35 page)

Nate sat on a blanket surrounded by a pile of cushions in the mostly empty room. Three large candles lit the space, filling it with a warm, flickering light. There were two plates filled with sandwiches and chips in front of Nate, while two sodas sat off to the side.

“Dinner is served. Come join me.”

The gesture touched Lily. She hadn’t thought about dinner arrangements. “Thank you,” she said, kissing the top of his head before sitting. “This is the best picnic ever.”

Nate filled her in on the latest with Daniel and Sam while they ate. Lily listened, but she also took a moment to appreciate the sight in front of her. She noticed that he’d recently gotten a haircut and that his nose and cheeks were just slightly sunburned, indicating he’d probably been running on the beach.

Despite Lily’s desire to listen to Nate talk all night, she could barely keep her eyes open.

“You look exhausted,” Nate observed. “How about you get your bed ready while I clean up in here?”

Lily agreed and grabbed a box marked
Linens
. Nate blew out the candles, threw away their trash, made sure everything was locked up, and turned off the lights before joining her in her bedroom. When he lifted the covers to join her, she automatically curled closer to him, and he enveloped her in his arms.

Lily had one more coherent thought before sleep claimed her.

This was definitely the right decision
.

After Lily’s family said their tearful goodbyes and made promises to visit her soon, Nate spent Lily’s first three days in California at her side. Despite never imagining himself the domestic type, he helped her get to know her new neighborhood, unpack numerous boxes, arrange (and rearrange) her furniture, and place her knickknacks and decorative items around the apartment. He checked in with his office regularly, but his attention was focused on the girl who currently sat cross-legged in front of him, a small smile gracing her lips as she placed books on her bookshelves, in an order only she understood. He almost convinced himself he’d taken this time off to be the dutiful boyfriend, lifting the heavy items, and placing things where Lily couldn’t reach. But he knew it was because he had been waiting for the opportunity to get to know even more about her.

As she continued with her books, Nate unpacked a box of photos, freeing them from their bubble wrap and wiping them with glass cleaner so that Lily could place them where she wanted. Her life played out before him in frames, and he stopped every so often to ask Lily about the stories behind those captured moments.

She didn’t mind sharing her stories—or that sharing them made the whole process take much longer than it should have. She gladly told him about her various trips with Maggie and Colette, pledging her sorority, the first time she’d held her nephews and niece, and her high school, college, and graduate school graduations.

The photo that made Nate’s smile widen most happened to be a casual shot—one he vaguely remembered snapping last March. In it, Nate and Lily stood with the Pacific Ocean behind them, their faces squished together as Nate’s arms held out the camera to capture them both. The wind blew their hair in wild directions, and the bright sun caused their cheeks and the bridges of their noses to flush, but Nate beamed at the camera as Lily leaned over and kissed his cheek. The one photo had easily captured their happiness.

When they climbed into bed that night, Lily seemed pleased with the work they had accomplished. Her new apartment now resembled a home, and she sighed contentedly as she laid her head on Nate’s chest.

He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re going to be okay by yourself tomorrow?”

“Mm-hmm,” she murmured. “I’d like to get through a few more boxes and maybe go to Target to pick up some things.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Nate remained deep in thought as Lily’s breaths evened out and deepened.

“Hey, sweetheart?” he whispered. Lily opened her sleepy eyes and glanced up at him. “You know how happy I am to have you here, but I also want to thank you. Looking at all your photos . . . I know how much you sacrificed to move out here. It couldn’t have been easy to just pick up your life like that.”

Lily kissed his chest before glancing up at him. “You’re welcome, but there’s nothing to thank me for. I don’t see it as a sacrifice. Honestly, it was a very strategic career move. You, my dear, are just a bonus.” She winked, causing him to laugh.

“In all seriousness, this move is a big deal for me. I already miss my family and friends, but I’m looking forward to what’s next. Starting this new chapter is exciting, and I’m glad I have you to help me write it.”

She kissed him then, tangling her fingers in his hair. And as he moved to deepen the kiss, he couldn’t help but think that he was the luckiest SOB on the planet.

Life on the West Coast soon proved to be more difficult than Lily had thought it would be. She loved it, but it was more of an adjustment than she expected. She had to learn new restaurants, new radio stations, new shopping centers—basically a new lifestyle—and she felt more than a little intimidated once the novelty wore off.

The pace of Santa Monica felt more comfortable to Lily than the areas around Hollywood, at least. The more laid-back vibe appealed to her Southern sensibilities, making her feel at home. While she had yet to get used to the higher prices of . . . well . . . everything, and the longer commute to . . . well . . . everywhere, her neighbors seemed happy to answer any questions, and she quickly took advantage of the very short drive to the beach.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the stress of moving gave way to the stress of starting a new job.

Not only had she taken a new position with the website, but she also had to help set up FilmInsanity.com’s new office. As one of the senior writers, it was her responsibility to make sure that the two writers she supervised had all the equipment they needed, in addition to giving them their assignments. She also started covering events again—Devon scheduled her to attend a junket during her first week.

All this meant Lily worked extremely long hours in the first couple of months. A fact she didn’t necessarily like, but understood. She wanted this venture to succeed and felt the need to do her part to make that happen.

Lily worked at least twelve hours a day and often put in time on the weekends. She barely found time to go to the grocery store and the gym, much less do anything else. It wasn’t her intention to neglect Nate—or Daniel and Sam, for that matter—but it was a struggle to find balance between her personal and professional lives. Nate had been trying to take her out on a date for a week and a half, but every time they made plans, she ended up having to stay late at the office. The first time Lily called to reschedule, he easily understood. The second time, he was disappointed but, again, understood. The third time made him angry.

“You have to stay late again? Can’t it wait until the morning?”

On the other end of the phone, Lily rubbed her pounding temples. “I wish it could, but I need to write this piece and post it tonight. You know I’d rather be with you, but I just started this job. I can’t flake on my responsibilities.”

His tone remained dejected. “Well, I guess you need to do what you need to do.”

“I’m sorry. You know that, right?”

Nate sighed heavily. “Do I? Look . . . it’s fine. Finish your work, and we’ll talk later.”

Lily blinked back frustrated tears as the call disconnected.

She
wanted
to spend time with Nate. They finally had the opportunity to date like any other normal couple, but they hadn’t even done so much as go out to dinner and a movie. She felt she had something to prove in her new position—that she had made the right decision by moving here, and that she could do this.

It was close to eight o’clock when she finally finished for the day and made her way home. For first time her apartment felt truly empty when she walked through the door. Setting her heavy work bag down by her desk with a sigh, she changed into comfortable clothes and pulled her hair into a ponytail. A few minutes later, she curled onto her couch with a sandwich and bottle of water, ready to catch up on programs recorded on her DVR. She tried to concentrate on the shows, but her mind kept going back to Nate. She sent him a text letting him know that she was home.

A knock on the door a few minutes later startled Lily. She gasped when she saw who stood on the other side.

As she opened the door, she quickly found Nate’s remorseful but uncertain eyes.

“Hi,” he said.

She gave him a tentative smile. “Hi.”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course.” She moved so he could make his way inside. She turned to face him after she closed the door, leaning her back against it. “Nate, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to see you—”

“I know. I’m so sorry, love. I was just looking forward to our date, but I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. You’re just as important to me as my job is.” She walked into his waiting arms.

He kissed the top of her head. “How about we agree that we were both wrong, but for the right reasons?” Her lips curled into a smile.

She nodded against his chest. “I promise I’ll try to find a better balance between work and everything outside of work,” she said.

“And I promise to be more understanding when it comes to your job. I have no room to talk.”

Lily laughed against his chest and then looked up at him, smiling for the first time that day. “Can you stay tonight?”

“There’s no place I’d rather be.”

She kissed him and then tugged playfully at his tie. “Is it too early for bed?”

He smirked just before his lips met hers once more. As she deepened the kiss, he picked her up and carried her toward her bedroom.

Chapter Twenty-Two

After the first six weeks, FilmInsanity.com’s office was up and running, and Lily was able to focus on the actual work.

For the most part, she got along well with her new coworkers. She quickly bonded with the other senior writer, Olivia, who had made the move from Chicago to Los Angeles and was learning to adapt to life on the West Coast as well. She reminded Lily of a modern-day Audrey Hepburn with her dark brown pixie cut and wardrobe of sheath dresses, twinsets, and ballet flats. But Lily learned that Olivia was no pushover. She had a quiet authority that Lily wanted to learn.

Olivia’s degree in film studies added a unique dimension to the website’s content, giving her the ability to write intelligently about cinematography and scripts. While many of the writers on staff had visions of becoming the next big director, Olivia eventually wanted to be a screenwriter, and she figured this was a great opportunity to hone her skills. Their shared love of writing helped Olivia and Lily become fast friends.

That camaraderie was an advantage in the office. Neither woman wanted the writers they managed to think they could do whatever they wanted. Olivia settled into an easy rapport with her writers, but Lily struggled a bit as a “boss.”

Lily supervised the two newer writers on the staff—Jonathan and Kathryn. Both wanted to be filmmakers, but while Kathryn looked at this experience as a chance to learn as much as possible about the movie industry, Jonathan seemed to resent being there.

After two weeks of insolence, Lily knew it was time for disciplinary action.

Jonathan frequently turned in articles past deadline, offering pitiful excuses for why they were late. No one Lily knew had that many phone calls go unreturned or e-mail messages go unopened. Lily reminded him each time that he had rules and requirements to abide by, and he assured her, each time, that he was doing his best. Lily bit her tongue from calling him out on that blatant lie, instead warning him that if he continued to repeat this behavior, his job was in danger.