“How are the reshoots going?” Daniel asked.
Marcus’ tone turned professional. “Pretty well. We’re staying on schedule, which is helping. You’re back tomorrow afternoon, right?”
Daniel nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be in after the photo shoot for the story Lily’s writing. Actually, if you don’t mind, I need to go check in with wardrobe while I’m here. Are you two okay for a couple of minutes?”
“Sure,” Lily replied. “Marcus, if you have time for a couple of questions, that’d be great.”
“Of course. We’re in between shots right now.” He led them to two directors’ chairs, out of the way, while Daniel gave them a wave as he walked toward the wardrobe racks in the back.
Lily jumped in as they sat down. “So this is your second film with Daniel. Are you glad to be working with him again?”
“Yeah, absolutely. He’s great to work with—an incredible work ethic. I know actors don’t always have the best reputation, but Daniel has been nothing but professional. He’s on time, he knows his lines, and he doesn’t need a bunch of takes to get it right. In other words, he takes direction well,” he said with a wink.
“He also has quite a following now,” Lily said. “There are lots of reports of fans making pilgrimages, of sorts, to try to see what they can. Has that interfered with filming at all?”
Marcus laughed. “There have been fans who have tried to weasel their way in here. But security’s good. They’re not mean, but they make it clear that this is a professional environment. We have more trouble when we’re shooting outside the studio—location shots. That’s when we have people lining the streets.”
Lily nodded and continued to take notes.
“In a way, I don’t mind it. I know they just want a glimpse and that they’re not intentionally trying to ruin my shot. But sometimes, no matter how respectful they are, there’s just no way to shoot around them. I hope they understand that we’re not trying to put a damper on their fun. But this is work for us—a job.”
“Speaking of, what about Daniel’s performance this time around?” Lily asked.
“It’s every bit as good as Borderlines, if not better. This character just seems to fit him.” A small smile turned up the corners of Marcus’ lips. “He’s going places. I think he has a brilliant career still ahead of him. I’m glad I’ve been a part of it, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series with him.”
Lily glanced up just in time to see Daniel make his way through the door. Speak of the devil, she thought.
Daniel’s eyebrow rose in curiosity at her coy smile. “You two look like you’ve had fun,” he said with a grin.
Marcus gave his shoulder a small slap as he got out of his chair. “Shouldn’t your ears be burning, man? We’ve been talking about you the whole time. Horrible things were said, naturally.”
Daniel laughed. “I have no doubt they were.”
Marcus once again gave Lily’s hand a soft kiss as he made his leave. “Lily, I enjoyed the conversation. And Dan, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks again, Marcus,” Lily said.
“We can stay, if you want to watch some filming, or I thought we could go grab some lunch,” Daniel said.
“Lunch sounds good. I don’t want to be in the way. And I don’t want any spoilers either!”
“Food it is, then.”
Lily sat back and enjoyed the scenery as Daniel made his way toward Santa Monica. The windows were rolled down, and she enjoyed the salty sea air and small talk.
“So do you bribe everyone you work with?” Lily asked. “They all say the nicest things about you.”
Daniel snickered. “Yeah, of course I do. Otherwise this would become the ‘Why I Hate Dan’ article.”
Lily couldn’t help but laugh at that.
The parking area he pulled into was far enough away from the crowds at Santa Monica Pier and half a block away from his favorite restaurant. The simple bistro was quiet—or as quiet as a restaurant could be in Los Angeles—and Daniel claimed the food was mouth-watering.
They chatted and sipped their drinks as they waited for their orders. Lily opted for the Nicoise salad while Daniel chose the Monte Cristo sandwich and frites. Their table wasn’t far from the window, facing out toward the ocean. The bistro was bustling but not too crowded, and if their waiter knew who Daniel was, he hadn’t given any indication.
The conversation flowed easily. Lily asked a few questions pertaining to her story, but they mostly used the time to catch up as friends. Daniel asked how her job search was going.
“Okay, I suppose,” Lily responded. “There are jobs out there, which is good, but no one seems interested in me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” The sincerity was evident in his voice. “The right one will come along. I know it.”
“I think you’re right. I’ve been turned down for quite a few, but I figure that just means that they weren’t the right jobs for me. I’ll know when it happens.”
“Well, trust me—I’ve had my fair share of professional rejections. You have no idea how many auditions I’ve been on that I didn’t get callbacks for.”
“Can I quote you on that?” Lily interrupted with a wink.
Daniel rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Anyway, my point is that you, too, are right. You’ll know when it’s the right one.”
Lily flashed him a devious grin. “You know, the same logic is often applied to romance.”
Daniel chuckled, glancing down at his food, a slight flush coloring his face. “Mm-hmm.”
His answer was ambiguous, but the glint in his eyes made Lily wonder if he was thinking of someone in particular. She was curious, to be sure, but she wouldn’t add her name to the list of journalists who inquired about his romantic life. It was just a feeling she got from his response, but Lily concluded that those persistent rumors were more than likely true. And that was enough for her.
They each had cappuccino at the end of the meal, knowing the caffeine would do them both some good. Their mugs were just about empty when Daniel caught the first flash out of the corner of his eye. It had come from the nearest window.
Lily saw the next one seconds later.
The glanced at each other as a third flash went off outside.
Daniel muttered a curse under his breath as Lily’s eyes widened.
“Okay,” Daniel said, rising from his seat. “Let’s go. Follow me, and stay close.” Lily immediately grabbed her bag and complied. Despite the anxiety forming in the back of her mind, she was impressed with the way Daniel took charge.
He handed the waiter a pile of bills as they hustled past him, thanking him and apologizing for what was about to come at the same time. As they approached the door, Daniel grabbed her hand, stopping her and forcing her to look at him.
“All right, this isn’t going to be pleasant, but it’ll be over before you know it.” He gave her hand a small reassuring squeeze. “We’re going to walk to the car as fast as we can. Keep your head down, and don’t say anything to them. Stay behind me, okay?”
Lily nodded and swallowed thickly, adrenaline now coursing through her veins. Daniel let go of her hand and pulled his baseball hat lower over his forehead before grabbing his sunglasses and slipping them in place on the bridge of his nose. Oh, that’s a good idea, she thought in a brief moment of clarity. She pulled out her own. Once they were in place, Daniel reached toward her again.
“I don’t think there are a lot of them, but it’s going to be really loud and really bright. Will you be all right?”
Lily nodded and gave him a weak smile. “Sure. I’m ready for the full Daniel Brighton experience.”
A short laugh escaped Daniel’s lips. “Really?”
Lily sighed. “No, not really. But we might as well get it over with.”
Daniel smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I promise I won’t let go.”
The noise grew louder as they approached the door. “All right. Here we go,” Daniel said so only Lily cou
ld hear him.
Daniel pushed the door open and immediately lowered his head. Lily was right behind him, her hand still in his. She took a deep breath as they crossed over the threshold onto the sidewalk. The flashes started slowly while the paparazzi figured out who was leaving. Once they saw it was Daniel, the flashes increased in intensity. It was early in the afternoon, but they were still bright enough to make Lily feel like she was standing in the middle of a spotlight.
Daniel pulled her along at a quick pace. Lily was grateful she had on her flats so she could keep up with him. They’d made it only a few steps before shouting joined the sound of the snapping lenses.
“Daniel, who’s the girl?”
He didn’t respond.
“Come on, man. Give us something, here. One photo?”
He remained silent.
“Got a new friend, there, Daniel?” one asked in a suggestive manner.
His grip tightened on Lily’s hand, his fingers twitching in agitation.
Lily’s sole focus remained on the sidewalk in front of her. She concentrated on the rhythmic movement of Daniel’s feet, steadily and softly slapping the concrete.
Then there were other feet coming toward her, and she began to feel a bit claustrophobic. Daniel was a brick wall, shielding her in front, but soon she was surrounded on all sides. The cameras kept clicking, and the shouting got louder as they came closer.
They didn’t seem to be paying attention to each other either. Among the yelling, Lily occasionally heard them telling each other to watch it. The shuffling she heard wasn’t just her trudging along closely behind Daniel. It was also the paparazzi dodging around each other for the perfect shot.
As they came closer, they bumped into Daniel and Lily. He was steady on his feet, but she was jostled around repeatedly. One larger man managed to step on her right foot, causing her to slam into Daniel, her free hand grasping for purchase at the small of his back. She left her hand there to keep her upright. Tears pricked her eyes in pain and frustration.
Eventually they seemed to give up on getting any kind of reply from Daniel, perhaps knowing from experience that he wasn’t going to respond. So the paparazzo closest to Lily turned to her instead.
“Come on, love. Give us a name,” he yelled in her ear.
Another one leered. “You’re a cute one.”
“Are you Dan’s new Girl Friday?” the largest guy asked.
Her steps faltered at that last question. She’d wondered how this would look and knew without a doubt how these men would spin it. She didn’t even need to see Daniel’s face to know he had come to the same conclusion. His grip got even tighter on her hand, and his steps sped up as they turned the corner into the parking garage.
The paparazzi continued to follow them as they made their way to the back of the garage where Daniel had parked. Lily sighed in relief as she saw Daniel’s Audi come into view. The photographers snapped away, still trying to get a good shot of her face as Daniel led her to the passenger door and opened it. He finally let go of her hand and closed the door when he was sure she was settled in her seat. She strapped in as Daniel battled his way through the photographers to the driver’s side. Lily heard him take a deep breath as he started his car.
They still had their sunglasses on, but Lily felt Daniel’s eyes on hers. His grip remained tight on the steering wheel as he turned toward her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice. Her breathing was starting to regulate, but adrenaline had flooded her system. Daniel pulled out a cigarette and flicked his lighter to life. She focused on the rhythmic hollowing of his cheeks, trying her hardest to hold in the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. At that moment, Lily contemplated taking up smoking, if for no other reason than to have something to do with her shaking hands.
“Okay,” he said, letting out another breath of smoky air. Lily found it oddly comforting. “Head still down. And hold on.”
Lily closed her eyes as the car eased backward. Daniel’s reverse was forceful enough to scatter the paparazzi but not so rough as to run over anyone. Any flashes or shouting were blessedly muffled by the revving of the Audi’s engine.
“Christ, I hope they don’t follow us,” Daniel muttered under his breath. Lily heard the whirl of the window as Daniel rolled it down just a touch, giving them both some much-needed fresh air. He seemed to struggle to obey the traffic laws as he moved onto the streets, but kept his speed reasonable.
Lily eventually opened her eyes but kept them on the traffic in front of her while focusing on taking deep, regular breaths as the last of her adrenaline rush crashed back down to reality. Daniel glanced in her direction to check on her.
“Hey,” he said gently. “I’m sorry about that.”
She cleared her throat and gazed over at him. “It’s all right. It’s not your fault. That was just . . . intense.”
Lily hadn’t realized the truth behind her words until they were out of her mouth. It truly wasn’t Daniel’s fault. They were just having lunch, minding their own business, when the men started photographing them. And even in the middle of the chaos, Daniel wasn’t rude to them. By not saying anything at all, he didn’t give them what they wanted, but he also didn’t make the situation any worse.
Daniel’s laugh pulled her from her thoughts. “Believe me. I’ve been in worse. Much worse.”
Lily shook her head at the thought. “I cannot even imagine. That was enough for me, thanks.”
She watched the streets of Los Angeles fly by as Daniel weaved in and out of traffic. It occurred to her that she had no idea where he was taking her.
“So are you kidnapping me now?”
Daniel’s eyes flew to hers. They were filled with a devious glint. “Are you saying you wouldn’t come along willingly?” His eyebrow arched knowingly.
Lily scoffed but couldn’t deny it. “Yeah, probably,” she replied, smiling at him. “I was just curious about where we’re going.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t have a plan when I pulled out of the parking garage. So I just headed home. To my house. I assumed that was all right.”
Lily’s eyes widened in surprise. “Um . . . sure. If that’s fine with you. I mean, it’s your space. I don’t want to intrude.”
“Of course you’re welcome at my place. But if I see you taking photos with your smartphone or writing down the address, I will be forced to kill you.”
Lily assumed he was kidding. The thought of doing what he’d suggested hadn’t even crossed her mind.
Within a few minutes, they rolled into Hollywood Hills. The tension drained from Daniel’s posture the closer he got to his house. His white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel relaxed as he drove farther from the paparazzi.
If Lily had been driving, she would have missed the driveway. It was tucked among shrubs and other greenery lining the streets. Daniel pulled in, stopping at a tall iron gate. He rolled down the window of the Audi and punched in the security code as Lily admired the surroundings. The lush greenery continued on the inside of Daniel’s property as well. Lily could now see that the shrubbery lining the streets had actually grown through the rest of the iron fence surrounding the property.
She hadn’t expected a huge estate sprawling over several acres. That just wasn’t Daniel’s style. But she was still pleasantly surprised when she saw that the property wasn’t too large—less than an acre, she guessed. The stucco house, though set back from the road, was welcoming and not the least bit ostentatious. Where Lily was from, it would have been considered a mansion. But by Hollywood standards, it was merely average. It had a distinct bungalow vibe to it—cozy and inviting.
Around the house, the landscaping was lush and slightly tropical. Palm trees stood on each side of the garage. Parked inside the garage was another Audi coupe. Storage containers lined the walls in neat stacks, and recycling bins sat beside the door Lily assumed led inside. A few moments later, she found out she was right.
“So . . . welcome to my home.”
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Chapter Eleven
The door led into a spacious kitchen. It had stone flooring, granite countertops, and a decorative tile backsplash around all the counters. The stainless steel appliances included a gas stove and gave the kitchen a clean, almost industrial feel.
Lily sat her bag on one of the counters when she heard someone else in the house.
“Hey, babe,” a muffled, vaguely familiar female voice called. “Back already? I thought you were going to be gone longer than that.”
Lily’s surprised gaze turned to Daniel. She fought the urge to tell him that she shouldn’t be here—that she was intruding. Daniel must have read her expression. He smiled and nodded toward the living area.
“Yeah, we had to cut it short,” he called out. As they walked into the next room, Lily heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming the same way. The living room had a relaxed and comfortable feel to it. Hardwood floors stretched across the large room. Black iron-scroll sconces and table lamps accented earth tone walls and colors of all variations—rich browns, greens ranging from sage to olive, neutral shades of taupe, and splashes of burgundy. A gas fireplace sat on one wall with a pair of olive colored chairs that formed a small sitting area. A larger area was clearly designed for more recreational purposes. A flat-screen high-definition television was attached to the wall, and below it were two plush microfiber sofas the color of cocoa powder separated by three square ottomans in the same shade, forming one “coffee table.” Leopard print pillows sat in the corners of both sofas. It was both comfortable and unassuming. Lily was about to sit down when the woman behind the voice entered the room.
It was her. You Know Who.
“Oh. Hi,” she said as she pulled her blond locks into a messy bun. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was anyone else here.”
“Please forgive me for imposing—” Lily started.
“Lily, I promise, it’s fine,” Daniel said from his spot on the sofa.
The younger woman nodded. “He’s right. You’re not imposing. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She offered Lily her hand and a genuine smile.
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