Spotlight (15 page)

“Have you always wanted to be an actor?”

“Oh, God no. Actually, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. When that first opportunity came along—when my friend John couldn’t perform, and I stepped in—it wasn’t because I wanted to. I was just the best option at the time. I was kind of floating along in school. I was taking a bunch of different classes, but I hadn’t declared a major. The main reason I was helping with the sets at John’s play was because I felt a spark of interest in architecture. They needed someone to help with the sets, and I figured that’d be a good way to try my hand at it before wasting a lot of time and money in classes. Taking the stage, though, reminded me of all those stories I imagined myself in. It was easy to lose myself in characters. So I took roles and a few drama classes. Then came
In My Life
. You know the rest from there.”

Lily frantically jotted down notes as he spoke. “You know,” he continued, “I am still interested in architecture. And I do regret not finishing college. Maybe I’ll go back someday.” His voice grew quieter with that last confession.

She looked up at him with a smile and caught his eyes. “Well, I’d say you’ve done all right for yourself.”

Daniel laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.” He got up to toss his water bottle in the recycling pile. “So do you want to go see some of the reshoots?”

Lily nodded enthusiastically. The soundstage the director was using—the largest one on the lot—wasn’t too far from the trailers. Lily could sense the commotion as they walked closer.

The bright red sign above the outside door reading FILMING IN PROGRESS wasn’t lit up, so Daniel ushered them in. What Lily saw transported her into a different place. In front of her was the hallway of what looked like a hospital, complete with entryways into patient rooms. Just off the hallway was a boardroom, which Lily assumed was for the scene with the pharmaceutical reps Daniel mentioned. The only giveaway that they weren’t in a medical center was the cameras and various people milling about, waiting for their instructions.

She looked around in awe, astounded that something so realistic could exist within the walls of this warehouse. She couldn’t begin to fathom the amount of detail that went into transforming this blank canvas into the medical facility before her.

Daniel led her right into the fray, guiding her toward a man who looked like he was conducting an orchestra. Even from a distance, Lily could see that the expression on his face was serious. His arms gestured animatedly in all directions, and she could hear his voice carrying over the rest of the commotion. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders as they approached him.

“Marcus, this is Lily,” Daniel said, introducing her. “Lily, this is Marcus Williams, the director.”

Lily stood just to Daniel’s left and slightly behind him. She extended her hand toward Marcus. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Marcus took her hand, bringing her knuckles up for a quick brush of his lips. “The pleasure is mine, Lily. Daniel told me you were coming by. I hope you’ll make yourself at home.” His smile was genuine and not what she expected from a Hollywood director.

Lily’s grin widened as she thanked him.
Daniel obviously surrounds himself with good-looking people
, she thought wryly, a quick image of Nate in his brown suit flashing through her mind. But Marcus had his own appeal. He stood a just a few inches shorter than Daniel with bright blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. The crinkles at the corners when he smiled were the only indication of his age. He was dressed in jeans, a black button-down shirt with the sleeves turned up, his trademark scarf, and Nikes that were every bit as worn as Daniel’s.

“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 could 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.