Spotlight (6 page)

When the curtain went down on
A Streetcar Named Desire
, Daniel’s next project was a film called
Borderlines
, based on the first book in a trilogy by an up-and-coming author. The first book centered on fictional surgeon Grady Pierce and his time volunteering with Doctors Without Borders in a small village in Africa. In the second book, Grady inadvertently comes across information about a life-saving medical advancement that a pharmaceutical company has been keeping under wraps. The third book was set to be released in the coming months.

The role excited Daniel. He’d read the first two books before he ever knew they were being adapted for the big screen and appreciated the messages in them. He liked the idea that one man could change so many lives for the better. And as far as film roles went, the character challenged him, as did the physicality of the film. Dodging bullets and crashing cars would be new for him, and he looked forward to it, especially since most of the filming would take place in Morocco and South Africa over a period of ten weeks.

After a quick trip home to Los Angeles when the play ended, Daniel flew to the African continent for the first time. Morocco was a nice break from what he was used to in the States. The location was remote, which meant that there was hardly anyone around who wasn’t working on the film. Johannesburg was another story. It was a typical, cosmopolitan city with people constantly milling about, and that tended to make Daniel nervous. Paparazzi, though fewer than in the States, could easily hide in the crowds. And while he could take care of himself, he didn’t appreciate the obtrusive lenses when one particular friend came to visit halfway through the shoot.

Daniel had two days off during her stay, and since he’d rarely had a break, he decided that they should go out and enjoy the nightlife. They slipped into a nightclub unnoticed and danced to the worldly beats until the early hours of the morning. On their way back to the hotel a few blocks away, however, Daniel heard the quiet snaps of the camera.

Turning around, he glared in the direction of the flashes then quickened his pace. His companion put her head down and tried her best to match his long gait in her four-inch heels.

Of course, the flashes came faster. At least three paparazzi were snapping away, and soon the flashes were accompanied by taunting.

“Come on, Daniel. One photo!”

“Daniel, turn around, man!”

“Don’t be such a prick. It’s just a couple of photos!”

“Your girl’s looking good, Daniel!”

That remark stopped him in his tracks. He turned and strode toward them quickly, anger in his brown eyes.

“If you ever say something like that about her again, I will—”

He was cut off by the biggest member of the photog pack. “You’ll what? Beat us up? Turn us in?” He sneered as he continued to bait Daniel. “I’ve got news for you, man. You’re on a public street, which means we can do whatever the hell we want.”

Daniel’s fists clenched at his sides. He wanted nothing more than to raise those fists and shove one of them, forcefully, into this guy’s nose. He was seconds away from doing just that when he felt a small hand on his bicep.

“Don’t.”

Her tone was soft but stern as he glanced down to her pleading hazel eyes. In the glare of the now continuous flashes, his own eyes begged her to let him do this. But she shook her head slowly, knowing it would cause more problems.

Grabbing his wrists, she started tugging, trying to pull him away from this situation. He let out the breath he’d been holding and followed her lead, turning his back without saying another word to the men with the cameras. The flashes brightened the night sky even more as they locked pinkies and walked toward the hotel.

Lily considered herself lucky.

A couple of months before filming on Daniel Brighton’s new project began, Gregory introduced her to Devon Blakely. The two volunteered together at the Playhouse—Gregory in marketing, Devon in sound and visuals—and Gregory thought Devon would be a great source for Lily’s story about an upcoming production.

When Devon mentioned his job, Lily’s interest was piqued.

Devon owned and ran FilmInsanity.com, a website devoted to all aspects of movie making that was steadily gaining ground among Hollywood insiders. It had started as movie and DVD reviews and then grew to include interviews with cast, crew members, and filmmakers.

The more they talked, the more interested Lily became. It was the kind of writing she would love to do, and she was surprised when Devon offered just that. He was apparently familiar with her work and asked if she’d be willing to write a weekly roundup of celebrity news—and gossip—for him. He seemed to think that the wit in her writing voice would be a perfect fit for the not-so-serious and sometimes too-serious world of entertainment.

But Lily had some reservations that she brought up when they met for coffee a week later to discuss the possibility.

“Look, Devon, I just want you to know that I don’t look at gossip in the same way as everyone else. I think all those rags are actually rather trashy,” she told him before taking a sip of her coffee. “Take this latest thing with Daniel Brighton, for instance. So he yelled at a paparazzo. Who cares? He was walking down a street on his own time, and they said something rude to get a rise out of him. How in the world is that news?”

Devon studied her as he took a sip of his latte. “You’re right. It’s not news. And if that’s not what you want to write about, that’s fine with me. To be honest with you, I’d feel much better about reporting facts anyway so that we’re not on any legal thin ice.”

“You’re sure? I mean, I know all that salacious stuff gets tons of hits.”

Devon nodded. “It does. But I’d rather be respected.”

She smiled. “Really? Okay, then. You’ve got yourself a columnist. But I’m only sticking to the stuff that has been confirmed by the celebrities themselves or by their publicists.”

She stuck out her hand, and they shook on their arrangement.

Writing her new column and having a place to express her views on all things celebrity quickly became the highlight of Lily’s week. She welcomed the opportunity to keep people informed and was true to her word about what she covered, and what she didn’t. Rumors of a new role were fair game. Rumors of who was dating whom were not.

Her role on the website grew as she became more comfortable with the pace and how it ran. Reviews were still one of its largest sources of page views, and when the final season of
In My Life
was released on DVD, Lily offered to write her take on it. And it did well. She knew where to send the link so that it would reach the show’s fans. Devon was impressed, and Lily continued to review films and DVDs that came their way.

It didn’t take Devon long at all to figure out that Lily liked Daniel Brighton.

When Lily heard that Daniel had been cast as Grady Pierce, she sent Devon an e-mail. She wanted to let him know that she’d write a brief story about it. But she also added a request at the end.

If there was any way the site could cover the filming, the press junket, the premiere, or even interview cast or crew members, Lily wanted in on it.

Ten days before the scheduled junket, Lily got an e-mail saying that FilmInsanity.com had a confirmed spot at the press conferences.

Lily spent the next week in a flurry of activity. She booked her flight, reserved her hotel room, and bought a new dress. She also did quite a bit of research about the movie itself. She’d already read the books, but she wanted to learn more about Doctors Without Borders and the locations they chose to film.

As the date came closer, her nerves grew.

“So how do these things typically work?” she asked Devon when they met for a cup of coffee.

He stifled a laugh at her nervousness. “First, you’ll sign in at the hospitality suite at the hotel. They’ll direct you to where it’s taking place. Then, it’s usually kind of a roundtable discussion. The participants sit up front, typically at a table on a small stage, and the media pass around a microphone. It’s first come, first served for questions, but if the publicists like what you’ve asked, they’ll come back to you.”

He set his cappuccino back in its saucer before continuing. “You know, Lily, you should give Morgan Miller a call. She’s in Los Angeles and has covered a lot of these for us. And I know you two have become friends. She can fill you in on how junkets work.”

Lily nodded. “That’s a great idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!” After all, who better to talk Lily through it than someone as passionate about movies—and writing about them—as Morgan?

Lily’s flight to Los Angeles arrived at noon, and as offered, Morgan graciously picked her up from LAX. Morgan, too, had an appreciation for Daniel Brighton, and when Lily mentioned that she didn’t have anyone to be her plus one for the press screening of
Borderlines
, Morgan offered her services immediately.

“Thank you for picking me up,” Lily said, smiling as the peppy brunette released her from an unexpected hug.

“Are you kidding me? It’s no trouble!” Morgan opened the trunk of her tiny blue car and took Lily’s suitcase, a cluster of bracelets around her wrist jingling as she moved.

“Still, I appreciate it more than you know.”

“No problem, really. Thank you for inviting me to tag along tonight.” She smiled and pointed Lily toward the passenger side door. “Now, would you like to head straight to your hotel, or do you want to kill some time before you check in?”

Lily grinned. “Well, I’ve never seen the Pacific . . .”

“That I can handle! How about we go to Santa Monica Pier for a bit, then we can swing by your hotel to check in before the screening?”

“That sounds incredible.” Lily pulled out her sunglasses and tilted her head toward the California sun.

At the first hint of salt in the air, Lily took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the sun and the sound of the sea. She loved being near the ocean. Something about it made her both calm and contemplative. It gave her a sense of perspective. The vastness of the water and the endless horizon reminded her that in the grand scheme of things, she was like one of the grains of sand she stood on.

At Lily’s request, the girls took a quick trip through an In-n-Out drive-thru after they left the beach—she’d heard so much about the chain and wanted to try it out for herself.

Then it was on to the hotel.

Lily was aware that staying at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills was an extravagance. But, because the junket was being held there, she figured that it was a time when convenience trumped cost. Lily checked in and found her room while Morgan waited in the lobby. She changed clothes quickly, taking one last glance at her appearance before placing her reporter’s notebook in her bag so that she could take notes during the film.

“I’m going to park about a block away, if that’s okay,” Morgan said as they neared the historic TLC Chinese Theatre where the screening was being held. “There’s something I want you see.”

Lily laughed. “Sounds intriguing!”

Morgan pulled into the public parking lot under the Center at Highland. When they made their way up to ground level, she turned Lily toward the north and pointed. “There. That’s what I wanted you to see.”

Lily’s face lit up at the sight of the Hollywood sign. She pulled out her camera and snapped a couple of photos, adding to the few she had taken of the Santa Monica Pier. They walked toward the theater, passing by other landmarks as well. Lily snapped pictures of the theater where the Oscars were held, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with the world famous entrance to TLC Chinese Theatre.