she wasn't sure just how bad it would be when it did. Lily had prepared contingency plans for every possibility, ready to jump to Patterson's defense at a moment's notice.
It was best that she'd decided to break things off with Brian. She'd ignore his messages and avoid seeing him and pretty soon, she'd wouldn't think of him at all. Lily shook her head. It was a nice little delusion, but right now, that's all she had to hang on to.
Her phone rang and Lily noticed it was her direct line. She hesitated before picking it up. She hadn't given Brian the number, but she had given it to Emma. Emma, Lily mused. She could use the advice of her best friend. She snatched up the phone. 'Lily Gallagher.'
'Miss Gallagher, this is the security desk downstairs. I have a gentleman here to see you.' The man lowered his voice. 'It's Brian Quinn, the news guy.'
'Tell him I'm not in,' Lily said.
'I'm afraid I can't do that.' The guard cleared his throat, then whispered again. 'He's standing right here.'
'I'll be right down,' Lily said. She dropped the phone back in the cradle, then stood and smoothed her skirt. As she walked to the elevator, she thought about what she should say, how she should explain. She'd experienced her share of breakups, but she'd always been on the receiving end. An ultimatum might work-choose her or his story. She knew he'd choose the story and it would be over between them.
'That seems too simple,' Lily muttered. 'But sometimes, simple is better.' She walked to the elevator and punched the button, shocked when the doors actually opened up in front of her. She stepped inside and rode down, all the while telling herself to be strong. But the moment she saw him standing in the lobby, her resolve wavered.
He wore an immaculately pressed shirt and pleated trousers, his usual work attire minus the coat and tie. In all honesty, Lily thought he looked pretty amazing in just about anything he wore. She frowned. With all the intimacies they had shared, she'd yet to see him completely naked. Her heart skipped at the thought of slowly undressing him. He would be so beautiful to look at-to touch.
They slowly approached each other and Lily found his expression impossible to read. He didn't look angry, but he also didn't look happy to see her. 'Hi,' she murmured.
Brian grabbed her hand and drew her back toward the elevators, away from the prying ears of the security guard. 'What the hell is going on here, Lily?'
'I don't know what you mean.'
'I call you at the hotel, you don't answer. I leave messages at your office and you don't reply. What's with you? If you're blowing me off, then at least tell me to my face. Don't make me figure it out on my own.'
Lily drew a ragged breath. 'We've had a wonderful time together, but-'
'I'm not going to use those photos on the air. Hell, I'm not even going to report that they're having an affair.'
'You aren't?' she murmured.
'What do you want from me Lily? Either we're going to do this or we aren't. It's up to you. Personally, I think we're pretty good together. I've never met a woman quite like you.'
'You know it will have to end sometime,' Lily murmured. 'If it's not this story, it will be something else.'
'Maybe. But maybe not. We won't know until we try. And I want to try.'
She glanced up at him, surprised at the admission. She'd just assumed that he was taking their little affair much more casually than she was. Every instinct warned her to walk away. If he broadcast his story about Patterson, they would be forced to battle each other in the media, no holds barred. And if he didn't, she'd be done with her work and on her way back to Chicago next week.
'What if I asked you to give up the story about Patterson?' she asked. 'Would you do it?'
Brian opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it shut. He considered her question for a moment longer. 'I thought we agreed we were going to keep our professional and our personal lives separate.'
'That's what we said. But I can't put things in little compartments. This is my life and if you're a part of it, then you're part of all of it. And if you're not, then you're not.'
'What are you asking, Lily? Whether I will make the choice? Or whether I want to make the choice.'
She straightened, then shook her head. His answer was obvious. 'I'm asking you to stop calling. To just… stay away. I had a wonderful time with you, but from the start, I wasn't looking for something… serious.'
'Ah, hell,' Brian said, turning away from her and raking his hand through his hair. 'I do not want to have this talk right now. Neither of us should be making any decisions. It's too soon.'
'I have to go,' Lily said. 'I still have a lot of work to do and you've probably got to get to the station tonight.' Her hand trembled and she longed to reach out and touch him just one more time, so that she could remember what his skin felt like beneath her fingertips.
'I'm doing the report tonight,' he murmured.
'What? But you told me-'
'I edited it this afternoon. We have film of Patterson and the planning commissioner coming out of a motel room. We're going to run it. That's what I came here to tell you. I'm telling you now. Tomorrow, it's going to be all over the news. I hope you're ready.'
She straightened her spine and tipped her chin up. 'I will be.' With that, Lily turned on her heel and strode back to the elevator, then punched the button emphatically. That was it. The end of everything they'd shared. She'd almost been grateful that she hadn't been forced to choose. She bit back a sob, unwilling to give in to her emotion.
The elevator doors opened immediately and she stepped inside, praying that they'd close just as quickly. Brian watched her for a long moment, his gaze fixed on hers, and then at the last instant, he stepped inside as well, the doors closing behind him.
'What are you doing?' Lily asked.
'We're not finished yet.'
He punched the button for the 20th floor and the elevator started up. But Lily reached around him and pushed the button for the lobby, intending to ride right back down again. 'This doesn't have to be all messy and emotional,' she said.
'Maybe it should be,' he said. 'Maybe you shouldn't be able to just end it without at least some sort of discussion.'
A grinding sound filled the elevator and Lily looked up. 'What was that?' The sound stopped suddenly and then, so did the elevator. It bounced a few times and Lily waited for the doors to open, but they didn't.
Brian pushed the button for the 20th floor again, but the elevator didn't move. 'I think we might be stuck.'
'No!' Lily cried, punching every floor between one and twenty. 'We can't be.'
'I think we are.' He opened the door beneath the control panel and pulled out a phone. 'Do you want to call or should I?' He pulled the phone away as she reached for it. 'Or maybe we shouldn't call. This might be Fate lending a hand. And I'm never one to mess with Fate.'
8
Lily sat in the corner of the elevator, her legs stretched out in front of her and crossed at the ankles. She glanced over at Brian who sat in the opposite corner, his gaze fixed on her legs. He looked up and realized that she'd caught him staring.
'You have nice legs,' he said. 'It's not against the law to look.'
Lily tugged on her skirt, pulling it down to just above her knees. 'When are we going to get out of here?' she muttered.
'We've only been stuck for fifteen minutes,' Brian said. 'It'll be soon.' He glanced at his watch. 'It better be soon. I have to get to the station.'
'Maybe this
'Or maybe it's the lack of decent elevator repairmen in this city,' he countered.
She shouldn't even be talking to him, Lily mused. After everything she'd said outside the elevator, it was almost
