I Won't Let You Get Lost

Lily looked down with disdain at the growing pile of articles and photographs she had to validate. They went to press at the end of the week and there was far too much work for only a few days, but that didn't matter. She took a deep breath and blinked before going back to her task. As she filed away the work, Cadence burst through her door. Lily's assistant followed.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Reeds! She just barged in!"

"It's alright, June. Leave Ms. Davis be."

The shy secretary nodded and closed the door behind her. Lily's guard went up. "What in the hell are you doing, Cadence? I told you to take the rest of the day off. As in not in this building. As in out of my sight until 8am tomorrow."

Normally, this would dent Cadence's pride, but it just made her grin and gloat silently. Her boss knew she was up to something.

"I have a proposition for you."

Lily sat down in her seat and picked up her pen. "Go home, Cadence. Just go."

"Not until you listen to me," she smiled, sitting down in one of the guest seats. This more or less forced her unwilling boss to look up at her. Her disposition was much too content for someone who'd more or less been let off, even if just for a day. She dropped the pen. Cadence looked at her hopefully.

She groaned. "Okay."

The brunette stood up and pressed her hands together. "You've been saying for months that we haven't had a decent story to publish. Everything's just been random cover shots and measly filler articles."

"Sadly, yes. That's what I've been saying."

"Well," she grinned with relish. "What if I had that decent story?"

"I'd say you were off your rocker."

She clapped her hands together. "I had a feeling you'd say that! Which is why I digress from that negative train of thought. I have the biggest scoop this magazine's seen in years."

Lily leaned in closer, her arms pressed against the desk, her eyes staring down the rambling girl. She did her best to dissect her mannerisms and frivolous chatter, but something said she was being honest. She thought quickly of something to say. "What exactly do you have?"

Cadence sat down excitedly and pulled in closer to the desk. She lay her arms on the desk, her hands waving frantically, gesturing things as she spoke. "Who is 'the' hottest male actor in all of Britain - no! the world - right now?"

That was a simple question.

"Robert Pattinson."

"Exactly!"

Lily's interest had officially been piqued. "What does all this have to do with vampire boy?"

Cadence grinned devilishly. "What would you say if I told you I just met the heartthrob at the Starbucks around the corner?"

"Bollocks."

She laughed, leaning back in her chair. "It was positively glorious! Ian brought me my drink as usual, and the chap bought me a couple pastries! This is good, Lily."

"No. This is excellent," she marvelled, still in shock at her luck. "Cadence, I don't know what to say..."

The young girl got to her feet and propped herself up off the lacquered wooden desk. "A month, Lily. That's all I need. One little month, and I'll have the best story you've ever seen."

Her boss became hesitant, hacking at her nails with an intensity Cadence had never seen. She begged a little more. "C'mon, Lily. Think about it. By the end of next month, our issue'll sell more than a million copies. Can you imagine that? A million copies! You have nothing to lose. If I fail, we still meet our quota."

"If you fail, you lose your job."

Her pleas stopped in a heartbeat.

"You heard me, Cadence. If you screw this up for the company, you're out of this office, out of this building, out of this industry. You want your chance, you can have it. But you'd better deliver, and it had better be good."

Cadence didn't know what to do. She'd gotten what she'd wanted. Lily had bent; she was giving her her chance. But what about her job? Was it worth it? Was it worth risking the past year on a whim that could destroy everything?

She thought back to the first time he'd shot her a smile. She grinned devilishly, relishing the thought of being able to see him again. She slipped her hand into her pocket and fumbled with his number, the one that he'd written so eloquently before leaving the coffee shop. She stuck out her hand and hesitantly, Lily shook it, as if she was giving her a chance to take back her choice. But it was too late.

It was on.