Finding Lily (Second Chances Book 2)

by Rachel Del

  “Leah…”

  “Okay, someone else then. Seriously. Just go out to a bar, pick someone, go home and screw his brains out and get on with your life.”

  “As I said: you’re insane.”

  “Can you just think about it? Tell me you’ll think about it.”

  Lily sighed. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

  “Even though I know you’re lying because I know you too, I’m going to let it go.”

  “How very noble of you.”

  “Listen, I’ve got to run, Lil.”

  “Fine, badger me about getting laid and then hang up on me.”

  “You know me. I get in and out as quickly as I can.”

  “There’s a dirty joke in there somewhere I’m sure, I just don’t have the energy to suss it out,” Lily responded. “I’ll catch you later.”

  Lily set the phone down onto the table in front of her and took another sip of wine, thinking about what her sister had said.

  It was far too soon, right? It seemed as though Thomas had just moved out. Sometimes she swore that she could still smell his cologne lingering in the air first thing in the morning. She had once even gone on a pilgrimage for the bottle throughout the house to discern once and for all that it was all in her head. Of course it had been.

  She shook her head in an attempt to rid her sisters’ words from her head and took another gulp of wine. She continued to sit there, allowing the warmth of the alcohol to fill her chest, hopeful that it would push out all that was unwelcome there.

  Chapter 2

  Nathan Trainor turned up the volume on his iPhone, Metallica blasting louder into his ears. He found it incredibly difficult to get through a workout without music, but more than that, he needed the earphones as defense. He had known that men at the gym could be ruthless when it came to hitting on women, but what he hadn’t expected was that women could be just as bad. The music was a necessary defense mechanism.

  No sooner had he tuned out the noise – and people – around him, he caught sight of a pretty blond named Lindsey that he had met a few weeks earlier (she had caught him on a rare no iPhone day). As if she knew she was being watched, Lindsey glanced up and gave Nathan a friendly smile.

  He and Lindsey had gone out on a date only weeks earlier, and while they had enjoyed a decent meal, there simply hadn’t been any chemistry between them. He knew he should have called, but he had never been good at that side of dating; all the rules that came with dating always seemed a little over his head, something that had gotten him into trouble in the past.

  He smiled back at her, grateful that there were still down to earth women in the world who could smile and move on without all the drama.

  He retrieved his dumbbells and set to finish off his workout. A quick glance at the oversized digital clock above him showed that he was running behind. He cursed under his breath and sped up.

  __

  With one last look at himself in his rear view mirror, and a quick tussle of his hair, Nate stepped out of his car and into the morning air. With long strides he headed towards his office building, adjusting and then smoothing out his tie.

  “Regan & Wiley Publishing, please hold. Good morning, Nate,” the perky receptionist said as he approached her sprawling desk.

  “And to you. You’re looking beautiful as always.”

  The fifty-year-old woman smiled. Seeing Nathan each morning and evening was the highlight of her day.

  “How some woman hasn’t snatched you up for herself yet, I’ll never know.”

  Nate simply smiled and continued on down the hallway towards his office.

  After booting up his computer, he turned and headed for the break room, desperate for his first coffee of the day. Caffeine before his workouts made him too jittery.

  With his UNLV coffee mug now full of the steaming, black liquid gold, Nathan turned to head back into his office.

  “Jesus!”

  Before he could stop himself, he had turned and run right into Lily, his coffee spilling all over her blouse. Even with the dark stains all over her, he noticed, she still looked sexy as hell.

  “I don’t even know what to say for myself.” He grabbed some napkins and handed them to her. Her blouse was a damn mess.

  Lily wanted to curse at him, but held her tongue.

  “The good news is, I’ve learned my lesson about these kinds of things and always carry an extra outfit in my car. I can’t tell you how many times my kid has messed up a good outfit with—”

  Lily stopped herself, unsure as to why she was sharing so much.

  Nathan looked slightly amused by the conversation. “Great then. Sorry about that, Lily.”

  He loved the way her name rolled off his tongue; he could imagine what it would sound like when it crossed his lips with her writhing beneath him in bed.

  With that thought, a surge of energy passed through his body. He flicked his tongue across his dry lips.

  “How about you let me make it up to you?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, really. How about I take you to dinner this weekend?”

  It took every ounce of strength in Lily’s body not to agree on the spot, but despite her ever growing attraction, she just couldn’t imagine what kind of complications would arise from her starting to date this quickly after her separation. Still, the thought of sitting across from Nathan and chatting over a hot plate of Chicken Parmesan was pretty tempting. However, as far as everyone knew, she was happily married, and she intended to keep it that way.

  “It’s ok, Nathan. Really, it’s no big deal. Besides, I’m married.”

  “Who says it has to be anything romantic?”

  Lily stared at him for a few moments, embarrassment washing over her. “I’m going to go get changed.”

  Nathan watched her walk away, focusing on the gentle swing of her hips and the sound of her heels hitting the linoleum floor.

  Back in his office, he sank down into his chair, lost in thought. While it was true that he wasn’t great at dating, he had been lucky enough to have never been told no. Until now. The fact that Lily had said no drove him nuts… and only made her that much more appealing. Married or not, she had been someone he had his eyes on from the moment he met her.

  “Lily! Lily, come here.”

  Lily turned and looked across the crowded floor, in search of who was calling her, until she spotted her boss, Jason, waving her over. Beside him stood and a man she didn’t know. A man who was, how could she put it? Absolutely beautiful.

  As she marched across the room towards them she took the time to study the newcomer. His freshly cut brown hair was perfectly styled, his suit and shoes of impeccable taste. And only steps away from them then, she couldn’t help but notice his incredibly kind smile.

  “Lily, this is Nathan Trainor. He’s come to us from New York.”

  She held out her freshly-manicured hand and shook his. “It’s great to meet you. I’m Lily Gardner.”

  “I’ve heard a lot of great things about you, Lily. I look forward to working closely with you.”

  Had it been any other person, the sentiment would have come across as brown-nosed, but as she stared into his blue eyes, she couldn’t help but feel as though he was being completely genuine.

  “Likewise.”

  Nathan lifted the almost empty coffee mug to his mouth, smiling against it. It may have taken him two years, but he had finally made the first move.

  __

  As Lily slid off her wet blouse and patted herself down with damp paper towels, she had to laugh. Had he really just asked her out? She’d never really pegged Nathan as the kind of guy who would just come out and ask like that. She’d imagined him as more of the strong but silent type, spending his nights at home reading with a glass of wine. Women probably flocked to him, but he was selective… kind… gentle. And now she was blushing.

  Dressed in a clean but albeit slightly crumpled shirt and slim pencil skirt, Lily washed her hands, took a quick look
at herself in the bathroom mirror, and headed back to her office.

  She had only just hung up the phone from checking her voicemail when Jason Wiley appeared at her doorway.

  “You have a second?” he asked.

  “Of course.”

  “We’ll chat in my office.”

  Lily stood up, smoothed down her skirt and followed her boss down the long hallway towards his office. Their building was a sprawling twenty thousand square feet over three floors. Modern, light and open concept, it had blown Lily away the first time she saw the space. Five years in the building, working for the company and she still couldn’t help but smile each time she walked through the front doors.

  At the moment, the third floor was abuzz with the sound of telephone conversations and fingers hammering away on keyboards. It was a sound that always comforted Lily, now more than ever. These days the silence wasn’t kind to her.

  Lily followed Jason through his office doors, surprised to see Nathan already seated in one of two plush leather armchairs in front of the sprawling oak desk.

  Nathan nodded in her direction. “Glad to see you dry,” he teased.

  Jason looked back and forth between his two employees, confused. “What’d I miss?” he asked.

  “Nate christened me with his coffee this morning.”

  Nathan couldn’t help but smirk.

  “Anyways, I thankfully carry a change of clothes with me.”

  “Always prepared, this one,” Jason said, and then quickly switched gears. “Guys, I have big news. Tanner Young’s contract is up at the end of the month and rumor has it that he’s looking for new representation.”

  “Holy shit, that’s huge,” Nathan said, leaning forward and clapping his hands together, and then meekly added “sorry for the expletive.”

  “That’s bigger than huge.”

  “What’s our first move?” Lily asked.

  Jason clasped his hands together and leaned far back in his chair. “That’s why I called you guys in. Listen, you’re my best editors here. This guy is young and hip and I am most certainly neither of those things. It’s going to take some serious creative thinking to get this guy on board. He’s – ”

  “Notoriously difficult,” Lily interjected.

  “Yes. To put it lightly.”

  “Let’s call his agent and get a meeting set up,” Nathan suggested.

  “He’s not really the traditional meeting kind of guy,” Jason said.

  “And what does that mean, exactly?”

  Lily piped up. “It means he’s more likely to want to talk over a mickey of whiskey.”

  “My kind of guy!” Nathan said, beaming.

  Lily continued. “So we ‘run into him’ at a bar some time, is that the idea?”

  “It’s a start,” Jason responded. “Test the waters, see if he’s looking at any other publishing houses. Find out why he’s leaving Waterhouse, those kinds of things.”

  “I guess I could call his assistant and pump her for some information,” Lily suggested.

  Nathan sat back in his chair. “I think that I could be of a little more assistance with that.”

  Nathan shot Lily a wide-toothed smile and for a split second she could see why women seemed to flock to him. Strangely enough, she’d never seen him with anyone in the two years they had been working together.

  “I know you were kidding Nate, but I think you’re right,” Jason said, rising from his seat. “Let’s get the ball rolling ASAP here guys. I don’t want to find out that Young signed with someone else before we even got to put our hat in the ring.”

  Nathan rose to his feet and Lily followed suit.

  “Oh, and one more thing guys, and I do apologize for this, but as hard as it could be to snag this guy, if we do, managing him will seem like a full-time job all its own, at least for the foreseeable future. I hope you don’t have anything significant on your calendars for the next year or so.”

  Chapter 3

  Though Lily was used to wooing potential clients on her own, working with Nathan was a welcome distraction that would keep her from focusing on her failing marriage, though she was slightly concerned with working so closely with him after he asked her out. Did she need to worry about him trying again? Perhaps if she were up front with him about her current situation then it wouldn’t be a problem moving forward. They were going to be spending a lot of time together, and she really didn’t want there to be any awkwardness. Crush or no crush, she was still married.

  So she would tell him about her divorce.

  Lily had worked diligently over the past four months to keep her shifting home life a secret from her co-workers. She even still wore her rings.

  She had no idea if she could confide in Nathan. They worked together, but she didn’t know him well. Could she trust that he wouldn’t say anything to anyone?

  A car horn jolted her to attention and she stepped down on the gas pedal, moving the car forward. Already, Nathan was proving to be a great distraction. She signaled left and turned into Thomas’ housing community, coming to a stop at the guard stand. Lily began to tell the tall, blonde guard whom she was here to see, but he waved her on, seemingly recognizing her. Lily lifted her hand to thank him and pulled forward.

  It was her belief that most men in Thomas’s position would have been living in some sad, tiny apartment, or a condo if they were lucky, but as Lily pulled up in front of his house she was struck once more by how lucky he was.

  The small but growing number of divorced friends that Lily knew all thought her to be incredibly lucky. Not only had she been able to keep their house in The Ridges, but also she was sure to get a hefty settlement out of the divorce. Of course, they were already envious enough without her disclosing just how much her husband was really worth. Money made people uncomfortable and petty.

  Besides, it wasn’t about the money. She would gladly give it all away if it meant her marriage was suddenly salvageable.

  Lily walked up his front steps and pressed her index finger to the buzzer. She could hear the muffled sounds of Ben beyond the door.

  Thomas opened the door quickly; looking frazzled and tired, much to Lily’s unexpected pleasure.

  “Rough night?” she asked.

  Thomas nodded. “I don’t know how you do it, Lil. You make it look so easy.”

  It was an unexpected compliment, the first in who knows how many months, and Lily stammered to respond.

  “Mama!” Ben threw his weight against Lily’s legs, hugging her tightly.

  “Looks like someone missed you,” Thomas said looking slightly hurt.

  Lily bent down and lifted her son into her arms. “I missed you buddy.”

  “Go home now?” he said.

  Thomas disappeared back into the house for a moment, re-emerging with Ben’s backpack, and held it out to her.

  “Thanks. See you Thursday.”

  She turned without waiting for a response and set off towards the car.

  “What did daddy make you for dinner?” she asked as she pulled away from the house.

  “Nuggets!” Ben exclaimed.

  Lily exhaled loudly. Had she not just had the conversation with Thomas about proper meals for Ben? Why was it that this man could never listen and follow through with anything?

  “Tomorrow when I get you from daycare we’re going to go to the Farmer’s Market and I’ll let you pick out whatever you want, how does that sound?”

  Since he was old enough to know better, Ben had always enjoyed his trips to the market with his parents. He loved touching and smelling all of the fresh fruits and flowers, and loved helping to put away the groceries once they got home. It was one of Lily’s favorite ways to spend time with her son.

  “K mama.”

  __

  Ben went to sleep that night without a fight, his blankets twisted all around him the way they always seemed to be. Lily padded quietly downstairs, poured herself a tall glass of water and reached for the cordless phone.

  “Hey Leah. You hav
e a second?”

  “I’m on deadline, but I could use a break. What’s up?”

  “So something happened today at work that I thought you’d get a kick out of. Nathan and I have to work together to try and bring in a new author.”

  “Oh my god, Lil! This is perfect! Long days, late nights… You two are totally going to screw.”

  “You have such a filthy mouth.”

  “I thought that’s what you love about me?”

  “If you say so.”

  “But seriously. You’re always telling me how busy you are with work and Ben, and I know that makes it hard to get out and meet someone—“

  “I’m not looking to meet anyone right now, you know that.”

  “Which is why this is so perfect. You’ll be spending all that time with him anyways. You two can fool around on company time.”

  Lily scoffed. “I think that’s how you got fired from your last job.”

  “Made a great story though, didn’t it? And besides, I had to lose that job in order to find what I was really meant to be doing.”

  Truth be told Lily found herself becoming more and more envious of her sister’s life. While she herself was nearing thirty-one, soon to be divorced with a kid and enough emotional baggage to fill an airplane, her twin sister was single by choice, always picking up at a moments notice and flying off to Japan or India. Her small apartment was littered with colorful mementos of all her travels, her life full of incredible adventures. And the best part was that her job as a travel writer meant she was paid to live that way.

  “Anyways, I’m calling with ulterior motives,” Lily said.

  “Don’t you always…”

  “I’m probably going to have some late nights chasing after this guy Tanner, so I might need some help with Ben. I’d ask Thomas but I really just don’t want to add any fuel to the fire, especially as we’re still in mediation.”

  “You know I’m always up for time with my nephew.”

  “Just please don’t teach him anymore swear words. It took us weeks to get it across to him that shit is not a word he should be spouting out at a moments notice.”