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that. “It’s called maturity.”
“I was going to say nerdiness.”
“Well that’s certainly true.”
Her response made him laugh. It was refreshing to meet someone who didn’t take herself too seriously. His attention turned as the security guard strode down the tunnel with a member of the maintenance staff. It didn’t take long for the maintenance worker to confirm the lock wouldn’t open with a key. He hurried off to find the right tools to remove the handle.
Ignoring the few people who started trickling down the tunnel, Archer resumed his vigil on the opposite side of the locked door. “What’s going to be the topic of this article you’re writing?” he asked Lily.
“I haven’t figured out the angle yet,” she replied. “I had hoped something would click after the interviews. It’s pretty hard to think of things to write that haven’t already been done to death.”
He nodded in understanding. “It’s the same in trying to succeed in the music industry. You have to stand out and shine if you’re going to make it big. Not an easy thing to do with so many other artists out there.”
There was a brief pause. “I don’t get it, Dane,” Lily said at last. “What are you so afraid of?”
Archer frowned over the blunt question. “That’s easy enough for you to say. You’re not the one facing the idea of trying to make it on your own after failing so badly before.”
“You’re right, I’m not. And neither are you. What you’re doing is considering making a change while you’re already on the cusp of stardom...a change that could finally push you over the edge into the success you so obviously want.”
He bristled over her pointed statement even though he knew she was right. “You make it all sound so simple,” he grumbled. “What if all that’s waiting for me over that edge is an empty void?”
“Then you make the world crave to be in that void right along with you.”
Lily’s calm and practical responses eased the anxiety and pressure that Archer had carried into the conversation. By the time her uncle and the maintenance worker returned with the tools and removed the door handle to free her, he’d made a decision that would change the course of his future.
The door finally opened and Lily stumbled out, blinking against the light. Archer helped steady her before she turned to give her waiting uncle a hug. It somehow didn’t surprise Archer when Lily then turned back to him and hugged him, too.
Overall, her appearance suited the image he had formed in his head while they talked. Her hair was pulled back into a sensible ponytail. Rectangular dark-rimmed glasses perched on her lightly-freckled nose, framing her highly intelligent gaze. Silver braces gleamed as she shifted away from him and flashed a grateful smile.
The only trait that surprised him was her petite size. With her strong opinions and clear determination, he somehow pictured a much more domineering physical presence. Lily looked more like a woodland sprite than the pit bull he’d imagined.
“Thanks for your help, Dane,” she said. “Now can someone point me in the direction of the closest bathroom before my bladder explodes?”
“Sure,” Archer replied before casually adding, “and after that, how would you like some content for the story you came here to write?”
Her eyes sharpened with what he interpreted as approval. “You’re going to do it?”
“Yep. You convinced me, Lily Montgomery. Let’s go turn the music world on its ear.”
