Spring 2025
Lily tried to smile at the director. �You really think I should go?� She asked.
�Lily, you�ve been fantastic here.� The man assured her. �But you�re only second fiddle. If you go with the show Brown is basing in Chicago, not only will you be close to your family, you�ll be a star in your own right.�
Lily nodded, feeling excited at the thought of being so close to Salem, so close to home.
�So, if you sign right here you can have everything settled right now.� Her agent explained.
Before signing, Lily suspiciously asked, �What are the terms?� She�d learned a lot since she left Salem three years ago. Back then she had been a starry eyed kid, hell bent on stardom. Life on her own had been tough and she�d learned fast that just because you had dreams and a job, life was never perfect. After all the newness of being an �official� actress wore off she realized Mickey was right. Salem was home. That was where her life was. SO she began to look for a way to go back. She kept in touch with Kay and Lyssa. They had both been talking lately about Mickey�s growing relationship with Riley Reed. They�re lying. Lily thought confidently. They want me to come back to Salem and get back together with him. Mickey would never even think of getting involved with her. Would he? She snapped out of her thoughts to listen to the agent.
�Three shows over Friday Saturday and Sunday, forty-nine weeks a year for two years. At least two shows a week from Monday to Thursday. Evening performance, of course.�
�Of course." She responded. �What kind of pay am I looking at?�
She nearly fell out of her chair when he told her. �I�ll take it!� She whooped. �Absolutely, positively, I will take it!� For that kind of money I�d dig ditches! Lily thought dizzily. She signed the paper in a delirious haze. �I�m going home!� She yelled when she got to the street. A few tourists stopped to stare but the natives didn�t even notice.
Lily dashed home. She pounded up the stairs, not even pausing to catch the elevator. At �home,� the Black family�s apartment in New York she flopped across the bed.
Naturally she would call Lyssa and Brady and Belle and Kay and� her mind ran through more names. But right now it was time for her to call the one person she couldn�t get out of her mind. Mickey Horton.
She dialed with a shaky hand. She could imagine his joy. Because of course he hadn�t been able to stop thinking of her any more than she had stopped thinking of him.
�Hello?�
The smile vanished. �Who is this?� Her voice was high and scratchy.
�Excuse me?� The woman�s voice was irritated.
Lily lay across the bed. �Can I talk to Mickey please?� It was not a request.
Lily heard the girl�s voice shout, �Mickey, phone.�
�Coming, Rye-pie.� He teased.
�Don�t call me that!� Riley sounded mock aggrieved. Lily could picture the scene right now. Mickey would be gazing at her with those beautiful eyes of his. She would be pouting, so that her to-kill-for face looked the prettiest. He would kiss her cheek and then, �Hello?�
Mickey�s voice took her breath away. �It�s me.� She managed.
�I�m sorry, you�ll have to be more specific, Riley stop that.� He said it affectionately, and lovingly. Lily felt sick at the thought of what she must be doing to have him say, �Stop that.�
He doesn�t even recognize my voice. She wanted to cry. �It�s Lily.�
�Oh, Lily, Hi, how are you? How�s New York?� He asked. Of course he did recognize her voice, but after not speaking for three years he wanted to make things painful for her.
She heard Riley say petulantly in the background, �You�re hair�s wet!�
Lily got the feeling he couldn�t care less about her. She wanted to die. My one time husband, the love of my life, doesn�t talk to me for THREE YEARS and all he can say is �How�s New York?! She wanted to scream. And on top of that he�s playing kissy face with his new girlfriend while he�s on the phone with me? Obviously what we had meant more to me than it did to him.
�New York�s been great.� She said. �But I�m coming home. I wanted to see you.�
�Oh.� He had no idea how to take that.
Riley saw that the call was important. �I�ll be waiting in the bedroom.� She sing-sang.
Lily trembled. �I�m sure we�ll see each other at the wedding.� Mickey added.
�Yeah, I�m sure.� Lily said. �How have you been?�
�Oh, fine.� Mickey grimaced. �Are you bringing that guy you�ve been dating home?�
Lily�s heart lifted with hope. Boyfriend in New York! She thought. The only boyfriend in New York is the guy I made up and told Lyssa and Kay not to tell Mickey about unless he asked. Since he knows I know he asked and he still cares! �Ah, no, we broke up some time ago.�
�Oh, I�m sorry.� Mickey said sympathetically. �Why did she call?� He wondered, agitated. If she called to wish me joy I don�t think I can take it. �That�s rough.�
If only you knew. Lily threatened to explode. Instead she asked, �How long have you been with Riley?� She spat the name venomously.
�Oh, two years or so. We got together at Roman and Emilia�s wedding.�
"Two years? That�s a long time.� She was stunned. They�ve been together for two years, and no one told me until last month?
�Yeah, but it doesn�t feel that way.�
�Are you two serious?� It was very important to Lily to know that.
�Yeah, you could say that.� Mickey said, amused.
�Why? How serious?�
�We�re getting married sometime next year.�
Stunned pained silence echoed loudly from Lily�s end of the phone. And then a dial tone.
Mickey hung up his end. �Lyssa and Brady�s wedding should be interesting.� He told Riley. �Lily�s going to be there.�
Riley watched his face carefully. �Mickey, why did you tell her that we�re engaged?� She asked softly. �When she gets here she�ll find out that we aren�t.�
�What if by then we are?�
Riley�s jaw dropped. Sh*t. She thought. �Are you proposing?� She asked carefully.
�Yes, I think that�s what I just did.� Mickey teased light heartedly.
�Mickey, that�s not what we said this relationship would be! It�s supposed to be purely physical, no emotions involved.�
�I think we both abandoned that rule long ago.� Mickey took her hand and kissed it.
�Well, also that it would be very easy to get out of. You know, so that if Roman ever became available I could go after him and you could do that with Lily.�
Mickey trailed kisses up her arm. �Stop that!� She said sternly.
�I don�t love Lily any more. I love you.� He whispered.
�No you don�t!� Riley cried. Why do I have to do this? Her heart raged. Why should I push him away? We could be so happy together! Why can�t I love him? The answer was glaring in her face. Because he doesn�t love me.
�I do love you!� Mickey exclaimed. �If you�re worried that I�ll hurt you��
�No Mickey.� She turned around and laid a finger on his lips. �I never worry that you�ll hurt me. In fact, I think you�re the kind of man who would stay with me until my dying day, even if you were in love with someone else, just because you don�t want to hurt me.�
�If I prove to you that I don�t love Lily anymore�� He began, but didn�t know where to go with the thought.
�Even if by some miracle you proved you weren�t in love with Lily, which you are, I couldn�t marry you.�
�Why not?� He asked raggedly. �Why can�t any woman love me enough to want to spend her life with me?� He wondered.
�Because if you are in love with me, which I doubt you are, you�re in love with this really little part of me. You�re the only person who sees that part of who I am and I love you for bringing it out. I guess you could almost say you bring out the best in me.� She smiled sadly and caressed his face. �But I want someone who understands all of me.� She sighed. �Besides, you deserve a woman who is as good as you are.�
�But you are!� He tried to assure her, but it was a losing battle. �You might not be perfect Riley Reed, but I love you for what you are.�
�No, you love me for who you think I am. For who you see me as.� She argued.
He sighed. �I�m sorry you feel that way.�
�Yeah, I know.� She looked down at the floor. �Me too. But we both knew this couldn�t get too serious any way, right?�
�I don�t know, I was all set to register us at Barron�s Department Store.� He sighed.
She laughed. �I think it would be way too weird, I mean, your mother�s child and my dad�s winding up together?�
�This is Salem. Stranger things have happened. And aren�t you forgetting Lyssa and Eli?�
�They were NEVER serious!� Riley exclaimed. �NEVER!�
Mickey smiled. �Can we still be �friends with benefits?��
�Friends with benefits?� Riley giggled. �Is that what we are?�
�Well for a year and a half that�s how you made me refer to us, so I guess.� Mickey teased.
She laughed openly, just relaxing after fending off that danger. �I have a better idea.�
�Oh yeah? What?� He asked.
�I�ll help you get Lily back, and we�ll just be friends.�
�Riley�� He began, planning on delivering a moral lecture, but he stopped himself.
�What?� She pouted playfully.
�Go on. This I have got to hear.� He smiled.
She nodded. �On one condition.�
�What�s that?�
�You help me get Roman.�
�He�s married Rye-pie.� Mickey softly. �I can�t help break up a marriage.�
Riley rolled her eyes. She kissed his cheek. �You�re just too moral for me, Mickey. Now here�s the plan.� She outlined her plan in detail.
�You know what? That�s really good.� Mickey said in admiration.
�Thanks.� Riley smiled at him. �Again, I�m sorry we couldn�t make things work.�
�I am too.� He said sadly.
�Now let�s get to work!� Riley exclaimed.
�Rye?� He couldn�t help but ask. �Why are you doing this? You never liked Lily.�
�I know.� She frowned. �I�m doing this for you. Because I want you to be happy. Personally I think you could do a lot better, but she has your heart. Always has you know.�
�I know.� He ruffled her hair affectionately. �You�re good people Riley Reed. Don�t ever let anyone tell you different.�
She tossed her head, uncertain as to how to take that. Then she shrugged. �What can I say? You bring out one of my better sides, Mickey.�
�And now the world will see what I already do. What a giving person you are when you choose to be.�
Riley felt uncertain. She was uncomfortable hearing things like that, knowing what she planned to do �on the side� of her plan to get Lily and Mickey together. �You�re a good guy Mickey. Too good for me, too good for Lily, too good for this town. But that�s why we all love you.�
Mickey laughed. �Quit talking crazy talk Rye-pie.�
�Don�t call me that!� She whined.
He just laughed.
Links to other sites on the Web
Back to Mickey & Lily Vignettes
Get your own Free Home Page