Lilah's List Read online

  Reggie paused to soak that in for a second. “Wow. Okay, we’ll talk about that on the way. Come on, we should head over there now.”

  “You go on ahead. I need to shower first. Just tell her I’m on my way.” Tyler paused. “I guess whatever you said to her must have worked.”

  Reggie stopped in his tracks. “You know about that?”

  “Yeah, I saw you both through the window of the café.”

  “You were there? Why didn’t you come in?”

  “To be honest, at first, I was mad. But once I cooled down, I realized you were probably trying to help me.”

  “Damn right.” Reggie grinned. “Honestly, bro? I don’t know what you’re going to do without me.”

  Tyler shook his head. “I don’t know, either.”

  It was just after eleven, and Lilah had begun to lose hope of Tyler showing up when she saw Reggie walk into the suite. Her heart leaped and she started toward him. She hesitated when she saw a reporter and cameraman follow him into the room.

  He motioned for them to wait before he crossed the room to talk to her. “They were in the lobby looking for a way into this party,” he said, pointing to the camera crew. “They knew the date from your blog, and they’d checked out all the hotels looking for you.”

  Lilah gasped. “For me? You’re kidding.”

  “No, apparently half the city’s been following your adventures.”

  She was stunned. But it didn’t matter. Only one thing mattered right now. “Where’s Tyler?”

  “He’s coming. He was running around town all day, I’ll let him tell you why, but he didn’t get any of your messages. He wanted me to tell you he’s on his way.”

  Lilah felt her body release with relief. “He’s definitely coming? You talked to him?”

  “Yes, I spoke to him. He loves you. And he’s coming.”

  “He said that? He said he loves me?”

  “No, I’m saying that. But it’s true.”

  Lilah nodded, feeling in the mood to party for the first time all night. Looking past Reggie, she saw Angie talking with the camera crew. Before Lilah could process what she was seeing, Angie was pointing in her direction.

  Next thing she knew, the reporter was shoving a microphone in her face and asking her questions.

  “So you’re the woman whose blog is taking New York City’s underground by storm. I understand that this is your thirtieth birthday party, how far did you get on Lilah’s List?”

  Stunned, Lilah wanted to ask a few questions herself, like how they knew about her blog, and did they really think their viewers cared? But she knew there wasn’t time for that.

  “Pursuing The List has been an adventure and a learning process,” she said to the reporter. “There were some things on The List that I didn’t even want to do anymore, like getting a tattoo and riding a motorcycle, that proved to be some of my most enlightening experiences. Then there were things on The List that I thought I was done with long ago that I discovered were unfinished.”

  “Like what?” the reporter asked.

  “Like fall in love. I crossed that off The List when I was twenty-two. Now, with—” she glanced down at her watch “—just about fifteen minutes before I officially turn thirty, I’m just realizing that I’ve fallen in love for real and for the first time.”

  “That’s amazing. Who’s the lucky man?”

  Lilah smiled coyly. “With R&B singing sensation Reggie Martin’s brother, Tyler.”

  “Let me get this straight. You’re in love with Tyler Martin. Not Reggie. But wasn’t ‘date Reggie Martin’ on your list?”

  “That’s right, but sometimes we can focus so hard on what we think we want, that we don’t see what we really need is right in front of us.”

  Lilah finished the interview and the party resumed. She started looking around the room and saw Tyler coming toward her from the doorway.

  “Tyler, I—”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I heard everything. I love you, too.”

  “But I want to apologize—”

  “Shh.” He bent down, picked Lilah up and swept her into his arms. “There’s plenty of time for that once we have a little privacy.”

  Everyone at the party started whooping and cheering as Tyler headed for the bedroom door.

  Through the noise Lilah heard Angie say to Maureen, “Okay, I think that officially makes this a wild party.”

  Maureen giggled. “Check!”

  Epilogue

  Lilah’s List Blog Entry

  October 27, 2009

  I eloped last night. That’s right, Tyler and I decided to forgo all the fanfare and just do it. We were having trouble finding the time to plan a big wedding with Tyler’s advocacy group, People for Change, just getting off the ground, and me writing my new column, “Lilah’s List,” for the Washington Post. Besides, with Reggie starting his world tour next month—I hope you’ve all bought your copies of his new album Heat—and Angie pursuing fashion inspiration in Paris, it was just easier. And before you ask. No, I’m not pregnant. But it is item number two on the new list.

  Lilah’s New List

  2. Have a baby

  3. Live happily ever after

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-1131-9

  LILAH’S LIST

  Copyright © 2008 by Robyn Amos

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