Sing to me

Lily, date and lilies

      "Will you go on a date with me?" Tom asked Lily for the thousandth time.       "Tom, I'm sorry, but I just can't." Tiredly, the girl replied. "There's so much work again, I can't even catch my breath. I rarely even make it home; I usually sleep right here on the set. I'm sorry."       "It's like you're working in a prison, not as an assistant director," Thomas grumbled into his phone, sighing sadly.       When he suggested dating Lily, the sweetest and most beautiful girl in the world, he worried that he would be the one constantly missing because of film shoots or theater work. However, things turned out differently.       Lily worked for the most popular, busy, and demanding director in Hollywood, but she loved it. She loved rereading the script a hundred times, staying up all night to edit it, working with actors, helping them understand and embody their roles. She even loved yelling at the constantly dozing extras, chasing after the makeup team, and even getting coffee for the director every half hour. She loved seeing how simple printed words on a hundred pages turned into something incredible and alive on the screen. Her eyes would light up from it, and it was in those bright sparks that Thomas fell in love.       "I'm sorry," Lily apologized again, and a sad sigh was heard on the other end of the line. "I'll try to get away this weekend, at least for one day. I promise."       Lily really wanted to spend time with her man, but work just wouldn't let her go. Filming for the new movie was in full swing.       "Well, alright," Tom replied, "I'm holding you to that. Shall we go to that Italian restaurant?"       "Yes, of course." The girl's voice noticeably brightened, but still sounded tired.       "Great," Hiddleston smiled, "then I hope to see you this weekend?"       "Yes, see you this weekend."       "Love you."       "And I love you."       After ending the conversation, Tom leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. The view from his mansion overlooked all of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean, which washed its shores. It was either night or evening, about ten o'clock. The stars were hidden in the bright lights of the night city, and the moon occasionally ducked behind dark clouds.       Tom sighed wearily and closed his eyes.       Lily. Such a beautiful name, perfectly fitting the one who bore it. The girl was as delicate, innocent, and lovely as the lily flower, yet, like that flower with its bold fragrance, she was also brave and resourceful.       Tom sighed again.       He missed his beloved and was worried. Yes, Lily was young and energetic, but working around the clock was never good for anyone. Even though she loved her job to the extreme, in the end, she hardly ever came home, didn’t see her family or friends, and didn’t rest. She was burning out, sleeping on the film set.       Tom was pulled from his thoughts and worries by another phone call.       He opened his eyes abruptly, grabbed his phone, and raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw his beloved’s name on the screen.       “Hello?” Tom began uncertainly. “Lily?”       “I mixed up the old script with the new one, and they sent me home. Forced me, actually. For a few days, so I can get some sleep and pull myself together,” came the tired and resigned voice of the girl. “So now I’m packing my bag, calling a taxi, and heading home, hoping today’s shoot goes smoothly and no one else messes up.”       “Did the director give you a hard time?” the man asked sympathetically.       “No,” Lily sighed. “He just said it was time for me to leave the set for a few days and rest, because the dark circles under my eyes are making it hard for him to work.”       “Well, that’s good,” Hiddleston smiled. “Now you have time to recharge and relax, and we can finally visit that Italian restaurant. We could go there as soon as tomorrow!”       Lily chuckled.       “Yeah,” she agreed, “tomorrow sounds good.”       They talked for another minute before ending the call.       After saying goodbye to Lily, Tom immediately got up from his chair and hurried to change out of his gray sweatpants into something more presentable, as a brilliant plan had already formed in his mind.       He would meet Lily at her place. He would arrange a romantic evening for them and make sure his beloved got the rest she deserved.       The drive from the film set to the small house in Los Angeles that Lily was renting took her forty minutes.       After paying the taxi driver, she stepped out of the car and slowly made her way to the front door of the single-story building with its sloping roof and large flower garden.       The cool night air helped to calm her restless thoughts. Apparently, both Tom and the director were right about her needing rest urgently.       Lily took the keys out of her bag and unlocked the door. But as she stepped inside, she was left speechless.       The hallway, which also served as the living room connected to the open kitchen, was filled with string lights. Small bouquets of lilies adorned the tables and low cabinets, filling the house with the intoxicating scent of these bold flowers. In the center of the living room stood a table, decorated with wax candles. Their flames cast intricate shadows and reflections on the dinner that was beautifully arranged on the table.       And next to this lovely scene stood Tom.       "Hi," the man smiled.       "Hi," Lily smiled back.       "I thought you should eat first."       "You're right," Lily nodded, taking a step toward Tom, "I'm starving. And I've missed you terribly."       Hiddleston approached Lily, gave her a brief, tender kiss, and seated her at the table.       Dinner for two by the warm glow of candles, enchanting and relaxing music in the background, lighthearted conversations with a loved one, and the scent of her favorite flowers filling the air—what more could she ask for after long and exhausting workdays?       Yes, this was exactly what Lily needed.       "You know, I had a thought while waiting for you," Tom said, taking a sip of red wine to accompany the exquisite ratatouille.       "Hmm?" Lily looked up at him questioningly.       "We should move in together. I want to fall asleep and wake up next to you. I want to cook you dinner every night and stay up until you come home."       For a moment, Lily was taken aback, then a wide smile spread across her face. It seemed she had fallen in love with the best man in the entire world.       "In that case, I'll come home every night, even if I'm completely exhausted."