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“Anytime, slugger.”

“Is that a new nickname? Because I could really work with that.Hell, I’m so sexually frustrated that if you called me Clarence I’d be here forit.”

“Decisions, decisions.” Lauren stood and offered Carly her hand.“Since we’re not able to tear each other’s clothes off quite yet, how aboutdinner instead? I know a pizza place with the craziest of crusts.”

“Do they have red wine? I could use a glass.”

“They do.” Lauren inclined her head to the door. “Let’s get outtahere, Clarence.”

Chapter Ten

Ethan smiled at the company, who stood together on the apron of TheMcAllister’s main stage. It was close to eight p.m. and this was the lastofficial moment of rehearsal. Lauren had been through a million of thesemoments, but never quite from where she sat now. She looked at Trip, who beamedup at her with pride from his spot at the SM’s table, and turned back to Ethan.

“This is where I take my leave,” Ethan told the company. “I’ll behere for opening night, but as your cheerleader. The show is ready for theworld, and I, for one, can’t wait to see how it affects the ticket holders whowill file down these aisles tomorrow night. We’ve come a long way.” Laurenlooked down the row of her castmates, from Carly standing next to her, to Kirbyon the other side. TJ and Nia down the line. Her gratitude rose straight to thetop.

Yet a new chapter was going to start very soon.

Lauren had planned to allow herself to sleep in the next day, soshe’d be as fully rested as possible. Only that hadn’t gone as smoothly as plannedsince she’d tossed and turned all night, imagining herself forgetting herlines, getting locked in her dressing room, or, worse, losing her lunch allover the stage in front of the world. She would make up for it by drinkingseveral tall glasses of water, advice she always gave her own actors.

When she arrived at the theater for opening night, she took amoment in the parking lot to study the building that now meant so much more. Asshe made her way down the hall, she was greeted by friends and productionstaff, just as she would have been for any other opening night. Except insteadof heading to her office for show prep, she walked to her dressing room. Whatwas this life?

“I got you these,” Tinsley said, from where she stood in front ofLauren’s dressing room. Lauren accepted the bouquet of red roses, too lavishfor their friendship. Yet she knew Tinsley had a crush, and Lauren refused tobe anything but graceful about it.

“You are super sweet to have gone out of your way. Thank you.”With her free arm, she leaned in and hugged Tinsley, who smiled.

“I just want you to know how amazing I think it is that you’vedone all of this. You’re the full package, Lauren.” A pause. “Could we dodinner before the show next week?”

“Oh, I’m not sure I can.”

Tinsley nodded. “Because you’re seeing Carly.”

Lauren hesitated. She and Carly had not officially said as much toanyone, but they hadn’t exactly hidden it either. “Yes,” she said, finally.

“I can respect that, I suppose. But, Lauren?”

“Yes?”

“She’s going to drop you once all of this is over. She’s CarlyDaniel. Her world is huge. We’re different.”

The implication was clear, and Tinsley was voicing a concernLauren had tucked away in the back of her mind: Carly could get any girl or guyshe wanted, and likely would.

“Thanks, Tins. I appreciate the advice, but I can take care ofmyself.”

“I know.” She shifted her weight to the other foot. “Sometimes,though, it can be hard to see it when you’re in the midst of it all, you know?Trust me on this. Don’t let yourself get hurt, okay?”

“I won’t.”

She let herself in to her dressing room and tried to shrug off theuncomfortable conversation and prediction. That’s not what today was about. Shelooked around her dressing room instead to find an embarrassment of riches in theform of good show gifts. Custom coffee mugs, ball caps, more flowers, and evena show hoodie. Her company had gone all out. She’d distribute her own gifts,small survival kits with a celestial theme, soon enough. In the corner of herdressing room, something large caught her eye. She tilted her head and studiedthe strange arrival: a shrink-wrapped pallet of boxes of some kind. Laurendipped into her stage manager’s kit, always at the ready, grabbed a pocketknife,and tore through the wrap to spring open one of the boxes. What she found madeher laugh out loud. Boxes and boxes of multicolored Post-its in all shapes.With her hands on her hips, she marveled at the volume. She’d not live longenough to use them all.

“Has anyone ever expressed their preshow affection via officesupplies before?” She turned to see Carly standing behind her, sporting atriumphant grin.

“I can’t say they have. You’re definitely proving yourself to bememorable.”

Carly wiped her brow to dramatically convey her relief. “Thank God.I can’t compete with red roses.” She pointed to the large arrangement. “I’lljust blend.”

Lauren walked to Carly and wrapped her arms around her neck, noteven bothering to close the door. “You couldn’t blend if you wanted to.”

Carly looked skyward, pulling Lauren closer. “I feel like that’s achallenge. What did you get me? Tell me. I can’t take it.”