Page 87

“I don’t think I got it,” Lauren said, shrugging. “That’s okay,though. I’m thrilled to have met Heather Kim. It was worth the trip.”

“Don’t say that. You never know. I thought the audition wentreally well.”

Lauren passed Carly a skeptical look. “They seemed unsure.” Shestepped out of the way so a very serious looking man could get past.

Carly mirrored her actions, stepping to the side. “There’s no wayto know that. They were simply figuring things out. They’ll call.”

Lauren nodded. She gestured behind her. “I guess I better…”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

She saw the sadness in Carly’s eyes as they said good-bye. Regretbubbled up. Yet she didn’t know what to say. Carly was still a very scaryprospect for her, but being in her presence felt like coming home. She didn’twant to leave. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“Not a problem.” Carly flashed her always beautiful smile. Laurenfelt its effects all over.

She offered a final wave and headed uptown to the subway station.She didn’t have to think of this as good-bye. In fact, if the job did comethrough, she’d be working with Carly again, seeing her every day, working onscenes together. The very concept had her heart and mind singing. So was shegoing to wait for that call to come from her agent, and then hope that shefinally managed the courage to leap back in to something she wanted so verybadly already?

Hell no.

She turned around, hurrying back down the sidewalk, dodgingpedestrian traffic, scooting through tight spaces, and making each crossingsign before it changed. She passed the production office and kept going,craning her neck to see if she could spot Carly walking farther down Ninth.After scurrying another block—yes!—she caught sight of the back of her blondhair, and it was only a matter of moments before she caught up. Lauren touchedCarly’s shoulder and she turned. She blinked at Lauren curiously.

“Hey. What’s going—”

Lauren took Carly by the face and kissed her right there on NinthAvenue in the freaking Meatpacking District of New York City. The best part ofall? Carly melted and kissed her back.

“Lauren,” she whispered, coming up for air. She smiled. “You’reback.”

“Are we?”

“God, yes,” Carly said, her eyes glistening. “That’s all I want.That’s everything to me.”

Lauren smiled against Carly’s mouth and kissed her again. Andagain. And again. The people rushed past. The traffic lights changed. The cabsbeeped their way through the city, but in that one spot beneath the sun andmoon and stars and planets, two people meant for each other found their wayback home.

* * *

“Ms. Daniel, the wine.” The sommelier at Becco presented thecelebratory bottle of Sangiovese he’d recommended. Carly nodded at the label.“Who would like to try the wine?”

Carly gestured to her most beautiful date. “Why don’t you goahead?”

He poured a taste for Lauren, who swirled it and sampled. “Wow.That’s fantastic.”

“Very good,” he said, pouring them each a full glass.

They’d parted ways on the sidewalk earlier that day with plans tomeet for dinner. Lauren arrived in a long-sleeved gray dress and thin pinkscarf. Carly wore her forest-green turtleneck and swept her hair back. Sittingthere with Lauren, she couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’m happy you’re here with me,” Carly said.

Lauren reached across the table and squeezed Carly’s hand. “Itjust came to the point where I had to be honest with myself. I want us, Carly.You were in a bad place. I was in my own head, caught up in my owninsecurities, and we let those things obscure the big picture.” She shook herhead. “I don’t want us to do that anymore.”

“So let’s make a plan, because things won’t always be as easy asthey were in Minneapolis.”

Lauren nodded and set down her glass. “I think we start withpromising not to shut the other person out. I never confessed to you that Ifelt it was only a matter of time before you decided I was boring and mundane.”

Now it was Carly’s turn to set her glass down. “You’re the leastboring person I’ve ever spent time with.”

Lauren pointed at her head. “Sometimes we get in our own way andtell ourselves the opposite. From now on, I refuse to swallow those feelings.”

“God, I wouldn’t want you to,” Carly said, sitting back. “The nexttime I spiral, and yes, there could be a next time, I will take your hand. Iwon’t shut you out.” She lifted her arm and let it drop. “Honestly, the onlything I can imagine spiraling about is not having you by my side.”