Page 22 of Come to Me

Deep breath. I have to prove this isn't a big deal. "Nothing that will conflict with this show."

"Thank God."

When I don't keep going right away, she leans forward, impatiently gesturing for me to go ahead.

"It's a play in New York."

I meet Laurie's gaze. Her eyes look even more intense framed by her bright red glasses.

I press my nails into my palms. "The lead inA Streetcar Named Desire."

Her jaw drops, her eyes almost bugging out of her head. "Alyssa Summers! You have to take that! You'll have so much cache!"

"Boss Laurie?"

She nods. "But friend too. That would be amazing, and you'll be killer in it. You'll knock it out of the park." She inches even closer, almost whispering. "I'm sure you're sick of playing Marie fucking Jane. I know I'm sick of writing her."

I smile.

"I'm posting that on Twitter."

She rolls her eyes. "Why don't you want to do it?"

I let out my breath in a huff.

"It's six months on the other side of the country."

"So? It's Broadway, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I say. It is Broadway. It is amazing. But it's also too much time too far away from Luke. "But I don't want to be away from my boyfriend for six months."

She waves a dismissive hand.

"He'll buy you a vibrator and talk you off every night."

"Laurie!" Though, I must admit... I'm not exactly opposed to the idea.

"It's not worth the risk," I try.

"What risk? He's crazy in love with you."

The "you idiot" is silent but heavily implied.

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing. You should do it. If you want to." She grips my arm. "I'll visit you constantly. I'll show you around all the cool parts of the city."

"You lived in New York?"

"Please. I'm a Tischie," she informs me proudly. I stare at her like she's crazy. "NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Oh, never mind. I can show you a killer time—a killer totally appropriate for grown-ups time."

"But what if it takes too big of a toll on our relationship? What if we don't stay close?"

It's a real fear. And I know it isn't unfounded.

"Not in a million years."

"It's possible," I insist. "This is why all these Hollywood marriages break up. People are off shooting halfway around the world and they fall out of love." Just saying it breaks my heart a little. "I don't want that."