Carly was rapt. “Get out. What happened?”
Lauren beamed. “I rehearsed night and day and counted the moments until the curtain rose. Not to mention, the entire town would be there, including my extended family who’d driven in.”
“And you were a hit,” Carly supplied, imagining Lauren wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection.
“No. Actually, my performance was fine, but my nightgown snagged on the set during the flying sequence and brought the whole thing tumbling down. Children and nightgowns and Lost Boys scattered for safety as I swung back and forth, dragging the wall.” She grimaced as Carly laughed. “I probably should have taken that as a sign it wasn’t meant to be for me. Unfortunately, it took a little longer for me to get the message.”
Carly tried to stop laughing, but the image of young Lauren sitting in a pile of rubble while an audience looked on in horror was too much. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I wish I had been! Would have pulled attention away from the disaster.” She exhaled and relaxed against the couch with a tired smile. “The boy playing little Michael was traumatized, though. We’d brought him in from the elementary school. Broke into tears and cried in the arms of Tiger Lily. I’m hopeful the therapy he required helped, some.”
Carly was dying. Wheezing. Gasping for air. Yes, she was punchy already after such a roller coaster of a day, but the images Lauren painted certainly contributed. “Please tell me there are photos.”
“Oh, there are videos,” Lauren deadpanned.
“My kingdom for this video. What is it you want? A car? A house? I can make your dreams come true. Except that’s a lie. My movie money is dwindling.”
“I wonder why,” Lauren mused with a grin. She extended her arm across the back of the couch between them, which made things feel extra cozy. “If we survive this production without you single-handedly causing me to pull my hair out, I will make that video happen for you.”
Carly tapped the top of Lauren’s hand with her finger. “Promises, promises.”
A pause. “But I remember what it was like to take on a role, rehearse, and lose yourself for a little while. There’s nothing like it.”
Carly touched Lauren’s knee. “You should give it another go sometime.”
“I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t miss it a little, but I think I’ll stick with my steady paycheck, and organizing all of you people. How’s that?” She stood. “It’s getting late. We should clock out before we have to be back in the morning.”
Carly nodded, feeling so much lighter than earlier in the day. This was the first time she and Lauren had just…relaxed together. Chatted about life. She found it refreshing and couldn’t help but crave more.
“And this is okay? To run lines with you again in the future? Because I’d really like to.”
“Completely. Just let me know.”
“Before rehearsal tomorrow? I can come in early and we can—”
Lauren held up a finger. “You’re a liar and you know it. You’re incapable of the word early.” She’d said it in a bossy but playful tone, and hand to her hip. Carly wanted to kiss her right then and there, then lose herself with Lauren on that couch, slowly. Very slowly.
“I’ll be here at nine tomorrow,” Carly informed her, as she headed to the door. “I can help you and Trip set up as we run lines.”
“Sure you will.”
“You’re gonna be shocked. Wanna walk out with me?”
Lauren gestured to her laptop. “I better get that rehearsal report out before heading home.”
Carly shook her head. “You work too hard.”
“Do you think that’s it, or do you think maybe you don’t—”
“You don’t even have to finish that sentence,” Carly said, pointing at her. She softened. “Good night, Lauren. You saved me today.”
Lauren studied her. “You’re welcome.”
“You can bet I’m not going to forget it, and you know something?”
“What’s that?”
“You’re an awesome person. I may not make that clear in how I behave, but I’m spoiled and working on a recovery strategy.”
“I appreciate that,” Lauren said, with a twinkle in her eye. “I have all the faith in you.”
As Carly walked to her rental in The McAllister’s parking lot, it was already dark outside. That extra hour she’d stolen with Lauren had been the most productive of the rehearsal day, and entirely unexpected. She’d gone from furious with Lauren that morning, to eternally grateful to her this evening. What a difference a few hours and some alone time made.
Carly had already known Lauren was many things, but a decent actress hadn’t been one of them. She closed the car door behind her and sat in the cold car. She’d enjoyed tonight. She’d made friends since she’d arrived in Minneapolis. She and Kirby and a couple of other actors from out of town had gone out for dinner a few times, and of course, the meetups at Put Upon Pete’s had been fun. Yet they’d all paled in comparison to the time she’d just spent with Lauren Prescott, when it felt like everything was right with the world. She was leaving for the night fulfilled, invigorated and inspired by the story of the younger Lauren’s love for the art. Perhaps, if she paid enough attention, she’d walk away from this experience with that same kind of passion. She already felt it blossoming. Maybe there was something special to this whole theater thing. Maybe there was something special about Lauren Prescott.
She looked back at the large white building. Maybe it was both.
Chapter Five
“I brought doughnuts.”
Lauren nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the cheerful voice behind her. Her hand flew to her heart and grasped the fabric of her shirt as she turned around to see none other than Carly, standing in the doorway of the rehearsal room, holding a greasy looking white bag. Lauren checked her watch, and checked again to be sure it actually was Carly and not an apparition. Yep, still her. “What are you doing here at nine a.m.?” She placed a hand over her heart. “Oh God. Did hell actually freeze over? I never even got to see it.”
“You’re funny.”
“Rarely. But I do keep trying.” Lauren eyed her. “What gives?”
Carly inclined her head to the side and dropped off the bag on the table next to Lauren. “You said we could run lines.”
“And we can.”
As Carly breezed past, she smelled fantastic, like lemon and maybe…cupcakes? The same scent Lauren remembered from the billiards lesson. If Carly smelled amazing, she looked even better, wearing perfectly fitting jeans and a lime-green flowy blouse, paired with boots with a modest heel. She topped off her outfit with a long, intricate silver necklace that might have been expensive. “Great,” she said, flipping around to Lauren. “I was hoping we could back up to the beginning of the play and run those scenes.” She glanced around the room with her hands out, like she was figuring out what to touch. “I can also help with your stage manager-y stuff.”
Lauren laughed. “My stage manager-y stuff?”
Carly grinned, and when the sunlight touched her skin, her face glowed. Lauren wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anyone glow quite like that. It stole her next breath. To cover, she reached for the bag of doughnuts.