“I don’t know if this is going to shock you or not. It shocked me.”
She nodded but said nothing, probably because she was holding her breath.
“He wants you to step into the role of Mandy effective today. There’s an official offer on the table.” He held up a hand before she could speak. “I know it’s a little out of left field, and I told him so myself. We went over it from every angle last night. Took hours, but we came up with a deal for everyone that makes sense.”
Lauren exhaled slowly. “Wilks, I haven’t acted in years. I was just filling in for our sick cast members.”
“But you have acted before.” He held his hand out as if presenting a very obvious point.
She shook her head. “Not at this level. Plus, I’m rusty.” She gestured behind her. “These people are…pros. I couldn’t even land a toilet paper commercial on my own, and trust me, I tried. Too many times.”
He waved her off. “We both know the industry is tricky. It’s not about how good you are in the beginning. It’s about who you know, and being in the right place at the right time. Then suddenly your talent matters.”
He had a point. She nodded. “I guess that’s what yesterday was.”
“I’d say so.”
Wilks leaned forward with a kind smile. He seemed more personable, like the everyday Wilks she was used to. “Here’s the thing. I know you, Lauren, and you’re nothing if not a professional yourself. Are you willing to step in? This is quite the opportunity.” He held out both hands. “These kinds of things don’t happen that often in the business.”
Again, he was right. You heard about Cinderella stories like these, but never in a million years did Lauren think it could happen to her, especially after she’d carefully tucked those hopes away. She never dared imagine. After years of schlepping from one audition to the next, she’d just been offered a major role, the kind she used to lie in bed dreaming about. And she’d done so via her stage management career? It really was about being in the right room. How strangely the world worked.
She clenched her fists several times, to discreetly burn off some of the nervous energy coursing through her limbs, and stared Wilks right in the eye. “I’ll do it,” she said quietly, feeling something long forgotten in her click into place. “I’ve never been more scared of anything in my life, but how can I not?”
“I thought you’d eventually get there,” he said with a wink. He picked up a folder from his desk. “I have a contract all drawn up, and since you’re already an Equity member, there’s less red tape to fuss with.”
“What about Evelyn?” Lauren tried not to wince at that particular side effect. She imagined her being sat down and let go officially, followed by the to-be-expected ire Evelyn was known for.
“She’ll be fine. She works fairly steadily and will move on to the next project in no time. Part of the business.”
Lauren nodded. This would be a setback for Nia, as well. Though she was never guaranteed replacement status, she would likely wonder why she was passed over. But she still had her original standby gig. Nothing had changed on that front, and she’d still have a job.
“We’ll need a new stage manager. How do you feel about giving Trip a shot as PSM?” Trip had been a faithful assistant stage manager for over two years now and, in Lauren’s opinion, was the perfect one for the job. Not only had he earned it, but he was already familiar with the show and its specific needs.
“I’m glad we agree. I have an appointment with him next to make it official.” Lauren closed her eyes, knowing how thrilled he was going to be. “I’ll see if we can get Janie to ASM.”
Lauren nodded. “Great. I know she’s off this slot and was worried about employment.”
He picked up his phone. “We’re about to make her day.” He glanced at his watch. “Rehearsal in an hour. You better grab a coffee and learn your lines.”
“Oh. I need to get over there and set up.”
“Not anymore you don’t,” Wilks said sternly. “You’re an actress only now. Make your call time, and be ready to work. That’s all you have to worry about. Trip will do the rest.”
The concept left her dumbfounded, almost like she’d left home without money, keys, or her phone. Just show up and be prepared to delve into Mandy? The concept seemed so foreign to her when she was used to managing so many details.
The smile was small when she left Wilks’s office, but as she walked the long hallway, passing one historic McAllister moment after another, it steadily blossomed. Her body hummed with a slow-growing excitement that started somewhere in her midsection and radiated out.
An adventure was about to begin, and this time, she wasn’t Lauren Prescott, standing with her clipboard on the sidelines. She was part of it. As she reached the end of the hallway, she had to steady herself. The smile reached its full bloom as she allowed the understanding to settle.
A dream was about to come true. She was an actress again.
* * *
When Carly’s alarm went off at seven thirty, she wanted more than anything to hurl it across the room and put out a hit on the clock and all its distant relatives. Instead, she remembered the new leaf she’d decided upon. “One foot on the floor,” she mumbled, and slowly made the request a reality. Now, as she lay there, half off the bed with the bottom of one foot touching the floor, she had to figure out how to get the other one there, too. “Not just yet,” she said to her ceiling and let her eyes slowly close again. “Just three minutes. I just need three.”
Once they passed, she blinked. “Two feet on the floor.” She slid the second leg out, banishing it from the warmth of the covers and placed it flat on the floor next to the other one. Now only her body remained in bed, perpendicular and clinging to slumber like a life raft in a storm at sea. “Gotta sit up,” she whispered in defeat, but damn it, she made it happen. This whole routine was a production, yes, but for two straight mornings in a row, it’d worked. She’d not been late, and the day had been better for it. She’d also been afforded some extra time with just Lauren, and that made it all worthwhile. Lauren was so much more pleasant when the two lines between her eyes weren’t creased and angry. Carly sighed, naked and wrapped in her snuggly comforter, because those little lines were actually really cute, too.
She could admit it. She was more than smitten with Lauren Prescott, and she’d thought about that sexy stage kiss nonstop since yesterday. Yes, it had been Mandy and Ashley, and she knew the difference, but the physical chemistry had been all theirs. Carly didn’t know if what they’d shown Ethan would give him the motivation to actually talk to Evelyn, or maybe even let her see Lauren perform the scenes in person. God, if only uptight Evelyn could see how likable Lauren was as Mandy, how funny and kind. She didn’t know the protocol for those kinds of practices in the theatrical world, but she hoped for her own career’s sake that yesterday hadn’t been for nothing.
Two hours later, she stood in the rehearsal hall, iced coffee secured—without being late, mind you—waiting on Ethan. Lauren and Trip were behind the stage manager’s table passing a lot of pages back and forth and nodding. Evelyn was still out, apparently, which was great for at least one more rehearsal with someone else.