be happy to get coffee for people on that production. In good news, she’d felt great about the audition. She was happy with her reading and seemed in sync with the director.
They’d invited her back for a chemistry read the next day, in an attempt to match actors up with others who might complement them in the world of the play. They’d scheduled her for two such readings.
After snagging a sandwich and a giant chocolate chip cookie from Schmackary’s, Lauren took in a performance of Clean Slate, one of her all-time favorite musicals that had been running on Broadway for years, and headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest.
The next afternoon, she met with the creatives for her second audition.
“What I loved about your reading yesterday was the way you infused compassion into what also had to be a high-pressure case for her to solve,” the director, Jeanine, told her before they got started. “You took time to check in on a very human level, rather than sticking to the business of the job.”
“Oh, okay, great. I can stay in that mode.” She tried to remain calm, knowing Heather Kim herself sat in the corner of the room, taking notes.
“We’re gonna first test you with the character of Jimmy,” Jeanine said. She introduced Lauren to Freddy Hale, the young boy they’d cast in the show.
He seemed precocious and excited. “Cool to meet you.”
“Back atcha,” Lauren said, as they exchanged a high five. They did a short reading from a scene, listened to some notes, and tried it again.
“Perfect,” Jeanine said, jumping to her feet. “Freddy, I think that’s all we need from you.” He offered Lauren a final high five, said good-bye to the team, and joined his mom, who held his coat by the door.
“So, your background is in stage management,” Jeanine said, with an amused grin. “That’s great. I used to stage manage myself. There’s nothing like it.”
“You’ve got that right. I just wrapped a show at The McAllister.”
“Which is the theater where I first encountered you. Starry Nights was a poignant one. I might have teared up.”
Lauren was honored. “I didn’t know you’d seen it.”
“Oh yeah. Fantastic piece. Carly’s the one who thought you might be good for this. She wasn’t wrong.”
“Carly Daniel?”
“She’s our Reagan.”
Lauren was shocked.
“Hey,” a voice said from the door. “Sorry I’m two minutes late. They wouldn’t let me cross the street until a crane had been safely lowered. I will not be late again. You have my word.”
Lauren turned and her gaze landed on Carly’s. It was surreal to be in the same room with her, even more so when she hadn’t prepared for it. She swallowed, rebounding. “Two minutes, huh?” She smiled as butterflies hit her stomach. Carly was standing right in front of her. “Still an improvement.”
Carly smiled nervously, still as beautiful as ever. Lauren couldn’t stop looking at her. “I didn’t know who I’d be reading with. I hoped. But I wasn’t sure.”
Lauren shifted. “Jeanine here tells me I have you to thank for the recommendation.”
“I just gave them your name. The rest was all them.”
Jeanine stood off to the side, watching them in mystification. “It’s great to see you two in the same room. Would you be willing to read the scene in the park?”
“Of course,” Lauren said.
Carly slid her leather bag off her shoulder and retrieved her script. Once Jeanine settled back in with the others behind the table, Lauren kicked them off.
“You’re in a unique position, Reagan. No one faults you for wanting to protect your parents.”
“You do.”
Lauren shook her head. “That’s the thing. Not even me. I just want the information required to put this case to rest. There’s a woman out there who lost her kids.”
Carly nodded. “You don’t think I know that? You don’t think it’s kept me up every night since I first found that paperwork?” She shoved a strand of hair behind her ear and met Lauren’s gaze, fire in her eyes. “I can’t think about her right now.”
Lauren stepped forward. “She’s thinking about you. She’s been thinking about you for nearly thirty years now.”
“Well, I can’t. I can’t just turn my back on the people I love because they did something awful once.”
“This is about righting a wrong. I know it hurts. I know you feel like your life’s been ripped from you.”
“Everything has.”
The scene played on, and the further they got into it, the more Lauren found her rhythm. It was so easy with Carly. They had