responded to Carly, and she was used to that kind of lavish attention. In a production like this one, where ensemble work was so important, Carly might not blend. Something to take note of. Plus, Lauren had done her research since taking the job. The headlines hadn’t been forgiving. “Carly Daniel Delays Production,” “Studio and Director Argue Over the Costly Decision of Daniel,” and her personal favorite, “Carly Daniel Billed 10K in Hotel Room Party Fiasco.” What in the world had gone on in that hotel room that had cost ten thousand dollars? One could only guess, as the article didn’t say. Lauren had let her imagination run wild, cringing at each possible scenario.
Carly, who was more beautiful than should have been allowed, turned to Ethan and Lauren with a hand over her heart. “I am so sorry I’m a few late. Crazy morning for me.”
“No problem,” Ethan said. “You’re here now and we can roll.”
Lauren forced a smile. If Carly knew she was running late for rehearsal, why had she clearly made a coffee stop? Those ice cubes were fresh. Instead of belaboring that point in her brain, she shook it off. At this early a juncture, she decided not to go there. Lauren would give Carly the same benefit of the doubt she gave everyone, and she at least had the courtesy to apologize with a smile. Maybe it had all been a fluke. A miscommunication of their start time.
“Am I here?” Carly asked, pointing at an empty chair next to Evelyn, the one actor at the table who still looked like she tasted something unpleasant. That said something, and Lauren mentally clocked the disdain.
“Yes, that’s you,” Lauren said. Carly slipped into her chair and waved at Kirby Bonner, the young actress seated across from Carly, who was clearly starstruck. Carly put out a friendly vibe, at least. “We were in the midst of introductions when you arrived.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Carly whispered loudly and bowed her head as if to make herself invisible. The room laughed. Lauren didn’t.
“Evelyn, please continue,” Lauren said, holding out her hand with an encouraging smile.
“I was wrapping up anyway,” Evelyn said. “I’m thrilled to be working with Ethan, as I have nothing but the highest respect for his work, and look forward to a great run with all of you.” She held up the script. “I think this play is an important one. It’s about the love between two women, and we need to see more of that in live theater. If we do this thing right, it’s going to touch a lot of people.”
That comment resonated with Lauren. She’d read the play upward of ten times at this point and adored it. It was the story of Ashley and Mandy, who experienced a sliding doors moment. Down one path, they found themselves stranded together overnight at an airport when their flight was canceled. They argued, got to know each other, stargazed until the wee hours of the morning, and eventually, over time in the coming weeks, fell deeply in love. The other path, played out in act 2, had Mandy making the flight, and Ashley missing it. Their lives took separate, more tumultuous turns. In the end, they passed each other in a grocery store and took a long searching look back, feeling something unspoken tugging at them. The final scene had them abandoning their carts and taking a step toward the other, ending the play on the question, is fate real? It was a hopeful ending, especially having seen how fantastic the two were together in act 1, once they got past their differences.
Lauren broke out in goose bumps each time she read it. She couldn’t wait for Ethan to work his magic, along with Evelyn and Carly, of course. Carly, who would play Ashley, a blond knockout, and Evelyn, who would play Mandy, a redheaded everygirl, made a great physical pairing when she saw them seated next to each other, a perfect looking couple. Once the first read-through began, Lauren clicked the stopwatch and sat back to listen in eager anticipation of hearing the play come to life. It was good, but at the same time, she felt like something wasn’t quite…there.
Probably just because this was the first time they’d heard the words, out loud. Together. The character of Ashley was a driven, focused hedge fund manager. In the read, Carly tackled those characteristics with gusto. Evelyn played the character of Mandy, a kindergarten teacher who understood the value of stopping