Page 82 of To the Moon and Back

“You’re a smart woman,” her agent said.

“Trying to be.”

She clicked off the call. As she drove home, she felt…lighter. Sheflipped on the radio and sang along, with a smile. When she got home, she firedoff a text to Lauren, who she’d left alone for the past two weeks while she didas Lauren had asked: worked on herself. Today felt like a step toward beinghappy again, and she wanted to share that.

Today was agood day, she typed.Thinkingabout you. You don’t have to answer me, just wanted to share.

She didn’t receive an answer and that was okay. It hadn’t been thereason for the text. She went to sleep that night knowing this wouldn’t be herbedroom for long.

The next morning, Alika called. “You’re not going to believe this,but the game show people think you’re the damn bee’s knees and want you for anotherone.”

She laughed. “I had a blast. Tell them yes. My calendar seems tobe open.”

“They’re shooting in a week and will send over some backgroundinformation about what they’re looking for.”

“Good thing I love games.”

“Is this the wildest idea we’ve ever had?” Alika asked. She wassmiling, though. Carly could hear it.

She sighed. “I’ve stopped trying to run the Hollywood race. Ithink, Alika, it’s time to be a good person and enjoy what life brings my way.That seems to be game shows, and I’m thrilled.”

“Then who are we to argue?”

Carly shook her head. Who, indeed?

* * *

Lauren’s neck ached from rehearsal. Blocking days always did anumber on her upper body because she concentrated and recorded the details ofthe direction for hours on end. She’d say one thing for certain, however. Shesaw the whole process through a different lens after having starred in aprofessional production herself. She rubbed the back of her neck as she flippedover the breast of chicken she was frying up for her dinner. Rocky IV whinedquietly.

“You need to learn to be more patient, Rocky. I plan to give yousome of this chicken on top of your kibble, but it’s not ready yet.” Hesnuffled and turned in a circle, his curlicue tail set on vibrate. It wasn’tthe only thing vibrating. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Trip.

“Hey, Trippy.”

“Turn on channel six. Do not pass go. Do not delay.”

She turned around and faced the TV. An old rerun ofSeinfeldplayedquietly. “What’s on six?”

“Oh, you’re gonna want to see for yourself.”

She turned off the chicken and let it sit, located her remote, andchanged the channel. She sat on the arm of her couch, curious as the screenfilled with Aspen Wakefield giving clues to a portly gentleman with a badcomb-over.

“Are you obsessing about Aspen Wakefield again?” she asked Trip.“I know she’s beautiful, but I’m glad you chose a different Halloween costume.”

“Wait for it, Lala.” She did. She watched as a portly guy gaveamazing clues and Aspen Wakefield spaced for half of them. Poor guy.

The shot cut away to the other duo, and when it did, Lauren slidoff the arm onto the couch cushion in surprise. It was Carly, grinning andjoking with the host. Lauren covered her mouth as she watched, her heart full,her eyes brimming with tears. It felt so good to see Carly that Lauren almostcouldn’t contain the emotion that bubbled straight to the surface.

“Lauren? You there?”

She’d forgotten all about Trip. “Yes. Sorry. I’m watching. I’llcall you after.” She dropped the phone and leaned closer to the TV. Carly wasactually really good at the game, and she looked like a million bucks wearing amaroon sweater dress and lipstick that matched perfectly. God, she lookedsophisticated and beautiful.

As she watched, Lauren placed a hand over her heart, feeling itthud away. Adrenaline coursed as she rooted for Carly and her partner,Jennifer. When they won in the Winner’s Circle, Lauren leapt from her spot onthe couch. “They did it,” she told Rocky, who turned in a circle next to her,never one to be left out of a good celebration. She picked him up, hugged him,and placed a kiss on top of his head.

Lauren was hit with so many emotions that she wasn’t sure what todo with them. She’d avoided allowing herself to look up Carly on social media,and she certainly wasn’t permitted to watch any of Carly’s movies. This was thefirst time she’d laid eyes on Carly since that day in her office just a fewweeks back.

“She looks happy,” Lauren said to Rocky, who’d moved back to hismission of garnering some of that chicken for himself. He stood beneath thestove, snuffling. As for Lauren, seeing Carly’s face brought up a myriad ofemotions she wasn’t quite sure how to process. She felt joyful seeing her face,heartsick knowing where they stood with each other, and sad because she missedCarly a lot.

Lauren dished out the chicken for herself, and a little for Rocky,as she ruminated on the state of her life. She’d fled LA for one mainreason—she was flat-out terrified. The jobs that she’d booked had to all bemistakes, and it was only a matter of time before the world understood that.Carly was clearly unhappy and resenting the hell out of Lauren and the clockwas ticking on how long it would be before she realized she could do better forherself.

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