Page 21 of To the Moon and Back

As Carly walked to her rental in The McAllister’s parking lot, itwas already dark outside. That extra hour she’d stolen with Lauren had been themost productive of the rehearsal day, and entirely unexpected. She’d gone fromfurious with Lauren that morning, to eternally grateful to her this evening. Whata difference a few hours and some alone time made.

Carly had already known Lauren was many things, but a decentactress hadn’t been one of them. She closed the car door behind her and sat inthe cold car. She’d enjoyed tonight. She’d made friends since she’d arrived inMinneapolis. She and Kirby and a couple of other actors from out of town hadgone out for dinner a few times, and of course, the meetups at Put Upon Pete’shad been fun. Yet they’d all paled in comparison to the time she’d just spentwith Lauren Prescott, when it felt like everything was right with the world.She was leaving for the night fulfilled, invigorated and inspired by the storyof the younger Lauren’s love for the art. Perhaps, if she paid enoughattention, 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 wholetheater 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 cheerfulvoice behind her. Her hand flew to her heart and grasped the fabric of hershirt as she turned around to see none other than Carly, standing in thedoorway of the rehearsal room, holding a greasy looking white bag. Laurenchecked her watch, and checked again to be sure it actually was Carly and notan apparition. Yep, still her. “What are you doing here at nine a.m.?” Sheplaced a hand over her heart. “Oh God. Did hell actually freeze over? I nevereven 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 thetable next to Lauren. “You said we could run lines.”

“And we can.”

As Carly breezed past, she smelled fantastic, like lemon andmaybe…cupcakes? The same scent Lauren remembered from the billiards lesson. IfCarly smelled amazing, she looked even better, wearing perfectly fitting jeansand a lime-green flowy blouse, paired with boots with a modest heel. She toppedoff 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 tothe beginning of the play and run those scenes.” She glanced around the roomwith her hands out, like she was figuring out what to touch. “I can also helpwith your stage manager-y stuff.”

Lauren laughed. “My stage manager-y stuff?”

Carly grinned, and when the sunlight touched her skin, her faceglowed. Lauren wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anyone glow quite like that. Itstole her next breath. To cover, she reached for the bag of doughnuts.

“Yeah, you know, all the furniture moving, and laptop typing, andcross-referencing, and highlighting. We can do that while we run lines.”

“Where in the world did you get these doughnuts?” Lauren asked,amazed at the flaky goodness she was tasting. They were still warm. Thesedoughnuts weren’t just any doughnuts—they were perfection, and from her owncity? How? She’d ordered a million doughnuts for her companies over the years.None had been these.

“Oh. I read about them on Yelp. Danny D’s Donut Diner on DonatoStreet. Heard of them?”

“No,” Lauren said, around a heavenly mouthful of dough.

“Tiny place. No tables. Couple of guys behind the counter, workinghard.” Carly pointed at the stand-in airport chairs. “Shall I place these foract one?”

“Yes. That would be fantastic.” Lauren’s brain hadn’t quite caughtup. “Wait. So, you’re telling me that you woke up early, got dressed, drove toDanny D’s Donut Dynasty.”

“Diner. But you’re right. They missed a great naming opportunity.”

“Drove to Danny D’s Diner and made it here an hour beforerehearsal is set to begin?”

Carly slid the chairs onto the blue spike tape on the floor thatmarked their intended home. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“How?” Lauren asked in amazement. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to run lines. Why aren’t you listening to me?”Suddenly, it became crystal clear. Carly needed proper motivation, and when shehad it? She responded in spades.

Lauren nodded her head sagely. “So with a little carrot waving,you’re up and at ’em.”

“I do lots of things for the right carrots.” Carly made thestatement as if it was the most basic of understood facts. Well, it was now.“Lines?”

“Let’s do it.”

They went back and forth on the first scene between Ashley andMandy at the airport when they first met.

“Wait. So we’re stuck here. As in overnight?” Carly balked.

“That’s what I’m telling you,” Lauren said gently.

---