Page 67 of To the Moon and Back

* * *

Carly took another hit from her wineglass and hit play on herphone to watch the whole god-awful thing again. She yelled at the paparazzo,fury evident in her eyes, and then in a quick edit appeared to grab the cameraand shove it. The extra added sound effects made it seem like someone hadfallen over and had possibly been hurt. Of course, that had been their goal.The more hellacious her behavior seemed, the more clicks they’d get. Withoutthe actual conversation intact, she looked out of control, a person with angermanagement issues. Another fabulous image booster.

When the video hadn’t surfaced in the first forty-eight hours,she’d been naïve enough to think she was in the clear. Seeing it together likethis, it looked even worse than she’d feared.

She took another gulp of wine, half a bottle in. She hit playagain because why the hell not? There was the crazy woman snarling. Oh, wait.That was her. She hit stop. Play again. Her own voice echoed throughout herbackyard from the speaker on her phone. “Getthe fuck out of our way, you sexually repressed piece of human waste. Do youhear me?” She winced through the shove.

“Hey. What are you doing out here? Why aren’t you wearing a coat?”

Lauren. She’d had a full day in Hollywood with three auditions anda lunch meeting with United Talent about her prospects and trajectory, asthey’d put it. Carly had expected her home sooner, so that likely meant thingshad gone well. She turned around to see Lauren in her sweater and boots,hugging herself against the evening cold. It was dark out. Carly must have beenout here for at least a couple of hours. Not like she had anywhere else to be.

“Just watching my new favorite TV show.”

Lauren peered over her shoulder as Carly hit play. “Oh, God,” shesaid as the video concluded. “That’s not how it happened at all.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Carly sipped. She set the glass on the tablenext to her. “My phone’s been blowing up ever since it posted. Alika, Fallon,even my mom. She’s horrified.”

“You’re not okay. I can tell.”

“Just part of the game.” Carly shrugged. “A game I can’t seem towin anymore.”

Lauren looked around the yard helplessly. “What can I do?”

“Absolutely nothing. It’s a nice night, and I don’t want to thinkabout any of that anymore. Not when you’re here.” She held out her hand toLauren. “Come here. We can keep each other warm.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Lauren said, allowing Carly totug her until she sat in her lap, Lauren’s back against her shoulder. “I’mhappy to be right here.” Lauren turned Carly’s face up to hers and kissed hersoftly. “What a crazy day.”

“Tell me about it. I want to live vicariously.” Carly wrapped anarm around Lauren’s midsection and snuggled in, taking a deep inhale.

Lauren laughed. “Please, I’m the one in your world.”

Carly blew out a jaded breath. “Not from where I’m sitting. You’rethe one getting all the action.”

“For bit parts maybe.” Lauren’s arm was draped around Carly’sshoulder. She began to play with Carly’s hair as they sat there, lifting it andletting it fall, which felt so amazing that Carly almost let go of the emotionsthat seemed to be taking their turns with her. Anger, desolation, and feardanced in a conga line of attack. The night seemed larger than she was,daunting in a new and unfamiliar sense.

“A job is a job.” Carly forced a smile. “How did the auditionsgo?”

Lauren scrunched her shoulders in that cute and hopeful way shesometimes did. “I think they went well. For this guest starring role onThe Subdivision, theywanted to talk the scene out with me and try different motivations and tacticsin the room. I’ve never had that before. Back in my auditioning days, theywould just say thank you fifteen seconds in, and that’d be it.” She snagged asip of Carly’s wine.

“You have clout now. A quality credit from The McAllister and,even more importantly to them, UTA sent you. Everyone loves UTA.”

Lauren shook her head, mystified, staring out into the night. “Whoknew a stamp of approval from a reputable agency would pull such a differentresponse to the very same person?”

Carly pointed at herself and sipped her wine. “The second I wassigned with Alika, the landscape of my career tilted dramatically in a positivedirection. People paid more attention.”

“I can’t imagine anyone not paying you attention. We walk into arestaurant and heads swivel.”

“That’s not about me. I wish it was. That’s about the idea of me.The allure of fame.”

Lauren turned in her lap to see Carly better. “You’re depressedtonight. Do me a favor and look at me.”

Carly did. It was the best Band-Aid in the world. Lauren’s greeneyes sparkled beneath the moonlight, and she suddenly had this urge to see heron Christmas morning, smiling as she unwrapped gifts. “I happen to know youpretty well after all this time we spent together, and I’m going to let you inon a secret. It’s about my first few days knowing you.”

Carly grinned and gave Lauren a squeeze. “This should beinteresting. A peek behind the proverbial curtain and into the mind of oneLauren Prescott.”

Lauren looked skyward as she assembled her thoughts. Distantly,Carly heard a coyote howling. “I was prepared not to like you. Convinced Iwouldn’t.”

“Oh, this is off to a troubling start.” Carly stuck out her bottomlip.

---