Page 64 of Force of Nature

Chapter Twenty-two

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“You’re serious?” Isqueal into the phone, happy tears pricking the back of my eyes.

“You got it,” Wendy confirms. “Laken, you have officially been cast as Rose Donavan in the Blood Lust series. Well, after you sign the contract that is. I’ve got the lawyers reviewing it now. I’ll get it over to you by tomorrow so you can have time to review it and get it back to me before the end of the day. Think you can do that?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Also, filming starts in a couple of weeks so make sure you pay important attention to the timeline so you can plan accordingly. You’ll primarily be shooting in Holland, North Carolina. Production will put you up in a hotel, but I highly suggest that if the show gets picked up for a second season you look at rentals. One, so you have an actual home to go to and two, because if this series does half as well as they think it will you will be shooting there for at least a few years. You’ll want something that feels more permanent. But that’s something you can decide when the time comes.”

“So you’re telling me I’m essentially moving to North Carolina for the foreseeable future.”

“Is that going to be okay for you?”

“Are you kidding? Of course it is. Oh my god, Wendy, I cannot thank you enough for this.”

“You did all the work,” she says even though we both know that isn’t true. If it weren’t for her pulling some strings I never would have gotten the audition for the supporting role, let alone have been considered for the lead. “I’ll have the contract to you by morning. Call me if you have any questions or something seems unclear.”

“I will. Thank you so much.” I quickly end the call, dropping the phone onto the counter before letting out a loud squeal of excitement.

The noise no more than leaves my mouth when I hear the back door open. I turn just in time to see my mom enter the room.

“Everything okay, honey?” My mom pauses just inside the door, having clearly heard my little outburst.

“I got it!” I announce. “I got the part. You are looking at the female lead for the Blood Lust series.” I bounce up and down on the balls of my feet, barely able to contain my excitement.

“Oh honey, that’s so wonderful.” My mom is already across the room, her arms coming around me moments later. “Congratulations.” She gives me a good squeeze.

“Thank you.” I smile as she steps back, her hands coming out to take both of mine.

“I know we haven’t always been the most supportive family in the world, but that’s because selfishly we want you here with us. But I want you to know how important it is to me that you get everything you want out of this life. I’m so proud of you for fighting for what you want.”

“Thank you, Mom.” I pull my hands back and quickly swipe under my eyes, fighting back the urge to cry.

“What the heck is going on in here?” Ben comes strolling into the kitchen with Thad following behind him.

“Your sister got the lead role in a television series,” my mom informs Ben before I have a chance to say anything.

My eyes immediately dart to Thad who doesn’t look up as he heads to the sink to wash his hands. An instant knot forms in my stomach and for the first time since learning about the role, the smile on my lips fades.

“No shit.” Ben half snorts.

“Language,” Mom scolds, waging her finger at him.

“That’s amazing, Lake.” He ignores my mom, stepping around her to pull me into a tight hug. “Congrats,” he says, pulling back. “When do you start?”

“Filming starts in two weeks.”

“Two weeks.” My mom gapes at me, clearly having not realized it would be so soon.

“If there are any hot girls on set you’ll be sure to let me visit, right?” Ben jokes, sliding in front of the sink just as Thad steps away from it.

“I thought you were taken.” I keep my focus on my brother instead of looking at Thad like I really want to.

“I could be untaken for a hot actress.” He shrugs non-committal.

“In that case, no,” I deadpan. “You cannot come visit me.”

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