Murphy nodded. “Six of ’em. All older than you and your friends.” He handed her the paper sack. “So how about you just indulge an old man who never learned how to mind his own business?”

Clare gave him a dramatic sigh. “Fine, I guess. But does this mean I get to run to you every time I need—”

“Next!” Murphy called over her shoulder.

She stuck out her tongue at him and smiled when the old man laughed.

By the time she had reached her building, she felt good. Buoyant. Successful even. She was ready to share this enormous feeling of accomplishment with her roommates. Because how could she hide it? Clare started to shuffle through her keys and match each one with the appropriate lock.

When she reached the fifth and final lock, the door flew open in front of her, ripped her keys from her hand, and made her gasp. Clare stumbled back a step and suppressed a scream right as her brain processed Sergio standing in the doorway in front of her, arms flung wide, face beaming.

“Clare!” he tilted his head back and exclaimed before reaching for her and her paper bag at the same time. “You’ll never, ever, ever guess what has happened!” he said as he pulled her into both the apartment and his arms. “My every wish has come true today!”

Stunned, Clare fell into Sergio’s arms and only avoided dropping the wine and herself to the floor because he was quick and had a strong grip on her. Still beaming, he helped her steady herself, then whisked the wine into the kitchen as he launched into the explanation for his radical exuberance.

“So, you already know that I had that huge audition today…”

Clare nodded absently, although Sergio was always going on about one audition or another. If he had decided to quiz her about exactly what he had going on today, she would have been forced to offer up nothing but vague guesses. Commercial? Off-Broadway musical? Print ad?

“Well,” he said, then paused and grinned at her—dramatic effect. “Guess who just landed the role of Second Male Dancer?”

Clare’s attention was pulled from Sergio already working to uncork one of her celebratory wines, to the living room. He wasn’t the only one who had come home while she was at the store. “Um…” she stalled, processing both his question and the sight of Donna standing in front of the couch. Her back was to them, and she hadn’t said anything since Clare had walked in the door. “You?” Clare answered, barely even registering exactly what she and Sergio were talking about.

“Yes!” he yelled at the ceiling and pulled the cork in one triumphant climax.

Even this didn’t pull Donna from whatever she was focused on, because Clare could now see she was clearly and intently focused on something in her hands.