“If you want to reestablish yourself, this is a fantastic way to do it.” Alika had put on her serious voice, the one she used when she tried to get Carly to see things from her point of view. The serious voice tended to be right, so Carly paid attention. “Go back to basics. Act your ass off in this play, and let the reviews sell you to Hollywood all over again for the credible work you did. Remind them you’re an actress and not a headline.”

Carly dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling. Not only did stage work not appeal to her, but she’d never done any theater. Zilch. Not even in her tiny high school back in Oregon. Her first audition had been for a television guest spot when she was nineteen, and that had quickly led to her first film cameo at twenty. Since then, the water had been warm in Hollywood, and her star had continued to rise until she was the name selling films. Nine years later, as she approached her thirtieth birthday, she could definitely say that star had fallen. And hard.

On the other hand, how hard could it be to transfer what she did to a live performance, right? She was a good actress. She knew that much, and acting was acting. “Can I think about it?”

“You can, but why?” Alika drew out the last word. Carly could imagine Alika’s hair vibrating the way it did when she was frustrated. “Would you rather float around in your pool some more and sip mimosas? I can let you get back to that. I have other clients who are interested in working.” One of Carly’s favorite things about Alika was that she rarely sucked up and instead told it like it was. “Or we can begin building your career back to what it was, one brick at a time. The McAllister is a brick, baby girl.”

Why did Alika have to be so tell-it-like-it-is? Carly sighed and tapped her countertop about eight hundred times. Her pool guy stole another glance at her in her bikini, and she closed her sheer cover-up tighter around her body. “Fine. Take the offer. There’s a dude gawking openly at my breasts, and I’d like to say something positive happened today.”

“Gawking at you? What else is new?” Alika chuckled. “Report his ass to his supervisor immediately. Also, as your friend, I’m happy you see the light. I’ll send over the contract as soon as I have it. This is the right move. The McAllister is big.”

“When do I have to be in—I’m sorry, where the hell am I going, again?”

“Minneapolis. They want you there for the first rehearsal next week. The theater will be in touch to arrange your travel once we’ve signed. Start flexing that acting muscle again.”

“On it. Maybe you’ll visit?”