“Doubtful. I must wheel and deal so we can all eat.”

Carly sighed as she tried to keep up, tried to imagine waking up in Minneapolis next week, and tried not to swear in frustration at her agent, who was merely the messenger. “Alika. Level with me. Is this whole thing really necessary? I mean, can’t we just send Warner Brothers a fruit basket and hope they tell the others?”

“Baby girl, if you want to see your career ever again, then I’d say yes, you need to pay some dues. Fruit baskets can be for later.”

It wasn’t how she’d imagined she’d spend the next three months of her life, but then when had life ever been predictable? She’d go to Minnesota, of all places, hang out at an old boring theater, and show everyone in show business that, after everything, she was a safe bet. That was right. Carly Daniel would play ball, and she’d play it well. Maybe she’d even make a new friend or two in Minneapolis. That part, she’d never had trouble with.

She harnessed all her energy. “All right. Next week it is. Do you have a script for me?”

“I’ll send it right over. And Carly? This is the right move. You gotta trust me on this. It’s a desert out there for you. You’re crawling on your hands and knees in search of water.”

“Jesus, that’s a depressing image.”

“It’s your life. Seek out that oasis. It’s in Minneapolis.”

Carly clicked off the call and caught her reflection in the glass. She pulled her blond hair from the clip holding it back and felt it tumble down past her shoulder blades. She stared out at her infinity pool that overlooked all of the Hollywood Hills. It was August. She had maybe six months until she couldn’t afford this house any longer, unless something changed. Life was about to shift dramatically for her, but Carly was up for it. She wondered what Minneapolis was like in the fall.

* * *

Ten minutes to actor call time and every single last one of them had already signed in. What had Lauren done to deserve such a smooth final performance? Her little stage manager heart swelled with pride. No phone calls to make. No one to track down. No tardy entries on that performance report. She celebrated the victories when they happened.