She deposited Rocky’s breakfast in front of him. While he went to chow town, Lauren checked her phone to find only a million messages with smiley faces and congratulatory texts. There was also a series of links. Aha, the reviews. She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and clicked immediately on the one for Broadway World, knowing it would be an important one.

“Not a Cloud in the Sky as Starry Nights Shines Bright at The McAllister.” That headline sounded promising. Lauren continued to read.

Audiences can rest assured that Starry Nights, the new play by Mariah White premiering at The McAllister, will make you long for a telescope and a fated love of your own. Carly Daniel, taking her first bow onstage, delivers a serviceable performance as Ashley, but it’s newcomer Lauren Prescott’s Mandy that stole the spotlight. Prescott turns in a performance rich in charm, tenderness, and wit.

Oh, wow. Lauren could hardly believe what she was reading. She revisited the portion about her performance over and over again. She wished they’d said more about Carly, though. Serviceable was a polite way of saying fine in the theater community, and Carly deserved much more than that. She skimmed the rest of the article in which the reviewer praised the direction, the set, and the lighting design. Tacked on to the bottom of the piece was a link that opened a secondary article separate from the review entitled “Spilled Tea and Starry Nights.” She skimmed the content with a furrowed brow.

Insiders at The McAllister say that Carly Daniel, in line with past rumors, was difficult to work with behind the scenes of the new play, Starry Nights. Daniel, a source said, became known in Minneapolis for holding up rehearsals, making incredible demands of cast and crew, and staging diva-worthy tantrums when she didn’t get her way. Some speculate it was Daniel’s behavior behind Evelyn Tate’s departure from the project early last month. Tate, when contacted, declined comment.

Lauren closed her eyes and set her phone on the counter. That wasn’t fair. Carly had been a pain to work with in the beginning, and yes, she’d been late. However, she’d never spoken a rude word to anyone and had put so much hard work into the show. To turn a spotlight away from that and shine it on lies and rumors just seemed out of bounds. Her chest ached.

“What were you reading?” Carly asked. Lauren turned to see Carly standing across the room with wet hair, soft looking jeans, and a pale yellow T-shirt. “The reviews?”

Lauren nodded.

“I’m ready. Lay it on me.” Carly folded her arms and smiled. Yet it wasn’t her standard grin. There was a guarded, unsure quality, signaling that she was nervous, vulnerable.

“They liked the show.” It wasn’t a lie.