She smiled at the sound of Trip’s ultra-professional voice. She’d only hear it for another two weeks of performances. She tapped the small notebook in which she’d taken down the phone numbers from the voicemails earlier. She wasn’t on the schedule at The McAllister for the next show, as she’d been promised a true vacation by Wilks. That time was hers, and she wouldn’t lose her job. Possibilities swirled. Uncertainty loomed. Above all, her heart squeezed uncomfortably. “What in the world am I supposed to do with myself now?”

The quiet of the room absorbed her question. She had a show to do first.

* * *

Carly, in her act 1 business suit for Ashley, regarded herself in the mirror. She had ten minutes until places and had her hair, costume, and makeup ready in record time, which left a few minutes to spare. While in Lauren’s dressing room earlier, she’d seen the names and numbers of several key industry players on her dressing table. That meant Lauren’s phone was clearly getting a workout, while her own remained woefully silent. Not one to just accept her fate, Carly pulled her phone out of her bag and knew the only thing to do now. Call her agent. Again.

“Alika Moore’s office. This is William.”

“William. It’s Carly Daniel. Is she available?”

“I’ll put you right through.” Only a small pause before Alika answered.

“Alika, do you know that it’s the middle of autumn and forty-two degrees in Minneapolis? California is weeping for me and my lost tan.”

Her agent chuckled. “Well, hello, Carly Daniel. How the hell are you today?”

“About the same as when we chatted last week. Show’s going well. People seem to love it. We have huge crowds at the stage door and have sold out the entire run.”

“That’s fantastic news. I knew you’d kill it if we sent you out there. Right move all the way.”

“You still think so?” A pause. Carly watched herself carefully in the mirror, insecurity creasing her features. She absently fiddled with the eyelash curler on her dressing table. “Just haven’t heard from you. Wondering if you’ve had any bites since we last spoke. I’m ready to get going, line some things up.”

She heard Alika shuffle some papers on her desk, which she knew from experience was always messy, stacked with file folders, and decorated with stray paper clips. Alika operated on a system of organized chaos which would drive Lauren insane. She smothered a smile just thinking about it.

“I wish I did, Carly. I had hoped that some good press would raise your demand a bit. The rumors that were published haven’t been helpful.”