No, no, no. Lauren was late for the matinee and she hated it with every fiber of her being. Traffic had clearly been out to get her, and she’d just barely make her call time, which was unheard of. She preferred to be extra early, and when she wasn’t, she was automatically late, even though she was on time. It was a whole thing that made sense in her head, at least.

“Wilks, hi,” Lauren said as she signed in. It wasn’t unusual to run into Wilks backstage, as he liked to make himself visible, but it was rare on Saturday.

“There you are. Just the woman I was looking for,” he said and kissed her cheek. He’d been her biggest cheerleader since she’d changed hats and stepped onto the stage instead of into the booth, attending three performances of Starry Nights that she knew about. “Just wanted to let you know that Jan Wendel attended last night’s performance and loved what she saw.”

Lauren squinted. “Wendel?” The Wendel family were well known Broadway producers. She didn’t know any of their first names, but could one of them be Jan?

“Yes, that Wendel. She’s a good friend of Ethan’s. Told me that if you ever make the move to New York to let her know.”

“Wow. As an actress?”

“As an actress. I thought about not telling you because you’re the best stage manager I’ve ever worked with, but you should know how well your performance is being received.” She understood that Wilks was also checking in with her, trying to assess if he was about to lose his favorite stage manager. The idea stressed her out, and she wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t made any plans…yet. She glanced down the hall that led to her dressing room. “Thanks for telling me, Wilks.” She pulled him in for a quick squeeze. “I’m a little behind schedule.” Which seemed like the lamest excuse when she heard it out loud. “Better get going.”

“Just keep me updated,” he said, and she headed down the hall. Her stomach turned a little at the idea of leaving her job, but it turned back at the thought of not exploring every opportunity. She ordered herself to take a deep breath and knew full well she might fall flat on her face as an actress once she stepped outside of this role. If so? She’d be no worse off. That helped a little.

“Hey, you,” Carly said. She smiled warmly, leaning against the wall in the hallway. She’d done her makeup but had yet to get into costume. “What’s going on? You signed in but weren’t in your dressing room.”

“Just a quick check-in with Wilks for a moment. No big deal. Logistical stuff.”

“Oh,” Carly said knowingly. “Is he trying to convince you to stay?”

“I get the impression he’s worried.”