Lauren nodded silently, clearly feeling unsteady. Carly didn’t watch her walk away, but the click of her heels down the hallway told the story. Alone now in the cold, stupid house she couldn’t afford, she let the tears have their way with her. The sobs came from the back of her throat, laced with fear and disappointment in herself.

Chapter Seventeen

The day had hit Lauren hard and fast. Pleasant, exciting, uncertain, and devastating, had all been stops on her emotion-packed day. Her good-bye conversation with Carly had been the absolute low point that now had her blinking back tears and wondering how she’d gotten so far out of her league.

For her appointment, however, she forced herself to suck it up.

Rick Hennessy had his own office on the Warner Brothers lot. He came with that much clout. Lauren took a moment to google him in her car and was surprised to see that he had directed several films she’d seen and enjoyed. That discovery left her more nervous than ever, feeling again like a second grader who’d wandered into the high school lunchroom by mistake. Surely, everyone saw she was a second grader, right?

She shook off the feeling and gave her name to the guard in the little booth at Warner Brothers, who then directed her where to park. She found the office Hennessy rented in what looked to be a small apartment complex on the studio grounds. How odd.

“Hey, Lauren. Come in. Come in.” He greeted her as if he hadn’t just shoved the meeting into his already packed workday and sat with her at what looked to be a cafeteria table across from his desk.

“I’m happy we’re doing this,” he said and ran his hand over his beard. “I was floored we found you, like it was meant to be. You know, the way it all played out? Cosmic.” He pointed his finger at her a few times while he spoke, reminding her of all those really intense hipsters from college.

“I was every bit as surprised as you were,” she said.

“I read about your casting at The McAllister after you left the audition. I love the story.”

“Oh.” She grinned. “Me, too. One of those things you never could have predicted in life.”

“Right?” Rick sat back in his chair and opened his laptop. “So, let’s talk about the character of Astrid.” They spent the next thirty minutes discussing the script and his personal vision for her character’s short arc. They had a decent give-and-take, and by the end of the session, she’d decided she really liked Rick. He knew what he was doing, even if she had no clue about what she was.

“Can I ask a question?” Lauren had to know.

“Shoot.”

“What made you cast me? Cinderella story aside. I’m an unknown. You had big names you could choose from, I’m sure.”