Carly shook her head. Who, indeed?

* * *

Lauren’s neck ached from rehearsal. Blocking days always did a number on her upper body because she concentrated and recorded the details of the direction for hours on end. She’d say one thing for certain, however. She saw the whole process through a different lens after having starred in a professional production herself. She rubbed the back of her neck as she flipped over the breast of chicken she was frying up for her dinner. Rocky IV whined quietly.

“You need to learn to be more patient, Rocky. I plan to give you some of this chicken on top of your kibble, but it’s not ready yet.” He snuffled and turned in a circle, his curlicue tail set on vibrate. It wasn’t the only thing vibrating. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Trip.

“Hey, Trippy.”

“Turn on channel six. Do not pass go. Do not delay.”

She turned around and faced the TV. An old rerun of Seinfeld played quietly. “What’s on six?”

“Oh, you’re gonna want to see for yourself.”

She turned off the chicken and let it sit, located her remote, and changed the channel. She sat on the arm of her couch, curious as the screen filled with Aspen Wakefield giving clues to a portly gentleman with a bad comb-over.

“Are you obsessing about Aspen Wakefield again?” she asked Trip. “I know she’s beautiful, but I’m glad you chose a different Halloween costume.”

“Wait for it, Lala.” She did. She watched as a portly guy gave amazing clues and Aspen Wakefield spaced for half of them. Poor guy.

The shot cut away to the other duo, and when it did, Lauren slid off the arm onto the couch cushion in surprise. It was Carly, grinning and joking with the host. Lauren covered her mouth as she watched, her heart full, her eyes brimming with tears. It felt so good to see Carly that Lauren almost couldn’t contain the emotion that bubbled straight to the surface.

“Lauren? You there?”

She’d forgotten all about Trip. “Yes. Sorry. I’m watching. I’ll call you after.” She dropped the phone and leaned closer to the TV. Carly was actually really good at the game, and she looked like a million bucks wearing a maroon sweater dress and lipstick that matched perfectly. God, she looked sophisticated and beautiful.

As she watched, Lauren placed a hand over her heart, feeling it thud away. Adrenaline coursed as she rooted for Carly and her partner, Jennifer. When they won in the Winner’s Circle, Lauren leapt from her spot on the couch. “They did it,” she told Rocky, who turned in a circle next to her, never one to be left out of a good celebration. She picked him up, hugged him, and placed a kiss on top of his head.