“That was great,” Carly said to her quietly, as the table conversed. Heather Kim pointed to something Jeanine had written on her pad and nodded emphatically, then wrote something back.

“Thanks. I’m nervous,” Lauren whispered. Carly, after everything they’d been through, still had an uncanny ability to center Lauren. It helped that the read had been with her.

“Lauren, I can’t thank you enough for coming back today. We’ll be in touch, okay? Can I get you a water or coffee for the road?”

Lauren held up a hand. “No, I’m good. Thank you for inviting me. I had a nice time.”

“Jeanine, do you need me anymore?” Carly asked.

Jeanine looked to the table. “No. I think we’re all set. I appreciate you coming in, and we’ll see you soon.”

“Great. I’ll walk out with Lauren.”

Lauren lifted a hand in farewell and headed out of the room.

“This was unexpected,” she said to Carly in the elevator.

“I should have given you a heads-up, but what if they hadn’t decided to call, you know? You look great, by the way. So pretty,” Carly said. She blinked and stared at the floor, probably feeling off-kilter.

“Thank you.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence. When they hit the street, the noisy sounds of traffic and people hit. They stood on the sidewalk, dodging the quick flow of pedestrians heading to business meetings, work, lunch, auditions, or who knew where.

“I don’t think I got it,” Lauren said, shrugging. “That’s okay, though. I’m thrilled to have met Heather Kim. It was worth the trip.”

“Don’t say that. You never know. I thought the audition went really well.”

Lauren passed Carly a skeptical look. “They seemed unsure.” She stepped out of the way so a very serious looking man could get past.

Carly mirrored her actions, stepping to the side. “There’s no way to know that. They were simply figuring things out. They’ll call.”

Lauren nodded. She gestured behind her. “I guess I better…”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

She saw the sadness in Carly’s eyes as they said good-bye. Regret bubbled up. Yet she didn’t know what to say. Carly was still a very scary prospect for her, but being in her presence felt like coming home. She didn’t want to leave. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“Not a problem.” Carly flashed her always beautiful smile. Lauren felt its effects all over.