She offered a final wave and headed uptown to the subway station. She didn’t have to think of this as good-bye. In fact, if the job did come through, she’d be working with Carly again, seeing her every day, working on scenes together. The very concept had her heart and mind singing. So was she going to wait for that call to come from her agent, and then hope that she finally managed the courage to leap back in to something she wanted so very badly already?

Hell no.

She turned around, hurrying back down the sidewalk, dodging pedestrian traffic, scooting through tight spaces, and making each crossing sign before it changed. She passed the production office and kept going, craning her neck to see if she could spot Carly walking farther down Ninth. After scurrying another block—yes!—she caught sight of the back of her blond hair, and it was only a matter of moments before she caught up. Lauren touched Carly’s shoulder and she turned. She blinked at Lauren curiously.

“Hey. What’s going—”

Lauren took Carly by the face and kissed her right there on Ninth Avenue in the freaking Meatpacking District of New York City. The best part of all? Carly melted and kissed her back.

“Lauren,” she whispered, coming up for air. She smiled. “You’re back.”

“Are we?”

“God, yes,” Carly said, her eyes glistening. “That’s all I want. That’s everything to me.”

Lauren smiled against Carly’s mouth and kissed her again. And again. And again. The people rushed past. The traffic lights changed. The cabs beeped their way through the city, but in that one spot beneath the sun and moon and stars and planets, two people meant for each other found their way back home.

* * *

“Ms. Daniel, the wine.” The sommelier at Becco presented the celebratory bottle of Sangiovese he’d recommended. Carly nodded at the label. “Who would like to try the wine?”

Carly gestured to her most beautiful date. “Why don’t you go ahead?”

He poured a taste for Lauren, who swirled it and sampled. “Wow. That’s fantastic.”

“Very good,” he said, pouring them each a full glass.

They’d parted ways on the sidewalk earlier that day with plans to meet for dinner. Lauren arrived in a long-sleeved gray dress and thin pink scarf. Carly wore her forest-green turtleneck and swept her hair back. Sitting there with Lauren, she couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’m happy you’re here with me,” Carly said.

Lauren reached across the table and squeezed Carly’s hand. “It just came to the point where I had to be honest with myself. I want us, Carly. You were in a bad place. I was in my own head, caught up in my own insecurities, and we let those things obscure the big picture.” She shook her head. “I don’t want us to do that anymore.”