She nodded and ignored his judgmental observation. “I’ll be there. I’m exhausted, numb, and ready to clock out of this one, but it wouldn’t feel right to skip out, you know?” She’d never missed a closing party and didn’t plan to now. There was something important about the cast and creatives coming together socially to say their good-byes, and send the show off into the history books as a united group. Say what you would about a drama-filled production, but once the curtain was down for good, everyone forgot the tumultuous details and fell in love all over again. The glory of theater.

“Perfect. I’ll need you to keep me from flirting with Gregory. It’s your job.” Gregory played Rapunzel’s Prince in the show, and Trip had been drooling over him since they’d started rehearsals. Gregory, however, was the love ’em and leave ’em type, and Trip was more the fall in love and get married type, so Lauren had done her best to run interference.

She raised an eyebrow. “We’re still on that?”

Trip covered his heart. “Can you support my endeavors sans judgment?”

“I can.” He bowed, and she laughed. “Now get out of here, so I can finish my paperwork by five a.m.”

“You mean midnight.”

“It’s whatever. I’m barely alive.”

“One day more!” he sang loudly, giving her his best Les Mis. She had the decency to grin. When he disappeared from sight, she heard several more voices join his chorus. She laughed quietly. Theater people, man. Their world was a unique environment, full of unique individuals who Lauren happened to love, flaws and all.