Lorraine rolled her eyes. “Well, you missed out by a few months. She’s taken.”

“I know. It’s hard to meet a nice girl. I’ve had the worst luck. All the girls I’m interested in are looking for somebody who’s rich. If I were a working actor—”

“So our love lives aren’t the best right now,” Lorraine interrupted. “What’s in that safe will help us both with what’s most important to us at this moment—our careers. You’ll have the money to take classes and audition without having to stress out about other jobs. I’ll set those letters on fire and not have to worry about being banished from Hollywood forever.” She sipped her drink. “Then our lives will be on course. I know they will.”

Clay nodded solemnly. “You’re right. This could be a major turning point for both of us. We need to get into that apartment as soon as possible. My rent is overdue.”

“It’s the fourteenth of the month.”

“Don’t remind me.” He snapped his fingers. “We’ve got to get moving. With this blackout, Jack Reilly is probably working. And with any luck Regan isn’t home, either. You don’t have their phone number by any chance, do you?”

“I do!” Lorraine cried excitedly. “I ran into Regan in the hallway about six months ago. It was before she and Jack were married. I told her I’d been waiting for a package that hadn’t been delivered yet and I had to run to an appointment. She offered to accept it for me. We exchanged numbers and promised we’d help each other out with deliveries. I have her number in my cell phone.”

“What is it? I’ll call and see if they’re home.”

“What if they have caller ID?”

“My phone number comes up as anonymous. Besides, you need electricity for caller ID.”

Lorraine quickly grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table, looked up the Reillys’ number, then read it aloud to Clay. As he punched in the number he mumbled, “Hopefully they’re out rescuing people from the subway.”

They both stood quietly as the connection was made and the Reillys’ phone began to ring. Lorraine held her breath as it rang several times. “No machine is picking up because there’s no electricity,” Clay whispered, then added victoriously, “they must not be home!” After several more rings, he snapped his phone shut. “Put on those high heels of yours, and let’s get out of here. It is time for us to seize the day!”

Lorraine almost tripped as she jammed her feet into her shoes. “I am never in my life going to write another letter again,” she said excitedly, “not a letter, not a grocery list, nothing! I’m not putting anything in writing ever again. And as for that future ex-husband of mine, he’s going to regret he did this to me. I’m going to make sure of that!”

“Let’s focus on one thing at a time, Lorraine,” Clay warned her. “You remember what Wendall always told us to do when pursuing our dreams.”