To the Moon and Back

by Melissa Brayden

  “Pack a bag and come with me.” There. She’d flat-out said it. Again. “Just think. You, me, palm trees, and blue water.”

  Lauren turned to her. Those sparkling green eyes carried hope and what looked to be interest. Jackpot. “I think that might be a nice idea. I think maybe that’s what I’d like to do.” Carly stared. So conservative. So cautious.

  “I think maybe you should lose the maybe,” Carly said and leaned in. She paused just centimeters from Lauren’s lips, savoring the anticipation. Her favorite damn part.

  Lauren closed the gap and kissed her softly, lingering. “Done. It’s gone.”

  Carly’s jaw dropped. She’d said yes. “We’re LA bound. Look out, City of Angels.”

  Lauren took a deep breath and reached for her phone. “I guess I should look around for somewhere to live for a few weeks.”

  Carly shook her head. “You’re impossible. Do you have any understanding of that?”

  “Impossibly beautiful, sexy, and in charge, you mean?”

  “Definitely, hell yeah, and”—she tilted her head back and forth—“all things are negotiable.”

  Another kiss. A longer one. Kissing Lauren, she’d learned, was a fantastic way to warm up in the colder weather. “I can live with those terms,” Lauren said, with that sensual look she always got right after being kissed, almost as if it left her a little dizzy. Carly could identify. “How about before I race off to LA with you, we have lunch, then later meet in a fake airport and face destiny again?”

  “You’re on.” Carly grinned.

  “I could go for some fries.”

  Carly wanted to give Lauren the moon and stars. Fries shouldn’t be so hard.

  * * *

  No, no, no. Lauren was late for the matinee and she hated it with every fiber of her being. Traffic had clearly been out to get her, and she’d just barely make her call time, which was unheard of. She preferred to be extra early, and when she wasn’t, she was automatically late, even though she was on time. It was a whole thing that made sense in her head, at least.

  “Wilks, hi,” Lauren said as she signed in. It wasn’t unusual to run into Wilks backstage, as he liked to make himself visible, but it was rare on Saturday.

  “There you are. Just the woman I was looking for,” he said and kissed her cheek. He’d been her biggest cheerleader since she’d changed hats and stepped onto the stage instead of into the booth, attending three performances of Starry Nights that she knew about. “Just wanted to let you know that Jan Wendel attended last night’s performance and loved what she saw.”

  Lauren squinted. “Wendel?” The Wendel family were well known Broadway producers. She didn’t know any of their first names, but could one of them be Jan?

  “Yes, that Wendel. She’s a good friend of Ethan’s. Told me that if you ever make the move to New York to let her know.”

  “Wow. As an actress?”

  “As an actress. I thought about not telling you because you’re the best stage manager I’ve ever worked with, but you should know how well your performance is being received.” She understood that Wilks was also checking in with her, trying to assess if he was about to lose his favorite stage manager. The idea stressed her out, and she wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t made any plans…yet. She glanced down the hall that led to her dressing room. “Thanks for telling me, Wilks.” She pulled him in for a quick squeeze. “I’m a little behind schedule.” Which seemed like the lamest excuse when she heard it out loud. “Better get going.”

  “Just keep me updated,” he said, and she headed down the hall. Her stomach turned a little at the idea of leaving her job, but it turned back at the thought of not exploring every opportunity. She ordered herself to take a deep breath and knew full well she might fall flat on her face as an actress once she stepped outside of this role. If so? She’d be no worse off. That helped a little.

  “Hey, you,” Carly said. She smiled warmly, leaning against the wall in the hallway. She’d done her makeup but had yet to get into costume. “What’s going on? You signed in but weren’t in your dressing room.”

  “Just a quick check-in with Wilks for a moment. No big deal. Logistical stuff.”

  “Oh,” Carly said knowingly. “Is he trying to convince you to stay?”

  “I get the impression he’s worried.”

  “Good. Because if he’s going to try and persuade you, I can certainly redouble my efforts.” She tossed her hair playfully, but even Carly’s silly side translated to alluring. If only she knew how little she had to work to be persuasive.

  Lauren ran her hand down the back of Carly’s hair affectionately. “Trust me. You’re way ahead.” She gestured down the hall toward her own dressing room, her stomach flip-flopping with uncertainty all over again. “I better kick it into gear. I’ve never been this late, and it’s stressing me out.”

  Carly glanced behind her at the clock. “Yet you’re not close to late at all. You still have time. What’s it like to be you?”

  “You don’t want to know.” She placed a quick kiss on Carly’s lips and headed down the hall, never feeling more unsure of her future, and terrified of what that all meant.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Los Angeles has terrible traffic. You need to be prepared for that. Always allow extra time no matter where you’re going.” Lauren’s mother looked at her quite seriously the way she always did when she was nervous. “Oh, and wear a seat belt, which I know you know, but I have to say it. I’m a mom.”

  Lauren returned to her bedroom from the bathroom, carrying her toiletries bag. “I will. As for traffic, I’m not taking my car, so Uber will be my friend. Plus, Carly apparently has a second one she doesn’t drive too often that she says I can use.” She tossed another shirt into her suitcase.

  “Well, that’s helpful of her.” Her mother paused. “I like her, Lauren. She’s…kind. Warm.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  Her mother sat on the edge of her bed and continued to help her pack. Lauren had a flight out West the next morning, and her mom had insisted on driving in to see her off and help get everything in order. No, she wasn’t going forever. At least, not yet. But a few weeks away was a pretty big deal. Carly had already flown home, and though they’d only been apart a day and a half, Lauren already missed her like crazy. The distance made all the difference.

  “The photos from curtain call looked so emotional,” her mother said. “Was it as memorable as it looked? I just wish we could have been there for the last one. We almost bought tickets from a scalper.”

  Lauren laughed. “You were there for opening. That was enough. As for your question, the closing show was like saying good-bye to the most unexpected best friend.” She met her mother’s eyes. “You know, I still can’t believe the whole thing was real. That any of this is.”

  She thought back on just a few nights prior, standing downstage, her hand firmly in Carly’s as they took their final bows and said farewell to characters who they not only loved, but who had been instrumental in their own relationship. Starry Nights was what brought Carly to her and made Lauren step out of her comfort zone in a million different other capacities as well. The whole experience had been a dream come true, and Lauren was a different human for it.

  “We’ll see you back in a few weeks?” Wilks asked, as she performed the bittersweet task of cleaning out her dressing room the next day. Luckily, the stage management office was just down the hall, and she wouldn’t have to travel far.

  She smiled at him. “I have no reason to say no at this point.”

  “Until you do.” His face held affection and understanding.

  She shrugged. “This business, Wilks…I’m not sure I’ll ever have a true handle on how it works, and I’ve been at it for years.”

  “That’s because it’s always changing, presenting one surprise after another. One of the reasons we love it.” He opened his arms for a hug, and she moved easily into them. Since she’d started work at The McAllister, Wilks had been
not only a solid boss, but a kind mentor. He’d shared his wisdom with her, and she trusted him.

  “Thank you for everything,” she said. “I mean that.” This wasn’t necessarily good-bye, but it felt like it.

  He released her. “I feel I should be saying those words to you. You’re a class act, Lauren Prescott.” He shook his finger at her as he walked away. “And for selfish reasons, I’m going to pray you walk through those doors in a few weeks. I have a theater to run, you know.”

  “Good-bye, Wilks. I’ll miss you.” He kept walking. He was a sweet man, but sentimentality made him a little itchy.

  Saying good-bye to Carly had been a different story. They’d be apart for under a week, but after the intensity of the last month and a half, she’d feel empty without Carly by her side. They’d become an inseparable team, both at work and after.

  “Do you have something to put on in case you get cold?” Lauren had asked, as they stood outside of her place, waiting for the private car that would take Carly to the airport.

  Carly gestured to her Chanel bag. “I have a cardigan tucked away, just in case.”

  “Good. What about snacks for the plane?”

  “I’m flying first class, but if you want me to carry a sack lunch, I can. We can write my name in my clothes, too.” She grinned.

  “Cheeky,” Lauren said. She was nervous, and when she was nervous, she overprepared. That apparently now extended to Carly, too. “I’m taking care of you. It’s what I do.”

  Carly had held on to the sides of Lauren’s unzipped hoodie. “You took very good care of me this morning,” Carly said, alluding to their leisurely morning in bed. With Carly’s housing running out when the show closed, she’d spent the last couple of days at Lauren’s place, which had been the perfect way to decompress from the run of the show. Not that they’d done a lot of resting. “When does your flight arrive on Friday?”

  “A little after four.”

  “Perfect.” Carly got her idea face on. “We can go somewhere fantastic for dinner.”

  “I’ll leave that planning up to you.”

  Carly took a dramatic step back. “Who are you? The Lauren I know plans everything. Get off her lawn.”

  Lauren laughed. “I’ll miss you until then. Even your overly dramatic proclamations.”

  “I don’t know. After a few drama-free days, you may decide life is easier without this girl. Who’s going to lament loudly when you’re out of milk?”

  “No one as loud about it as you are. That’s for sure.” They heard the sound of a car pulling into Lauren’s street. She glanced sadly in that direction and back. “Kiss me.”

  Carly hadn’t hesitated. In fact, she’d wrapped her arms all the way around Lauren, making her feel cherished. Her eyes had misted, which was ridiculous. It was a few days, for God’s sake.

  Still, her heart ached.

  “Do you have snacks for the plane?” Lauren’s mother asked, pulling her back into the fold of the present conversation.

  She laughed. “We’re more alike than even I realized.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  She squeezed her mom’s hand. “Not important. Can I ask you something?”

  “Is this about how to make your chili spices richer? I’m a big proponent of a longer marinating period.”

  Lauren laughed, fully aware that her mother was joking. “It should be about the spices, but no.” She sat down on the bed, abandoning her packing for a moment. “When did you know Dad had your heart? As in, for good. Done deal. This was the guy.”

  “When he knew every fault and weakness in my arsenal and still craved me just as much.”

  “Craved,” Lauren repeated. She could identify entirely with the concept.

  Her mother held up a finger. “I’m not done.”

  Lauren bowed her head in apology. “What else?”

  “The second part that told me was when I couldn’t imagine my day without him. I didn’t want to.” She lifted her shoulders. “I love being here with you, my sweet girl, but I also miss him and can’t help but wonder if he was able to heat up the chicken I left him for tonight without burning his fingers. Now, that’s love.”

  Lauren closed her eyes, because that’s exactly how she felt. Since Carly left, her days felt strange and empty. She spent more time counting the hours until she would be reunited with Carly than she did actually living. The imbalance was a lot to behold.

  “I think I’m going to call him,” her mother said, glancing around for her phone. She paused. “This is about Carly, isn’t it? I don’t think I’d realized it had gotten so serious. She’s a celebrity, Lauren. That comes with a whole other set of obstacles.”

  Lauren smiled. “I know that. Sometimes I forget, admittedly.”

  “Does that…worry you at all?”

  “Yes. It does.” But leaving Lauren’s world, and entering Carly’s? It felt like a much larger issue now than ever before. Lauren wasn’t sure what to expect. “I don’t really know what her life is like.”

  “Well, kiddo, I think you’re about to find out.” She covered Lauren’s hand with hers. “Do me a favor. You take care of yourself out there. No matter what kind of wheeling or dealing you run into with the new agent or your auditions, you remember who you are: Lauren May Prescott, the best human I happen to know.”

  She sent her mother a watery smile, as a mixture of excitement and trepidation took over. “That’s my plan.”

  “And you’re going to call me once a day for every state that now will separate us.”

  Lauren frowned. “I’ll try.” Lauren immediately winced at her error and prepared herself for the inevitable. “Don’t do the Yoda voice.”

  “Me to excuse Lauren Prescott?” her mother said in an always startlingly accurate Yoda voice, which was prompted anytime Lauren used the word try instead of something more affirmative.

  “You have to stop doing Yoda,” Lauren said, with a laugh.

  “Hmmmm?” her Yoda Mom said.

  Lauren closed her eyes and grinned. “I promise to call.”

  That seemed to appease Yoda. At least for today.

  * * *

  Carly clutched the autumn-themed bouquet of flowers too tightly, making the stems all mingle too closely. She couldn’t seem to relax. This was it. Lauren would walk through those doors in a matter of moments, and she’d get to show her around her home city. She rolled her shoulders and swallowed the smile that kept bursting onto her face without warning. She’d never been the most patient of individuals, admittedly, but waiting on Lauren’s flight to arrive had her stomach muscles fully employed and her skin all atingle.

  To her right, a photographer snapped a couple photos of her, not even attempting to be discreet. There were three other paparazzi not far away. Having been out of LA for a few months, she’d not had to deal with those guys and had forgotten how awful it could be to feel like a fish in a bowl, always on display. She ignored the clicks of his camera. Yes, she could have allowed Lauren to take a car to her place, but she wanted to personally welcome her to California, whether it meant the whole thing would be documented or not.

  “Who are you waiting for, Carly?” another paparazzo asked. She’d seen him before, always with a video camera, much like the one he had trained on her now. He was a piece of work. She didn’t answer. It was none of his damn business. “You glad to be back in LA?” he asked. She watched the door instead, realizing sadly that he was only gearing up. She concentrated on the happy occasion and decided to pretend the paps weren’t there.

  A flight had clearly just landed as a new group emerged from the glass doors. She shifted her weight and watched the faces for Lauren, having missed her incredibly since they’d said good-bye earlier in the week.

  “Sucks that no one wants to hire you anymore, doesn’t it?” the man asked snidely. The others clicked a few photos of her response. Nope. She would hold steady and not let his words affect her. She was here because someone very important to her was arriving. This was a happy
occasion. “Guess you’re not pretty enough anymore to cover up the whole can’t-act thing. Your last film sucked, by the way.” More clicks of a lens. The video camera continued to roll. She closed her eyes momentarily until she found the strength she needed to maintain complete composure. She didn’t know this man personally, so why did his words resonate? But she knew. They were the very words she heard in the back of her mind on a daily basis.

  When she opened her eyes again, there was Lauren, moving toward her with the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. She wore black pants, a green ribbed turtleneck, and a black and white plaid scarf. Her chestnut hair was down, and she looked absolutely amazing. Happiness hit instantaneously. Carly opened her arms, still clutching the flowers, and Lauren walked straight into her embrace, burying her face in Carly’s hair. All was right with the world again. More clicks.

  “Hi,” Carly said quietly. “Hi.” She said that second one with all the feeling bubbling inside of her. It was the most heartfelt hi of her entire existence. She squeezed Lauren again, inhaling her scent.

  “Two his for me? I’ll take it,” Lauren said, still not letting go. “Hi back. Twice. God, it’s good to see you. Don’t go anywhere.” Lauren let go and took a step back. They stared at each other happily, making a sight for sore eyes the most relevant phrase on the planet.

  “I can’t believe you’re here.” Carly practically bounced with excitement. “For you.”

  Lauren accepted the flowers and took a deep inhale. “I’ve never been given flowers on landing before. These are gorgeous.”

  “Times have changed.” Carly wanted to kiss Lauren, greet her properly, but the sounds of cameras clicking not ten feet away stole her courage. Lauren looked over at the motley group. “Wanna grab your bag and get out of here?” Carly asked, trying to divert her focus.