CHAPTER 12
“You got the part!”
Dana walked into her older sister’s arms and hugged her tightly.
Lainey had always been there for her. Even when they had been younger and hated each other during their teen years because Dana had been a drama queen about everything and Lainey had always been so low-maintenance, her sister had been to every one of her plays and musicals, and when Lainey had gone to college to play soccer, she’d always tried to be there for Dana if she hadn’t had a practice or a game she’d miss.
It was only now that Dana was older that she realized just how much her big sister had been there for her, probably giving up going to parties or having fun with her friends just to watch Dana in some local production, applauding the loudest when Dana took her bow at the end.
“I did,” she replied and let go of Lainey, who still tried to hold her in the hug.
“Babe, I think your sister needs to breathe,” Paige said from just behind Lainey.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I’m just a proud big sis here,” Lainey replied, letting her go. “I can’t believe it. Caterer one day and star the next.”
“Not a star. I’m just in a movie.”
“In a movie with Samara Barber,” Paige pointed out and motioned for them to sit in the booth she and Lainey had been sitting in prior to Dana’s arrival. “She’s a big deal, Dana.”
“I know,” she replied. “And she’s helping me with the agent stuff, too.”
“Agent stuff?” Lainey asked, wrapping her arm around Paige’s shoulders once they’d all settled in the booth.
“Yeah, she’s letting me borrow her agent for the paperwork. He’s doing it for free as a favor to her and is going to get it back to me tomorrow to sign if it’s all okay.”
“Really? I heard she was such a diva,” Paige said. “She’s being nice?”
“She has… diva tendencies, but she’s been good about this whole me being in the movie thing. It’s weird, right? She’s hoping to get some kind of credit for playing gay and maybe get an award or two for it, and she’s been pushing for me to get the role.”
“Why is that weird, if she thinks you’re a good actress?” Lainey said.
“I know. I just… I have no real experience in front of a camera, and they saw so many others who did.”
“Hey.”
Dana looked up to see Maisie and India standing there, holding hands.
“Hey,” she said.
“I invited them to celebrate with us. Hope that’s okay,” Lainey said.
“Of course, it’s okay.”
“Congrats, Dana. It’s amazing,” Maisie spoke as she sat down next to her and gave her a quick hug.
“Thanks,” she replied and slid over to let India sit next to her girlfriend.
“Yeah, that’s amazing, Dana,” India added, placing her hand on Maisie’s thigh under the table.
“Thank you,” she replied, instantly feeling like the fifth wheel again.
She’d gotten used to being the third wheel with Lainey and Paige over the years, and Lainey had used to date her best friend, Maisie, before that, whom Dana thought of as a sister, so when they had hung out as a foursome occasionally, that had been fine, but now, Maisie had India, and it had been over a year of Dana fifth-wheeling.
“Have we ordered yet?” Maisie asked.
“Not yet. We were waiting for the special guest of the evening to arrive,” Lainey said, motioning to her. “I promised her some top-shelf alcohol tonight.”
“One drink. I don’t want to get drunk,” Dana said. “I’m supposed to meet with everyone tomorrow to officially come on board, and I have to quit my catering job, or at least ask for a leave of absence until the movie is wrapped.”
“You’d go back to catering after?” Maisie asked.
“Yeah, I’ll need a paycheck. I mean, the movie will give me a little nest egg, but it won’t last long. I still have rent to pay, Maise.”
“I just assumed you’d be moving to LA or something.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’ve been talking about that since I met you, and you’re about to get your big break.”
“Well, hello, party people,” Candace said, placing beverage napkins on the table. “What can I get for you?”
“We’re celebrating Dana here getting the lead role in Bryce’s movie,” Lainey explained.
“What? Really?” Candace asked.
“Not the lead. One of the leads, I guess,” Dana said.
“She’ll get to do a sex scene with Samara Barber,” Paige added, wiggling her eyebrows at Dana.
“Babe, something you want to tell me?” Lainey asked.
“What? She’s hot. Can’t blame me for looking.”
Dana had forgotten all about that. In all the stress and excitement over getting the part, she’d completely forgotten about the love scenes in the script, of which there were two.
One was a little more thorough but tastefully written, with no nudity.
The other was supposed to be hot and fast and short on screen.
Both of them meant getting up close and personal with Samara, though, along with the other kisses they would share.
There were two big ones in the script and several more along the way.
Some might get cut in the final edit, but she would still be shooting all of them.
She’d be kissing Samara. Dana gulped at the thought.
“So, what’s it going to be tonight?” Candace asked. “On the house. Oh, let me make you something. What kind of alcohol do you want?”
“The mixologist at work,” Logan, Candace’s former bartender and member of this ever-growing friend group, teased as she walked over with her fiancée, Rory, in tow.
“Yes. Dana here is in a movie,” Candace shared.
“A movie?” Rory asked. “Wait. Bryce’s movie?”
“Yeah. I’m technically playing Bryce.”
“Really? That’s awesome,” Logan said.
“You don’t work here anymore. What are you doing in my bar?” Candace asked Logan.
“Um… I’m here to have a drink with my fiancée, who is also your best friend,” Logan replied.
“Fine, but don’t take a good table,” Candace said with a wink. “Now, what can I make for you?”
Dana realized she was speaking to her and said, “Oh, anything. Maybe gin or vodka.”
Candace looked like she was thinking and asked, “And flavors?”
“Flavors?” Dana asked back.
“Is there anything you don’t like?” Logan clarified.
“I’m not a fan of chocolate in my drinks.”
“I can work with that. I’ll be right back,” Candace said and hurried off.
“Hey! We wanted stuff, too,” Lainey half-yelled.
“Logan, take their orders!” Candace said loudly.
“I don’t work here anymore! You just said as much.” Logan laughed.
“Fine. Rory, then,” Candace said.
“You don’t work here anymore, either,” Logan said to Rory.
“I still know where everything is,” Rory replied. “What can I get for you, guys?”
“Beer,” Lainey said.
“Me too,” Paige added.
“Can I have that red wine Candace always keeps for me?” India asked.
“And I’ll have a beer,” Maisie requested, laughing as she rested her head on India’s shoulder because India hated beer and loved her wine.
“Sure. I’ll be right back,” Rory said and kissed Logan on the cheek before she walked off.
“So, movie star, huh?” Logan asked.
“What? No, not really,” Dana replied. “The actress they hired got injured, so they needed someone to fill in. I happened to be there. That’s all.”
“No way,” Lainey said, shaking her head at her. “You’re not diminishing this, Dana. You did this. You auditioned. You read with Samara fucking Barber. You earned the damn part. You told me they had other women audition, too.”
“Yeah, but–”
“No buts,” Lainey interrupted.
“Listen to your sister,” Paige added.
“Don’t gang up on me,” Dana argued with a laugh.
“Are we eating?” Maisie asked. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah, when we get our drinks, let’s toast to Dana and order,” Lainey suggested.
“Hey, everyone,” Bryce said, walking over with Sophie’s hand in hers. “Can we join this celebration?”
“Yeah, of course,” Dana replied.
She had run into Bryce when she’d been about to leave and had invited her out with Sophie if they could spare the night to celebrate.
“We’re going to need a table,” Logan noted. “Let me set one up for us.”
“I thought you didn’t work here anymore,” India teased.
“I feel like I’ll always work here in a way,” Logan said, looking around.
“I met Rory here. I met Candace and Keith, and they’re two of my best friends now.
I also kind of found myself in this bar, which I realize sounds a little strange, but it’s home to me in a different way than Rory is home to me, you know? ”
Logan stood then.
“I’ll help you,” Bryce offered.
“Hey, Dana. Congrats,” Sophie said when Bryce walked off to help Logan with the table.
“Thank you. It means a lot, coming from you and Bryce. You’re both the reason this whole thing is happening.”
“That’s all my girlfriend,” Sophie replied, nodding back toward Bryce. “She wrote the thing and made it happen. I’m just here to support her.”
“Sorry about that,” a recognizable voice said, and when Samara walked up to Sophie, Dana realized she’d been right. “My agent needed to ask me something.” Samara tucked her phone into her purse, looked up at the booth, and quickly found Dana’s eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi. What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Um… Bryce invited me. I hope that’s okay,” Samara replied. “If not, I can go. I just–”
“No, it’s totally okay,” Dana interrupted. “Sorry, I was just surprised to see you in my friend’s bar, with my friends here, too.”
“Uh, hello,” Lainey spoke.
“Hello,” Samara said, turning her eyes toward her.
“I’m Dana’s sister, Lainey,” she said, waving at Samara with her free hand.
“Oh, hi. I’ve heard all about you,” Samara replied with an actual smile.
“You have?” Lainey asked, looking at Dana now.
“Well, not all, I’m sure, but Dana has mentioned you. And you must be Paige, Lainey’s fiancée.”
Samara nodded to Paige.
“Yes. Nice to meet you,” Paige replied.
“I’m sorry; I’m not sure I know who you two are,” Samara said to Maisie and India.
“I’m Maisie. And this is my girlfriend, India,” Maisie introduced.
“Nice to meet you both,” Samara said and looked back at Dana. “Should we get another booth or something? There aren’t enough seats.”
“I’ve got it,” Bryce replied instead. “Logan and I moved tables together. This is Logan.”