Casting Lacey

by Elle Spencer

  That was gone now. In the blink of an eye, it was all gone.

  Jack wrung his hands together. “I’m sorry for the things I said the other day – encouraging you to give Lacey a chance. I was wrong about her. Wrong from the beginning, I guess.”

  “How do we contain this, Jack? If this gets out…” Quinn gasped for air and covered her mouth with her hands, the fear of what could happen hitting her full force. “I brought her on my show. If the producers find out, they’ll think I planned the whole thing from the beginning.”

  “You couldn’t fake a broken arm. Surely, they’ll get that.” Jack rubbed his forehead, trying to come up with a plan.

  Quinn stared at the front door. A part of her wanted Lacey to walk through it. Yes, she’d yell at her for being so stupid, but at least she’d be in the room. Quinn doubled over herself, wrapping her arms around her stomach that was roiling so hard she felt like she would vomit.

  “We need Lacey to contain this. It can’t get out. Period,” Jack said. He pulled Quinn up off the sofa. “She’s on the road, waiting for a taxi. Go talk to her. Tell her she has to do whatever it takes to keep this under wraps.”

  Quinn stared at the door again, but didn’t move.

  “Look,” Jack said. “Lacey’s a hell of an actor, but she’s not that good. From what I just saw, I’d say she’s really in love with you.”

  “Does that even matter now?” Quinn couldn’t hold back the tears. She wiped her eyes, but they just kept falling. And then, without any forewarning, a violent rage boiled up inside of her. She lunged for a vase sitting on the coffee table and with all her might, she threw it against the wall. “Aaagh!” she screamed as the pain ripped through her arm.

  Jack tried to grab her, but she pushed him away. Her eyes were full of fury as she stared him down. “You too,” she growled out. “Get out of my house.”

  Jack reached for her again. “Quinn…”

  “No. You did this, Jack. You and your STUPID ideas!” She balled up her fists and yelled as loud as she could, “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

  Jack put his hands up. “Okay. I’m going.” He got in his car and sat there, trying to come up with a solution he could take back inside to Quinn. A plan of some sort. After a while, he gave up and drove away.

  ***

  Lacey opened the hotel room door, looking less than pleased to see her guest.

  “Thanks for seeing me.”

  “Do I have a choice?” She closed the door and leaned against the wall with her arms folded. Jack could say whatever he needed to say, and then she could go back to the bottle of whiskey sitting on the bedside table.

  “I don’t know who looks worse, you or me,” Jack joked. Lacey didn’t laugh. Of course, she didn’t laugh. Her whole life had just been blown up. Again.

  “Look,” he said. “I know I could’ve handled that a lot better.”

  Ya think, Jack? “Let me guess. Quinn fired you.” Lacey sat on the bed and poured two fingers into a glass. She offered it to Jack. He sat on the other bed and downed it in one gulp.

  “I don’t know yet. She kicked me out before we could talk about options.”

  “Options,” Lacey scoffed, and took a sip of her own drink. “At least you have some.”

  “How did this happen, Lacey? Why would you break the contract?”

  God. Jack still thought she’d purposely broken the contract. After everything – months of being right by Quinn’s side, helping her heal. Saving her goddamned show – because even if Quinn couldn’t admit it, her ratings had been dipping. Even after all of that, neither of them had a single ounce of faith in her.

  “I want nothing more than to go back to New York and figure that out, Jack. But we start shooting the season finale tomorrow.” She downed the rest of her drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I can’t go anywhere. Not yet.”

  “What do you mean, you want to figure it out? Are you saying you really didn’t tell Dani?”

  Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to blink them away. “I would never betray Quinn like that.” Just the thought of it made her want to vomit. She put her hand on her stomach and slowly breathed out, letting the wave of nausea pass. “I have no idea how Dani found out. I only saw her…” Lacey met Jack’s gaze. “Oh, god.” She stood up. “Oh, god.”

  “What?” Jack also stood up. “Tell me.”

  Lacey’s eyes searched the room for answers. “She must’ve seen the contract in my suitcase.” Realizing it was her own fault, she sat back down. “God, that must be it.”

  Jack sat next to her, putting his hand on her forearm. “What, Lacey? Tell me.”

  “Quinn was questioning whether or not I should stay in the guesthouse. She thought maybe I should move out before everything was set into motion – with the show – with us. I got angry.” Lacey covered her mouth with her hands, realizing this was the only explanation.

  “What happened after that?” Jack asked.

  “I packed everything up and went back to New York. I needed to rent out my apartment and I asked Dani to stop by and pick up some of the things she’d left behind.” Lacey turned and looked Jack in the eye. “The rental agent came by at the same time. I was with him for an hour while Dani was in the bedroom, packing up her things. That has to be it. She must’ve gone through my suitcase.”

  Jack seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but the look on his face told Lacey he was still angry with her. It was careless. She knew it was careless. “You have to call her,” Jack implored. “You have to contain this. It can’t get out.”

  “Do you believe me?” Lacey desperately needed someone to believe her, even if it was her fault. “Will Quinn believe me?”

  “I don’t know. She’s locked herself up in that big house and won’t take my calls.”

  Lacey picked up her phone. “I should call her.”

  “No, you shouldn’t.” Jack took the phone and set it back on the table. “Let her calm down. You’ll see her on the set tomorrow.”

  Lacey’s eyes widened. “We can’t wait until we’re in a public place to figure this out!”

  “Yes, you can. Quinn is a consummate professional. What you need to focus on, is containing your ex-girlfriend. Tell her that you’ll go and see her as soon as you can. Keep her quiet, Lacey.”

  Lacey huffed at that. “Pardon me if I don’t trust your advice anymore, Jack.”

  “You’re still under contract. That hasn’t changed. You’re Quinn’s fake girlfriend for a few more months, whether you like it or not. So, how about you use those acting chops you’re so proud of? Convince everyone that everything is just peachy and we might get through this in one piece.”

  Lacey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “My father just died! And the woman I love just dumped me! And my ex-girlfriend is blackmailing me! And you want me to…” Lacey’s expression went from complete disbelief to understanding. “Oh. You want me to save your sorry ass because this was all your fucking idea. Is that it, Jack?”

  Jack headed for the door. He went to open it and then stopped and turned around. “Save Quinn. If you really love her, then save her.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Lacey hadn’t slept. And she couldn’t convince her legs to get out of the car and walk into the studio. She hadn’t seen any of these people since her father’s death. Or, since Quinn had sent that tweet, outing them to the whole world. She imagined everyone would want to express their condolences first, followed by their congratulations on her relationship with Quinn.

  Fuck, what was she going to do? “Get your shit together,” she whispered to herself. And keep it together.

  The last episode had been kept a secret, so she didn’t even know what to expect. Would she have to kiss Quinn? Perform another love scene? She couldn’t do it. She’d break down in the middle of the scene. Cry her eyes out right then and there. Beg Quinn for forgiveness in front of everyone.

  She couldn’t do it.

  Just as she was putting the car
in reverse, Amy opened her door. Her eyes scanned the car, but she didn’t question why Lacey was driving a rental, thank god. “Hey. They’ve already started the table read. Quinn was worried. She sent me to find you.”

  “She…did?”

  “Yeah. I have a cart. Come on.”

  It was slow going, but Lacey collected her things and locked up her car. She sat next to Amy and held on tight, knowing Amy would take the corners at full speed.

  “How are you doing?” Amy asked. “Quinn said you two had a wonderful time in Napa.”

  God. Apparently, Quinn was already in full-on acting mode. Lacey forced a smile. “Yeah, it was great.”

  “Good. You needed it after…you know.” Amy looked at her and frowned. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

  “It’s okay.” Lacey grabbed her stomach as they raced around the last corner and lurched to a stop. She took a breath, trying to fight the nausea she’d had all morning.

  “You look gray. Are you sure you’re okay? I didn’t drive too fast, did I?”

  Amy was such a sweetheart, Lacey couldn’t do anything but smile. “Would you mind getting me a cup of tea for the reading? Nice and hot?”

  “Sure. Give me your stuff and I’ll put it in Quinn’s trailer.”

  Lacey handed over her tote bag. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she walked into the studio. Some of the crew were there, milling around. A few of them greeted her with a gentle hug and offered their condolences. She managed not to cry.

  By the time she reached the conference room, her lip was quivering but she held strong as she opened the door. Everyone went silent as they turned and looked at her. She forced a smile. “Hey, everyone. Thanks for delaying so I could bury my father.” She had to get the words out fast or she wouldn’t be able to say them at all.

  “Of course.” Dan stood up and gave her a hug. “Quinn said it was a beautiful tribute to a good man. I’m sorry we all couldn’t be there for you.”

  All Lacey could do was nod and hope she could hold it together. The only empty seat was the one next to Quinn. She couldn’t look at her. Not yet. Not until she was seated could she look Quinn in the eye. And really, not even then. She kept her eyes on the script sitting in front of her, but she could feel everyone’s eyes on her. She took a quick look around the table. All familiar faces, except one. A pretty girl with short brown hair sat across from her. The girl smiled when their eyes met. Lacey quickly looked away.

  And then, she felt the tug of Quinn’s arm as it wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her close. And soft lips gently kissing her temple. And two words spoken in her ear. “Hey, babe.”

  Babe. Definitely not something Quinn had ever called her before. The arm wrapped around her shoulder felt real. The kiss felt real. But that pet name – not real.

  Lacey kept her eyes down. “Hey.” She still couldn’t look at Quinn. Didn’t want to look at Quinn. Because then, she’d know for sure how fake this little scene was.

  Everyone quickly got back to business. A few minutes in, Lacey was relieved to see that there would be no love scenes. Not even a kiss. And it turned out that the pretty girl sitting across the table from her would be playing Selena’s ex-girlfriend. They were going to end the season with a great big cliffhanger, which everyone was excited about. Everyone, except Quinn, it seemed.

  Even though she was only using her peripheral vision, Lacey could tell Quinn’s expression hadn’t changed much through the read. Just a hint of a smile to placate everyone, Lacey imagined.

  She couldn’t take it anymore. Lacey had to look. She had to see Quinn’s eyes, even though she didn’t think she’d find anything real there. She waited until everyone was preoccupied with a story Dan was telling, and then she slowly turned her head. Quinn was looking at Dan, but her gaze fell to the table, and then slowly to Lacey.

  Pain. Pain, pain, pain. That’s all Lacey saw. She couldn’t help herself. She reached for Quinn’s hand and held it tight. I didn’t betray you, she wanted to scream. I love you!

  But the moment was lost. Chairs were pushed out and jokes were made. J.J. made his way over to them, and Quinn pulled her hand away.

  “We’re on a tight schedule because of the delay, so we’re going to go ahead and shoot some scenes today. I hope you got the message?” They both nodded and he put his hand on Lacey’s shoulder. “I lost my dad last year, so I know what you’re goin’ through, kid. Just hang in there and eventually, the pain will subside.”

  Lacey gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks, J.J. Someday, you’ll have to tell me about your dad.”

  “We’ll hang out and do just that,” he said with a wink. “Thank god you have Quinn to hold you up. My wife was my saving grace that day, and every day since.”

  Lacey pursed her lips together, trying to fight back the tears. She gave him a quick nod and luckily, he walked away before the first tear fell. Quinn’s hand landed on her knee, but she pushed it away. “You don’t have to do that,” she said, standing up.

  “Lace.”

  Lacey looked at her. She saw empathy in those ice blue eyes. She didn’t need empathy. Her dad was dead, so fucking what? That hadn’t mattered to Quinn yesterday when she kicked her out.

  “I know this is all just for show. I’ll do my part.” Lacey rushed out of the room, tears streaming down her face. She needed to get somewhere private and fast. She couldn’t go to Quinn’s trailer. She couldn’t go to the dressing room she shared with three other people. She turned a corner and saw a door. Having no idea where it went, she pushed through it and landed in an alley. An empty alley. She wanted to scream out the pain and sob until she had no more tears left, but that would bring unwanted attention. She slid down the wall, landing on her butt, and covered her face with her hands. Silent tears would have to do.

  ***

  Amy opened the trailer door. “Found her! She’s in the back alley where people take their smoke breaks.”

  Quinn took off her reading glasses and stood up.

  “She’s crying, Quinn. Hard.”

  Quinn pushed past her and Amy followed on her heels. The new girl was headed toward the door with a pack of cigarettes in her hand. Quinn stopped her. “Hey, can I have one of those?”

  Amy watched in horror as the new girl gave Quinn a cigarette and also her lighter. “Oh, god,” Amy whispered. “Everything’s going to hell in a handbasket.”

  Quinn lit the cigarette and handed the lighter back to the girl. “Don’t be so dramatic, Amy. And make sure we have some privacy.”

  Quinn pushed the heavy door open, and Amy stood in front of it, blocking the new girl. “Sorry. It’s going to be a minute.” The girl rolled her eyes and walked away.

  Quinn leaned against the wall and took a long drag and then another. “Thanks for showing up today. I don’t know how I would’ve been able to explain what’s happened – after I’d lied all morning, telling them everything is great.”

  It had been a hellish morning, dealing with everyone’s questions about their new, budding relationship. Quinn had lied through her teeth over and over, and when Lacey finally walked through the door, a huge sense of relief washed over her because at least now she wouldn’t be alone in the lie anymore.

  It was such a mixed bag of emotions she was feeling. Her love for Lacey hadn’t diminished. Only her trust. And yet, somehow that was still there, to an extent. Even after the big betrayal, she had a feeling that Lacey would come through for her, and she had been right.

  “Since when do you smoke?” Lacey asked, keeping her eyes on her shaky hands.

  “I used to smoke. It was a stupid kid thing. Defying the parents bullshit. I quit years ago.” Quinn flicked the ashes and offered it to Lacey.

  “No, thanks.” Lacey laid her head back against the wall. Her eyes were red and puffy. Too red to work, Quinn thought. She wondered what the hell they’d do about that. Laura was good, but she wasn’t that good.

  “I guess this was always the risk, wasn’t it? Someone finding out the truth
?” Quinn paused long enough to take another drag. “I never should’ve listened to Jack.”

  “We both knew it was a shitstorm just waiting to happen.”

  Quinn chuckled and then coughed. “God. Now I remember why I quit.” She flicked the cigarette away.

  Lacey pushed herself up the wall and brushed off her butt. “Let’s get this stupid episode over with.”

  Quinn reached for her arm, her hand sliding down to Lacey’s wrist. “And then what?”

  “I’m going back to New York. I still have to deal with my dad’s apartment. And…Dani.”

  “She had flings,” Quinn said, keeping hold of Lacey’s wrist. “Dani admitted it to me at the funeral. She hasn’t been pining away for you all this time. It’s all just a game with her.” Quinn didn’t want Lacey getting back with Dani, just to keep her quiet. There had to be a better way. She just hadn’t come up with it yet.

  “I never thought she was pining away for me, Quinn. She broke up with me, remember?”

  “I’m just saying…”

  Lacey pulled her hand away. “I don’t know what your point is, but as long as we’re giving each other advice on love, you should probably know that Ginny Strong kissed me. Yeah, she took me outside at Nobu and laid one right on me.”

  What the hell? “You said it was a French actress who kissed you.”

  “I lied. I didn’t want it to be a big deal. And then, you revealed your true feelings for her, so I couldn’t really tell you, now could I?”

  Fuck. That cut a little too deep. If Lacey was trying to hurt Quinn, she’d just succeeded. “What else have you lied about?”