Free Big Apple Dreams by Kamery Solomon

off, but I want to get to my next audition. Thank you for the coffee.”
    “Not a problem for my new sister.”
    “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
    “Never. Lizzy will be thrilled that you called her that. She always wanted a sister. You’re going to end up stuck with her.”
    “I think I could handle that,” I laughed.
    “I’ll see you around, Mara,” he said, rising from his seat as well.
    “Have fun with Steph,” I teased.
    “Ha ha,” he said sarcastically. “Have fun on your date.”
     
     
    You can’t know for sure that they didn’t like you.
    The subway car rocked back and forth as we raced through the tunnels under the city. I sat in a corner seat, headphones in as I ignored everyone around me.
    My second audition of the day didn’t feel like it’d gone much better than the first.
    At least you were seen, I comforted myself. Why do you feel like they didn’t want you there?
    Maybe it was because I hadn’t done my absolute best. Could it have been because I wasn’t the prettiest , or skinniest, girl in the room? There was a possibility I felt bad because the people I sang for hadn’t even looked at me.
    You need to stay positive. The parts will come as long as you work hard and don’t give up. Every actor knows that auditions are part of the job. They’ll do more of them than anything else. It’s ridiculous to think you’ll be cast in every show you try out for. This isn’t small town community theatre—this is the big leagues.
    Before I’d moved to the city, I’d had a heart to heart with myself about what could happen. My heart sank whenever I thought about it. I imagined myself working at Olive Garden forever, in perpetual jealousy of everyone who got to work on Broadway.
    It’s better to stay positive, I reaffirmed.
    The train stopped at my station and I trudged off, not really feeling like going on the date I’d agreed on.
     

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    A moan gurgled from my throat as Lizzy and I walked through the door, unceremoniously dropping our bags to the floor and throwing ourselves across the room and onto the couch.
    “I. Hate. My. Life,” Lizzy groaned, kicking her shoes off and wiggling her toes.
    “It’s like everything else in the city closed down and our Olive Garden was the only thing left,” I said, eyes wide and unblinking as I stared at the powered down television. I didn’t even know if I had the strength to move any more, now that I’d sat down.
    “I’ve never seen it that busy,” Lizzy said. “We’re going to have to place an emergency order for new supplies in order to replace everything.”
    “So many people,” I muttered, finally glorying in the blindness I experienced as my eyelids relaxed and closed.
    “I don’t even want to know what the evening shift is dealing with now,” she said, shifting around until she became comfortable. “Thank heavens we had the afternoon shift.”
    “I still feel like I could go to sleep now and not wake up for a week.” My muscles relaxed and I sank a little further into the couch, letting its soft embrace wrap around me.
    “I wish we could,” Lizzy said. “Evan asked if he could come hang out tonight.”
    “Oh.”
    “Is that okay?”
    “Totally,” I laughed, opening my eyes and rolling my head to the side to look at her. “It just means I have to put off getting into my comfy sweat pants and holey shirt.”
    “It’s only Evan,” she laughed. “It’s not like anything is going on between you two.”
    “True,” I said with a smile. “I haven’t seen him since that audition three weeks ago.”
    “Right, the coffee run.”
    “That was interrupted by Chris,” I laughed.
    “Speaking of relationships, how are things with The Boy Toy?”
    “Don’t call him that!” I giggled. “They’re going really great.”
    “Oh come on. You have to give me more than that,” she teased, pulling her legs up onto the couch and laying them across my lap. “I wouldn’t even hardly see you if