Page 103 of Lucky 22

“We do. Griffin went over all the auditionsand—ironically—we’re going with another Mark. Mark Taylor. I wanted to let youknow what was going on before you heard it from anyone else.”

“Does this mean we’re going to re-record the episodes thatwe’ve already done?”

At this point, we’ve only completed four, but I’m curious.

“That won’t be necessary. Mark is just going to re-record Lukan’s lines, and he’ll be in the next cast record forepisode five. But rest assured, your role is safe. Griffin’s particularlyimpressed with your work, and we’re all looking forward to introducing Ashla tothe fans.”

Relief washes over me in waves, and I reach for my chair andsit down. “Any chance his plan is to let the fans know sooner rather thanlater?” I tease.

She laughs again, looking as relaxed as I am.“Unfortunately, no. We’re really leaning into the surprise announcement. Andconsidering this is a brand-new series that acts as a prequel to so much of theexisting franchise, it’s important that we do everything right.”

I know it makes sense from a marketing standpoint, but Ican’t help being a little impatient.

“No one’s going to hear it from me,” I assure her. “Even ifit kills me.”

Amy glances around before moving in like she’s about to tellme a secret. “For the record, it’s killing me, too.” With a smile and a wave,she turns to leave. “Keep up the good work, Ella!”

Sighing, I slump down in my chair. The last few minutes havebeen such an emotional roller coaster.

Much like the rest of my life, so why am I even surprised?

“I can’t believe they let Mark go,” Christian says.“Seems to me they wasted the poor guy’s time.”

“Sometimes, you don’t know how something like this will turnout until you’re underway, you know?”

“I guess.”

“I was about to have a total panic attack because I thoughtI was the one being let go. I feel terrible that I was so relieved.”

“Why should you feel bad? It’s part of the business.”

“I know, but I hate thinking of anyone losing their job. I’mnot competitive like that. It’s not in my nature.”

“I don’t think you were being competitive. You’re playingcompletely distinct characters. Haven’t you been on shows where roles wererecast or cut completely?”

“I have. It’s happened to me before. Twice!”

“Okay, then. So, this really isn’t anything new,” he sayslightly. “And from what you said, they’re really impressed with you.”

I nod. “I just don’t want to get too cocky and think I’mirreplaceable. Because everyone is.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Uh-oh…

“What’s going on?”

This is where he typically tells me he’s fine, thateverything’s under control, and I have nothing to worry about.

“I’ve got a tear in my back.”

I close my eyes and silently count to ten before I speak.“Okay. What does that mean?”

“Well, it’s technically a tear in the middle of my back. Idon’t know what happened. I was doing my physical therapy exercises when Iheard a loud pop.”

“So, did they put you on the injured list?”

“No, I’m doing therapy, and they say I can play through it.”