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Ashley stared at it. Then, despite every instinct telling her not to, she opened her contacts and scrolled to Molly’s name. She’d never deleted it.

She’d had bad news. She might need a sympathetic ear.

But Ashley didn’t call. She didn’t text. Molly would have access to plenty of ears. She didn’t need Ashley’s. And surely Ashley was still blocked?

Ashley sat down with her guitar and played the unfinished song from the beginning. She still didn’t know how it ended.

Six

‘Right,’ said Karen, flicking to the next page. ‘This one’s an indie film.’

Molly took the script.

‘It’s a romance. You’d play a barista,’ Karen said.

‘It’s a romance about a barista?’

‘No, the central character goes into a coffee shop in one scene. You’d get a funny line.’

Molly put it down. ‘That sounds less dignified than when I actually was a barista.’

Karen slid over another. ‘This one is a police procedural.’

Molly read for a moment. ‘Sassy sex worker. I could play that.’

‘She ends up dead.’

‘I’d be dead?’

‘By page three.’

Molly set that one down too.

‘I have one last thing. It’s a one-episode role. Not bad, as long as you don’t mind being covered in bees.’

‘I do mind that, Karen. I mind it a lot. But I’d do it.’

‘She dies from the bees in the first two minutes.’

‘For the love of…’

Karen sighed. ‘The sitcom being cancelled has created a problem.’

‘Thank you, Karen. I wasn’t aware.’

Karen ignored the sarcasm. ‘It came at a very bad time. Lots of comedies have been felled recently. Which means less work and more actors scrabbling for it.’

‘So the last five years don’t count for anything.’

‘I’m sorry. It’s a sad reality that comedy is not a big priority right now. Drama’s up.’

‘I can do drama, Karen,’ Molly cried, frustrated.

‘I know that,’ Karen said emphatically. ‘But they don’t. You’ve been boxed in as comedy.’

‘Great. Who knew success was so bloody limiting?’ She sighed. ‘I’ll take anything, though.’

Karen frowned. ‘I don’t think you should.’