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"All I’m saying is, I’m tired of the lot of you trying to tell me how to live my life, you know?"
"It’s only because we care about you. What you went through is nothing to joke about. It’s only been a few weeks after the incident, and already you’re back on your feet and super-focused on your career."
"Ergo, I’m ready to put it behind me and go after the one thing I’ve always wanted."
"Things change. Our hopes and aspirations broaden as we get older," she murmurs.
"Not mine. I’m going to become a well-known actress. I want the fame, and the recognition that goes with it. I’m good at what I do, and I want the world to know it."
"And they will. It may not be on the timetable you want it on, but I’m sure you’ll get everything you deserve."
I blink. "That’s a very nice thing to say."
"I truly believe it." She smiles widely.
"I wish I were more like you, Penny."
"What do you mean?" She frowns.
"You’re always so optimistic about the future. So cheery, sometimes disgustingly so. And you don’t take anything too seriously."
"Not even my career, you mean?" she remarks in a self-deprecating tone.
I raise my hands, palms face up. "You’re definitely easygoing about it, and I like that. I feel relaxed around you because of it. Jeanne and I, we’re the more competitive ones. I wish I could be more like you, but something in me always pushes me forward. It forces me to achieve, to keep moving forward, know what I mean?"
"It’s what I admire you for—your single-minded focus. I wish I had more of that," she says in a soft voice.
"Yeah, well, I’m going to need all of it to find new roles." I rotate my neck, trying to ease the tension in my shoulders. "Much as people like to say they don’t discriminate on the basis of looks, you know we do. I mean, bias is inherent in how we survey people who look out of the ordinary, like having a scar on their face, for example. And that’s even more true in the world of acting."
"If anyone can break through those barriers, it’s you."
"I agree, and I have every confidence that you can do it, too." Hands wrap around my shoulders and begin to massage. A shudder runs down my back. I glance at the screen of my phone and spot Massimo’s reflection staring back at me.
"I gotta go, Penny!" I wave at my friend.
"But—"
I cut her off, then stare up at my husband.
"What are you doing here?” I demand.
40
Massimo
"Can’t I come by and see how my wife is doing?"
Her cheeks flush. She glances away, then back at me. "Why do I get the feeling your intentions are not that innocent?"
"You’re doubting me?" I widen my gaze.
She snorts. "Don’t act so innocent. Why are you really here?"
"Just wanted to make sure you weren’t overworking yourself."
"I’m not."
"Have you taken your meds?"
