Peyton grabbed her friend’s arm, doubling over in laughter. “Are you serious?”
“I have a copy but you can’t tell anyone. I don’t want my publicist getting into trouble.”
“Oh man.” Peyton gasped for air. “I hope they run it for all the world to see.”
“So many things to say about this,” Noelle hooted. “She’s the perfect person, seeing how she’s a royal pain in the butt.”
“You have to show it to us.” Peyton clasped her hands, pleading with Harlow. “Please?”
“Let me ask Janice if she minds,” Harlow said. “Actually, she might have an update. She was going to do a little lowkey investigation to find out the status.”
“We need a screening party,” Noelle said. “All the Mackies getting together.”
“Let me find out first.” Harlow promised to check into it before she left.
Biking home was easy-breezy considering there was little foot or bike traffic because it was still off season. It made her think about Arlen and the bike shop. Running a small business in a town that spent a number of months shutdown was challenging.
Would Arlen return to Mackinac Island after finishing his education? Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps he would meet his future wife and his career would take him elsewhere.
She thought about her own life. A decade ago Harlow never envisioned the direction it would take, how she would become a household name, making more money than she could ever have dreamed of.
If nothing else, she was in a position to help others—help her family, charities that were near and dear to her heart, along with people like Arlen, who deserved a break. She had made him promise to invite her to his graduation, and she meant it.
Harlow wanted nothing more than to cheer him on, encouraging him to embrace the adventure and chasehisdreams. Looking back, she firmly believed meeting the talent agent at the Grand Hotel was no accident.
Would she find herself in a position to help others she crossed paths with? She hoped so. Harlow would like nothing more than to continue paying it forward every chance she got, changing the world one small act of kindness at a time.
Chapter 20
The rest of Harlow’s morning flew by. She spent it memorizing another scene for the upcoming movie. Immersing herself in her character meant she slipped into another world, far from her idyllic island and stepping onto Philly’s gritty streets.
Despite her annoyance at having to work alongside one of the most self-centered male actors in the biz, she focused on her blessings. A job she loved. A movie she was excited to be a part of, including a set team she clicked with.
After the third read-through, Harlow set it aside and turned the mute off her phone, a habit she’d gotten into to avoid being distracted.
She noticed Robert had sent a text asking for an update. Harlow started to reply and then decided to call him instead, planning to leave a voicemail.
Much to her surprise, he answered right away. “Hello, Harlow.”
“Hello, Robert. I started to reply but figured I would call instead. I’ve been rehearsing and memorizing every day.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. So, you’re still on the island.”
“I am.”
“I see you’ve hooked up with a new / old friend.”
“I take it you’re talking about the rag magazine photoshopped photo of me standing in front of Lighthouse Lane looking like I just crawled out of bed.”
“What is Lighthouse Lane?”
“A property I purchased and am in the process of renovating.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Just crawl out of bed.”
