Emma shook her head, a small smile finally breaking through. "What happened to that passion we were just talking about?"
"Oh, I've still got passion," Lia said, trying to look dignified. "I just also have a landlord. And passion doesn't pay the rent." She stopped for a second. "Speaking of which—Kira, who are you even trying to sign with? You've been way too quiet tonight."
Kira had been mostly listening. She reached over, grabbed a handful of popcorn, and chewed it slowly before she said anything. That was just Kira. While Emma was like a fire and Lia was all over the place, Kira was steady and quiet. She was the kind of person who kept everything tucked deep inside where you couldn't see it unless you were really looking.
"I honestly don't care," she said, and you could tell she meant it. "At this point, as long as it's a legit company, I'll sign with whoever." She set the bowl down and hugged her knees to her chest. "You two have been at this for a year. I've been doing this for *four*. Four years, Lia. When I finally get signed, it's gonna be worth every second of this crap. Every 'no,' every boring waiting room, every receptionist who looked at me like I was invisible." She said it softly, but the words felt heavy in the room.
The three of them just sat there for a minute. Four years is a long time. Four years of doors slamming in your face and holding onto a dream that most people would have given up on ages ago. Kira hadn't just moved to the city with a portfolio; she'd come here to get away from something she never talked about. You could only see it in the way her face went blank whenever her life before this came up.
Emma reached over and squeezed Kira's hand. "You're gonna be a star," she said. She wasn't just saying it to be nice; she really meant it. "All the hard work is going to pay off. I know it."
Lia looked at them both, and her expression softened. Under all the jokes and the big talk, she was just as invested as they were. "Okay, fine, I believe it too," she admitted. Then, because she couldn't help herself, she added, "But I'm still gonna be really happy when I'm finally rich."
They all laughed again, but it was lighter this time. It was like a release valve, letting out the pressure of the day before it could turn into something worse.
Kira looked at her, somewhere between amused and annoyed. "Seriously, Lia, do you really want to spend all day on your feet in some lobby just for someone to tell you the director is busy? Especially when you've been there since eight in the morning?"
Lia tilted her head, actually thinking about it. "No," she said. "I just want the struggle to actually mean something."
"It shouldn't be this way," Emma muttered. She was staring at the blank TV screen, her eyes looking far away. "Why is it so hard? There's gotta be a better way to get noticed."
A weird, heavy silence fell over the room. It was the kind of silence that meant someone was thinking something specific.
"I mean, there *is* one way," Kira said, raising an eyebrow.
Both Emma and Lia looked at her. Lia shook her head immediately, even before Kira could finish the thought. "No, thanks," she said firmly. "I haven't given up yet." No one pushed it. In this business, there were plenty of shortcuts that were actually just traps, and all three of them knew it—even Lia, despite all her jokes about money.
Emma stood up, suddenly full of energy, like she'd decided the night wasn't allowed to be depressing anymore. "Well," she said, smoothing out her shirt, "I'm starving. Let's go get food. My treat."
There was the usual back-and-forth—none of them liked being the one who couldn't pay—but it didn't last long. Emma had a way of making it feel like a gift rather than a handout. They grabbed their jackets and headed out the door, moving with the easy rhythm of people who had done this a hundred times before.