Saudade | Loubbie

Chapter Thirty

"Why do I have to come?" Debbie asked as she puffed her almost dying cigarette before stashing it out on the ashtray of her husband's office, "I mean, you are here now. Why am I still needed?"

"Love..." Keanu stopped signing papers as he gave Debbie a considerable look, "You're my lucky charm. I need you on this."

"Baby, you can do it without me." She jested, putting herself down on the sofa, silently wishing to all gods that her husband would let her go off.

"I'll be comfortable if you are with me." Keanu answered, "Plus you have met Ms. Miller already and I believe she wants to see you to ask for an apology for flying off the last time. She said she had an emergency."

Debbie rolled her eyes secretly. In a few minutes, she would be meeting Lou again, worse was that, she was now going to meet her with her husband. The last time, Debbie thought that Lou would back out - that she would never want a business deal because of their past, but just last night, when she and Keanu were making love, Keanu's phone rang and it was Lou asking for a meeting again. And that was how she ended up being in the Bravity building again - stuck inside her husband's office, waiting for his secretary to knock and say that ---

"Excuse me, sir, ma'am. Miss Miller is waiting on the meeting room already."

Keanu gave a nod and a smile to his assistant, "Thank you. Come on, love." He spoke, standing up from his swivel chair as he rescued Debbie from drowning onto the sofa, "Be a good girl for me, will you? Smile and be my lucky charm."

"I want to go home." Debbie answered as she stood up.

"We'll go home after the meeting. I promise."

-----

The walk towards the meeting hall was a torture. Sure, Keanu was holding her - a gentle hand on her waist and a smile trying to lift her mood up. But couldn't he notice that it was just more than an exhaustion excuse?  Debbie wanted to hold him in the eyes and tell him that she shouldn't be meeting her ex-wife, but how could she when Keanu knew nothing about her past? All he knew was that she had a rough beginning, studied law in London, didn't finish it there, but eventually she finished the degree in New York. It was hard to keep things, Debbie knew, but she couldn't share her past with him, because she was afraid of blowing it up. The past was something she dreaded to remember and when she buried Danny, she promised herself to never dig it again.

Keanu gave her a smile before he opened the door, letting her went in first. When Debbie did, the first thing she saw was her ex-wife, sitting on one of the swivel chair with a lit cigarette, obviously lounging as if she owned the place. Lou was wearing a black suit, her creamy skin showing as the opted to not wear a vest. She had her layers of necklaces too, and that smirk that could twist the underwears of californian girls. When did Lou start dressing like the young Lou Miller again?

"Good morning, Ms. Miller." Keanu greeted, walking as to shake the blonde's hand, with Debbie following him from behind.

Lou tilted her head as she smiled. Ever charming and handsome as she killed the cigarette out before she stood up to meet Keanu and Debbie. Debbie held her breath as she saw every move that Lou made - the smile, the tilting of the head, the killing of the cigarette; the way she stood up and the way she held Keanu's hand - firm and too strong.

"And this is my wife. I'm sure you met her the last time you --"

Lou licked her lips as she looked at Debbie, "I sure did." She spoke, eyes glued completely to the brunette in front, "Know her very much too." She exclaimed in a tone Debbie herself couldn't figure if it was a threat or not, "Ms. Debbie." She added as she offered her hand for a handshake.