Casting Debbie

Chapter 1

"I don't want to do this, Lin."

Linus Caldwell put the car in park and turned toward his client.

"We've talked about this. It's the best way to get what you want."

"And keep what I have. I know, Lin. You've mentioned it at least a thousand times." Lou Miller shook her head in disbelief. She'd been doing that a lot lately, ever since she'd decided to entertain Lin's ridiculous idea.

Lin reached for her hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Besides, she's perfect." He beamed with pride. "I've completely outdone myself."

Lou pulled her hand back and turned away in a dramatic huff. "How do you manage to be the publicist who gives all the other publicist a bad name? Do you know how hard it is?"

"What can I say?" He gave her an insincere shrug. "I'm a winner."

Lou lowered her sunglasses and shot him a glare. "I'm serious, Lin. I really don't want to do this."

"Just give me five minutes. I haven't even told you about her yet." He unrolled Lou's heavily tinted window. The anticipation was killing him. He had to know what she thought of his choice for her. "The one at the end, with the long, brown hair."

"Dammit, Sh...." Lou froze, her mouth hanging open. Lin wanted to laugh out loud at Lou's reaction, but he covered it up with a clearing of his throat. If he wasn't sure before-and by god he wasn't-he certainly now. Lou Miller was indeed gay. He leaned over and looked out the car window with her.

"I expect a week at your Aspen condo. Peak season. Not friggin' late April. That's just insulting." Lou kept her eyes on the woman.

"Remind me again why I have to pay your retainer and give you my condo in exchange for carrying out your dumb-ass idea?"

"Because I'm that good." Lin grinned, entirely too pleased with himself. "Now then, would you like the low down before you go down, Lou darling?"

"Late April, just for saying that. Maybe even May."

"And here I thought we were friends." Lin put his reading glasses on and opened a file folder. "Her name is Debbie Ocean. Thirty-four years old. Lives in New York..."

"New York? Then why is she sitting at a Starbucks in West Hollywood?"

"She comes here every day. Gets her out of that shitty little hotel she's staying in. Now, can I give you her history without any more interruptions, please?"

Lou waved a dismissive hand while she kept her eyes on the brunette. "Please do. We both have better places to be."

"She came up in the business. Spent her childhood on a daytime soap, or what I'd call an "American Telenova," went to college, then back on the soap. Left the show last year, so she's in L.A., going to every audition she can. She really needs the work."

"Any luck?"

"She's good, Lou. She had a couple of Daytime Emmys, but nothing so far."

"I've never heard of her." Lou impatiently looked at her watch.

"Does it matter? Anyone who watches soaps would know who she is."

"So, she's like this generation's Susan Lucci?"

Lin chuckled. "So, you do watch soaps."

"You know me better than that, Lin."

He closed the folder and opened his iPad. "Shall we YouTube her?"

"No. Just tell me about her love life." Lou glanced at her watch again and then lowered the car window a little more.

"Broke up with her ex about six months ago. Word is, the stress of coming out was too much for them."