Casting Debbie

Chapter 16

Lou gave Debbie a reassuring look. Dan, one of the producers for Jordan's Appeal had just asked the two of them to stay behind for a few minutes after a production meeting.

He waited until the last person had closed the door behind them before he turned to them. "Thanks for staying. I just have something I need to run by you quickly." He tapped his pen on the table, eyeing them both for a moment. "As you know, the first two episodes of the season have aired and the feedback on Debbie's character has been stellar." He waited for Lou's reaction.

"That's great!" Lou glanced at Debbie.

Was this the moment they had been waiting for? Were they going to take Jordan and Jane's relationship to a new level? All the signs were pointing in that direction. Subtle script changes, along with the whisperings on set regarding their great rapport had them both feeling optimistic.

"Claude has been pushing for a romantic arc between Richard and Jane," Dan said, still tapping his pen and looking apprehensive.

Ugh. Claude Becker. He was the pompous ass who played the D.A. He was a classically trained stage actor, a fact he never let anyone forget.

Debbie got a sour look on her face. Lou laughed and said, "Claude has tried to get a romantic arc with every female on the show, including me. As if Jordan would ever! She hates the man with a passion."

Dan stopped tapping his pen, but didn't respond. Lou leaned forward in her chair. "Please tell me you're not considering this, Dan. Jane is gay, remember?"

Dan chuckled. "She didn't start out that way. The writers wrote that in after you'd shot a couple of episodes. Besides, don't you think it would be kind of fun to watch Richard try to get in Jane's..." Getting no reaction from the women but a glare, Dan cleared his throat. "I guess not." He picked up his pen and started tapping it again. "Look, you might hate the thing I really brought you in to talk about even more, but just hear me out, okay?"

Lou leaned back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief. For a moment there, she thought Dan was seriously considering giving in to her co-star's stupid ideas.

She'd seen the way Claude watched Debbie on the set. He was always right there in the background, whether he had scenes with them or not. She'd felt protective of Debbie when he was around and it might've taken a fight, but she would've done whatever it took to make sure that storyline never came to fruition. She resisted the urge to pat Debbie's hand, letting her know everything would be fine. Instead, she gave her a slight smile and turned her attention back to Dan. "We're listening."

Dan took a deep breath. "Okay. So, here's the thing. You two have amazing chemistry and our viewers are talking about it." He hesitated for a second as he eyed Lou. "And we had a thought." Debbie covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile while Lou waited for Dan to tell them what they already knew. "What if... they fall in love?" Dan narrowed his eyes, trying to read the two women.

Debbie tried to remain stoic. She turned to Lou, giving her the chance to respond first. "What if Jordan and Jane fall in love?" Lou asked, her eyebrows raised.

Dan nodded, his eyes darting between the two of them. "Yes."

Lou tried her hardest to keep a straight face. "What are you hearing from the viewers?"

"They love your chemistry," Dan said. "And honestly, I've never seen two actors smolder the way you two do. It's like you're two seconds away from jumping each other's bones at all times, even when you're yelling at each other." He chuckled. "And there's a hashtag. It started trending three days ago."

"A hashtag?" Debbie finally let herself smile. "What is it?"

"Well, there are several actually, but my favorite is hashtag loubbie, but there's also hashtag gayfordebbie and hashtag breakmyarm."