Casting Debbie

Chapter 36

Debbie walked into the production offices trying to portray an air of confidence she didn't actually feel. Forty-four days was a long time to go without contact when the whole world still thought you were a couple.

Then there was the table read they were about to do. Would they have the same chemistry on screen? Could they 'sell it' the way they had the first time around, or would everyone know the truth the second Debbie walked into the room?

"Hey, Lou! There she is!"

Debbie stopped dead in her tracks as the young man made his way toward her.

"Hi, I'm Austin."

It was like looking at the male version of Lou. Same blue eyes. Same blonde hair. Same smile that could light up the world. Lou came around the corner and their eyes met. "Hey, honey," Lou said, her voice full of hesitation.

Okay, so they were going to perpetuate the lie a little longer. Debbie quickly pulled herself together and said, "Hey, babe." She looked at Austin. "You must be the brother."

"Austin, this is Debbie." Lou stood next to Debbie and put a hand on her back, barely brushing her blouse. "Debz, this is my little brother. He's staying with me until he moves into his dorm next month."

"UCLA," he added, his voice full of pride. "And it's great to finally meet my sister's girlfriend. She really can't stop talking about you."

"Yeah," Debbie glanced at Lou and then offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Austin."

"Well, I should get out of your hair for a while. Amita said she'd show me around some more and then take me to lunch. See you for dinner tonight? I'm manning the grill."

Lou leaned in. "Seriously, he makes the best grilled shrimp. You'd love it."

"Oh," Debbie said, not sure what to say next. "I just got back in town..." They both just stared, waiting for her to accept the invitation. "I guess...maybe...I could swing that." She could always back out later. Jet lag. Headache. She'd come up with something.

Lou smiled from ear to ear. "Good. Amita and her husband will be there as well. One last celebration of our freedom before we're back to long shooting days."

Debbie tried to hide her surprise. Lou didn't entertain in her home. It was her "private refuge."

"See you tonight!" Austin jogged away, leaving them standing there alone.

"It's good to see you," Lou looked Debbie up and down. "You look as beautiful as ever."

Debbie turned and slowly led them to the conference room. "So do you." She kept her eyes forward, wondering if it would help to tell the truth. Maybe if it was out in the open, her heart would stop trying to hammer its way out of her chest. "I'm nervous about this table read."

"Why?" Lou kept her hands behind her back as they walked.

"What if we've lost it? What if everything the audience saw and loved last season...is gone? And when are you going to announce our break-up to the world?"

She didn't mean for that last part to come out, but every day, she'd woken up expecting to see an email from Linus with the press release he'd be sending out later in the day. Lou Miller and Debbie Ocean remain good friends, blah blah blah.

But that email never came.

Debbie had said it kind of loudly too, and the way Lou was glancing around to see if anyone had heard, made her regret blurting it out like that. "Sorry," she whispered.

"No, it's okay." Lou started walking again. "Austin wanted to see the set. I hadn't really thought about his reaction to seeing you here. You don't have to come to dinner tonight. I know it'll be awkward for you."