Casting Debbie

Chapter 11

Debbie woke up grumpy and sexually frustrated, which is how she ended up doing yoga by the pool. She'd found a mat in the garage and a YouTube video on her iPad called "Yoga for Beginners." Yoga has a calming, centering effect on people, or so Debbie'd been told. This was obviously bullshit since all Debbie could do was grunt and groan her way through another plank.

"Beginners... my... ass." She could barely get the words out, what with her weak core and all.

Last night had all felt a little too real. She kept telling herself it was a fake date, but once they'd gotten past the whole Daphne Kluger thing and ordered their meal, they'd settled in. And it was lovely.

Lou had sat across from her looking gorgeous with her light hair pulled back, showing off her high cheekbones and those eyes. God, those eyes. Debbie could easily get lost in them if she let herself. It had been a constant battle not to last night.

Lou had talked about her show and how much she loved her work. Jordan's Appeal was a spin-off from another show. A very successful spin-off. Something she was proud of. Her eyes lit up when she talked about it. She'd done a few movies that had put her on the A-list, but she didn't consider them her best work. Jordan's Appeal was her best work.

For a good hour, they talked to each other, without any sarcasm. They laughed and joked about things, but it was different. It was honest. And then, on the way home in the car, Debbie had opened up about her mom. It wasn't easy, but she did it. And afterward, it felt good. She didn't regret it. The hard part was coming back to a home that wasn't really hers, with a woman who definitely wasn't hers –and wanting the opposite. She found herself wanting to lead Lou to "their" bedroom to fuck her girlfriend. And the term "girlfriend" wasn't enough. It sounded fake. Probably because it was.

"Since when do you do yoga?"

Debbie collapsed onto the mat. "I'm moving out here, to the guesthouse." She didn't look up at Lou, she just blurted the words out. She needed space. And she needed Lou to not be standing there all bare legged. "I didn't know you were up. Are you ready for breakfast?"

Lou set a plastic bag and a roll of tape on the patio table. "Do you mind if I soak in the hot tub while you finish your routine?"

"I'm done." Debbie wasn't really done, but the yoga wasn't exactly working either, so she saw no reason to make a fool of herself trying to stand on one leg. She turned off the video and got up, wiping the sweat from her brow with her arm. She immediately noticed the dark circles under Lou's eyes.

"How do you feel this morning?" Lou took her arm out of the sling. "Last night was a bitch. I couldn't get comfortable."

"You shouldn't have had that wine. And you should've called me."

"It wasn't the wine." Lou sighed. "And the truth is, I hate waking you up in the middle of the night. I'd grow to hate someone who did that to me all the time. And apparently, you do, since you want to move out here."

"I don't hate you. The guesthouse is where I was supposed to be all along." Debbie gently put the plastic bag over Lou's arm and tried to change the subject. "Maybe it's time for a real massage. I'm sure your entire body took a beating with that fall, not just your arm."

"That's not a bad idea, but I don't really want a stranger..."

"In your house, I know," Debbie said, a slight tug of frustration in her voice. "I could call Daphne and get a referral. I'm sure she knows someone trustworthy. And she definitely struck me as the kind of person who pampers herself."

Lou put her hand on Debbie's, stopping her from taping the bag to her arm. "You can't date Daphne Kluger. You know that, right?"

Debbie swatted Lou's hand away. "Yeah. It was pretty obvious you have a thing for her."