Casting Debbie

Chapter 22

Debbie was five minutes out. Eight if the driver continued to go the damn speed limit.

Four days they'd been apart for the Christmas break. Four. Hideously. Long. Days.

It had been a sobering experience for Debbie. She missed Lou more than she could've imagined. She tried to stay in the moment with her brother, doing the things they usually did together; breakfast at his favorite diner, shopping for new shirts and ties, even though he insisted that his old ones were still fine. Browsing bookstores and vintage record stores. It was nice. But something was missing. Or, someone.

Lou had arrived back home from Aspen a few hours earlier. She'd texted Debbie, telling her how excited she was to exchange presents later that night. Debbie couldn't wait to see her again.

"It's the big gate on the left," She told the driver. "Just push the button and tell her it's Debbie." The driver followed the instructions and the gate opened. "Oh god," Debbie said under her breath, a huge smile plastered on her face. Lou was standing on the porch, looking like sex and Christmas in her red Alpine sweater, black leggings and tall, black leather boots. Like an ad for J. Crew or something. Damn.

Debbie jumped out of the car. "Well, don't you look cute!" She took a good long look at Lou, grinning from ear to ear while the driver unloaded her luggage.

Lou waited for the driver to get back in the car before she stepped off the porch. "How was New York?"

"How was Aspen?"

"Don't change the subject."

Lou stood right in front of Debbie and took hold of the sleeve of her chunky winter sweater with two fingers. "You went shopping without me."

"I did lots of things without you. Hated every second of it."

"Yeah. Me too."

Lou let go of the sleeve and tucked her hands in her pockets. "Sitting by the fire with my mom and my Aunt going on and on about how that Debbie Ocean is doing so great on my show almost killed me."

Being away from you almost killed me.

"I bet."

They both grinned. "So... are you going to hug me or what?"

Lou stepped closer. She wrapped her arms around Debbie's waist and kissed her cheek. "Welcome home."

Debbie's eyes shuttered closed as she breathed Lou in. She smelled different. Maybe she'd bought a new perfume. She was about to mention it when her ears perked up. "Is that Christmas music?"

Lou picked up the suitcase and took Debbie's hand, leading her into the house. "Since we still have presents to open, I thought I'd set the mood."

She'd done more than set the mood with music. Candles were lit. There was a spread of hors d'oeuvres laid out on the coffee table, along with a bottle of champagne. And caviar.

Debbie swallowed hard. "This looks incredible. Just give me a minute to freshen up from the flight." She rolled her suitcase into the guesthouse and shut the door. She stared back at the house, wondering how the hell she'd get through this night without kissing Lou. It wasn't fair, the extremely romantic atmosphere she'd created. And after missing her like crazy? Debbie was screwed.

***

It wasn't the champagne that did Debbie in. It wasn't hearing that addictive laughter, or being hand-fed caviar on a tiny mother of pearl spoon while Lou stared at her lips with those killer blue eyes. It wasn't Lou laying her head on Debbie's shoulder while she sang along with Stevie Nicks. And who knew that Lou can sing?