Casting Debbie

Chapter 19

Debbie looked up in surprise. Seriously? Did she really just say that? "I told you, Tammy isn't coming here. And is this your thing? Every time you get angry or scared, you'll tell me to move out?"

Lou ignored Debbie's question. She poked around the chicken pot pie with her fork and then stabbed if forcefully. "She'll come here eventually, and I want nothing to do with it."

Debbie stood up and went back into the kitchen. "Thank you for dinner."

Lou followed her. "You barely took one bite! You need to eat or you'll never get better. And that's not really an option since we start shooting again in two days."

Debbie put the container in the fridge. "Maybe later. Right now, I'm tired, and I don't want to fight with you."

Lou scoffed. "You love fighting with me!"

Debbie held onto the fridge door handle, keeping her back to Lou. "I hurt you, with the jealousy comment, or with mentioning Tammy, or I don't even know what hurt you. I just know I don't want to do that anymore."

Lou gently took Debbie's arm. "It's okay. Please, just come back to the sofa and sit with me. I'll spoon-feed you some chicken pot pie."

"Will you change the fucking channel?" Debbie had no desire to see who had replaced her on the show that had been her life for so long.

Lou took Debbie by the hand and led her back to the sofa. She turned off the television and got a small bite of the chicken pot pie on her fork. "You'll love this. It's made from scratch."

"Hmm..." Debbie gave her a thumbs up as she chewed, trying to appear grateful.

"I know it's hard, seeing the people we love for who they really are, and I don't mean to demonize Tammy, but I can see the forest for the trees better than you, because I'm not invested."

Debbie was taken aback. Sure, Lou was being presumptuous, but Debbie had grown accustomed to that. Not invested though? Was she really that detached? Because she sure as hell didn't act like it. "You've never even met her. How could you possibly..."

Lou fed her another bite, shutting her up. "I'm sure she's a saint. She'd have to be, to put up with you."

Debbie stopped chewing. "Are you trying to start another fight?"

"I'm trying to feed you, so open up."

Debbie took the bite and put up her hand. "I can't eat anymore."

Lou held up another bite. "Come on, babe. A couple more bites."

"I'm not your babe."

"Thank god."

"I'm only here because..."

Lou gave up on feeding Debbie and set the fork down. "Yes, I know. You came rushing back from New York because we have a contract."

"I came back because I have two contracts now. One with you and one with the studio. And I'll be damned if I'll let Tammy mess with my career again."

"Or your heart?"

Debbie stood up and went to the door. "Don't worry. She'll never know where you live."

Lou ran to the door and blocked Debbie's way. "That's not my only concern."

Debbie folded her arms, wanting to protect herself. "I don't have the energy for this. You're looking for a fight... or something... I don't know, I'm just confused right now."

"That's how we communicate," Lou said, throwing her hands in the air. "We're complete assholes to each other. But we're straightforward assholes who care about each other and sometimes we even make each other laugh. I don't get any of that anywhere else. So that's something, right?"