Page 10 of Toni and Addie Go Viral
Addie
Addie was staring at her inbox, scrolling through spam and other email that might as well have been spam when Eric popped his head in to her room. “Anything?”
And Addie pretended to misunderstand. “There’s an audiobook one that could be something.”
“Adelaine.” Eric tried to sound paternal, but mostly his version of paternal sounded like the dad who was about to deliver a dad joke.
“No. Toni didn’t reply.…” Addie closed her laptop. “I’m crushing on her, and she isn’t even trying!”
“She might be. Maybe she looked but is afraid to follow you. Maybe she doesn’t have an account so how would she follow you? You said she wasn’t on social media.” Eric came in and pulled her into a hug. “Come on. I’ll run lines with you.”
Addie grabbed the script. “Better than moping.”
By the next day, Addie still had had no contact from Toni. She drafted an email or three, decided that she probably shouldn’t send them every time.
She never even told me her full name. Her email didn’t include her name either.
The ball was entirely in Toni’s court, and Addie hated how powerless it made her feel. She was obsessing over Toni, who had returned to her perfect, orderly life, probably not even thinking about their interlude in the garden.
If it’s meant to be…
But for all that Addie believed in trusting the universe, she was not sure blind trust was enough this time. She set up search alerts for a series of keywords. If the universe didn’t deliver, Addie would find a conference and register.
Task complete, she closed her laptop, gathered the script, and slipped into character. She was going to get the role in Mina and be amazing. That she could… not necessarily control but definitely influence.
From: History Toni
To: Addie
I flew back to my home in the States. I’m sorry if I made you panic. It was a rough night, and meeting you was a high point. Did your play work out?
Toni
From: Adelaine
To: History Toni
I think I have the role. I’m exhausted, but hopeful.
Addie
From: History Toni
To: Addie
No more going out in nightgowns then?
Toni
From: Adelaine
To: History Toni
Not unless you will be there to keep me safe. ;)
Addie
From: History Toni
To: Addie
We may define safe differently.
Toni
From: Adelaine
To: History Toni
I felt safe with you. No regrets on my side. You?
Addie
From: History Toni
To: Addie
Only that I didn’t have a second day there.
Toni
Toni could have meant a million different things, Addie told herself.
She did not ask “Where?” or “Why only one more day?” She did not say, “I could visit.” There were a lot of thoughts that followed every time Addie reread their email chain, but at the end, she was at a loss for words. What was there to say?
Tell me your last name.
That was the thing Addie wanted to say often, but she was afraid that if she tried to rush her, Toni would vanish entirely. And that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take, so she settled on safer topics.
From: Adelaine
To: History Toni
I told you about my work stuff. What’s new with you? Conferences? Teaching anything fun?
Addie
Toni sent her longest reply yet on that topic.
Asking her about work seemed to do the trick that nothing else did, so Addie researched a little more and started asking questions for her role.
It wasn’t exactly a normal way to go about hoping to move toward dating, but normal was apparently not how Addie’s life worked.
Sooner or later, Addie believed that they would meet again—even if Addie had to fly to DC for a made-up reason or attend another conference.