Page 12 of Toni and Addie Go Viral
Addie
The next month or so was busy enough that Addie didn’t have time to lament the lack of further contact from Toni. She landed the role, and life became a flurry of rehearsals and then opening night and nightly shows.
When the show ended, though, everything would change.
“Aunt Marlene sent more apartment listings,” Eric called out as Addie came into their apartment.
He was hidden behind a stack of boxes. When he stood, marker in one hand and tape gun in the other, Addie giggled. “You’re like one of those prairie dogs or something in a fort of cardboard boxes.” She sang, “‘Pop goes the weasel.’”
“Haha.” Eric gave her the stink eye as he climbed out of his box fort. “Go wash the stage makeup off. I’ll grab takeaway.”
“Fish and chips, please!” Addie called back as she headed to wash her makeup. She turned back. “Or curry? Or shepherd’s pie from that new place or—”
“Missed dinner again?”
“Maybe.” Addie hated to admit that she still felt too nervous to eat before a show. So dinner ended up being after ten most nights.
After her shower, Addie pulled on her pajamas and checked her email. There were a host of alerts from her search terms. One after the other started with Toni’s name and a book announcement.
Toni Darbyshire’s The Whitechapel Widow was acquired in a four-house bidding war by Greta Clayborne at Tinsley House. The Victorian whodunit about lady detective Adelaine Wight—
Addie stopped reading. She sat on the edge of her bed and reread the sentence again. And again.
She named a character after me.
She fell backward and let out a “Yeep!” of excitement. Proof. This was proof that the night, their encounter, had meant something significant to Toni, too.
Addie decided to reach out, offer an opening for Toni to confess that she sold a book in a massive deal.
From: Adelaine
To: History Toni
Everything ok over there? You went silent. Hopefully your life is just busy. Not that something went wrong. Either way, let me know you are safe.
Addie
Addie was still sitting there hoping for a reply when she heard the key in the door.
A moment later Eric called out, “Ads? Are you decent?”
“Yes.” Her voice was shaking. When Eric came in, she asked, “Will you look at the laptop? Tell me I’m not imagining what I read?”
He took it, skimmed, and turned his attention to her. “I guess you aren’t the only one who thought your night was a big deal.” He read it again and then handed it back. “What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know.” Addie looked over at her cousin. “I feel like it changes everything… or maybe she just liked my name, you know? She still hasn’t told me her last name or anything really.”
Eric gave her a disbelieving look. “Ads.”
“Or maybe she really did like me,” Addie whispered.
But Addie wasn’t sure what there was to do about her discovery.
Mostly she wanted to ask Toni about it, but she was back to the fact that she was supposed to not know her last name.
And if she admitted that she did, then she’d have to admit that she came to The Lady’s Hand looking for Toni in the first place.