Page 34 of Toni and Addie Go Viral

Addie

Addie stared at the enormous house. It looked like it belonged in England, complete with the fountain out front and the creeping vines that trailed across the stone front.

Honestly, Addie thought she might want to talk to Marcela about on-site filming possibilities.

There wasn’t an excess of Victorian mansions in Los Angeles.

New England, however, had more than a few.

Perhaps having the show film here was what Cape Dove Manor was angling for, considering their persistence on offering to host promotional events for the show.

I wonder if they offered that to Toni, too.

Every thought somehow led to her. Addie could argue that in this case, it was logical, but everything tied to Toni.

Addie felt like her life was permeated by the woman who hadn’t even called since they had sex.

Now, Toni would be here, inside this house.

Maybe she was even here already. Toni, who sent two bouquets and not a single text or call.

Toni, who seemed to be perpetually on Addie’s mind.

Toni, who had made Addie quiver and beg.

I’m not interested in casual sex, though, and if that’s all I was to her…

Or maybe she was just busy and—

“Miss?” The driver was extending a gloved hand to her. “We’re here.”

Addie descended from the carriage, absurdly grateful for her practice on the set.

These dresses were no joke to walk in, sit in, travel in.

When the publisher suggested she arrive in costume, Addie had delayed answering.

Part of her said no. Another part thought wearing her historically accurate drawers made perfect sense.

Not that I’m going to sleep with her.

We need to talk before anything like that is even remotely possible.

Addie was stung that Toni hadn’t called once.

She hadn’t texted even to say she looked forward to seeing her this weekend.

Admittedly, Addie had been busier than ever in her life.

Filming a show—as the lead character—was exhausting.

They had filmed for the last three weeks nonstop, and then an order for more episodes came in.

The eight-episode order for the show was now twelve, and there was talk that they might even expand to twenty episodes.

The studio bigwigs liked what they saw in the initial episodes.

Does Toni know yet? She must.

Addie had just found out when she was told to take the weekend off—and go to a promo event.

So the weekend wasn’t “not work” in reality; technically, she was only required to be here Sunday.

Still, she told them she’d fly Friday. If she was going to have two days off, why not fly out early and confront her absentee lover?

Should I have emailed her the show news? Or that I was arriving early?

“Miss?”

Addie startled as she stared up at the front of the house, where a servant in livery waited. Then she glanced behind her.

The servant asked, “Do you have a bag?”

“A bag?” She stared at him. “Oh. Right. My trunk. Yes, if you could fetch my luggage…”

Is “fetch” the right word?

She was fine with a script, but her Victorianese was not as good off set. Addie pondered how much of that she’d need to master as she walked up the steps to the main door. Surely, most events wouldn’t expect that of me! Another servant darted forward to open the door before Addie could touch it.

She nodded. Trying to think of the rules without a script was feeling more than a little outside of her skill set.

Where’s Toni when I need her? Addie stepped inside, where she was greeted by a woman whose dress was in what Addie thought was 1800s: front slit, visible bustle, and an excess of ornamentation.

“Name?” the woman asked, staring at a list.

“Lady Adelaine Stewart.”

The smile was even wider then. “Of course ! The actress! Stepped right from the pages of Darbyshire’s book, then.

I heard… well, never you mind.” The woman turned and said, “Tomas! Lady Adelaine Stewart is here. Please show her to the suite. We’ll swap the two on Sunday when the other one arrives. I best tell my sister.”

“The suite?” Addie was increasingly confused. “I didn’t book a s—”

The woman patted Adelaine’s wrist as if they were acquainted. Then she hustled away to answer a question about dinner and left Addie with another servant.

“The misses Dove are always quite lively people, best just to say your bit, and quickly at that,” he said conspiratorially. He led her up the stairs and opened the door, bowed, and once she entered the room, he closed the door behind her.

Feeling unsure of everything, Adelaine glared at the door. Her luggage wasn’t here yet, and she felt out of sorts about the whole event. They seemed unsure of her room at first, but now she was in a suite.

I wonder what that will cost? Will the studio pay for the extra nights?

Addie turned around to look at her suite. There was someone here, in the bed, back to her. “Oh, I’m sorry, I—”

“Room service? Not what I expected here, but—” The person rolled over, and the voice stopped dead.

Toni’s voice.

Addie gaped at her. Toni. Only this time, she wasn’t wearing one of her blazers. She had on her underwear and a racer-back tank top. That was all. And she was stretched out in a rather rumpled bed.

Briefly, Addie looked around the room, wondering if there was another woman here. Someone Toni is with now that she’s over me.

“Again in Victorian costume,” Toni murmured as she stood up and walked up to Addie, who backed up so she was leaning on the door.

I ought to open it and flee.

Toni’s bare limbs were on tantalizing display. She was as calm as if she had seen Addie the night before, as if there was nothing amiss. “I wake from my nap and here you are,” Toni said. “Am I dreaming you? Are you real?”

Addie glanced at Toni’s bare skin despite her attempts at propriety. Her hands practically itched to trace the ink that stretched from shoulder to forearm. She folded her fingers into tight fists to resist that temptation.

“Hello?” Toni said when Addie stayed silent.

Bad idea, Ads. Addie channeled her sternest voice. Don’t give in.

“Not a dream,” Addie managed to say.

“You look amazing,” Toni said hurriedly, not reaching out with anything but her gaze. “No matter what you wear, you’re always gorgeous. I swear those promo pictures for the show are designed to torture me.”

Addie stepped away from the door, closer to temptation. She’d expected time to get her mind clear and brace herself to see Toni, but here they were. “Really? You liked them?”

“Yes, really. You are magnificent.”

“I didn’t mean to be in your room,” Addie whispered. “They brought me here by mistake or something.”

“Oh…?” Toni reached over to a chair and grabbed a dressing gown of some sort of boldly toned silk and slid it on. Her voice was cooler as she asked, “Do you need me to get Tomas back?”

“I don’t know.” Addie started to shake. “This is your room, though. Not mine. I was to be in a regular room, and one of the Sisters Dove sent me here and… Should I go?”

Toni shook her head, voice even more reserved now. “I’m not kicking you out, Addie, but if you want to be somewhere else…”

Addie shook her head. How had she gone more than a literal decade without being tempted by sex, but seeing Toni for all of a minute made her want to be stripped bare?

“You’re already dressed for dinner, but I’m not. So if you want to go find your room…” Toni gestured toward the door as if it didn’t matter to her what Addie did, and the dismissal stung like a slap.

“ This was to be my room, according to Lady Dove. I gave her my name, and she sent me here… unless there are two suites? Why would she direct me here ? To you? Were you expecting me?” Addie felt her cheeks flush at the thought.

Toni stared at her, not quite replying. A slow inviting smile eased over her. “Expecting? No. Hoping? Yes.”

“I liked the flowers,” Addie blurted out. “Both bouquets. I would’ve texted, but…” She shrugged. “I lost your number.”

“Okay.” Toni stared at her. “And my email?”

Addie wasn’t sure what to say to that. She was far too aware that Toni was wearing next to nothing under that robe, and it made Addie’s mind all muddled. Toni’s very presence made Addie’s brain slow to a halt.

After the silence dragged on too long, Addie finally said, “I was busy with the show and didn’t have anything I wanted to say.”

“Right… well, let me dress, and then we can find your room,” Toni said, sounding a lot less friendly again. She was hot and cold, and Addie was over feeling jerked around.

Toni added, “Maybe it wasn’t Lady Dove, and you were sent to the wrong room. We’ll get it sorted out.”

Addie nodded. This awkward stiffness wasn’t what she wanted, but damn it, she was hurt. She needed to think clearly, and that was not working well with Toni standing there beside a rumpled bed.

“Did I do something to upset you?” Toni finally said.

“You left.”

“Job.”

“Left without a word, ” Addie amended.

“I tried. Hell, I kissed you goodbye,” Toni admitted.

“Really?” Addie’s voice squeaked slightly on the word.

“Really.” Toni shrugged. “And you said some version of ‘let me sleep, Professor.’”

Addie’s cheeks burned. “Oh.”

“Ah, so that’s what you call me in your fantasies then…?” Toni stepped closer finally, robe gaping open now.

“Maybe.” Addie closed her eyes against the tempting vision in front of her. “You hurt my feelings. Generic note. Another generic note with the flowers. And then back to… closed up in your email.”

“You felt rejected,” Toni summarized.

Addie’s opened her eyes. “Friends aren’t cold. You withdrew . I get that you don’t like being vulnerable—”

“I didn’t say tha—”