Page 46 of Toni and Addie Go Viral

Toni

Walking out of her condo and leaving Addie there was one of the most unexpectedly difficult things Toni had done that year.

Worse than starting a new college position.

Worse than a book tour. This was something in her belly that felt like fear, as if she’d turn around and discover that Addie was already long gone.

But I didn’t want her here in the first place, Toni argued with herself. I should be okay with this.

Toni hadn’t expected that sense of panic or worry that she was losing something before she even had it, but there it was—and she was steadfastly not thinking on it. Instead, she got in her Jeep and dialed Emily.

“I always know you’re panicking when you call before ten,” Emily said.

“What’s the situation?” Toni steered out of the lot.

Emily sighed. “There are a couple photos that went viral, and they’re still climbing in visibility.

You two look great together, and there are memes now.

Plus, of course, the period dress. The show.

The bestselling book. It was basically a perfect storm of reasons, and now you have this viral, buzzworthy moment. ”

“What does that even mean?”

“Millions of views, Toni. It means millions of views. And that means that people are noticing.”

Toni listened, trying not to panic. “Right, well, what’s the plan? How do we make it go away?”

“We don’t. You make a smart couple, and even though gossip stuff doesn’t pay as much attention to authors, your book is a phenom, and Addie is stunning.

” Emily sighed. “There are wedding gifts from a few foreign publishers. I think some of it is trying to be seen being pro-LGBTQ. Some is the network. Anything film or TV is always more buzzworthy. This could have turned into a MeToo moment, but instead it’s looking like a good thing…

unless Addie makes a statement to counter that. ”

“I want to issue a statement. Point out that Addie’s casting wasn’t because of… me? That this is a lie.” Toni flinched at the word. It was only partly a lie. She was involved with Addie. She wasn’t pretending… but the wedding itself was fake.

“No statement. You’re sleeping with her, Toni, so saying it’s all a lie would actually be a lie. Do you see the problem?” Emily paused like she expected a blowup that didn’t come.

“Fine. I want to make a statement that we are dating casually, but that Addie was living in Scotland, and we met before the book and that I had no idea she was auditioning.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want her reputation to hurt because I wanted her in my room for the weekend,” Toni said.

“She went along with it.”

“Em.”

Emily sighed. “Fine. Draft a note, send it to your publicist, and we’ll pretty it up.

But Addie should still stay there for a few days, and then she can go back to filming.

That gives it time to be less exciting, and then…

well… people will eventually move on.” Emily sounded forcibly cheerful as she added, “Maybe don’t do anything else newsworthy this week. ”

“That shouldn’t be too hard.”

Emily’s laughter wasn’t encouraging, but Toni was optimistic. Her week was filled with lectures, meetings, and, if she was lucky, getting things back to a solid friendship with Addie. They weren’t doing to do anything newsworthy. She was sure of it.

While Toni drove, Emily chattered. Then a few moments later after they’d seemingly moved to lighter topics, Emily said, “How are you coping?”

“With all the news? I keep my phone off and—”

“No, sweetie. How are you coping with having Addie in your condo?” Emily had the speaking-to-feral-creatures tone now, but Toni couldn’t truly blame her. Emily knew Toni better and longer than anyone ever had.

Until Addie. She understands me already.

“She stayed in the guest room.” Toni slid between a couple of cars and switched lanes. “I pissed her off, and… I said some things.”

“Are you okay?” Emily was the definition of loyal. They both undoubtedly realized that Toni was in the wrong, and yet Emily was still asking about her feelings.

“I like her.”

“Yes, that part is very obvious. I knew that before seeing you looking smitten in every viral picture,” Emily said dryly.

“No, Em. I like her. I liked waking up with her this weekend, and I like having her in my house.” Toni took the exit toward campus. “If I wanted a relationship—”

“This is one. Just because you don’t want forever doesn’t undo what it already is.” Emily sounded more frustrated than usual.

“Did something happen with you, Em? That sounded… I don’t know.”

She sighed. “I want what you have with her, and you are running from it. Sometimes life isn’t fair. It’s not your fault, but I wish it was me. I wish I found my person. You found the perfect woman for you, and you’re being a dumbass.” Emily paused, as if there were more things to say.

When Toni didn’t reply in that long silence, Emily added, “I’ll check in later today.”

And she disconnected after stilted goodbyes.

Toni hated that Emily was upset, but she had no good words, no defense for her reticence to enjoy what she’d found with Addie.

How could she give in? Her genetics were a soup of dementia and gambling.

Plus, even without that, Toni’s life was here on the East Coast, and Addie was steadfastly in LA right now.

How could anything work with those sorts of issues?

Not to mention my abject terror of failing her.

Addie deserved more than a half-relationship with someone who would either screw everything up or forget everything when dementia struck. Toni wasn’t going to ruin Addie’s chance of a career the way her father had ruined Lil’s.

By the time Toni got to campus, she had convinced herself that things were best off with this being the end of her dalliance with Addie. It was briefer than Toni wanted, but this was ultimately for the best. Why drag it out?

Even when The Whitechapel Widow hit the List and Toni went on tour, no one other than Harold had really mentioned the book beyond polite congratulations and small talk about how busy she was, and so there was no reason to expect that today would be different.

The history department was a place of decorum and serious study, albeit with a distinctly quirky sense of humor.

So when Toni walked into Tulip Hall, she was not expecting to see her office festooned with decorations more suited for a preschool birthday party.

That was not what she’d been expecting—pretty much ever in her life.

Streamers and balloons were taped to her office door, and a CONGRATS!

sign was stretched diagonally over the door.

Toni stood there, not quite processing what the right response was.

“You’re here. I wasn’t sure if you would be,” Harold said as he walked toward her. “I expected an email requesting someone cover your classes this week.”

“Because?”

“Your wedding.” He gave her a frown before asking, “Are you registered anywhere? Just tell Gabe, and he’ll let the department kn—”

“I’m not really married, Harold. It was a promotional event, and there was a bad decision because they were short on rooms and then some pictures went out that shouldn’t have and…

it’s become a whole thing now.” Toni batted away a balloon so she could open the door.

Several people passed in the hallway, low murmurs of their conversations creating a familiar pleasant home.

Here. Here was where she felt more secure. She couldn’t lose this.

“Well, that’s awkward.” Harold stood at her office door, not stepping inside or backing away. “You really looked… happy in the pictures. Truly not married?”

Toni gave him a tired look. “Yes. Very much so. The rumors are a mess.”

“I’ll head off any drama with the college. I can just pop over to see the dean…” Harold had his serious face on now, and she was once again reminded that this was the place she’d wanted to teach for more reasons than its location and salary. There were good people here.

“So everyone knows?” she asked.

“A few people know.” Harold smiled. “You have a great book that’s selling well and becoming a television show, and the general critical reviews are flattering.

It’s not anything but wonderful, Toni. We can certainly use some more positive representation, especially as the moment we stop being activists the damnable politicians start harping that we’re groomers. ”

For a moment they were both quiet, and then Toni added, “Doomed to repeat history because enough people aren’t studying it.”

“Too true, my dear. Too true.” He sighed loudly. “Well… as they say, Illegitimi non carborundum! Even if the bastards trying to grind you down are your own fears.”

“Intellectually, I know that. I swear I do.” She paused, trying to figure out how to admit her crushing fear of failing very publicly, her panic that came from years of living in a household where big wins were always followed by massive losses.

She settled on, “My dad was a con artist, a gambler, and nothing good ever lasted. We were a step away from homelessness more often than I want to admit.”

“So your fears are that you’ll fail because he always did,” Harold surmised.

“On some level… and the scrutiny terrifies me. I remember it from school, and when these pictures got out, I felt like an awkward teen all over again. Ugh. There are people suggesting that Addie used me to get the role, or that the role was payment because I slept with her, and—”

“People gossip, Toni. Are any of those things true?”

“Well, no. I met her before I sold the book, and I had no idea that she even auditioned until after she was selected for the role—or that she even knew that the show existed because I hadn’t told her about the book.

” Toni squirmed at her admissions. “We talked all the time, but I didn’t tell her about the book, so she didn’t tell me about the audition. ”

Harold smiled like a much younger boy then. “Ah. So the real problem is that you like her. Worried about her reputation, too?”

“You’re awfully personal for an administrator,” Toni dodged.

He chortled. “I think of my faculty as family, Toni, and you just blurted all that out, which means you need a shoulder. Ergo, I am here. Surely you realize the difficulty people like us had creating families when I was your age.” He opened his arms. “This is my family. We have a bond here, and I am glad to have you as part of our family.”

“Well, you can’t screw up more than my actual father, so I guess it’ll be easier than that.” Toni dropped off the things she didn’t need and looked at Harold. “I’ve got a class to teach.”

“You’re an asset to the department, dear. Now we just need you to admit that you’re fantastic and ignore the naysayers.” Harold gave her a surprisingly steely look. “Don’t underestimate me, Dr. Darbyshire. You’ll come around to seeing that I’m right.”

“Have you ever considered a backup degree in therapy?” Toni muttered as he moved to let her out of her office.

He laughed again. “My brother’s the shrink. I’m just a mild-mannered history professor.”

When she stepped out into the hall, Harold asked, “Where is Miss Stewart, by the way?”

“At my condo.”

“Hmm. Why don’t you skip the committee work this week?

I can’t excuse you from all your classes, but I can ease the workload.

I’ll have your TA… I think Kaelee Carpenter is your TA, right?

” He glanced at Toni, who nodded. “I’m sure Kaelee would be glad to take a couple of the lectures for you.

She’s a driven woman. Maybe she can do a note review if she can’t use your lecture notes.

… Truly, my dear, you ought to at least show your wife around the city, don’t you think? ”

And Toni couldn’t think of a decent excuse to refuse. She wanted more time with Addie, despite it likely being a terrible idea for her already rebellious heart. So Toni offered, “I’ll look at my schedule and see if I have any lectures I can have Kaelee cover.”

First though, she had to email a note her publicist. She waved goodbye to Harold, who walked away, whistling like the meddlesome friend he had become.