Page 49 of Toni and Addie Go Viral

Toni

After lunch, museums, dinner, and an impromptu show at the Kennedy Center thanks to an impulsive ticket purchase, Toni felt like she’d been on a marathon date—and she liked it.

They were walking back to the Jeep, just another couple in the post-theater crush, when Toni admitted to herself that she could get used to everything about this, get used to having someone at her side.

Not forever, of course, but maybe for a while.

Only if that someone is her.

They reached the row where the Jeep was parked, and Addie let go of Toni’s arm. “That was wonderful.” She spun out into a sort of pirouette. “Excellent tour guiding.”

Toni stared at her for a moment before she pulled Addie closer, turning them so that Addie was against the Jeep, and slanted her mouth over Addie’s. They’d spent one day and one night without sex, and then barely touched today—so far—and that felt like an eternity.

Addie made another little noise, and Toni pulled back.

“If we don’t leave, I’m going to have my hands on you here in the parking lot.” Toni took a steadying step away from her.

“Exhibition is on my to-try list,” Addie said in a quiet voice.

Toni shook her head. “Not in the theater parking garage, Addie. I promised Em we weren’t going to do anything newsworthy this week, and it’s too cold out here for any part of you to be exposed.”

Addie pouted, jutting out her bottom lip. “So next trip then. I’ll wear more skirts. I bet that would make it eas—”

“Hush.” Toni reached past her and opened the door. “Get in the seat, Addie.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her voice made quite clear that hers was not an accidentally chosen reply, and just in case Toni had missed it, when she got into the driver’s seat, Addie asked, “With your control issues, do you like being called ma’am or something else?”

Toni refused to answer. She reached over and hooked Addie’s seat belt. “Stop talking and flirting, so I can drive us home safely.”

When Addie gave her a single nod and then primly crossed her ankles, Toni relaxed slightly. She wasn’t far from tossing caution to the wind and moving the Jeep to the darkest corner of the garage, and she was fairly sure Addie would agree if she suggested it.

There are probably cameras somewhere, her common sense insisted.

Instead of risking it, Toni joined the flow of traffic inching out of the garage. “I had fun today.”

“Same.”

“I had fun at the beach in California, too.” Toni paused for an older man in a Lincoln who apparently had decided that backing into the traffic queue and expecting everyone to move out of his way was better than waiting for an opening.

“Sounds like you like spending time with me,” Addie said in her already-familiar intentionally casual voice.

“I do.” Toni wasn’t going to deny the obvious. “I didn’t think that was a secret.”

Addie grew quieter. “I’m afraid you’ll pull away again the moment I leave. I’m afraid that you’ll be heartless with me again. Insensitive because of something that’s not my fault.”

“What if I try not to do that?”

Addie stared out into the lot around them. “I’d like that, but Toni”—she looked over at her—“I’m not going to forgive the same thing over and over, you know?”

Toni thought of her parents. “You shouldn’t.”

The car behind them honked, and Toni eased forward again.

They slipped into faster-moving traffic, and Toni made a note that they ought to do this again in the spring when the doors could be off.

And I bet she’d like seeing the cherry blossoms. Her stomach squirmed, and she quickly reminded herself, Thinking a few months ahead isn’t the same as a relationship.

Casual. We’re casual bedmates and friends.

But when Addie reached over and rested a hand on Toni’s leg, it didn’t set off the alarms it should.

Just a few months, Toni’s inner devils whispered. She knows this thing between us is temporary. Maybe we can last until the new year? Maybe spring?

Addie gave her a smoldering look when they parked the Jeep outside the condo. “I’m pretty sure you owe me a staycation-style honeymoon. Theater and dinner was a good start. Any other plans?”

Toni opened Addie’s door and held out a hand. “Might I invite you to a seduction for the evening? Local spot. Cover theft afterward… and I can promise a potentially hissing cat at some point.”

Addie stepped out and melted against Toni’s side. “Oh, I do like a seduction.”

There was no way to resist the laugh that bubbled up at Addie’s exaggerated earnestness. She made Toni laugh and smile more than anyone had ever done. That alone was reason to keep her in Toni’s life.

“Do you think I could get a drink before the seduction?” Addie asked as they walked to the condo door. “My date tonight was lovely, but I had to deal with this surly woman yesterday. It was vexing.”

Toni pushed open the door. “ Vexing? You poor dear.”

“She has a marvelous figure, and she’s really quite clever. That helped, but”—Addie leaned in so that her breasts were smooshed against Toni’s arm—“ she didn’t even invite me to a seduction. She had terrible manners.”

“No,” Toni gasped in faux outrage. “I bet she slept terribly.”

Addie giggled. “I do hope so. I was left having to… well, I don’t know if I can tell you what I did after that.

” She widened her eyes, lowered her voice, and stretched up so her lips were almost touching Toni’s.

“I touched myself right there in her guest room. All by myself… it was…” Addie made a moaning sound. “Well, it was good, but I wanted more.”

“You’re trying to kill me, Miss Stewart.” Toni fumbled to open the door and tugged Addie inside. She swept her arm out. “Welcome to your temporary home.”

Addie sighed. “I only have two days, you know. I have an interview in Richmond because someone issued a press release that she was dating me, and then I have another in Chicago, and then it seems silly to head back to LA, so I’m going to just go direct to New Orleans, where we’re filming the next scenes. ”

Something in Toni’s heart that was misbehaving took a tumble. “So you leave in two days?”

“Thursday, technically, but I have a live TV spot in Richmond Wednesday. I could stay there, but—”

“No need. You’re fine to stay here. It’s not a terrible commute down there, so if you are okay with that…?”

Addie put a hand in the middle of Toni’s chest. “So you don’t mind me being here after all?”

“I could get used to a few days of you around here,” Toni admitted. After an extended pause, she added, “I like you, Adelaine. Far too much, in fact.”

“Same.” Addie smiled.

Toni tried to tell herself that having Addie here was no different than the few times she spent a few days in a nameless hotel with women or that one unexpected cruise ship, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She liked having Addie in her home. She liked it far more than she wanted to admit.

By the time Toni drove Addie to the airport three days later, she was exhausted. When she wasn’t grading or teaching or dealing with book things, she was with Addie. And while it was possible to teach and write or to write and be with Addie, trying to juggle all three was exhausting.

But waking up to the knowledge that Addie was leaving wasn’t doing wonders for her mood. She’d rather be exhausted than without Addie.

Toni had glowered at everyone the day prior when Addie was in Richmond for an interview on morning TV, but by evening, Addie was home.

While Addie was away, Toni had managed to squeeze in a nap, order delivery, and get a few chapters of her new book revised.

She even caught up on email. If Addie was busy part of the time, Toni thought she could juggle everything she had to do.

Not that it matters. I live here. She lives in LA, and neither of us can move.

Toni’s anxiety twitched down to her very marrow realizing that she was considering a future in which Addie was still in her life. That was impossible even if she did want it. Addie wasn’t going to stop acting, and Toni wasn’t going to stop teaching. That meant opposite sides of the country.

She glanced over. “Do you think I have been overreacting to… things with us?”

Addie made a noise that sounded a lot like a snort.

“That’s a yes.” Toni kept her attention on the traffic. The DC Beltway was never anything other than chaotic, and Toni enjoyed the adrenaline of it when it was moving. Not rush hour—well, rush hours, if one was honest; no rational person enjoyed the stop-and-roll hours of the Beltway.

“You’ve already fake-married me, and if you really don’t do relationships, I’ll be the only chance you get to try one. Plus we live on opposite sides of the country, so you have plenty of time without me.” Addie stared at her, even though Toni refused to look her way.

“So you think we should… date?”

“We are dating, Toni. You’re just calling it other things in private. You even admitted it in a press release.” Addie huffed. “Are you afraid of being wrong? Afraid you might actually fall for me if you admit that we’re dating?”

“No.” Toni was pretty sure she would fall hard if she stopped resisting, but she wasn’t going to give in to that. “I want us to be friends, even after we stop having sex someday.”

“You’re an idiot, you know. How about we focus on right now instead of borrowing trouble from a future that might not happen?

Can we focus on next week? Do you like seeing me?

Being naked with me? Or are we done when I get on this plane?

” Addie sounded exasperated. They’d gone on several great dates, and the last couple nights—plus the weekend and the night in LA—were all satisfying.

“I like you, and I like kissing you and sex with you. That’s all I’m able to give anyone. You need to understand that,” Toni said carefully. “I can’t give you more than this.”

“I like this. So why can’t we keep doing this ?” Addie asked. “Why are you complicating things instead of enjoying what we have now?”

Toni weighed the thought of it. It sounded so simple. She’d get to spend more time with Addie. They were friends, and the sex was good. Where’s the harm? She could date her fake wife without developing impossible romantic feelings.

“There’s no future, though,” Toni added, glancing over at her again.

“So you say.” Addie gave her a smile that would have been suitable for the greatest temptresses in history. “I’ll forgive you if you’re wrong, and if you’re not, I hope we stay friends no matter what else happens.”

Toni dodged the question as she parked in short-term parking and cut off the engine. “So Chicago, then New Orleans…”

“Then either back to LA or… I could stop here.” Addie shot her a hopeful look. “Or you could come to New Orleans for the weekend.”

“Let’s play it by ear.” Toni hopped out and went around to open Addie’s door. “I can’t make any long-term promises. I need you to be okay with that.”

“Two to three weeks is long-term?” Addie scoffed. “Friends, Toni. That’s what you said, right? Friends who get naked and go on dates. Surely, friends can talk about plans for the next month.”

“That’s still new territory for me, love.”

“I’m not trying to scare you,” Addie whispered. “We’re both busy, and I like being around you, so a little planning is going to happen or I won’t be able to see you at all. Don’t throw out something good because of what might happen later.”

Toni shoved her panic deeper. “Let me see what I can do. I can’t promise anything.”

The problem wasn’t that she didn’t want to make plans.

Hell, she’d be on board with going to all the places Addie went just to fall asleep with Addie in her arms. That was the real issue.

She could see a future together, and she was starting to crave that, but Addie deserved more.

She deserved someone who could give her everything.

She deserved a better person than Toni.