“If I hang up, call hotel security,” Addie told her, staring at Philip. “There’s an unwelcome guest at my door.” She looked back at him. “I wasn’t interested when we tried dating the first time, and I’m not interested now. If you think you can intimidate me, you’re stupider than I thought.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Dyke bitch. I don’t know who you think you are, but—”
Addie cut him off. “Go sober up.”
A man in a hotel uniform appeared then, wheeling a tray toward the room. “Excuse me, sir.”
Philip turned to leave, and the room-service attendant paused, glancing after him as he wobbled away. “Are you okay, miss?”
Addie affixed a professional smile. The last thing they needed was more drama attached to the show. “Coworkers, right? I think he just took a wrong turn. Everything’s fine.” Addie stepped to the side and the young man rolled the table in. “Right over here would be great. I’m glad dinner arrived when it did.”
Through the phone, Toni was obviously not calming down. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said quietly. When the room-service attendant glanced at her, she gestured toward the street, where women in tall heels were clinging to their dates and laughing. There was some sort of party nearby, but she was starting to think that was a permanent state in the French Quarter.
Smiling at the room-service guy, Addie said, “It’s such a vibrant nightlife down there.”
“That it is,” the young room-service guy said. He gave her a kind look. “Do you need anything else? A manager maybe?Anything?”
“Addie.” Toni’s voice was still in her ear. “Are you okay?”
“Let me sign this slip,” Addie said as cheerily as she could. Then she answered both of them. “Everything is just peachy here. I’m fine. An awkward moment with a drunk coworker isn’t going to ruin my night.”
It wasn’t fine. Not really. Addie wasn’t sure what Philip was there to do. Was he just going to insult her some more? Threaten her? Worse? He was drunk, and drunk logic was never quite predictable—especially when mixed with anger.
Chapter 39Toni
Toni felt a surge of fear that had her hands shaking.What if Addie had been alone?She was, in truth, but the room-service timing and the phone call meant there were witnesses.What if she hadn’t had anyone listening or interrupting?
As she waited for Addie to finish talking to the room-service attendant, Toni flipped open her laptop and fired off an email to Harold.
From:Toni Darbyshire
To:Harold Ellis, Department Chair
I swear this won’t become a problem/habit, Dr. Ellis, but I need to go to New Orleans for the weekend regarding trouble with the show. Could I get coverage for Friday’s class? Kaelee is more than able to teach it. If not, I will be canceling class. Emergency.
T.D.
Then she flipped over to a new email and started to draft a message, cc’ing both Marcela and Emily.
I will be in New Orleans for the weekend. Philip justappeared at Adelaine’s hotel room and called her vulgar, homophobic terms. He was the photo leak, too. He needs to be replaced. ASAP. I won’t be silent if that sort of person is associated with the show.
T.D.
Before she hitSEND, she waited to hear Addie’s version of what had happened.
“I’m back,” Addie said. “Sorry about that. Who had ‘drunk costar at the door’ on their bingo card?” She laughed awkwardly. “As if him being a jerk all day wasn’t enough.”
“Did I hear him call you a ‘dyke bitch,’ Adelaine?” Toni said as calmly as she could.
“He was drunk—”
“Addie,” Toni interrupted. “Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?” Toni’s tone was softer, even though she felt certain that there were coils of lava rolling through her veins.
