“Sweetie, I love you. You know that,” Emily began, her voice dropping into the tone she adopted when cajoling Toni into an interview or other event she knew Toni didn’t want to do. “And I’m pretty sure you are at least slightly aware that women…appreciateyour attention.”
“Addie did.” Toni shrugged. “She just wants a friend and a bit of time with someone with experience, and I’m not exactly able to bed-hop these days. It’s just a situationship, Em. We like each other. It’s notdating.” Toni sighed loudly at the blatant look of doubt on her best friend’s face. “We’re not U-Hauling like every joke about moving in together on the second date.”
“I’m not saying you should move in with her on the second date, but if you’re a thing—”
“We’re not a thing,” Toni interjected firmly. “Just because I plan to see her again doesn’t mean I’m dating her. We’re becoming closer friends.”
“Friends,” Emily echoed.
“Yep. We email. Now we’ll be sometimes naked, but we’re just friends,” Toni said firmly. No one, even her best friend in the world, needed to know that Toni could develop feelings for Addie if she slowed down long enough.
Not going to happen.
Just to be sure of it, Toni decided she’d swing by the care facility to see her mother when she arrived back in DC—nothing like a careen through whatever year her mom thought it was to remind her that relationships were a terrible plan.
Toni glanced at Emily. “I left her a note. We’re cool.”
She walked away, rolling her bag behind her until she was outside at the waiting car. Great sex and relaxing conversation was a fine basis for a friendship. Goodness knew that Toni had a few friendswho fell in and out of her bed over the years. Surely, one of them was still available.
Maybe that’s what I need, see if Leigh is still around. Or Faith.
But even as she thought it, her stomach turned. She opened her own door and got in the car. She didn’t need to look up an old friend. She had a new friend—one who was a lot of fun in bed and listened when Toni talked. One who shifted like a chameleon on a stage.
Toni’s mind drifted to the second book, and she pulled up a notes app on her phone and started writing down ideas about giving fictional Addie a small romance. That, she could do. She couldn’t give one to the real-life Addie, though.
“Great sex and a muse, too?” Emily teased as she climbed into the car.
Toni flipped her agent off and kept writing. This was the most she’d written in weeks. She’d tried—lord, how she’d tried—but her words were as unwilling as her body when she tried exercising the few times she’d been hungover. Technically, Toni supposed the result was still exercise, but it sure as hell wasn’t the best exercise.
Today, though, she wrote the whole way to the bookstore before looking up when the car stopped in an underground garage.
“She’s good for you,” Emily said. “I’m sending her flowers because of that. If nothing else, either getting laid or a relaxing dinner did you the remarkable favor of unsticking your words. I’m sending the bouquet, not you.”
Toni shot Emily a glare. “Fine. Just don’t say anything sappy.”
“‘Thanks for the orgasms.’” Emily made air quotes. “Or maybe, ‘My agent sends thanks for improving my mood and helping with my deadline.’ Too much?”
The driver coughed in what sounded a lot like a smothered laugh as he got out of the car to open Toni’s door. She was already out the door and scowling back at Emily.
“I like her,” Toni said bluntly. “She’s becoming a good friend. Don’t write anything that suggests otherwise on the card. Nothingsappy. Nothing dismissive. Don’t sign them from me or you. Just… whatever.”
“You could write something,” Emily said. “You are the writer here, after all.”
“No. I don’t send women flowers.”
Then Toni strode off toward the bookstore without waiting for Emily. Toni wasn’t about to admit that sending flowers sounded nice—or that she could picture Addie’s sound of delight. She’d never sent flowers or even considered doing that. It smacked of relationships. Toni looked over when Emily’s telltale clickety-clack heels caught up with her.
“No fucking roses, either. That’s the wrong message.” Toni ignored the quirk of a repressed smile on Emily’s lips. “I mean it. I don’t want to hurt her feelings by sending her the wrong message.”
“And what message would that be?”
Toni jerked open the store’s door and muttered, “That I’m capable of anything other than friendship. You know me, Em. I’m not that sort of woman, and Addie’s pretty amazing. She deserves someone wonderful.”
And I’m not able to be the kind of person she needs,Toni added silently.
Chapter 20Addie
When Addie woke up alone with housekeeping knocking at the door, she pulled on the hotel robe and looked around, wondering if Toni was in the lobby or… she saw the space where Toni’s suitcase had been. No. She’d left.
