Addie didn’t argue, but it was a legitimate question to ponder. She had wanted this career forever, and Toni had her mother and the college keeping her on the East Coast. Was somethingmoreimpossible? How could they click so naturally but be unable to be together?
Although Saturday night was bliss again when they were naked together, Toni continued to be a bit hot and cold, withdrawing into herself when they were not having sex or after she answered a too-personal question, but she also opened up more and more.
Addie shoved away the bigger issues of long-term impossibilities. In the short term, the worst thing since arriving for the weekend was therealization that Toni was a cover thief. When Addie woke to an alarm far too early Sunday morning, she made a mental note that she might have to get up and get dressed in the night after she had sex with Toni. The alternative appeared to be waking up freezing every morning.
“You’re lucky you’re cute, fake wife.” Addie shivered as she slipped out of bed in search of a robe or something. “You’re a cover thief.”
Toni blinked up at her. “What?”
“I’m freezing—” Addie tugged on Toni’s shirt from the night before. “—becauseyouare a cover thief.”
In fairness, Toni looked guilty. “I don’t usually do sleepovers, Addie. So I don’t have a lot of practice at sharing my bed with friends. You’ll have to adjust, or we can see if—”
“You better not say ‘if there is a second room open,’” Addie shook a finger at her. “I fake-married you!”
“I wasgoingto say ‘if there are spare blankets.’ I like having you in my bed.”
“Awww.” A warm flush came over Addie as she realized that she wasn’t the only one with a few firsts. “I guess we’ll figure it out when we see each other.”
Toni’s sudden discomfort was as obvious as a flashing sign. She might not be screaming in panic, but the expression wasn’t hard to read. Addie hadn’t missed the way Toni used the word “friend” like a shield, but the wide-eyed look on her face when Addie commented on “seeing each other” was frustrating.
So Addie continued, “The good news is that, most of the time, I’ll be in my cozy bed without fighting for a corner of the blanket, but maybe if we are at the same promo thing or you are in LA or… Oh! New Orleans! We’re filming the outside bits in New Orleans because it has that ‘historic streets’ thing. You should come!”
Toni got out of bed. “Maybe…” She walked into the bathroom, leaving Addie there feeling like she’d crossed an invisible line. The only time Toni truly opened up was during sex or if no mention of the future was made. At all.
While Toni was in the bathroom, Addie pulled out her phone to check email. Supposedly it was a no-tech weekend, but today they would return to the real world. Next week, after the studio vetted all the photos, there would be a deluge of promo publicity—and already there were undoubtedly photos from the signing.
Addie’s news alerts—which, yes, she still had set on Toni’s name but now also included her own name, the book, and show title—had exploded. Addie’s eyes skimmed them in growing horror.
SURPRISE WEDDING?
VICTORIAN MYSTERY WRITER WEDS STARLET
NEPOTISM? THE BRIDE WAS CAST IN HER NEW WIFE’S SHOW
Addie sank back on the bed as she kept scrolling. These were not the social media posts she expected. Signing photos? Sure. Wedding pictures out of context? No. Footage of the two of them getting married? Definitely not that.
“Toni? I think you need to come here.” Addie’s voice sounded shrill, but she was panicking a little.
Toni came into the room, toothbrush still in hand. She met Addie’s gaze. “What’s up?”
“The wedding…” Addie held out her phone. “Check your email. I need to call Marcela. Fuck.”
Toni stared at the headlines as if she couldn’t process what she was reading.
Definitely not a morning person.
“Hey?” Addie put a hand on Toni’s arm. “Get your phone. Email or call your agent or your publicist.”
“It was a fake wedding,” Toni muttered.
“Yes.” Addie clicked on a headline. “That’s really you on one knee, though.” She scrolled. “That’s really me with flowers in my hair. That’s actually us kissing.”
“But theweddingwas fake.” Toni pulled out her own phone. “Like the whole weekend. It was all just pretend.”
Addie knew what Toni meant, but the words still made her winceinternally. She snapped, “Noteverythingwas fake. The sex certainly felt real enough, and the conversations we had, and—”
“You know what I meant.” Toni pulled on her trousers hurriedly, as if she were dressing for battle. She said nothing comforting to Addie; she didn’t acknowledge the real parts. “This is a fucking disaster.”
