Addie glanced out the window once more before saying, “I’ve been here once.”
“DC?” Toni looked back at her.
“I was a teenager.” Addie shrugged. “We did the usual monuments and museums tours.”
Toni stepped into the aisle and retrieved their carry-ons from the overhead. Then she looked at Addie. “After you.”
Addie tried to remind herself that being charmed by basic courtesy ought to not be a thing, but her dating experience was thin enough to not need all of her fingers to count the people who had taken her out more than a few times—and none of those people had been like Toni. There were a few attempts at dating boys, including that mess with Philip, and then a couple of sort of friendshippy-date-things with women. Then her. Toni.
Without letting any of those words out, Addie stepped in front of Toni. She held out a hand for her bag, but Toni ignored her. For someone who claimed they were friends, Toni sure acted like they were dating. That would be the case even without the sex. She was considerate in ways that no friend had ever been.
Other than that crass remark. Let’s not forget that. She said I was a woman she was fucking.
Addie kept her spine straight and her pace quick. Toni caught up once they were off the jet bridge and stayed at her side, silent as they walked. Her behavior continued at the baggage claim; she loaded Addie’s giant luggage onto a trolley. Then instead of a car service or rideshare, Toni pointed. “This way.”
They walked through an underground walkway to a parking garage, and Addie felt a little bad that Toni was pushing the trolley with all the luggage.
“I feel like I ought to do something,” Addie admitted.
Toni scowled briefly. “About?”
Addie gestured. “You’re carrying everything and—”
“You’re wearing heels.” Toni glanced at Addie’s feet. “This is faster.”
After that, Addie kept her mouth shut and trailed behind her until they reached a bright red Jeep. Toni loaded the bags into it, paused, and asked, “Do you have clothes that aren’t from another historical period?”
“What I’m wearing.” Addie shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting to need more things… but maybe I’ll be able to go home quickly?”
Toni sighed. “Do you want to stop at a store?”
“The store? Like for shopping?” Addie blinked at her. “You want to goshoppingwith me…?”
“No, but I can’t imagine you want to wear corsets all week if you’re stuck here.”
“I have regular underthings, and I can wash these.” Addie gestured at her underwear and bra. Although they were covered by her jeans and top, Toni’s gaze fixed on Addie’s chest for a long moment.
“Do you have spare jeans? Or pajamas or whatever?”
Addie sighed. “Can I borrow maybe a T-shirt or sweater or something? Hopefully I’ll only be here a day or so.…”
Toni’s expression tightened.
“So no sleeping at your place or wearing your clothes?” Addie guessed. “Is that what this is?”
Toni was silent at first. Then she said, “No. You can wear some of my things. That’s not the issue. My jeans and my shirts just won’t fit you. You’re shorter, for one, and you have a lot of… your chest is… You havecurves,Addie. I like them, but my clothes aren’t going to fit you right.”
“Your blazer fit. I can wear a larger T-shirt or tank top and maybe one of your jackets…?”
“Or we could stop and pick up a few things. There’s an outlet mall called Potomac Mills about thirty minutes away we cou—”
“No. What I have is fine,” Addie insisted.
She felt like she was being absurd, but she was not interested in going clothes shopping with Toni. Something about it felt toopersonal, and Addie already couldn’t handle that with the way Toni was acting. She’d called her someone she “fucked,” and then treated her like she was a delicate sort of wife. Toni carried bags, walked so that Addie was sheltered from anyone who might bump into her, and in general was as chivalrous as the ideal spouse—but she claimed they were “friends” and referred to what they were doing as fucking.
How am I to make sense of any of this?
“Fine.” Toni started the Jeep and headed out of the parking garage. She didn’t say anything else, and the silence dragged out until Addie decided that she wasn’t going to bother trying to talk to her.
