“Damn it. She came here because I refused the contract. If I’d have just sold her the books, she wouldn’t have come to DC, and then this”—Toni waved a hand at Kaelee—“clusterfuck could’ve been avoided.” Toni slouched back in her seat. “Kaelee, you cannot hurt Greta. You need to understand that. She’s a good person, good heart. You can’t just treat her like the women you fuck.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do. She called me in the middle of the night and told me you needed me. She risked hercareerto do that. She put herself on the line because she was worried aboutyoursafety.” Toni looked like the proverbial disappointed teacher in that moment. “You can’t—”
“Toni,” Addie’s voice cut in. “I don’t think Kaelee intends to hurt Greta. Do you?”
Kaelee had never in her life been so grateful to see the vivaciousactor who had padded barefoot into the room. She was cradling the fluffy Oscar Wilde like a large infant in her arms. The cat was purring so loudly that Kaelee could hear him like he was beside her.
Maybe he does like her more.
Kaelee held up a hand like she was making a vow or swearing in court. “I have no intention of hurting her. I met a sexy woman on an app, one who reached out to me first by the way, and she asked me to meet her. I did. Then I saw her in New YorkbeforeI knew she was my editor. If I’d known she was my editor—”
“Andmyeditor, Kaelee.My. Editor,” Toni interrupted. “Greta is the woman who bought my books, changed my stress level to manageable, published a book that led to seeing Addie again and—”
“Shush.” Addie curled into Toni’s side, looking for all the world like she was unaware that Toni was increasingly agitated. “What Toni means to say is that she is worried about Greta, a woman she’s grateful to, and what she would say eventually is that she’s worried about you, too, and this could get sticky.”
“Yes.” Toni smiled at Addie before turning her very focused glare back at Kaelee. “Worried. That’s the word. Just that.”
Addie pinched Toni’s leg, and Toni caught her hand and held it in hers.
Kaelee straightened her shoulders, sipped her tea, and smiled at them as best she could with her increasingly present headache. “Greta and I are friends now. I called her to, umm, cancel my books, and she overreacted. To be clear, though, I wasn’t the only one on the app or in the hotel b—”
“Do not talk about her in that way.” Toni pressed her lips together. “My editor does not have a sex life. She exists at her desk at the publisher’s office. Just there. She is always at the office, not on sex apps.”
Addie giggled and patted Toni’s lap consolingly. “I think Toni is worried about both of you, or she’s just sleep deprived and cranky.”
“And why am I sleep deprived?” Toni muttered, looking at Kaelee pointedly.
“Look. Greta and I are friends who fucked a few times,” Kaelee said, feeling guilty for the words even as they left her lips. “There is nothing to worry about here. I’m sorry she overreacted, and I’m sorry I got falling-down sloshed because of my panic attack.”
“And you are not canceling the book,” Toni added. “You kept saying that last night. Canceling the book and leaving. You will not be doing that. If you did, my wedding would be short a person, and you don’t want that, do you? That would upset Addie and—”
“It would upset you, too,” Addie said softly.
“Correct. That’s exactly why I won’t run. I won’t ruin your wedding party.” Kaelee, calmer today already, smiled at them both. The reality was that Kaelee wasn’t going to let that man ruin her life any more than he already had. He was several states away, and there was nothing he could do legally.
“Don’t be difficult. I’m tired.” Toni frowned then. “Greta. Greta is the woman you went to meet in New York when you asked me to stop you from calling her. You met her because she was here to see me, and I stayed here andtold youto meet the app woman. I told you to go have carnal relations with my editor.”
“Toni…” Kaelee looked at her mentor. “I would have seen her again anyhow. She’s been like an addiction. She’s sexy and funny and—”
“No. She lives in her office and does noteverhave sex with you.” Toni folded her arms and glared. “And you’re going to talk to Em about your mistake with Greta and about your family, so I don’t have to lie to my oldest friend who also happens to be ouragent,” Toni pressed.
“Yes, Mother.” Kaelee nodded.
“And you will never, ever again talk to me about having sexwith. My. Editor,” Toni grumbled.
“What if I call her by a different name to talk about her? I’m actually freaking out a little about this,” Kaelee finally admitted, grateful that she could talk about the knot of confusion inside her.
Toni made a pained noise and said, “I need more coffee if I haveto hear this. My editor exists in a perfect state of suspended, untouchable bookish space. No rakish women debauch her. No one can upset her. And when the office lights go out, she sleeps, to be woken only when the workday resumes again.”
“Oh, honey…” Addie patted Toni’s knee. “Greta’s human with a normal appetite, and interests, and Kaelee is gorgeous. It makes perfect sense.”
“Nope.” Toni gently untangled herself from Addie and went to the kitchen to start another pot of coffee.
Once she was gone, Addie crossed her legs so she was folded up like a child at a preschool class and propped her elbows on her knees, leaned forward, and said, “Tell me all about it.”
Kaelee lowered her voice and confessed, “Ilikeher. Greta, I mean.” Louder she said, “I likeMarie, this woman I met who is not an editor at all.” Then at a normal volume she continued, “We text every day, and when I was first seeing her… the sex was everything I want. She’s fucking perfect. I feel safe with her.”
