She hadn’t had the time to research what exactly the atmosphere would be like tonight. She’d been more focused on making sure she’d be wearing something that would make Sutton think she’d be crazy to cut off anything sexual between them.
That was, apparently, who she was right now.
And while Charlotte didn’t necessarily love it, she was finding that she couldn’t quite control it. She nodded at several people who recognized her, continuing in her scan of the room as she slowly, casually started to circulate.
“Senator! We didn’t expect you tonight! I must have missed that memo.” A familiar voice came from her right, and she turned to face the man approaching her. She immediately placing his face from the first night she’d came to commemorate the kick-off of the Zones as the person responsible for coming up with the idea for the charitable organization.
The man who’d been responsible for bringing Sutton back into her life.
The smile she fixed on, for that reason, was genuine. She reached out and took the hand he offered. “It’s so nice to see you,” he said in greeting.
“Zeke, nice to see you again as well.” She returned. “How are you?”
He exuberantly shook her offered hand. “I’m good—great, actually! Everything’s been going really well for the start-up. A few hiccups here and there, but that’s all to be expected.”
“It’s sounded like you’ve been handling everything wonderfully,” she told him sincerely.
At his questioning look, she hastened to explain, “Ah, Sutton has?—”
“Right!” He cut her off, giving her that exuberant smile once again. “Right, she’s mentioned working with you on your book.” He shared a conspiratorial smile with her. “Not in detail, but I think it’s incredible. She’s extremely talented.”
She could feel her own smile growing. “Yes, she really is.”
His eyes lit up. “I just saw her, actually, talking to Lily Balducci. Just over here.” He nodded over his shoulder, to the left. “If you want?—”
“Yes.” Charlotte felt how she lit up from the inside. She tried not to betoooutwardly excited, but… She managed to get a hold of herself. “Yes, sorry. I have some business I’d love to speak to both of them about.”
Zeke seemed pleased that he’d pleased her and led her swiftly through the crowd.
And he was right—there were both Sutton and Lily in conversation, only a few feet away.
“Look who I found,” he announced in the effortless way he seemed to have for breaking into groups.
Sutton and Lily turned to face her, and Charlotte met both of their surprised looks with a smile. It was a smile that, due to the widening of Sutton’s eyes, was tinged with the most ridiculous feeling of nerves all over again.
“Charlotte!” Lily spoke first, her very intensely green eyes staring right through her. “Here I was thinking I was representing the foundation solo this evening.” She laughed, lightly, though, shaking her head as she reached out to squeeze Charlotte’s hand in greeting. “It’s wonderful to see you out and about.”
Charlotte smiled back at her. She liked Lily; she wouldn’t have chosen her to fill her grandmother’s shoes if she didn’t. She squeezed Lily’s hand back. “Yes, even I have to leave the office sometimes.”
“Rarely,” Sutton cut in, her tone entirely joking, but in the way that said familiarity. Scolding but light. Like she had intimate knowledge of Charlotte’s life and where she spent her time.
Which, of course, she did.
And it thrilled Charlotte that Sutton wanted it to be known.
“I’ve been working on it,” she shot back, teasing as well, turning to face Sutton for the first time that evening.
Her hair was up in a simple twist, leaving her perfect shoulders bare; a simple diamond necklace glinted against her clavicle. She wore a long-sleeved, form-fitting black dress, and it took a lot of Charlotte’s famous self-control to not slowly peruse her frame. Even without it, she felt her heart start to hammer in her chest.
“Something tells me you could work on it a bit more. What did you get up to this weekend?” Sutton asked, arching an eyebrow at Charlotte.
Pined for you while you were out living your life.
Charlotte arched her eyebrow back. “Perhaps you’re correct. But only because I’m in session tomorrow.”
There was a question on Sutton’s face, hiding under her smile. Charlotte wasn’t sure Lily or Zeke could see it, but she could. It was lurking just there in the tilt of her jaw.
It was likely that Sutton knew she was due in session tomorrow and would likely not want to come to an event the night before.