“It’s… fine,” she sighed out.
“Are you heading home now?” Charlotte asked. “Or are there more stops on the shopping adventure evening?”
Sutton turned toward the exit, working through the throngs of people. “Honestly, I’ll likely have better luck scouring the internet than trying to get it in store. This was sort of a last-ditch effort,” she admitted.
She hesitated before confirming that she would be spending the night alone. She hadn’t wanted to delve into detail with Regan, as she’d said to Regan’s face, and shedidwant desperately to get this guitar for Lucy for Christmas.
But things with Charlotte, also as she’d said to Regan,werecomplicated.
They didn’t address whatever it was they were doing. They were working together, had formed a friendship, and were having sex. Frequently. Charlotte was a senator with a clear track to becoming president, for Christ’s sake!
Nothing said complication like having any sort of relationship with Charlotte Thompson.
It was just—god, things just felt sogoodwith Charlotte. It was the eternal problem between the two of them, wasn’t it?
Even if she could see that there admittedly were issues with doing what they were doing, Charlotte just made everythingfeelgood. It wasn’t logical, but nothing about being with Charlotte was ever logical, nor had it ever been.
It was driven by feelings. Back when they’d originally done this and again now, they were driven into everything that happened between them because it just seemed so natural. They were both deeply, insanely attracted to one another; they had fun together; they could talk easily together—about work, hobbies and interests, the future. Nottheirfuture, really, butthefuture.
Charlotte was someone Sutton could talk to for hours and not even realize, at the end, what exactly they’d discussed.
It just—was.
It was exactly why and how they’d fallen into this in the past.
And yes, Charlotte seemed different now. She didn’t balk at talking about her personal life or sharing things or being more public together or even spending time with Sutton’s family.
But Sutton wasn’t the same person she’d been back then. This time, she could manage this. This time, she had her eyes open.
She chewed on her lip as she walked toward the entrance, the warring indecision of what to tell Charlotte regarding her plans coming to a halt as thewantingside won out.
She did have a Friday night completely free. No work to do, no Lucy—she wouldn’t even be picking Lucy up in the morning. No plans with Regan and Emma. Nothing.
And, regardless of complication, she wanted to see Charlotte. She could feel that uncontrollable wanting already.
“Yes. I’m heading home.” The anticipation worked through her. Shehadn’tplanned on seeing Charlotte tonight, she had deliberately not made any efforts to do so, but the opportunity was presenting itself, and even though she’d seen Charlotte a couple of days ago, being together not in the office—or on a night when they had no work to do—was different.
“From the main entrance?”
Sutton paused as she reached the glass door to, indeed, the main entrance of the mall. “Yes?”
“Well, perhaps you shouldn’t just stand there,” Charlotte teased.
That anticipation strengthened even as Sutton shook her head. There was no way Charlotte was at the mall.
She could feel expectation shiver through her as she pushed the doors open, her fingers tingling with it.
“You’re actually here?” she breathed in confused disbelief, still holding the phone up to her ear.
“I am,” Charlotte confirmed, that perfect half smile on her lips as she lowered her phone and ended the call.
Charlotte leaned against her black town car, one leg crossed over the other. In her long, belted cashmere coat, the December wind tossing her hair, she looked like the heroine in a romantic movie.
Sutton rolled her eyes at herself and tried to squish her butterflies as she walked closer.
This would only work, she reminded herself, if she didn’t allow herself to get swept up.
“You know, Idohave my car here; I could have met you at my house.” Sutton tucked her phone into her back pocket as she drew up close to Charlotte, tilting her head in question.