Conscientious of this being their technicalfirst date, though, she swallowed back the words. She wouldn’t speak them. Not yet.
After dinner,as they walked back to the car hand in hand, Charlotte did not want the night to end. She didn’t ever want her time with Sutton to end.
Andtheir datewas going so well. They’d debated biopics of the last ten years, because Sutton had apparently remembered how much Charlotte loved them and kept up on them herself. Sutton had showed her a few videos of Lucy playing with her Christmas presents, especially with the guitar Charlotte had scored. They talked about Sutton’s plans for her upcoming women in literature course and how she was going to feature her mother for a section, which then turned into a lively conversation about the last few books Katherine had published that Charlotte loved.
Because their date was going so well, Charlotte very much wanted to enact the second part of the evening, especially as she was buzzing from howeasyeverything was with Sutton.
“Do you have to be back for Lucy?” she asked as they drew up to her car.
“Eventually, yes,” Sutton replied with a cute little smile. “But not immediately.”
“Perfect.”
Thirty minutes later, they got out of her car in the dark, abandoned parking lot. Save for the night security, they were the only ones there as they approached the large building.
“Are we allowed in here?” Sutton asked, nervously glancing over her shoulder.
Charlotte couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that escaped her. “You believe that I would start my criminal career by breaking and entering on a date with you?”
Sutton snorted a laugh, slapping lightly at Charlotte’s arm. “Obviouslynot. But I have no idea what is going on here, and the building is clearly not open.” She gestured at, indeed, the lack of lighting throughout the tall building in front of them.
Charlotte pulled the keycard out of her jacket pocket. “I am proud to inform you that this is entirely legal.”
“Is this like when we broke into the toy emporium?” Sutton whispered as they walked toward the elevator. “Did you pull some strings for this, too?”
“No,” she answered, whispering back, as she pressed the button for the forty-second floor, the highest in the building. “This building houses the headquarters for the Thompson Foundation. The top ten floors, anyway.”
Sutton’s blue eyes widened, immediately looking around, trying to take in more through the glass exterior of the elevator and see into the floors.
As they stepped off the elevator, Charlotte took Sutton’s hand in hers and led her down the main hallway, toward the back of the building.
They walked slowly, Sutton’s free hand coming to lightly grasp at Charlotte’s wrist. “Wow.” The word was said so softly, awed, as Sutton took in the setup.
Which, Charlotte admitted, was inspiring. Her grandmother had had their offices redesigned ten years ago in a collaboration with three of the most cutting-edge architects in the country. As a result, the workspace was open and welcoming, with polished wood floors, a lot of open, airy glass, and conference collaboration spaces and offices all designed with a perfect, ergonomic flow.
Whenever she came here, she felt fairly inspired as well.
Admittedly, she hadn’t come here very frequently since her grandmother had died. Since her political career had ended, this had become her grandmother’s focus, and her presence here was so incredibly strong.
Charlotte felt it every time she walked through the door.
Which was why it was very fitting to do what she intended to do here.
She let Sutton into the room they’d been heading toward, turning the lights to a dim glow. Just enough to really illuminate the corners.
Sutton’s soft gasp resonated with exactly what Charlotte felt settling inside of her, too.
Right in front of them, all of D.C. was laid out like an installation of living art. The foundation building was one of the tallest in the city, and in this room, facing out at the city, there were floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
It was one of Charlotte’s favorite spots.
“Charlotte, this is… just…” Sutton shook her head gently as she turned to look at Charlotte, that wonderment having clearly returned.
Charlotte felt absolute pride at having caused it.
“I know.” She nodded. “It’s incredible. And I thought that it would be the right place for me to do… what I’m about to do.”
Sutton’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, wordlessly watching as Charlotte reached into her jacket. She lightly traced her finger over the edge of an envelope before she drew it out of her pocket.
