Sutton was so glad her reflex was to tighten her hold on Lucy in her surprise rather than the opposite, as Charlotte drew up right next to her. She was close enough for Sutton to feel her body warmth, and the pleasure from that mixed in with her surprise.
“Charlotte?” she couldn’t help but ask, perplexed, as if she, Lucy, and Izzie were all sharing a delusion.
Dressed in one of her gorgeously fitted, expensive suits, with her hair perfectly curled and falling over her shoulders, Charlotte stood in all her glory as she sent them a dazzling smile. “That’s quite a multifaceted welcome, I must say.”
She then directed that smile at Lucy, leaning down slightly to get right on her level. “Hi, Luce! Long time no see.”
Lucy giggled, reaching out to poke Charlotte’s shoulder. “I just saw youMonday. You and Mama arebothso silly sometimes.”
“I suppose we are,” Charlotte allowed, glancing at Sutton with a conspiratorial grin.
Those insane butterflies that she’d felt earlier returned at merely seeing that smile, and Sutton found herself nearly breathless with them. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard that there was a show-and-tell slot opening this afternoon,” she explained, shooting Sutton a blink-and-you’d-miss-it wink before looking expectantly at Miss Izzie. “Apologies that I didn’t have time to check beforehand; I know I wasn’t on the docket, but I was hoping?—”
The young woman positivelyjumpedas soon as she was directly addressed by Charlotte. “Oh! No! Absolutely! You’re definitely welcome to join us, in any capacity!”
Sutton blinked widely at the woman, trying valiantly to clamp down on the grin that wanted to split across her face.
Charlotte’s smile—far more diplomatic than Sutton’s—grew. “Wonderful. I so appreciate it.”
Lucy’s heartbreaking disappointment seemed long forgotten as she bounced against Sutton—oof, again she was reminded that Lucy was getting big enough that she wouldn’t be able to hold her like this for much longer—and kicked her legs sharply out at the sides in excitement. “This is socool!”
She wiggled against Sutton, who let her down. “I gotta tell my friends!”
“Me too,” Miss Izzie added before clearing her throat, her cheeks darkening. “That is, send out a memo of the change in schedule to the other parents and staff. Excuse me.”
They both watched her walk back to her desk, and Charlotte murmured, “I get the impression that she’s easily starstruck? Very into politics?”
Sutton slowly shook her head as she turned her gaze back to Charlotte. “No, not really. This is a D.C.-located private school, Charlotte,” she informed her dryly. “You are far from the first politician she’s met. I’d say it has far more to do withyouspecifically.”
And, as she gazed at Charlotte, Sutton could fully understand what Miss Izzie was feeling.
She’d known Charlotte for over a decade and still got that feeling of awe sometimes. She’d had a sexual relationship with Charlotte, for crying out loud, andstillfelt it consistently.
Charlotte murmured, “Huh,” as if she was surprised by Sutton’s words, but the slight uptick of the edge of her lips told another story.
If Charlotte were nearly anyone else, that smirk would have looked pompous or conceited and ruined her entire aesthetic in this moment. Of her being a trailblazing, famous, beyond gorgeous senator, showing up for the afternoon to do a show-and-tell for children she wasn’t even related to.
But it didn’t.
Charlotte wore confidence like she wore her designer suits. If anything, it only added to her charm.
Sutton felt her heart skip a beat, and she couldn’t help but lean back against the doorjamb, grateful for the support.
Charlotte was so beautiful; nothing ever dimmed it. She was strong, brilliant, capable, and she wanted to use all that capability to better the world around her. Sutton knew better than literally anyone how strong Charlotte’s appeal was.
She, more than anyone, could sympathize with Lucy’s twenty-something sapphic teacher.
“What are you doing here?” she couldn’t help but ask, hearing the marvel in her own tone.
Charlotte’s smirk melted into her normal smile. Well, the smile she often gave to Sutton. Something soft and warm. Could smiles be intimate? This one felt that way. “I told you—I’m here for show-and-tell.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m aware ofthat. But… don’t you have work?” She searched Charlotte’s honey-brown eyes for an explanation.
Charlotte shrugged entirely too easily. “After this morning, my schedule was fairly flexible, if you recall.”
Sutton could only shake her head. She, of course,didrecall their conversation, but Charlotte was not the type of person to cancel an afternoon of scheduled work last minute without some sort of emergency to prompt it. Especially when she’d already taken that spontaneous day off from work earlier this month!
