“Ah…” Charlotte cleared her throat. “I just happened to be at Un Petit Plaisir and noticed they were on the menu and was lucky enough to get this to take with me last night.”
Sutton’s eyebrows raised, clearly questioning even with her excitement. “You got these from that crazy fancy French place that opened less than six months ago, run by a Michelin-starred chef?” Her gaze, amusement very clear within it, slid to Charlotte’s. “That youjust so happenedto be at last night?”
Charlotte refused to beembarrassedat this, of all things. “I just so happened to notice they were on the menu; I didn’t say I noticed last night.” She’d noticed when she’d had a business dinner there two months ago and had made a mental note to buy them for Sutton, at some point in time.
This seemed like a perfect point in time.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Sutton said, her own voice falling softly as she looked down at the dessert box.
“You are aware that I was raised to have impeccable manners? I couldn’t show up to a holiday meal empty-handed, darling. My ancestors would be rolling in their graves.”
Sutton’s laughter rang out, loud and entirely perfect. “Ah, right. Whenever I think of you, my first thought is of manners.”
“What else could it possibly be?” She couldn’t help but look up at Sutton from under her lashes. Even when sheknewshe was flirting with Sutton, she couldn’t always help it.
If Charlotte was honest with herself, shewoulddesperately like to know what it was that Sutton thought about her.
Sutton’s smile slightly faded as she stared at Charlotte for a long moment, their gazes locked. “I?—”
She didn’t get to hear what she was very much wanting to know as the answer as Sutton’s sister walked in, announcing her presence loud and clear. “Sutton, I know you said we can’t have more apps, but Ethan and I arestarving.”
The moment was broken, and Sutton turned to look at her sister. The softness dissipated as exasperation took its place. “Alex, there is no way you are starving; less than an hour ago, I put out the chips and dip and the scallops, and everything was eaten. Mostly by you two!”
Alex tossed her hands in the air. “Regan and Dad really helped put it away, too.” Her gaze caught on Charlotte then, and she could see the moment recognition set in. “You got any peanut butter?”
The words were said as a joke but with a sharp edge that she could recognize.
“Hello, Alex. Very nice to see you again.” Charlotte gamely smiled at her.
Alex arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, you, too. You know, back in the day, I was still in amateur status as a fighter.” She crossed her arms, which did have a very admirable muscle tone, even though her long-sleeved shirt. “I’m now a world champion.”
“Thatis the most random, ridiculous statement you could ever possibly greet someone with.” Sutton crossed the kitchen and nudged her sister—who, though much more muscular, stood several inches shorter than she did—out of the way. “And if you don’t have anything else to do in here except use minimal manners, you can go back out to report to the masses that the turkey will be done in twenty minutes.”
Alex nailed her with alook, even as she exaggeratedly sighed at Sutton—Charlotte supposed it was a universal relationship of sisters, regardless of age—and left the room.
She understood Alex’s message loud and clear. Her career heights were both impressive and threatening.
Especially as Charlotte understood a threat when she heard it.
Sutton gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”
Charlotte waved her off. “I’ve dealt with much stranger people than your sister,” she assured her, which made Sutton laugh.
Winning, yet again.
“I’m sure you have,” Sutton agreed before she startled at the sound of a timer going off on her phone. She spun, reaching out and turning the sound off. “Do you want to help me get everything set up?”
If Charlotte was honest, she’d never had such a good time in the kitchen. She very rarely ever spent any time in one, granted, but when she did, it was never fun. It never involved Sutton directing her around—which she’d uncharacteristically always enjoyed—or Sutton standing closely behind her and directing Charlotte on how she wanted certain things arranged.
Charlotte wished the rest of the day could have been that simple.
It wasn’t.
Dinner went well, for the most part.
She was seated next to Sutton on one side, Jack on the other. This worked very well in her favor as she got to discuss what she was best at discussing: work.
Work talk was brought to an end toward dessert, when Alex cut in and reminded Jack that, per Katherine’s rules, politics talk wasn’t supposed to be holiday meal discussion, which Katherine seconded.
