“If you’ll both excuse me, I have to catch Rex Tally before he leaves. It was so lovely to meet you, Senator Thompson.” Zeke gave Sutton’s shoulder a squeeze before making his way through the crowd.
Charlotte turned back to Sutton, running her eyes over her again for a beat too long to be polite. Charlotte knew social rules to a T: how long it was appropriate to gaze, how long to shake someone’s hand, what to say to break a silence… she knew it all instinctively.
But she looked now, uncaring, with so many questions swirled through her thoughts.
What are you doing here? How long have you been a professor? What happened to your wife? Is spending time with you still like taking in the most refreshing drink? Do you ever think about me?
She had to take a second to ponder what was appropriate to ask. What did you say to your ex-lover for whom you’d had such a deep affection that you still thought of her years later?
She settled on niceties and opened her mouth to deliver one. After all, she wasn’t ready to let this opportunity go. But then?—
“What are you doing here?” Sutton blurted out. She fidgeted slightly before clearly forcing herself to stop.
Charlotte ate it up like she was starving. Still refreshing.
“I live in D.C. for the majority of the year right now; I’m a senator for New York.” She chanced a joke, winking as she rubbed her hand over her chest. “Also, ouch. I hadn’t realized I would be so far down on the list of current events that you wouldn’t know.”
A fleeting smile lit up Sutton’s face, delighting her, before she shook her head and brushed her hair behind her ear. “As if anyone could escape that headline; I know that much, thank you. I just meant, what are you doinghere?” She gestured around them. “We were told there would be a representative from the foundation, but I never…” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t think it would beyou.”
“This program moved my grandmother. I wanted to be just a little part of it. For her.” Charlotte’s voice dipped to a whisper that threatened tears, which surprised her. She wasn’t surprised by her own motivation of being here, but she was damn shocked that she was admitting it to anyone who wasn’t Caleb, Dean, or William. She took a deep breath and blew it out, shaking her head and smiling. “Sorry, a little too serious for this.”
For this event, for this unplanned reunion.
But Sutton shook her head. “No, it’s—I’m really sorry.” Sutton’s hand landed on her arm, over the thin fabric of her sleeve, squeezing gently. “I was really sorry when it happened. I mean, she was incredible, but I… I know what she meant to you.”
Charlotte’s eyes searched Sutton’s. She could feel the genuine sympathy in them. It wasn’t what she had been given from the hundreds of people who’d given her condolences just after the death; it felt more personal than that.
“Thank you.” She wanted to put her hand over Sutton’s, but Sutton slid hers off almost as soon as it landed.
Sutton gave her a ridiculously charming, embarrassed half-smile. “Of course.”
Charlotte arched an eyebrow, feeling more at liberty to ask, “And what areyoudoing here?”
Sutton waved her hand. “Oh, I’m the head of the academic organization of the Zones.”
Tilting her head, a slow grin pulled at her lips. “No, I heard your speech. I meant: What are you doing here, in the broader sense? I never expected you to be this far from your people.”
“Oh. Well, I got a job offer at Georgetown at a fortuitous time; my—my, um, ex-wife was from just outside D.C., in Maryland, and so it just made sense.”
Ex-wife.
Ex-wife? About a thousand questions entered Charlotte’s mind. Who ended it? Why? What?—
She couldn’t ask any of that.
“Georgetown is lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky to be at such a great university.”
Charlotte shook her head slowly. “No, I had it right the first time. I’m so glad you figured it all out.”
A small, adorable smile curled at Sutton’s mouth, and she took a deep breath before starting to speak. Then?—
“Sutton! Your speech was perfect, honestly. I have to ask you about our next meeting before I leave. Oh, am I interrupting?” A woman Charlotte had never seen before sidled up to them out of the absolute blue.
She really should have had the presence of mind to know she hadn’t been keeping an eye on the rest of the room.
Sutton looked startled herself, looking between Charlotte and the woman, then back again. “Um, hi, Cleo.” She looked back at Charlotte, searching her face before she shook her head. “No, we were just catching up. I got your email earlier, if that’s what you’d like to discuss.”
