She first tried to tell herself otherwise, that Sutton wasn’t going to do something like that. Even last month when Sutton had fucked her on her desk, she’d not even waited twenty-four full hours before Sutton had come to her home, seeking her out to talk.
Even though Sutton had wanted them to only be friends, the fact was that Sutton had still soughtherout to talk. She’d clearly been on Sutton’s mind.
This… this silence was something entirely new for Charlotte.
She’d slept with someone, had anincredibletime, and had slept over. The woman she’d slept with had then been the one to be all dressed and put-together the following day.
Charlotte had never been the person left waiting on pins and needles to hear from a woman. She’d never been left like this… in this state ofemotional wanting.
Or, she supposed, a worse state. A state of emotionalnot knowing.
The only woman she’d ever emotionally wanted was Sutton Spencer.
But the Sutton Spencer of thirteen years ago was so emotionally open that Charlotte could read her like a book. Not even a novel; a picture book.
And now, Charlotte was tangled up in knots because Sutton was casually texting and being the opposite of clingy.
Which, honestly, was everything Charlotte had ever wanted in a sexual partner!
Unless, clearly, that partner was Sutton Spencer!
Was Sutton trying to put some distance between them before they saw one another again? Was she going to act like that mind-blowing sex hadn’t happened, like she wanted to the last time?
Charlotte hadn’t really known what possessed her, other than these ridiculousfeelingsmarching through her veins, to scour her professional emails, an account handled preliminarily by Maya, filtered before anything reached Charlotte’s eyes, but… yes. There it was.
She was copied on an email about the Zones to the Thompson Foundation. Lily Balducci, who ran the foundation at present, had replied with her RSVP and said she would give the intended donation on behalf of the foundation, which was how the organization had been handled since Charlotte’s grandmother had died.
Charlotte had tapped her fingers against the edge of her desk for a few moments before she made the decision. Or, rather, it felt like her body made the decision for her. She’d stood and marched to the doors of her office, throwing them open and announced her intentions to attend the fundraiser for the Zones to Autumn and Maya. For Autumn, that meant obtaining an outfit for Charlotte to wear on short notice, given they’d need to leave in a few hours and Charlotte had back-to-back meetings all afternoon, and for Maya, it meant updating Charlotte’s entire afternoon and evening schedule, even if it was deliberately kept light.
The car slowed as they came to a stop in front of the building where the fundraiser was being held.
She took a deep breath and turned to address both Autumn and Maya. “You’re free to come to the event with me. Or free to take the evening to yourselves…” She arched a knowing eyebrow at them. “But don’t forget that you both have an early morning, whether I’m in session or not.”
“I’m just going to go home,” Autumn volunteered quickly, dipping her gaze pointedly to her tablet.
Maya bit her bottom lip but held Charlotte’s gaze. “Me, too.”
“Her own home,” Autumn cut in sharply, though she didn’t look up.
“Right,” Maya quickly agreed, looking less sure of herself.
“Right,” Charlotte echoed. “Take the car back to your home…s, then. I’ll call Hamish to return later.”
Romantically, she may have been in the beginning of a tailspin, but professionally, there was no way she was going to let her assistants think they were getting away with teasing her with no return.
“Have a good night,” she said. “I’ll see you bright and early.”
She smartly closed the door behind her as she stood on the pavement and brushed her hands down the thighs of her the new Tom Ford dress that Autumn had procured for her this afternoon. Charlotte had had to quickly style her own hair, which she’d done on the back end of her last meeting, video off.
God, was that—did her stomach feel full ofnerves?
“You’re at a fundraiser at a university, for fuck’s sake,” she muttered to herself before smiling and nodding at one of the groups milling on the large steps outside. “You’re not at a presidential benefit or making a speech at the U.N.”
And when shewasat those events, she didn’t feel half this nervous!
Refusing to brush her hands over her stomach and fidget with her clothing, she resolutely kept her hands down at her sides, nodding her thanks at the doorman.
The room was bustling with activity. Several other attendees were clearly dressed in their best, much like Charlotte—likely those who were there to make larger donations—while she could see that there were a handful of professors and other academics who likely worked hands-on at the Zones dressed in their everyday wear. There were younger people—teenagers—who likely attended the Zones as well.
