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“Pretty cool, right?” Paola asked giddily.
Charlotte was too mesmerized to respond. The performance was enthralling.
When the swimmers took a break, Charlotte followed Paola around. A while later, Charlotte stood in front of a lavish fruit display in the shape of an octopus resting on a coral reef while Paola chatted with a group of people whose names Charlotte had already forgotten. She was too distracted looking for Alex.
Linda from HR had slid up next to them and wasn’t talking either. She probably also appreciated Paola’s friendly nature at a time like this. She could blend in without having to come up with small talk.
Popping a chunk of pineapple into her mouth, Charlotte finally caught sight of Alexandra on the other side of the pool. Dressed in a sharp white pantsuit with a plunging neckline, Alex was stunning as she glided from group to group greeting her guests. With her hair pinned back, her face was radiant as she smiled at a clump of kids.
Charlotte had never seen her flash such a wide smile before. The most she’d seen were little lopsided grins. The e ect was dazzling. Charlotte couldn’t look away as Alex crouched down to talk to a very excited little boy. She wished she was closer to hear what he could be telling her that involved so many wild gesticulations.
When the boy finished his tale, he lunged forward, tackling Alex in a hug. If the act was unexpected, Alex didn’t
let it show. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes as she embraced him.
If anyone had asked her before that moment, she would have guessed that Alexandra was not a kid person. She was so intense, so orderly. And kids were so . . . the opposite.
Before Alexandra made it more than a few steps toward a small stage, a pair of older kids stopped her to talk.
Does she know them personally? Her interactions were so personal. So close. God, maybe she connects with everyone.
Stephanie emerged from a group of suited men with her eyes set on the distracted Alex. From behind, Stephanie slid her hand down Alex’s back before resting her hand on her hip.
The sight sparked a cold discomfort in Charlotte’s stomach. There was an intimacy to the touch she hadn’t expected. Had she missed something going on between them? Was that the reason for Alex’s distance?
According to Paola, they’d known each other forever and Alex was friends with her family, but she hadn’t hinted at anything more. She’d been adamant that Alex didn’t get involved with her sta .
The more Charlotte watched the interaction between Alexandra and Stephanie, the ease between them, the more she questioned how she could ever get close to Alex like that.
If all she had to earn Alex’s trust with was her work ethic and proven reliability, it could take years . . . decades . . . if it ever happened at all.
The thought made her chest ache. She couldn’t take that chance. She needed a fast track or a fiery crash, but she couldn’t languish in the unknown for much longer.
As the music quietened, the performers eased out of their spots as Alex stepped onto the small stage with a microphone in her hand. She was so friendly, so bright.
Was it an act? An unused part of her? As Alex played gracious host, thanking various people and saying the whole lot of nothing people usually said at events like this, Charlotte wondered whether this was a persona, something she used to meet an end. Maybe it was the same part that ran the underground brothel. Whatever it was, it was di erent than the person she knew and even di erent from the person who interacted with the kids. How many sides did she have?
As she watched Alexandra command the attention of her guests, she started to really consider the possibility that this woman was capable of dual lives and dual businesses. Things that existed together but didn’t touch. The realization emboldened her, and a plan began to form.
Jayson’s voice murmured in her head. He would tell her to play it cool. To wait. To watch. Remind her that she’d been too brazen already, but there was champagne in her brain and impatience in her gut and the murmur was too low. She couldn’t hear it over the sound of her pounding heart.
Several stu y people took their turns holding the microphone. Their speeches turned into monotone background noise while Charlotte’s eyes remained trained on Alexandra.
Even standing o to the side, Alex still commanded everyone’s attention. At least Charlotte couldn’t look anywhere else. She was transfixed by her glossy lips and barely concealed cleavage.
When the music and performers returned, Alex led the others o the stage. This time Charlotte wasn’t transfixed by the theatrical scene starting to unfold in the pool.
Graciously, Alexandra floated through her guests without stopping for more than a moment. She obviously had a destination in mind.
Do you need a break from the spotlight?
Using a side door that Charlotte was pretty sure connected to the kitchen, Alexandra slipped into the spa.
Charlotte waited but Stephanie stayed behind talking to some of the hospital’s board members. Charlotte guessed she was providing cover for Alex’s reprieve.
She’s not going to follow her, but I am.
Without anyone’s notice, Charlotte inched away from Paola and the others. When she was sure no one would miss her, she slipped into the spa.
