by Haley Cass
“I’m fine,” she choked out, eyes closing briefly to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. Clearing her throat, she reiterated. “Really, I’m feeling okay. I was just running behind schedule and I didn’t want to have to make you come all of the way to get me.”
He accepted her words with a nod but she didn’t miss the fact that his concerned look didn’t fade completely. “I don’t like the idea of you walking around the city, alone, though.”
Now as she rolled her eyes, she felt more at-ease than she had in over a day. A familiar argument. “You do know that I live here in this city, right? I walk alone here every day.”
“As if that makes me feel any less worried.”
She was a prime candidate for her parents’ worry, even more so than Alex, in their dad’s mind. Sutton would never be able to forget the many, many lectures she’d received upon choosing to attend NYU.
Jack had tried hard to convince her to go to school somewhere more centrally in the northeast, even if it was just a smaller city. Her mother hadn’t been as concerned about her being in a big city alone, so much as just not wanting her to be far from home at all.
As it was, there was Lucas who was a park ranger in Maine. Oliver was – and always would be – situated and happy to work close to home, not even really moving away to go to college. He’d chosen to go to Northeastern and lived within a ten minute drive to their parent’s house in Newton. And Ethan, at age fourteen, still lived at home.
Alex had moved away, but hadn’t truly settled – she went where her career would take her. All over the US or overseas to a multitude of European cities. Sutton was the only one who’d settled out of her family’s comfort zone.
However, she didn’t want to hear anymore lectures on the matter and she linked her arm through his. “Don’t worry about me, dad.” She spared a look through the doors, only for a second, eyes dancing over everyone she could see for a few moments. But no one stuck out. Charlotte wasn’t among them, which gave her the courage she needed. “Should we go in before we’re late?”
“I guess so. Let’s go.” He straightened his back and squared his shoulders in a way that she’d seen him do many times. Always when it came to business and political events, and she’d always thought that him dreading a party or a dinner more than important meetings that he took fairly frequently was so odd.
But she felt herself squaring her own shoulders now in a mirroring move, and for once, she understood.
With that feeling of nerves settling in the pit of her stomach again, they walked in. She moved the way her mother had always taught her to in times such as this, with poise and purpose. Nodding and smiling as they passed people that she’d met in passing over the years, as they did the same to her.
True to form, her dad didn’t stop to talk to them. It was something her mother might have chastised him for, but Sutton was perfectly fine with it. Plus, they truly were cutting it close to when they were supposed to be formally seated.
As they arrived at the entrance of the ballroom, they were directed to their seating arrangement was.
Unable to stop herself, Sutton searched through the crowd of people as her dad lead her to their table. Most of the guests were sitting already sitting, engaging in conversation.
She saw several people she knew, but no Charlotte. Which was as relieving as it was disappointing, and she rolled her eyes at herself. Here she’d been, nerves wracked all day long at the prospect of running into Charlotte, but – damn Regan for being right – she had been thrilled by the prospect, too.
With a deep breath, she pulled herself together as best as she could. Because spending the night stressing about and thinking about Charlotte was silly. She was here with her dad to keep him company.
It was just in time, too, as they arrived at their designated table, which was already half filled. Half filled with people she knew, for that matter, though there would still be two empty seats after she and her father sat down.
Melissa Royce, the daughter of the current governor of Rhode Island, was out of her chair in a second, bounding over to her with exuberance. “Sutton!”
The small, practiced smile she’d worn as soon as they’d entered the building became genuine seconds before she was engulfed in a hug. “Mel, how are you?”
Melissa’s considerable . . . assets were, as always, fairly on display, and, as always, she exuded confidence as she pulled back. “I’m fabulous, of course. I didn’t know you’d be here!”
“My mother was supposed to come, but she was busy at home,” she offered as an explanation, which was relatively true, just without detail. “I didn’t know you’d be here, either.”
She waved her hand back and forth lightly. “Oh, of course. I’ve been visiting the city for a few weeks and dad’s a big supporter of the center, so, here we are.”
Mel was shorter than she was, so it was no issue for Sutton to see beyond her to the rest of the group they were to be sitting with, even before she started to move back to her chair. Sutton followed, nodding first in the direction of Melissa’s father. “Mr. Royce, it’s nice to see you.”
He gave her a smile. “Sutton! We were expecting your mother, but what better substitute is there?”
“Thank you,” she accepted it as the compliment he intended, and really, there were fewer things Sutton felt could be said that made her feel more flattered than comparisons to her mom. Her eyes darted to the other occupants, landing first on an older woman, with graying hair. A former Connecticut Senator, Sutton placed her easily. “Mrs. Wilson, you look very nice.”
Anna Wilson, who she was more or less just as familiar with as she was with the Royce family, gave her a warm grin. “You’re as beautiful as ever, Sutton. Are you well?”
“Quite, yes. Thank you,” she answered, distracted slightly as Melissa drew out the chair next to her, patting it for Sutton to sit down.
She did, catching her dad’s eye with a grin as she could see him breathe a sigh of relief. There were fewer people her father would have been more comfortable sitting with at one of these functions.
She wondered if that had been an accident or if these seating arrangements were made with deliberate, thoughtful, precise accuracy. She couldn’t imagine the event planner going to so much trouble, but it seemed like it was a big coincidence.
Her dad was already starting to talk to Mr. Royce and Anna when Sutton realized that the man sitting next to Anna wasn’t one of her sons, as she’d assumed when she couldn’t see his face, as it had been downturned and looking at his phone.
No, it was Kyle Summers and Sutton caught her cringe before it could truly show itself on her face, even as her stomach churned uncomfortably. She bit back her sigh and fixed on as polite of a smile as she could. “Kyle, it’s . . . nice to see you here.”
The smirk that quirked up his lips was smug and irritating. “Aren’t you looking good?”
It was his wink that made her grit her teeth, annoyance welling up inside of her.
There were fewer people she’d rather not be sitting with. She’d had a hopeless crush on Kyle when she’d been a teenager, which she could excuse herself for. He was slightly older and extremely handsome, with his chiseled face and blue eyes and muscular body. It was everything that happened beyond her crush that she’d forgiven herself for, but would never forgive him.
Of course, her teenage-self hadn’t been the most subtle of people, and he’d taken great pleasure in taking advantage of her crush during the summer that he’d spent interning in Boston. Pleasures that included but were not limited to pushing her at a fast pace to go further than she’d wanted to go physically, and convincing her that while they couldn’t be in a legitimate relationship because he was going to be returning to Connecticut for school, it didn’t mean they weren’t together. Secretly.
It had gone on like that for quite a bit of time, until she’d finally ended it just before graduating from high school, because she’d heard that he’d gotten a girl at school pregnant. Anoth
er girl who he was secretly dating, no doubt.
She’d still never told her family about anything between them, as it would have been useless and awkward. Only Regan had known, and had been ready to kill him. Literally. In the years since, she’d only seen him a handful of times. Each one being extremely unpleasant and brief.
Instead of thanking him, as her manners told her that she should, she narrowed her eyes. “And what are you doing here?”
Sutton knew for a fact that he didn’t give a care for any youth center.
His smirk remained firmly in place as he answered, “Mrs. Wilson needed someone to accompany her.”
“And there was no one else?” she asked the question lightly, almost jokingly, but not quite.
Luckily, the only person who caught it aside from Kyle was Melissa, who turned to look at her suddenly, a questioning, mirthful look in her eyes. It made her feel somewhat satisfied when the smirk fell from Kyle’s face, and he turned back to his phone.
It should have been a dead giveaway, anyway; none of Mrs. Wilson’s sons would have had the bad manners to use their phone while they were sitting here like this.
Melissa slid her glass of champagne closer to Sutton. “Here, drink a bit to get that scowl off of your face. After we sit through the inevitably dull speeches, the bar will be open game and then we can really have some fun.”
“Awesome,” was all she managed before she took a sip.
“Ah, and here are our final companions!” Mel called out loud enough to garner the rest of the table’s attention, and Sutton looked along with them to just beyond the empty chairs opposite her and her father.
Where Charlotte was walking – no, not walking. Striding – toward them.
She wore a green dress that was tight at her chest and her hips, stopping mid-thigh, and leaving the rest of her legs bare. Long and soft-looking, and she was wearing the kind of heels that made her legs look like they didn’t even belong in this world.
Sutton skimmed her gaze up, feeling slightly dazed as she took in her bare shoulders, up her slender neck, taking in her deceptively simple looking done-up hair that allowed a few curly tendrils to fall around her face. Before she landed on her face, taking in the subtle makeup, small smile, and honeyed brown eyes.
That landed right on her.
The champagne she’d been about to swallow abruptly went down the wrong tube, and she felt herself choke on it, spluttering out a cough that drew the attention to her instead.
God, somehow in the time that she’d been stewing in her dislike for Kyle, she’d forgotten that she’d needed to be on the lookout for Charlotte! Even if she had been still looking for her, she doubted she could have been prepared.
She was certain that no one could be prepared for that.
“Sutton! Are you okay?” Melissa’s voice was loud, and her hand was insistent as it hit her on the back.
It only made her cough more, eyes watering, as her heart pounded against her ribs. And it wasn’t doing that for lack of oxygen, either.
How did someone manage to look classy and dignified, yet sexy at the same time? She wondered as she stared up at Charlotte, and as soon as the thought hit her, blue eyes widened in shock.
Damn it all, this was the whole reason she hadn’t wanted to come tonight in the first place! Because Charlotte had only been in her presence for three seconds, and Sutton was already a mess.
It was only when she felt her dad’s gentle hand on her shoulder that she realized she hadn’t said anything, and she weakly managed, “I’m fine.” She took in as deep of a breath as she could with her stomach twisting into knots. “It went down the wrong way.”
Everyone seemed appeased with her answer, save for her dad, who kept his worried eyes on her for a few more seconds. She couldn’t have thought of any other time that she would have wanted him to give her less attention ever in her life.
But when she was choking because the woman who she’d met on a gay dating app, who had explained euphemisms to her about eating out other women, among other things, was approaching the table in order to sit right across from them . . . yeah, this was the most apt time for her to hope he would focus on something – anything – else.
He seemed convinced enough by her words, and he, like everyone else, redirected his gaze back to the two people who were apparently supposed to complete their table.
She could hear pleasantries being exchanged, but she couldn’t bring herself to look back up. Not yet. Not when she still felt as winded as that time Alex had “accidentally” roundhouse kicked her right in the stomach.
Her hands shook slightly as she reached for her glass of water, and the few careful sips she took did very little to make her cheeks feel less hot. The only thing she hoped was that she didn’t look as red as her hair.
The shock and anxiety that wound through her nerves, laced with that bit of excited anticipation, steadily climbed through her, and she took a deep breath just in time to hear her dad greet, “Dean, it’s been a few years. How are you?”
Her gaze flew up to the man in question, because she’d been so distracted and unnerved by the fact that she not only was seeing Charlotte, but was apparently sitting with her too, that she hadn’t even noticed the man with her. The man who was Dean Walker, someone she’d met several times in the past, but fleetingly. He was just on the cusp of being friendly but not quite friends with her parents. He’d always seemed nice enough.
Dean nodded at her dad. “Jack, good to see you. I’m doing quite well, and yourself?”
Her dad answered, but Sutton didn’t hear it – couldn’t hear it, really – because all of her attention was on the way Dean’s arm was wrapped around Charlotte’s waist. It wasn’t a tight or possessive grip, but it was one that screamed of familiarity. Something that had been done many times in the past.
When he pulled out her chair for her, resulting in the way she touched his hand afterward in thanks, suspicion itched at the back of her neck.
She had no time to dwell on the matter, though, not when she was being addressed by Dean, “Ms. Spencer, you’re looking more and more like your mother every time I see you. Beautiful, as always.”
She cleared her throat and hoped to God that everything that was racing through her thoughts couldn’t be seen on her face. “I – thank you, Mr. Walker.”
It was all she could say, and she was just grateful that her voice didn’t waver.
“Sutton, it’s nice to see you again,” Charlotte’s voice was smooth and sure, and Sutton was unable to not look at her again. In all of the times they’d spoken through message, she’d never imagined that elegant whisper of a Southern accent on her words.
Thankfully this time she didn’t choke as she met bright, engaging brown eyes. Unlike yesterday, there was no sly and alluring smirk on her lips, and unlike herself there was no blush. Sutton’s mind scrambled to wonder how she did it. She was giving her a smile, a polite one.
How Charlotte could manage to look at her with the same look that she’d given Melissa and her father, as though she was just giving another greeting? Like Sutton didn’t meet her on SapphicSpark and like Charlotte hadn’t flirted with her several times via text for a month?
Sutton was baffled by it – by her – as she gave her a nod and a small smile. “Yes, it’s nice to see you, too.”
And honestly, she was proud of herself for getting that out as effortlessly as she did.
She had no problem switching gears and glaring, though, when Kyle turned and leaned a little past Dean in order to look at Charlotte. “You are looking absolutely exquisite this evening.”
It was then that Sutton realized that Charlotte’s grins extended beyond coquettish smirks and polite smiles. In a move that was so slight Sutton hardly saw it, the polite smile turned cool as she turned to Kyle. “I’m surprised you noticed, having been on your phone since we arrived.”
A surprised chuckle came out of the back of Sutton’s throat before she even realized it. Kyle’s charming smile soure
d a bit, and he leaned back in his chair, as Dean then joined in with a laugh.
With a deep breath, Sutton turned to look at Charlotte again. She was sitting directly in front of Sutton, but she wasn’t looking at her. Which made sense, clearly, because Charlotte wasn’t here for her, but . . .
It was all just so strange.
“So, Sutton, the last I knew, you were studying literature at NYU. What are you doing these days?” Dean asked, startling Sutton out of staring at the side of Charlotte’s face.
Charlotte, who she saw give Dean a quirked eyebrow out of the corner of her eyes. Okay, so apparently she’d not told Dean that she and Sutton texted one another, and that only added to the feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Still, she resolutely kept her gaze on Dean; there was far less of a chance that she would make a fool of herself. “I’m actually still a student. In the graduate program, now, though.”
“Still for literature?” He asked as he reached out for a glass of champagne.
“Um, yes. I’ll be graduating this year,” she mentioned, slightly distractedly, watching as he grabbed a second glass, and casually handed it to Charlotte. Who took it without even needing to look. As though this was just another song and dance for them.
He shot her a warm smile. “That’s nice. Always a relief to see the light at the end of the tunnel, right?”
“Exactly,” she answered, though she didn’t necessarily agree. Sutton enjoyed her time at school, and she was rather nervous that it would be coming to an end.
She was also rather distracted with the way Charlotte handed Dean his cloth napkin, right at the time that he had been about to reach for it. The way that she’d anticipated what he was going to do – and she gasped.
Once again, attention was on her and she tried to think of something to say, even as she was bombarded by the absolute shock racing through her system.
“I – um, I apologize, I just thought about an assignment that I forgot about,” she offered with a feeble smile. A pathetic smile for a pathetic excuse.
