by Karen Booth
Fran had also been regularly reminding her that she only had a few more weeks before it’d be impossible to walk around in an outfit like the one she was wearing today. At some point soon, some unwitting stranger or member of the hotel staff was going to ask when she was due. Unless she wanted to blame her expanding waistline on late-night potato-chip binges, there was no getting around it. She’d have to start telling people about the baby.
Today was December 15. Ten days until Christmas, when their faction of the Locke family would be spending the holiday at Sawyer’s apartment, right before he and his wife-to-be, Kendall, would be leaving for their honeymoon. If she’d sold her half of the units, she would tell them then. Visions of opening gifts before a roaring fire, sipping eggnog and enjoying family time popped into her head. What a lovely backdrop for the announcement that not only Sawyer and Kendall would be bringing a new Locke into the world, but Charlotte would be as well. She imagined good wishes, warm embraces and wide smiles. That was the response she wanted more than anything, and she knew very well that she’d have to live with the memory forever, so she’d better do her best to make it a good one. As far as she was concerned, news of a baby, no matter the circumstances, should be greeted with nothing less than pure joy.
Which was precisely the reason she had not yet told Michael. There was no telling how he would take the news, or if he would take it at all. Knowing him, he’d probably blow it off and say he had to get to a meeting with a client. She wanted to believe there was a chance he’d be open to it once he actually heard the news, but she was haunted by the things he’d said when they were together. Things like I’ve never wanted to be a parent. Mine seemed to hate it.
Charlotte’s phone rang, and the caller ID said it was Sawyer. She guessed he was calling to make sure she was actually doing something productive and real-estate-related today.
“Morning, Sawyer. How are you?” she answered.
“Wow. I forget how chipper you can be in the morning.”
Charlotte had always been a morning person, which was admittedly incongruous with her party-girl past. She’d never been the type to sleep until noon, even when she was a teenager and had tiptoed her way back into the house at 4:00 a.m. “I’ve got work to do. Phone calls to make. Luxury condominiums in the most beautiful hotel in Manhattan to show off.”
Sawyer laughed. “So it’s going well?”
“Great. Fantastic.” Charlotte didn’t hesitate with her answer, even when she knew she was only putting polish on her unproven sales skills. “I’ve got my home office all set up. I’m ready to sell.”
“And you’re okay with the Michael Kelly situation? You seemed tense around him. Is there something I should know?”
Oh, sure. You got two hours to sit down and listen to your sister spill her guts? She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. The simplest explanation was the best for now. Sawyer would only think less of her if he knew that she and Michael had been romantically involved. She could hear it now. Is there a single guy in Manhattan you haven’t dated? “I interviewed with his agency earlier this year. He declined to take me on as an agent.”
“Oh. Wow. I had no idea. I’m so sorry. That had to have stung a bit.”
There it was, that familiar sound—pity. Charlotte wanted so desperately to erase that conditioned response from her family’s repertoire. “It’s fine. You know. It’s just business.” She could give herself the it’s-just-business answer one thousand times and she still wouldn’t believe it. Michael’s ability to turn her down for a job and still end up her boyfriend was a shining example of just how often and how easily the man got whatever he wanted. He always won. Always.
“You’re right. Sometimes business decisions are nothing more than that. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any romantic history there.”
Charlotte had to think fast. Eventually, her family would know about the pregnancy. Eventually, they would learn that although they were not together, Michael was the father of her child. There was no getting around that. “There’s a little romantic history, but it’s old news. Done and gone.”
“What does ‘a little romantic history’ mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. A little romance, and it’s history.”
He blew out an exasperated breath. “I just need to know that there’s nothing going on between you two. It’s not good for business.”
“You realize you sound like a total hypocrite right now?” Much of Sawyer’s history with his fiancée, Kendall, involved blurring the lines between business and pleasure.
“I know. But I’m also thinking about the reality of the situation. My romance with Kendall messed up a lot of things for her professionally. She nearly lost her job. It’s a double standard, and it isn’t right, but oftentimes women are judged for these things differently than men.”
He wasn’t wrong. Women were judged for a lot of things differently than men. “Michael Kelly is in the past, I promise. Nothing to worry about.”
“Okay. I just want to make sure everything is aboveboard. I want people talking about the hotel and keeping its reputation as a destination, not gossiping about the agents selling the units. I also want to keep the chance of working with Michael open. I don’t want him thinking a single bad thought about a member of the Locke family.”
Too late. “Got it. Loud and clear.”
“I want you to know I gave the same speech to Noah. It’s not just you.”
“You did?”
“He has a crush on Lily, our admin. I keep telling him to back off, but he has a hard time keeping the flirtation in check. They’re close friends, which makes me nervous enough. I’m amazed he hasn’t managed to figure out a way to make a move on her without making me mad.”
“What if she’s the one for him?”
“For Noah? You know how he is. He’d get restless. She’d quit. There’s just too much opportunity for things to go wrong. Kendall and I gambled and it worked out, but it almost never does.”
As if Charlotte needed a reason to stay away from Michael romantically—Sawyer would be greatly displeased. Knowing this only confirmed how sensible her plan was. It was best to wait until her units were sold before telling her family about the pregnancy. No more conflict of interest, and she’d also be past the twelve-week mark. Too many pregnancy books insisted it was best to wait until then. “Look. I swear to you that this is a nonissue. Michael and I work in the same industry and we are professionals. I will sell my units and that’s all you need to know. Don’t you worry.” Leave that up to me.
“You’re very resourceful and there’s no doubt you’re determined. I know you won’t let me down.”
Charlotte would deserve every ounce of guilt to come if she let down Sawyer. That’s why she wasn’t going to let it happen. She glanced at the time on her laptop. “I actually have a showing in a few minutes. I should probably head down to the lobby to meet my client.”
“Absolutely. Don’t let me hold you up.”
“Love you, Sawyer.”
“Love you, too.”
Charlotte hung up, ducked into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and checked her hair. It was time to kick some butt and charm her way into convincing the New Jersey divorcée to buy her own little piece of the Grand Legacy.
Downstairs in the lobby, Charlotte stood near the concierge desk, trying to stay out of the way as a flurry of people milled about. Folks were checking in, some were checking out and the staff catered to their every need. The holidays were always a very busy time in the city and popular with tourists. If any city knew how to do Christmas, it was New York. Between ice-skating in the shadow of the big tree at Rockefeller Center and the extravagant department-store windows and decor, there was no shortage of cheer. The city had even gotten a dusting of snow last night, although it had been meticulously cleared from the sidewalk in front of
the hotel. No detail at the Grand Legacy was ever overlooked.
The lobby itself was tastefully decorated with thick swags of fresh pine garland, adorned with strands of glimmering silver and scarlet beads and studded with tiny twinkling lights. The tree, twelve feet tall and dressed with an array of glass ornaments, was tucked into an alcove next to the sweeping grand staircase, which led to the second-floor speakeasy. Christmas was most certainly coming. As was Charlotte’s baby.
In through the revolving door came Charlotte’s client, Marie Stapleton, bundled up in a black wool coat and a Burberry scarf. Her face lit up when she caught sight of Charlotte. They rushed toward each other and embraced.
“Marie. It’s so good to see you. Let me help you with your coat.” Marie had been one of Charlotte’s most loyal clients when she had her party-planning business. Marie’s husband, or now ex-husband, was a Wall Street bigwig, and they had thrown some seriously over-the-top bashes out at their estate.
“You look lovely, Charlotte. Are you doing something new with your makeup? Your skin looks incredible.” Marie unwound the scarf from her neck and worked her way out of her coat, both of which Charlotte took from her.
Charlotte shrugged. “Nope. Same old thing. Maybe I’m getting more sleep?”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s working.”
Charlotte flagged one of the bellhops, who hustled over to them. “Can you check Ms. Stapleton’s things in the coatroom, please?”
“Yes, Ms. Locke. Of course.” He smiled and was on his way.
“Shall we go pick out your new apartment?” Charlotte asked. It was such a sales-y thing to say. It was the sort of thing Michael would say. Charlotte was proud of herself for having the nerve to presume that Marie would end up living here.
“I can’t wait to see it,” Marie replied as they managed to catch the elevator before the doors closed. “I’m dying to be back in the city and I wouldn’t mind having you for a neighbor. Think of all the fun we could have. Two single girls, out on the town.”
Charlotte smiled and nodded, even though she knew she’d have to hold off on revelry with Marie for at least a year or two unless Marie’s idea of “out on the town” included newborns and strollers. They rode up to the fifteenth floor to look at the first unit Charlotte had to offer.
Marie only took a few steps into the foyer before she turned to Charlotte and said, “I’m in love already.”
“You are?” Charlotte asked, quickly correcting herself. “Well, don’t fall too quickly. There are other fish in the sea, most notably the top-floor units. If you’re interested in looking.” She flipped on the dining room lights, which included a gorgeous chandelier and four elegant wall sconces.
Marie nodded intently, looking all around the room. “It’s beautiful. I can see myself throwing intimate dinner parties here. I’ll invite all my single friends and we’ll laugh and drink too much wine and talk until the wee hours.” Marie painted an appealing picture. Charlotte committed her words to memory—she could use them on a future potential buyer if they weren’t as much of a visionary as Marie. “Show me more. Then I definitely want to see one of those top-floor units.”
“Yes. Of course. They’re more expensive. And in fact, they’re a bit outside the price range you gave me.” Charlotte knew that many real-estate agents would wait until the client couldn’t imagine living anywhere else before they broke the bad news that the price exceeded the budget. But she wasn’t most agents. “The units are so new there isn’t much room for negotiation, unfortunately.”
Marie trailed into the kitchen and gasped when she saw the stunning white marble countertops. She smoothed her fingers over them. “I’m guessing they’re worth every penny.”
An hour later, Charlotte had given Marie the tour of three units. Now they were settling into a corner booth at the hotel restaurant, which hadn’t been ready at the time of the grand reopening and had only been open for a few days. As it was midmorning, Charlotte ordered them a big pot of tea and a basket of handmade pastries. She was starving. “Well? What did you think?” she asked, scarfing down a ginger-blueberry scone in as ladylike a fashion as possible.
“I think the hardest part is going to be picking the unit. They all have different things to fall in love with. The terrace on the top floor is hard to beat, but I love the bathroom configuration in the first one we saw.” She sipped her tea and tapped her fingers on the table.
Charlotte’s pulse started to pick up. She’d closed appallingly few real-estate deals in her short tenure as an agent. She was still learning the art of reading people when it came to this. There had been several times when she’d worked with someone for weeks, certain they were going to buy at any moment, only to eventually discover that they weren’t serious or simply weren’t able to make up their mind.
“I don’t think you can go wrong, if that helps at all.” It was the most diplomatic thing Charlotte could think to say. “It’s going to be awesome no matter what you decide. The world is your oyster, and anyone would kill to have the sort of options you do.” She blanketed Marie’s hand with hers. “Just envision your fabulous new life and where you’d like to be living while you embark on your new beginning.”
Marie turned to Charlotte and a tiny tear rolled down her cheek. “You know, I never thought I would be here. I really thought that Bradley and I had one of those marriages that would last.”
Oh, no. Charlotte had said something wrong and now she was going to pay the price. “Of course you did. A bright and optimistic person like yourself believes in love. You’ll find it again. I know you will. But you won’t find it until you’re ready to start your new chapter.”
“You really think I will?”
“I do. There’s no doubt in my mind.” It wasn’t a line simply to close the deal. “You’re sweet and generous. You’re smart and a good person. You are truly beautiful, inside and out.” Charlotte’s entire worldview revolved around people like Marie finding their soul mate. If Charlotte didn’t believe with every fiber of her being that someone as wonderful as Marie would find love again, what was there to believe in?
“Okay, then. I’m ready to make an offer.” She cut open a muffin and slipped a generous pat of butter inside.
“On the first unit?”
She smiled with a devilish gleam in her eye. “Oh, no. On the top floor.”
Charlotte matched Marie’s grin with one of her own. Take that, Michael. Take that.
Five
After only a few days living in the hotel, Michael already liked coming home to the Grand Legacy. His apartment wasn’t quite settled yet, but he was happy, albeit still unsure if living in such close proximity to Charlotte was a good idea. If he was supposed to be the guy getting her out of his mind, having her so nearby wasn’t going to help.
Tonight, he had the elevator to himself, which was an unexpected bonus. He leaned against the wall during his ride upstairs. He’d had such a crazy nonstop day, no moment of silence was taken for granted. When he reached his floor and the doors slid open, he got another surprise—Thor, then Charlotte, whizzing past.
He stepped out into the hall, watching Charlotte scurry after her dog while wearing heels. How he loved the sway of her hips in that skirt. “Hey, neighbor. Did Trouble make a break for it again?”
“Very funny calling him Trouble.”
“It’s only fitting.”
Charlotte cornered Thor and scooped him up into her arms. “Bad dog,” she scolded, her brows drawing together. The reprimand was followed by kisses on the nose and a ruffling of his ears. If Michael’s dog, Abby, was spoiled, Thor was spoiled rotten. “I don’t know what his problem is. He’s still behaving like a puppy. I thought he would’ve outgrown this by now.”
“Maybe he just doesn’t like being cooped up all day. Maybe he needs a walk. I have to take Abby out if you want to go together.” H
e wasn’t sure it was a good idea, especially since he’d convinced himself the other night that moving on from Charlotte was his best course of action, but he’d already extended the invitation.
She arched both eyebrows at him. “That sounds like a social outing.”
“You can wear a disguise if you’re worried someone might see you with me. Sunglasses and a fake mustache, maybe?”
She swatted him on the arm. “That’s not what I meant.” She pursed her lips and drew in a deep breath through her nose, looking at Thor, not him. “It’s just so civilized. Almost like we like each other.”
“We do like each other, don’t we?” He did his best not to sound hurt by her statement. He loved their biting back-and-forth and never thought of it as genuine dislike. He’d assumed she felt the same way.
“Not always we don’t.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Even when we argue, it still feels like we like each other. Even when you were breaking up with me, I felt like half of the anger you directed at me was out of affection.”
It was true. And maybe that was why he was still so drawn to Charlotte, even when he knew that if he dared to try again, it would be no easy task. She wasn’t the type of woman to let him off the hook about anything. It was both her appeal and her downside. He loved a challenge, but only when he had an excellent chance of winning. There was no winning with Charlotte when they each wanted radically different things.
She shot him another doubting look. “I’d say it was more out of affection for the idea of screaming at you.”
