She admittedly did take some satisfaction from the way Autumn gasped in surprise.
“What?”
Charlotte nodded slowly, biting her cheek, before elaborating. “Yes. We met and carried on a very discreet—” How did she explain that? Theyhadn’tbeen in a relationship technically, but to reduce what they’d had down to a fling or an affair made her want to be sick. Screw it. To Charlotte, they’d had a relationship. The most meaningful one she’d ever had. “Relationship. Before a very, very messy breakup.”
Sutton telling Charlotte how she’d shattered her heart rang in her ears, making her stomach clench. Hearing it from Katherine on Thanksgiving hadn’t been easy, but somehow, it was so much worse hearing it from Sutton.
“Because I chose my career and I wasn’t ready to come out publicly then.”
It wasn’t easy to say that; it really wasn’t. But right now, she was going for broke.
Autumn appeared to be utterly fascinated.
Charlotte paused, though, as they played their next hand.
When Autumn edged Charlotte out by only five points, she gracefully accepted defeat.
“When we ran into one another again, I…” Charlotte’s eyes unfocused from Autumn as she thought back to that evening, the first time that she’d seen Sutton in so long. “I realized I’d never quite gotten over her.”
She stared intently at the cards as Autumn shuffled them.
“I realized, so acutely, that there was no one I’d ever met who made me feel that way. And I didn’t want to lose her again. So we’ve been seeing one another even as we work on the book.”
“That was theonlyreason I had doubts about your relationship,” Autumn said as she dealt. “Because you typically are so professional and so responsible, I thoughtmaybethere was a slight chance I was reading into things. Mayaneverdoubted it, though,” she grudgingly admitted.
Charlotte outscored Autumn by fifteen points on the next hand.
“Maya and I are still seeing each other,” Autumn confessed, a deep blush staining her cheeks. “I… I don’t really know what to do about it. Idefinitelydidn’t expect for it to turn into what it is now. I’m—I’ve tried to stay as focused on work and on my career as possible, that I haven’t really had a relationship since college.”
Charlotte tilted her head, extremely endeared to the young woman, especially as Autumn fiddled with the pendant on her necklace.
“She gave me this necklace for Christmas,” she whispered, as they both looked down at it. Autumn’s fingers toyed with it. “And she—god, she invited me to Philly! I don’t know what is going on there.”
The words were hushed, spoken seemingly to herself, before she gave Charlotte a look of wide-eyed concern.
“Not that—it’snotcoming into play at work. I’d never let it. And neither would Maya.”
Charlotte found herself grinning as she shook her head. “I work with you every day; I’m well aware that both of your work is up to par. Don’t worry.”
Autumn visibly relaxed as Charlotte dealt the next hand.
“Besides,” Charlotte said, “we’re beingfriendsat the moment.”
“You’re the closest thing I have to one,” Autumn reported under her breath before she gave another of those embarrassed, worried looks.
“Yeah, you’re the closest thing I have to one, too,” Charlotte murmured, feeling the same embarrassment at the words, though far less intensely than Autumn seemed to.
At the end of the day, Charlotte was a workaholic. It wasn’t news to her, and it wasn’t a secret. Who else would she be spending so much time with?
Autumn breathed out a soft laugh. “Wow. Cool. Okay.”
At the end of the hand, Autumn took a victory with fifty points, and Charlotte stared down at their cards as the words bubbled up. “I told Sutton I wouldn’t run for president, if we could be together.”
“You what?!” Autumn positively yelped.
Her assistant stared at her in utter shock, her hand over her heart.
“I’m—I apologize.” Autumn took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out before clearing her throat. “What?” she repeated, far more calmly.
