Guilty as Sin chapter 4

Sutton's first day at work... so thrilled to be able to really dive into this!

--------- guilty as sin ----------

Chapter Four

Charlotte huffed out an irritated breath as she looked over her desk.

Which was – abysmally and dishearteningly – covered in a myriad of papers.

Truly, Charlotte was shocked by the amount of paperwork she was inundated with. Not in terms of the actual workload she had but by the fact that she received so much literally physical paperwork, constantly sent to her office.

Paperwork from constituents, from prospective proposals crossing her desk by both fellow politicians and businesspeople alike, a shit ton of mail that needed to be appropriately sorted. Invitations to events.

It was thoroughly disappointing to herself, really, because Charlotte had never in her life been disorganized, with anything. All throughout school – high school, undergrad, and law school – her folders had contained smaller folders!

With the uptick in expectation for her jumping into this position, however, coupled with the travel that was now expected of her, and the fact that she’d dragged her heels on hiring an assistant to manage all of this for her…

Well, she supposed she understood how she’d gotten here. Upsettingly.

When her phone started buzzing on her desk, alerting her to an incoming call from Caleb, she paused, and frowned for an entirely different reason.

7:50AM?

She answered the call for that reason only. “Are you or Dean experiencing a medical emergency?”

“Um, no. Why is that your first question?” He demanded to know.

“Because you’re awake, alert, and calling me before nine?” She drawled, wondering if she should even attempt to try organizing her desk while Caleb was on the line. In all reality, her brother was going to say something so vexing, she’d likely be driven to putting something in the incorrect categorization.

And because Charlotte knew her brother that well, she exhaled deeply, and leaned her hip against the desk, giving him her full attention.

“I could call you before nine,” he shot back, and she could hear the indignant pout in his tone. “You act like I don’t have a job, like I’m just some trophy-husband for my glamorous partner–”

“Dean hasn’t proposed to you, and you cook like shit,” she cut in, putting an abrupt end to wherever that had been going.

“Like you cook any better.”

“I never said I did, nor would I ever even joke about being someone’s trophy wife.” Truly, even the idea made Charlotte shudder at the way her stomach churned.

She had no issue with someone being a house-spouse; all the power to them. But to Charlotte, the very idea of tending to a home for a faceless “partner” was unbearably bleak. That was the crux of it all, wasn’t it? She couldn’t even fantasize about what a possible wife could look like even given no constraints on the thought.

Yet another reason Charlotte could just feel, with everything that made her who she was, that she was in the right place in her life.

“So? Why are you calling?” Charlotte turned Caleb’s attention back to the topic at-hand. “I’m still waiting on a grand thank you for Saturday evening, for the record. Maybe a truly fantastic bottle of wine for my troubles?”

“Charlotte, what did you want me to do! Dean arranged for a weekend getaway for us, and you know we haven’t been able to get away together for almost a year.”

“Well, since I know Dean – if you’d told him about the event on Saturday in advance, I doubt he would have picked that weekend for your little sex-escape from the city,” she smarted back. “All I’m hearing is that your poor planning constituted my emergency.”

“Hey, I was willing to take the heat from Grandmother if she found out that there was no Thompson representative at the event,” he defended, quickly. “I didn’t tell you to go in my stead; you decided that all on your own because you can’t stomach even peripherally disappointing Elizabeth Thompson.”

She pursed her lips, annoyance zinging through her at not only Caleb’s disregard for plans he’d agreed to, but also because… he wasn’t entirely incorrect.

He’d called her to let her know that he wasn’t going to the event that he was supposed to attend, and had off-handedly mentioned that he’d love if she could go in his place. But he’d been willing to let their grandmother know that he wouldn’t in in attendance, and let the chips fall where they may.

But the very suggestion had affronted Charlotte. Their grandmother wasn’t even in the country right now, and she’d arranged these events months in advance to ensure they’d run smoothly. It shouldn’t be her problem or added stress onto her plate that Caleb was prioritizing a weekend getting railed by Dean over the fact that he’d given his word to attend the event.

And while she loved her brother and knew that his relationship with their grandmother was less… warm than the one she shared with her, she consistently felt that Caleb didn’t recognize all that their grandmother had done. Maybe she wasn’t as physically present or involved as other people’s grandparents had been in their youth, but she’d been running their country! Changing the fucking world.

She’d made the Thompson Foundation into the legacy it was. The legacy that – she might add – was responsible for Caleb’s very hefty trust fund and the very comfortable life they’d lived. The least he could do was attend some events.

… and, fine, Caleb also wasn’t wrong in that it went against every molecule of Charlotte’s being to disappoint their grandmother.

Even though it hadn’t been her cancelling on the event, she did have it in her capacity to attend in Caleb’s place.

“Anyway,” she grit out, drawing a hand through her hair. “I repeat yet again: why are you calling?” She flicked her eyes down at her watch.

7:52.

“I actually do have a busy day of work today, starting imminently.”

She was truly curious about when Sutton would show up to the office. Honestly, there was still a lot she needed to learn about Sutton Spencer. Charlotte had wondered quite a bit in the thirty-six hours since she’d made the on-the-spot decision to give Sutton the job whether it was the right choice or not.

“And that, my dear sister, is precisely why I’m calling!” Caleb finally got around to the point, even though she immediately distrusted his enthusiastic tone.

“Unless you make yourself abundantly clear in the next ten seconds, I’m hanging up.”

Clearly reading that she wasn’t joking, Caleb clarified, “Out of allll of the applicants you interviewed for the job, then out of the few you actually liked… you decided to hire the unreasonably attractive Sutton Spencer. Give me a moment, I’m just trying to summon the ability to act shocked.”

He positively cackled over the line, and just like that, Charlotte was on-edge.

Glaring at nothing as if she could visualize her brother, she dropped her free hand to her hip. “Yep, I’ll be hanging up, now.”

“I thought you were turning over a new leaf! Or was that only during the election season?” Her brother joked.

And, fine, Charlotte could tell that he truly was just joking, and wasn’t trying to antagonize her. But that didn’t change the fact that she did feel a bit, well, antagonized.

“What in the world are you talking about?” She hissed back, mindful to keep her voice down.

Yes, her door was mostly shut, and there were only a few people that arrived to the office before nine, anyway. But still.

Charlotte had always been careful about minding her sexuality at work. Even so, though, it hadn’t taken much thought, because her sexuality and her work didn’t ever truly overlap. When she was at work, she was at work, and that was where her attention was.

The only true overlap there had ever been had occurred nearly a year ago. When Charlotte had to get serious about furthering her career, and had therefore needed to delete SapphicSpark from her phone. Even though she only used it for hookups, and even though she was always careful – no last names, no phone numbers, no discussion about family or work or politics, no lingering, no feelings – that carefulness could only get her so far.

“Your fuck boy days have only been over for less than a year!” Caleb asserted, still laughing with far too much amusement.

“I’ve never been a fuck boy,” she shot back with disdain, frowning at the term. Disgusting.

“Fuck… girl?” He mused, before sighing, “Either way.”

“I take extreme offense about whatever it is you’re insinuating,” Charlotte muttered, setting her jaw as that offense truly did sweep through her. “I didn’t hire Sutton because of the way she looks.”

In fact – truly distressingly – Charlotte had tried very hard to decide if it was ethical to not give Sutton a second interview because of the fact that Charlotte found her so damningly attractive.

“You didn’t have to hire her at all,” Caleb pointed out, his voice still far too jolly. “With the way her application came in, you didn’t have to even have a second interview. And yet…”

“You’re absolutely ridiculous,” she intoned, sharply. Because he fucking was.

The reality was, Sutton had made quite an impression on Charlotte during that first interview. Hours – days, even – after Sutton had left the office, she’d thought about what Sutton had said. About how impassioned she’d been, describing the impact Charlotte and her campaign had made on her.

How shrewdly she’d drawn a parallel between them and their upbringing in a way that – given their demeanors – Charlotte never would have, herself. How very… honest she’d seemed to be, when describing her situation in her life right now.

And the fact that she hadn’t been wrong, either. Charlotte was well-aware that almost anyone she’d be hiring for this position was viewing it as a stepping-stone to something greater, to the next chapter of their career. For everyone she’d interviewed other than Sutton, working for Charlotte was an opportunity to get their feet wet in a world that they wanted to climb the ladder in. Even if they would do a fantastic job as her assistant, they were looking to make connections, to network.

There was nothing wrong with that; it was what Charlotte expected in an assistant. It was precisely what she’d anticipated.

But then Sutton Spencer had come in, and looked so – thoughtful. As she’d described, accurately, that she didn’t need Charlotte to network or start climbing into a political career, if that was what she wanted.

She didn’t want the job for the access into Charlotte’s world.

She wanted the job for access to Charlotte.

Which was unfailingly, irrefutably… appealing.

And not – as she’d stated to Caleb and Dean – because Sutton was attractive or because Charlotte had any possible designs on Sutton on a personal level.

Honestly, it was because of the fact that Sutton was so undeniably gorgeous that Charlotte had dragged her feet on giving her a second interview.

Which, maybe that was also unethical? Charlotte had wrestled with that in the week after she’d first met with Sutton.

She planned very much to conduct herself with the ethics and morality she believed everyone that held elected office should – even if they didn’t. Which meant she had no designs on making a move on her assistant no matter who they were.

But… Sutton was so… appealing. Did Charlotte really need to hire someone that was so insanely attractive to her? Why would she want to torture herself in that way? Especially because she knew Caleb would want to comment on it – like he was – all of the damn time.

And yet, not giving Sutton the second interview that Charlotte was allotting to everyone else that had impressed her in their first interview felt immoral, too.

So maybe she had – possibly – believed she was setting Sutton up to fail on Saturday. She’d given her barely any notice to attend a black-tie event, that was going to be filled with big names. Charlotte, herself, had felt underprepared and a little stressed by that, which meant she’d assumed Sutton would likely feel the same way, given her seemingly quiet, unassuming nature.

It was a way for Charlotte to know she’d offered Sutton a fair shake at a second interview, and feel okay about the fact that she’d allowed Sutton a change at the job.

How in the world was she to have possibly predicted that Sutton would be absolutely stunning in her role of Charlotte’s assistant on Saturday?

Not only had she shown up before Charlotte had, but she’d arrived looking as though she’d had days – weeks – to plan for the event.

She didn’t think she’d quite understood just how tall Sutton was, from their first interview. But good lord, and the way her dress had cut – sexily but still managing to be appropriate for the evening – up her leg…

Upon laying eyes on Sutton outside of the event, Charlotte had been even more convinced that it would be a good thing for Sutton to fail. Again, she didn’t need that kind of distraction.

But Sutton hadn’t failed. And that – more than the way she’d looked, even – had been what had captivated Charlotte’s attention by the end of the night.

Sutton had knocked her role out of the fucking park. Better than Charlotte could have even imagined. Better than, as she’d told Sutton, anyone else had done in her shoes.

And yet, Sutton had still refused to boast or take any credit.

That was what had cinched it for Charlotte, when she’d thought back on that moment in the car. The fact that Sutton had so earnestly insisted that she shouldn’t be given credit for being better than the other applicants, because she’d been raised in this world. And Charlotte knew that anyone else in Sutton’s position? Would love to throw their opposition under the bus and revel in the praise.

Charlotte understood that, because that was her own mindset, too. When she wanted something – like a job, the next step in her career – she would take a hell of a lot of pride in showing up her competition.

But Sutton… hadn’t.

And she’d never seen that, before.

She hadn’t planned on offering Sutton the job on their ride home, but she’d found herself doing so on the heels of that moment.

How could she not?

Sutton had done something Charlotte never would have expected from her: she showed Charlotte something new. Something softer, something more genuine, something Sutton wasn’t afraid of being, even if it could mean losing brownie points from her prospective boss.

That was why she’d hired Sutton.

And that was exactly why she felt very justified in informing Caleb, “Get a grip. And she is going to be here any minute to start her first day, so this is the end of this conversational train. Goodbye.”

With that, she hung up.

Luckily, because within seconds, there was a knock on her office door.

Whipping her head up, cleared her throat. “Come in.”

With another glance down at her watch, she noted that it was 7:55. Perfectly on time.

Sutton pushed the door open, a tentative smile on her lips. “Um, good morning. It’s nice to see you, again.”

Charlotte didn’t know what, exactly, it was about Sutton’s smile. But – something she’d noted on Saturday – it made her want to smile back, instinctively.

She allowed it, nodding at Sutton. “Good morning. Come on in.”

Sutton’s long, striking red hair was pulled back in a French braid, and she wore a fitted gray dress that fell to just about her knees. It was sleeveless, but she wore a thin, black long-sleeved shirt underneath, and muted black heels.

If there was a picture of preppy-assistant in a google image search, this was it. Charlotte was both amused and… endeared. Had Sutton actually google image searched for this, or was this truly how she chose to dress?

Sutton slowly walked into Charlotte’s admittedly not-super-large office, both of her hands clasping into the strap of the cross-body bag she carried with her. She peered around the office, sliding her gaze from Charlotte’s walls – which… she’d intended to hang her degrees up, as well as a few framed pictures. One of her grandmother’s first election, as well as a couple of clippings from the news her grandmother had given her as a gift when she’d won her election.

The pictures hadn’t yet made it up onto the walls, and were instead carefully placed out of the way next to Charlotte’s bookshelf, leaning against the wall.

Then Sutton’s gaze landed on Charlotte’s sorry excuse for a desk, and she watched as Sutton’s eyes widened in clear surprise, her mouth falling open as well.

Charlotte had conflicting emotions – she was, truly, mortified at the physical state of her office, as she was seeing it through Sutton’s eyes.

But she was also incredibly entertained by the fact that Sutton Spencer had obviously never even heard of keeping a poker face.

The embarrassment, however, won out, and Charlotte felt the slightest tinge of heat up the back of her neck as she, too, glanced down at her desk. “I… well, I suppose this shows you why it was so dire for me to hire an assistant.”

Sutton breathed out a laugh, the quick, beautiful, bright smile flashing over her face as she looked back at Charlotte. “I guess so. I mean, when you’re busy with meetings and traveling to D.C. and with actually having to read the paperwork, then draft your responses… I can see how this kind of upkeep fell to the wayside.”

Charlotte cocked her head to the side, studying Sutton. And, yeah, there it was. That disconcerting sincerity, because she could tell that Sutton meant every word.

“Exactly,” she mused, softly, her mouth tugging into an appreciative grin. She cleared her throat, gesturing to the chair next to Sutton. “Why don’t you sit, and we can have a chat? Lay out expectations, get on the same page.”

Promptly, Sutton shrugged off her bag, and sat in the chair, crossing her legs at the knees as she looked across at Charlotte expectantly, all before Charlotte had even settled in her own chair.

She placed both of her hands flat on her desk, ignoring the mess, as she took in a deep, calming breath. “Okay. I’ll start by telling you that I’ve never had a personal assistant, before. So, this is going to be – unfortunately for you – a bit of a trial by fire.”

Apology tinged at her tone, but her sentiment was entirely serious, and even a little more honest than Charlotte intended to be. Maybe it was the way Sutton’s big, blue, genuine eyes watched Charlotte like she was memorizing her every move.

“Well, I suppose the good news for both of us is that I have been an assistant before?” Sutton asked, her tone light and refreshing, as she offered Charlotte a sweet smile. Before it slipped away, and she quickly shook her head to back-pedal. “Not that my job as a teaching assistant was in any way the same as this! I mean – I do feel it was important and served a purpose, and I took pride in doing a good job. But–” Sutton clearly bit the inside of her cheek, cutting herself off with a sheepish smile. “You get it.”

Charlotte waited a beat, ensuring Sutton had actually completed her ramble, before cautiously nodding. “Yes, I understand.”

For a moment, she studied Sutton closely – because this was something Charlotte had been wondering about. Yes, Sutton seemed intelligent and helpful and capable and kind. Very kind. And she’d managed working an event like a professional. Then again, as the daughter of Jack and Katherine Spencer, in a way Sutton was seasoned at that.

But something Charlotte hadn’t seen – hadn’t had any way of measuring from either interview or from the reference call she’d made to Sutton’s advisor yesterday – was Sutton working in an office like Charlotte’s. How would Sutton manage working in a place that expected more of her than as a working student?

In her first interview, she’d started ablaze in passion and had finished so strongly because she’d obviously thought a lot about why she wanted this job.

But how would she fare, with her seemingly subdued nature and penchant for rambling and making moments strangely personal – like when she’d mentioned Charlotte’s brothers, and had then rambled on about her own family structure – here?

“On that note,” Charlotte started, clearing her throat and aiming a serious stare across the desk. Sutton snapped her shoulders straight up, which didn’t mean much as she had near-perfect posture as it was. “I am glad you have experience as an assistant. I spoke to Nicholas Martin yesterday, and he had nothing but glowing recommendations about you.”

Sutton beamed, and her smile was so – so bright, Charlotte, ever so briefly, lost her train of thought.

Blinking herself out of whatever that was, she continued, “But, you are correct; this is going to be very different.”

That mega-watt smile dimmed slightly, but Sutton didn’t break eye contact. A good sign.

“My office, as you’re going to start to see very shortly, is always running at a clip, and I do expect that you’ll keep up. Everyone here serves a purpose, and there is no one employed here that will have time to hold any hands – including myself.”

Sutton nodded. “I wouldn’t expect that.”

Lifting her hand, Charlotte quirked her lips into a small, gentle smile. “I’m not implying that you did. I’m merely telling you, right from the start, what the expectations are. I expect everyone that works with me to pull their own weight. To pitch in with others when needed. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, to be curious, to want to be certain.”

Sutton nodded again, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she obviously focused all of her attention on Charlotte.

“When it comes to what I need from an assistant…” She pursed her lips, before blowing out a breath, looking around her office. “Well, quite frankly, I’m looking for someone that is going to make my life easier. As you can see, as you’ve commented on already, I’m inundated with this,” she gestured to everything strewn over her desk, “Which I can’t make a priority over the actual work I need to do. Don’t even get me started on the emails.” Once upon a time – just a few months ago, really, before this election – Charlotte had believed her own extensive email filing organization system had been undefeatable. Ha. “I’ve been working through my own notes in meetings, but I’d prefer to be able to solely focus my attention on what’s happening in the moment, to be an active participant in the conversation.”

“I understand,” Sutton agreed, her voice low and serious, as those laser-focused blue eyes stayed locked on Charlotte’s.

Nodding, Charlotte flicked her gaze down to her phone, before looking back up at Sutton. “I emailed you with today’s schedule, earlier. If you want to take a look now, that would be great, as I’ll be out of office for meetings for most of the morning–”

“– with Senator Arturo,” Sutton finished, without looking down at her own phone. “I, um, I know. I memorized it on the subway ride here.” Small lines etched into her forehead as she adorably scrunched up her face in thought. “You’ll be leaving here by eight-thirty. You aren’t expected back until after eleven. And then you have a meeting here, followed by a conference call.”

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, studying Sutton with a considering hum. “All right then.”

Perhaps Sutton really was going to prove herself, then.

Re-focusing herself, she laced her fingers together, dropping them to her lap. “Typically, you’d come with me to a meeting like this. But, as it’s your first day, I’ve arranged for you to meet with legal for paperwork, and then the technology team, to get you set up in the system. How does all of this sound? Any questions so far?”

Sutton shook her head. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could handle it.”

And oh.

Charlotte lifted her eyebrows as a little beat of something worked through her at the look in Sutton’s eyes. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it because Sutton didn’t look or sound like she was boasting or like she was dismissive of the importance of her position. She seemed… determined. Like she really wasn’t afraid of what might come her way, here.

Yes, Charlotte felt that determined look that settled over Sutton’s face zing right through her.

All right, then.

***

It was nearly noon when she returned from her meeting, and though she still had quite a full day ahead of her, Charlotte couldn’t deny that all of her anticipation was centered on Sutton.

She hadn’t gotten any calls or texts – from Sutton or anyone else on staff – that her new assistant had up and quit or gotten overwhelmed or anything of the like.

Not that she’d been expecting that, either. It was just… this was the first day. The very first day that Charlotte was starting to hand over the reigns of full control over every move at work, and there was no cure-all that could take away the lingering trepidation that something would go horribly wrong if Charlotte, herself, wasn’t at the helm.

Everything was moving smoothly, though, she noted, as she walked through the building in the direction of her own office.

It was only when she reached said office that she stumbled to a stop.

She noticed the photos, first. Because… well, she couldn’t not.

Her walls – painted a crisp white – had been so plain before, she’d never taken note of them.

It was different, now. The wall behind her desk was still mostly all window, the bright light of the summer day streaming in.

On the wall to her right, aligned perfectly with her bookshelves, were her degrees. And on the wall to her left were her other photos. The frames were hung with obvious care, with the clippings about Charlotte’s election on either side of her grandmother’s portrait. Her grandmother’s portrait was hung about six inches lower than the other frames, as well, and the stylization was… eye catching.

“Huh,” she breathed, sliding her gaze from her office walls to land on Sutton.

Who stood in the middle of her office with her hands tightly clasped, offering Charlotte a small smile, with a clear edge of uncertainty to it.

“I can change the placement, if you don’t like them,” she offered, immediately. “I just figured – I mean, you had them in here for a reason, right? You should have your accomplishments hung up. And that’s such a wonderful picture of your grandmother–”

“It looks great; thank you,” she cut Sutton off, ticking her lips up into a small smile.

Which only grew, as Sutton’s own grin grew so wide, clearly relieved.

Charlotte moved to take another step into her office, before pausing again. As her eyes landed on the fresh bouquet of flowers on her desk. They were softly colorful – pale hues – and the arrangement was subtle – respectably sized but not overtaking focus. They were a simple addition, but one that made Charlotte… happy.

Why hadn’t she thought to get flowers for her office, before?

Sutton followed her line of sight, and a blush crept over her cheeks as she gestured to the flowers. “I – well, I had to run out a little while ago, to get some supplies to organize my office space just so. I passed this vendor, and the flowers just seemed so… right? I mean,” she cast a look around Charlotte’s office, before she shrugged, “I think they make it look so much brighter in here.” Quickly, she swung her gaze back to Charlotte, shaking her head. “Not that it wasn’t welcoming or appealing in here, before. And, I figured, if you don’t like them, I can–”

“I love flowers,” Charlotte cut her off, softly, moving forward to give a closer look to the bouquet in question. The subtle, fresh floral scent made everything inside of Charlotte feel a sense of calm. It made Charlotte, as fresh flowers always did, think of her favorite part of her childhood home, out in the gardens. “They’re lovely. Truly.”

Sutton’s relief was apparent in her face.

Next to the flowers, Charlotte could see now that she was closer, was a water bottle and a takeout container from the Mediterranean place down the street. Arching an eyebrow in question, she turned back to Sutton.

And she only realized how closely they were standing – with Charlotte having walked next to Sutton to look over her desk – when she blinked up at Sutton’s face. Had she stood so close to Sutton, before? At the event, even?

Definitely not in such contained quarters, she registered, drawing in a deep breath, inhaling both the floral scent from the flowers and Sutton’s perfume on one breath.

Sutton’s skin was so, so clear, and her eyes were even more intensely – disarmingly – blue up close, as she looked down at Charlotte expectantly.

Charlotte frowned, taking a slight step back, gesturing to her desk again. “Having a lunch break at my desk amidst all of your work in here?”

Shockingly, though, she felt no surge of irritation at the idea of Sutton eating at Charlotte’s desk. That, alone, was wild, as Charlotte felt very protective over her space. Her office was hers. It was private, and the thought of someone else sitting behind her desk typically made her itch in agitation.

But, as she looked around her neatly organized, sparkling clean, vibrant office – with her photos hung up and the fresh flowers – how could she be agitated at Sutton in this very moment?

Besides, Charlotte hadn’t even informed her that she felt so strongly about her desk being her personal space, yet. She’d hardly had the time, given that they’d only spoken for twenty minutes this morning. She should, however, have that conversation soon. To establish boundaries.

The color rose high in Sutton’s cheeks, as she shook her head, looking absolutely aghast. “No, I would never!” She blushed even deeper, gesturing at the food container. “I just ran out and picked that up for you. Margie, she works–”

“I know who my legislative secretary is, Sutton,” she cut her off, patently amused. Or perhaps she should be insulted?

“I didn’t – I mean, I would have understood.” Sutton waved her hand, quickly, “Ah, anyway. She said that you enjoy that place, so I thought it would be a good idea to get something for you, since you were gone for so long and you have meetings starting in less than thirty minutes. If you’ve already had lunch, though, I can–”

“I didn’t,” she cut in, rolling her lips as she looked carefully at Sutton. “In fact, having the time to grab something to eat during the workday is something I’ve been terrible at; I meant to bring that up this morning.”

Sutton frowned, deeply, incredulously. “Do you have breakfast?”

Charlotte breathed out a laugh. “Who has the time? Does a large coffee count?”

The appalled expression on Sutton’s face was enough to make her want to laugh even more. “Um, no,” Sutton informed her in abject disapproval. “You work long days; that’s not good for you at all. I’ll take care of it.”

Charlotte very nearly opened her mouth to tell Sutton not to worry about it, before she caught herself. Sutton’s job here was to do things like that, however odd it felt to Charlotte in this moment.

“Ah, thank you.”

Sutton nodded in acceptance, clasping her hands behind her back, giving Charlotte that serious-yet-sweet smile. “Of course.”

She’d only taken another step to sit behind her desk before realizing. “Everything that had been on my desk…?”

“Is on mine, now,” Sutton quickly informed her, gesturing vaguely over her shoulder to where her desk was, beyond Charlotte’s office. “I mean, you’ll have people arriving shortly, so I figured… and it is part of my purview, right? To sort through things like that – the daily minutiae – for you. Right?”

Such an odd feeling, Charlotte thought, as she tried her best to work through it. The initial discontent at Sutton removing all of the contents from Charlotte’s desk – because that was Charlotte’s paperwork – warring with the relief that it was no longer her responsibility to look it over.

Sutton seemed to sense her hesitation, her eyes wide and concerned. “I mean – I haven’t gotten rid of anything? I figured I’ll move it into different categories. So far, I’ve come up with a system for: spam, invitations/events, pieces I can follow-up with on your behalf, and, finally, the filtered-through documents that should make their way to you.”

Charlotte ran her gaze over Sutton’s face, before looking around her office. Her office that truly did seem so… transformed, now. Brighter, more personal, inviting. And Sutton had only been left to her own devices for a few hours.

Pushing through her need for control, she slowly nodded. “Yes, that sounds good.”

A tentative smile worked over Sutton’s full lips, as she took a step forward and laid her hand on Charlotte’s arm. “Why don’t I work through everything and categorize it on my own this afternoon, and before we go home, we can review it together. So you can make sure you agree with my assessments?”

Charlotte glanced from the – the comforting? – hand on her arm, up to Sutton’s gentle expression, and felt a little rocked by it, if she were honest. Had Sutton sensed Charlotte’s concern so easily?!

Pursing her lips, she curtly nodded and casually stepped back, away from Sutton’s soft, warm touch, as she walked behind her desk.

“That should be fine,” she murmured. “Good thinking.”

The way Sutton looked at her – like she wanted to smile wider than she was, but she was biting it back – made Charlotte even more dour. It was… disquieting.

“Um, all right, then. I’ll leave you to it.” Sutton gestured at the lunch waiting for Charlotte. “I’ll just be out at my desk, if you need anything.”

With that, she turned and started out of Charlotte’s office.

She didn’t mean to. In fact, she actively cursed herself the second she realized what she was doing, as her gaze dipped to land on Sutton’s ass.

Bad Charlotte.

Was it right for a dress designed for preppy secretaries to hug someone’s hips and butt like that? It felt immoral, to Charlotte.

As did the fact that she’d looked in the first place, and she knew she only had herself to blame for that.

In fairness, Sutton’s butt was level with her gaze as she’d sat down.

Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Charlotte took in a deep breath. A calming breath. Taking in the subtle, floral smell in her office now, as well as –

She opened her eyes in question, sniffing again. Lemon? A lemon cleaner?

Now that Sutton, herself, was no longer standing so close to Charlotte, taking up any of her attention, it was clear to her that Sutton had also dusted and cleaned all of the surfaces in her office, and the result was not only sparkling to the eye, but to every sense.

They might only be about halfway through Sutton’s first day, but… Charlotte was already starting to become increasingly certain that hiring her might have been the best decision she’d made since getting elected to congress.

Maybe even before then.

Quite discomforting indeed.

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spoiler prevention

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