"Was she your most difficult case?" Lace asked curiously.
"I'd have to say yes—-" Memories came back to her, and Charlotte's expression turned wry. "—-for more reasons than one." She considered leaving it at that, but then she thought about how all of the people here were potential business partners, and Charlotte decided to elaborate. "The partner I chose for her was someone I personally knew. He had been recently diagnosed as infertile—-"
KC's face softened. "That's a perfect match."
"It should've been," Charlotte acknowledged, "but unfortunately, the guy already had someone else in mind."
Lace couldn't help blinking at this. "I don't get it." Stuff about romance always made her feel dumber than most other girls, and she wondered if she was missing something here that was obvious to everyone else. "If he already had a girl in mind, then what did he still need your help for?"
"Well, uh..." Charlotte realized too late she had said more than she should.
"Well, what, Charles?" Sano's drawl was a little too lazy, and the way his blue eyes were glittering reminded her so much of how Landon used to look at her...when they both knew she had done something he was certain to dislike.
"Um..."
"Or perhaps I should take a guess." Sano's tone had noticeably cooled, and the change had the others in the room looking back and forth between Sano and her.
"Could it be that this woman he had in mind—-"
Charlotte couldn't help wincing at Sano's unmistakable emphasis.
"—-happened to be yourself?"
Charlotte's shoulders drooped. Knew it, she thought gloomily. Sano here might no longer be a CIA agent like he used to be, but she was absolutely certain he had still found a way to make use of his previous skills in any way he saw fit.
"Is it true?" Seri asked, wide-eyed. "You're that someone?"
Charlotte seriously considered lying, but when she felt Sano's gaze already boring through hers, she realized it was too late, and all she could do was nod.
"Holy—-"
Silver, realizing that his eternally tactless fiancée was about to blurt out an expletive, swiftly bent his head and sucked hard on her lower lip.
"Sheesh," a red-faced Lace ended up lamely instead. She had always believed in respecting local customs when traveling, and Silver had warned her from the start that women who swore loudly and violently like she typically did in public wasn't a thing here.
As the others laughed at Lace's faux pas, Charlotte herself was about to smile when she noticed Sano's gaze narrowed at her. Uh oh. He leaned close, and Charlotte instinctively leaned back.
"That man is Lukas, isn't it?" Charlotte didn't have the chance to answer, with Sano saying darkly, "I've always thought he'd make a move on you sooner or later."
"It's not like that," she protested. "He only thought I was ideal because he knew I'd never want to have kids with anyone else—-"
But you.
Charlotte caught the words in time, and a quick look around her showed that the others had assumed she was about to mention her husband's name.
"I'm so sorry, Charlotte." KC's tone was soft with compassion. "I know it's been years since your husband passed, but I can totally understand why you feel that way."
Charlotte was about to answer when Sano suddenly grabbed her hand, and she found herself being pulled to her feet.
"Excuse us." Sano's tone was polite but firm. "I need to speak with Charles for a moment."
Chapter Five
Charlotte could feel her soul drooping bit by bit the closer she got to the gym. Twenty years ago, working out had a purpose. Land had been paranoid about her safety, and because she didn't want him distracted while on a job, she had given him her word that she would always stay fit enough to jump out of the window if she had to.
But that was then, and this was now. Even Land's old boss, who was even more paranoid than her husband, had assured Charlotte that she had nothing to worry about. Land's enemies were all six feet under, and since she was free to live her days in peace...
Do I really still have to go to the gym, Land? At this point in my life, the only thing I'll need to jump out of is the bathtub.
She waited for her husband to answer, but no words from the other side came, and her lips twitched. Silence might mean yes with most people, but with Land, it had always been the opposite.
Gym it is then, Charlotte thought with a sigh, and so she forced herself to march inside despite her heavy heart.
"Good morning, Mrs. Carmichaels." Tony's extra cheerful tone made Charlotte feel extra tired, and she couldn't help making a face as she handed over her ID.
"You're looking grumpy as always," Tony commented as he tapped the scanner with her ID.
"Hmph."
Tony simply grinned as he gave Charlotte her ID back, but as she walked away, she heard Tony call out, "Smiles are supposed to help you get into Heaven. Just sayin'!"