Page 84 of The Broker

I tried not to make a face at how entitled that sounded, but must not have been successful, because when she looked at me, a sad smile crept across her lips. She knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Spoiled brat, remember?” Her voice went low and serious. “I’m working on it, I swear.”

“I believe you.” And I meant that genuinely. “But you should know,” I shifted my tone to a playful one and reached for the door handle, “I kind of like it when you’re being a brat.”

She let out a laugh.

When we got to the crowded restaurant, Patrick and Shannon were already at the table, and he lifted a hand to wave us over.

I strolled at a snail’s pace to give Charlotte plenty of time to evaluate his looks. “Thoughts?” I whispered.

She matched my hushed voice. “I can work with that.”

I chuckled. When she’d asked about Patrick’s looks, I’d tried to evaluate him through her eyes. He was in his early forties and twenty years older than her, but the age gap didn’t seem to bother her. He had an attractive enough face and kept himself in good shape, which meant he was pleasant looking.

Thankfully, I looked better.

At least, I was confident I did in Charlotte’s eyes.

Dates like this were always awkward in the beginning, but conversation began to flow between the four of us after we’d ordered dinner and been served our drinks. It helped that I had a lot in common with them besides the lifestyle, and Charlotte was so outgoing. Plus, we didn’t talk about anything sexy right off the bat.

This was a double date, and everyone treated it that way.

I shouldn’t have been surprised at how quickly Charlotte seemed at ease. If anything, she was more relaxed than I was. It left me a little envious of her adaptability.

But right after we’d ordered dessert, she abruptly straightened in her seat. Something was wrong.

I leaned in close. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” she said automatically and set her dinner napkin on the tabletop. “I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

She pushed back from the table, stood, and glanced hesitantly at the front of the restaurant. I followed her gaze, but I couldn’t figure out what she’d seen that had her worried. The place was busy with guests finishing their meals or being seated at their tables, and servers darted around to deliver drinks and food.

Everything seemed . . . ordinary.

But she hurried away like she couldn’t be gone fast enough.

“She’s young.” Patrick said it like an offhanded comment, but there was an accusatory tone buried beneath that I didn’t care for.

“She is,” I said. “Is that a problem?”

“No, not necessarily.” He exchanged a look with his wife, perhaps seeking validation. “But young people don’t always know what they want. She could be confusing your desires with her own.”

He was worried I was pressuring Charlotte into this.

“Patrick and I just want to make sure she’s interested.” Shannon gave a pragmatic smile. “We don’t want to take advantage.”

“You wouldn’t be.” My expression had to be one of amusement. “Trust me, she’s interested. She’s the one who asked for it, after all.” They were skeptical, and I shrugged,keeping my tone light. “You don’t have to take my word for it. You can ask her when she gets back.”

I wasn’t upset about their skepticism either. I got that it came from a good place. I was her client and thirteen years older, and I was fully aware of that large power imbalance. A lesser person might take advantage of that.

I hoped my expression was as sincere as I felt. “I appreciate that you’re looking out for her.”

“Of course.” Shannon relaxed into her seat and sipped her gin and tonic because my response had gone a long way to ease their concern. Now, her eyes lit with mischief. “She’s so stinking beautiful, I’m a little jealous.”

Her back had been to the hallway, so she didn’t know Charlotte had made her return and overheard the compliment.

“You’rejealous?” She grabbed her seat and dropped down into it, and she looked like herself again. “Because I feel like I’m the one who should be jealous.” She put her napkin back in her lap and then gestured to Patrick. “He knows I saw you and Noah together, right?”

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