12. Tess
Tess
I ’ve never been on a private jet before, and I can’t believe how much nicer it is than flying commercial. The leather seats are butter soft and you practically sink into them. There are no lines for the restroom. And the pantry is stocked with any kind of snack or drink you can think of.
“What do you think?” Charlie asks, eyebrows raised expectantly.
“It’ll do,” I reply with a smirk.
We’re all settled in and about to take off for San Francisco. This weekend is Wedding #2. Sky and Jack. Jack is a fraternity brother of Charlie’s and, from what Charlie tells me, he’s quite the character. Charlie guesses Sky must be some kind of spectacular to get Jack to finally settle down.
I’m excited about spending the weekend with Charlie but I’m trying to play it cool.
We haven’t seen each other since the last wedding.
I wasn’t sure what to expect after our night together.
There’s been texting back and forth but mainly just about this upcoming wedding.
I have to admit I’ve been disappointed that there hasn’t been more to it than that.
He’s been quite attentive so far today though, driving us to the airport, bringing along a bottle of expensive wine and some salty snacks and now giving me a grand tour of this incredible jet.
“So, what’s the vibe of this wedding going to be like?” I ask as the jet finally gets to cruising altitude and levels out.
“My guess is it’s going to be pretty wild. Jack doesn’t do anything halfway. So unless Sky has throttled him, it’ll be drunken debauchery all weekend long.”
My stomach flips at the thought. I’m not sure what a weekend of heavy drinking means for me and Charlie. And, I’m not sure I want to think about it too much. I just want to go with the flow and see what happens. Not my usual MO but I’m willing to give it a shot.
“Do you think I’ll know anyone?” I ask, taking a sip of the wine he just poured for me.
“I don’t think so but you never know. Many of the guests will be Stanford grads I’m guessing. Jack is pretty heavy into the alumni group and I think Sky may have gone there as well, though she’s quite a few years younger than him.”
Part of me wishes Jane was going to be here but another part is happy she’s not. My feelings for Charlie are complicated right now and things could get really awkward having to be around Jane.
Charlie leans back in his seat, swirling the wine in his glass. "So, how's that wild stallion of yours? Still giving you trouble?"
I can't help but laugh. "Oliver? I love him so much and he’s also a huge pain in the ass. Just last week, he decided there was no way in hell he was going over this one fence. It must have taken me ten times to get him over. He just kept putting on the brakes. I can’t believe I didn’t fall off."
Charlie's eyes twinkle with amusement. "Sounds like you two are perfect for each other. Both headstrong and determined."
"Are you calling me stubborn, Charlie Astor?" I ask, feigning offense.
He grins, leaning in closer. "I wouldn't dare. I'm just saying, it takes a special kind of person to handle a horse like that."
The way he's looking at me makes my cheeks flush. I take another sip of wine to hide my reaction.
"So how’s work going? Have they canceled any more practices?”
“Not yet. There’s still a lot of talk amongst the musicians about whether they can keep their head above water,” I reply. “I’m very much looking forward to getting that interview with Seattle Symphony that you promised me.”
Charlie gives me a confident look. “I’m on it. I’ve already got a word into Darren Black and I expect to hear something soon.”
"Thank you," I say excitedly, meeting his gaze.
Charlie smiles warmly, then turns to look out the window. "Hey, come take a look at this view," he says, gesturing for me to sit next to him.
I move to the seat next to him, careful not to spill my wine.
As I lean over to peer out the window, my breath catches in my throat.
We're flying over a stunning mountain range, snow-capped peaks piercing through a sea of fluffy white clouds.
The late afternoon sun casts a golden glow over everything, making the scene look almost surreal.
"It's beautiful," I murmur, mesmerized by the sight.
"It sure is," Charlie agrees. "You know, I've flown this route dozens of times, but I never get tired of this view. It's like a reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things."
As we gaze out the window together, I feel a sense of calm wash over me.
The tension I've been carrying about this weekend starts to melt away.
Charlie points out different peaks and valleys, sharing tidbits about the landscape below.
His enthusiasm is infectious, and I find myself leaning in closer, eager to see what he's describing.
Our shoulders touch as we both lean toward the window, and that makes my stomach do a little flip. It's strange how comfortable this feels now, when just this morning I was a bundle of nerves.
For weeks after that first wedding, I'd jump every time my phone buzzed, hoping it was Charlie asking me out for dinner, or coffee, or anything really. But the invitation never came. Just those casual texts about travel arrangements for this wedding.
"I'm glad we're doing this," I say softly, surprising myself with the admission.
Charlie turns to look at me, his blue eyes catching mine. "Me too. I've been looking forward to it."
"Have you?" The question slips out before I can stop it.
He looks slightly confused. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
I shrug, trying to seem casual. "I don't know. We haven't really seen each other since..." I trail off, not quite brave enough to name what happened between us.
"Ah." Understanding crosses his face. "I wanted to call you.
I just..." He runs a hand through his hair.
"Things got crazy at work. We got a big shipment of beans in that were completely unusable and—" He stops himself.
"I'm not making excuses. Truth is, I also wasn't sure where we stood after.
..you know. And I didn't want to pressure you. "
“No worries. I get it. I just wasn’t sure how you were feeling about all this.”
Charlie smiles and grabs my hand. “I’m excited to spend the weekend with you.”
My stomach flips yet again and I smile back. “Me, too.”
Later that night after getting settled into our rooms at the hotel we meet a bunch of people at the bar downstairs. It’s a homecoming of sorts, with tons of Charlie’s fraternity brothers, including Stuart Hunter and his date, Brianna. Some of us sit down at a table to have a drink and chat.
"So how long have you two known each other?" Brianna asks, sipping her dirty martini while eyeing me with polite curiosity.
Before I can answer, a statuesque blonde in a skintight red dress approaches our table. Her blonde hair falls in perfect waves around her shoulders, and her makeup is flawless, highlighting features that could easily grace a magazine cover.
"Charlie Astor!" she exclaims, her voice carrying over the bar's ambient noise. "I thought that was you!"
Charlie's head snaps up, his expression morphing from confusion to recognition in an instant. "Claire! Wow, it's been?—"
"Too long," she finishes, leaning down to kiss his cheek, lingering just a second too long. Her heavily applied floral perfume fills the air. "I heard you were in town for the wedding."
Charlie stands, giving her a brief hug. "Claire, this is Tess," he says, gesturing toward me. "Tess, this is Claire Richmond. We were at Stanford together."
Claire's eyes flick over me dismissively before returning to Charlie. "Charmed," she says without looking at me again. "God, Charlie, you look amazing. Still running that coffee company your family started?"
"Emerald City Coffee, yes. It's doing really well, actually?—"
"I always knew you'd be successful in whatever you ended up going into. That charm is hard to resist,” she says while touching Charlie’s arm.
Stuart stands and gives Claire a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Nice to see you again, Claire. This is my girlfriend, Brianna. She was at Stanford as well but graduated a few years behind the rest of us.”
Claire's eyes light up as she turns to Brianna. "Stanford? Oh my gosh, what year did you graduate? What house were you in?" She slides into the seat next to Brianna, completely pivoting her body away from me.
"Class of 2015. And I was a Kappa," Brianna answers with a smile.
"No way! I was a Kappa too!" Claire squeals, clapping her perfectly manicured hands together.
"And what are you doing now? Please tell me you're putting that Stanford degree to good use," Claire asks, leaning in.
I take a sip of my drink, trying not to let my annoyance show. The contrast between Claire's dismissive "Charmed" to me and this enthusiastic interrogation of Brianna couldn't be more stark. Charlie catches my eye from across the table and gives me a small, apologetic smile.
"I'm in biotech research at GeneForm," Brianna says. "Working on some promising cancer treatments."
"That's fascinating!" Claire gushes. "I'm in finance myself—managing director at Richmond Capital. My father's firm, but I've doubled our portfolio in three years."
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Damn, this woman is a piece of work.
After bragging more about how fucking incredible she is, Claire quickly refocuses on Charlie.
Claire swirls her wine glass, her ice-blue eyes never leaving Charlie's face. "You know, I was just thinking about you the other day," she says, her voice dropping to an intimate pitch.
Charlie raises an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"
"No, silly." Claire laughs, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I was remembering that insane spring break trip to Maui. Junior year, remember? When we all rented that beach house?"
Charlie's expression shifts to recognition. "Oh God, that trip was wild."