Page 35 of My Bestie's Billionaire Brother

"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.

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