Page 92 of Take It Offline

“Why did you want to become a vet?”

“All the coolest characters are cats and dogs, you know? Plus, as a kid, I thought having a pet was the thing all families did. We never had one ourselves, but once I set my mind to something,” Reese says. “I almost turned down my scholarship because it meant moving out here by myself. I just couldn’t stomach it. But then Charlie quit his job and packed up the car, and we drove for three days to get here.”

Another slice of Charlie clicks into place. There’s grit in him, a hearty surface shielding a soft, endearing center.

For so long, I saw Charlie as nothing but a smile in a suit, a climb-into-your-grave-while-it’s-still-hot kind of guy, not an ounce of care for anyone but himself. I’ve never been so glad to be wrong.

“I almost studied zoology,” Reese says. “But then I volunteered at a rescue center back home and immediately knew I wanted to open this place one day. It felt important.”

“Plus you’re great at it,” Charlie adds, flushed and a little out of breath as Zeus pulls him back inside. The whole room brightens when he’s in it, or maybe it’s me he’s lighting up.

I think I could always be happy just being near him.

“That too.” Reese beams.

Growing up, everything was easy.

Plans could be made at the drop of a hat. New phone announced? Buy it. Front row at a concert? Easy. Clothes, meals, trips? I never thought about the cost. Price tags meant nothing to a limitless budget.

What I don’t miss is the attitude. The elitism. The competition. I’ve seen grown men buy businesses and send them to ruin simply because someone else wanted them. Time andagain, sons—and daughters—get away with illegal deals simply to impress their fathers.

The worst ones get defensive, but the best ones know how lucky we are, privileged to start life as close to the top as it is to get. Even if we work hard, there’s no denying how much shorter the journey is for us.

But. The perks.

Champagne on take-off (even at five a.m.).

Champagne while shopping at Celine in Zurich.

Champagne at… well, there’s a lot of champagne.

There are also beautiful clothes and private tours and exclusive parties.

But it never once felt as real or honest or lovely as watching Charlie play fetch with a Saint Bernard. I always thought him most in his element in the office, suited up and holding court with ease. That is, until I saw him like this.

Happy and unburdened. It’s breathtaking.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” I say, and Charlie looks up. “I think I saved you from a blind date.”

“They’re still on that? Ever since Lucy…” He shakes his head. “Anyway. I’m glad you came today. Reese was sure that this whole thing,” he gestures between us, “would blow up in my face.”

“Let me guess. You once broke a sorority queen’s heart, and your sister has been worried ever since.”

I’m eager to hear about Charlie’s prior love life. I could pretend it is harmless curiosity, but I know myself better than that.

Even worse, I’m jealous of the other me—the me Reese believes is dating her brother.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” he says, giving me a crooked grin.

“No? Just the rest of campus, then? The heartbroken women left in your wake must have started a club.”

“Actually,” he says, the tension in his voice catching my attention, “I never went to college,” he says.

My train of thought crashes. Charlie is one of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with, quick and clever on his feet, reactive in a way my brain can’t fathom.

“Whatever joke you want to make,” he says, his voice tight, “do it now, but I promise you, I’ve heard them all.”

My heart aches for him. “I don’t want to joke about it.”

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