Charlotte changed, put her hair in a loose braid, and didn’t bother with makeup. She slid on her beloved aviators.
“Do I look alive?”
Jackie smirked. “Yes. Morning-after chic.”
“What a coincidence, that’s just the vibe I’m going for.” Charlotte took a small sip of the drink Jackie handed her. “Mmm, this is excellent. But I can only have one.” She closed her laptop and stuck it under her arm like a football.
“Are you serious with that? What, are you going to answer emails on the quad?”
Charlotte stuck out her tongue. “It’s called a hotspot, babe. Those tweets aren’t gonna write themselves.”
—
SLACK MESSAGE FROM AUBREY PAGE TO CHARLOTTE THORNE, 2:25 PM: hey do u have tim cooks email rogers freaking out
By the look of the quad, the rest of the Hein Class of 2013 had the same idea. Most of the alumni from last night’s reception, plus twenty or so latecomers, sprawled across the grass on blankets and towels on loan from the R&C committee. Charlotte paused on the path to take in the view. It looked as if someone had spread a vast patchwork quilt between Hein’s square of original buildings, the many hues of fabric popping against the Gothic stonework. This was the school’s heart, both historically and socially. Charlotte felt all mushy as she thought of the generations of students who threw Frisbees and held rallies right here where she stood. She couldn’t count the naps she took in the shade of Cauldwell Hall in between classes.
Jackie picked her way through the constellation of classmates, occasionally stopping to say hi to people she knew. Charlotte kept one eye peeled for Ben, but the black hole of his presence was nowhere to be seen. When Jackie got held up by a DJ from the college radio station, Charlotte went on ahead, locating Matt and Jio on a bedsheet.
“Hey, friends.” Her knees complained as she lowered herself onto her butt. “How was the rest of your night?”
Matt moved aside a cheese plate to clear more space for her. “We went to bed early. Traveling knocked me out.”
Jio emerged from behind their phone with a radiant smile. “Sorry, I was working on a post!” They waved an open palm at the gourmet spread. “Help yourself!”
Jio ran digital communications for an environmental conservation nonprofit. Charlotte initially followed the Green Earth Conservatory on Instagram as a favor, but the account delighted her. They had a knack for blending complex policy with pictures of baby pandas. A uniquely millennial career path: memeing the end of the world.
Her other half dropped down onto the blanket, knocking a handful of crackers onto the grass. Charlotte scooped them up and put them in her lap.
“Hey, losers, what’s cooking?” Jackie stole one of the grass crackers and popped it in her mouth.
“Jackie baby! How’s L.A.?” Jio asked.
“Everyone’s really into crystals. How’s D.C.?”
“Gentrified.” Jio mimed vomiting, much to the horror of the wrestling bros sitting on a blanket a few feet away. Matt snickered and squeezed his partner’s knee. “Eat our cheese, it’s not expensive!”
The three of them talked about the D.C. restaurant scene while Charlotte dug sunblock out of their bag. The sun was strong for the end of May; she’d return to Brooklyn looking crispy if she wasn’t careful. She was rubbing lotion into her elbows when Jackie nudged her in the side.
“Would you look at that, a show is starting.”
Reece, Garrett, and some other bros were scoping out an area on the quad to play Frisbee. The hockey alumni had doubled down on college nostalgia. They all wore loose tank tops, the kind with the sleeves cut off. Several sported backward HU baseball caps. Garrett held a can of Miller Lite as he shooed Reece farther across the grass.
Charlotte shivered as she remembered Reece’s breath against her neck last night. That was no normal good-night hug, more like a plea to be convinced. If she had grasped his collar in her fist and pulled him against her, would he let her? Would he kiss her like he used to, all teeth and crackling tension?
The littlest member of the pack abandoned her fellow bros and trotted over to their blanket. Garrett kept one eye on Misty as she settled down beside Charlotte and plopped her tiny head on her knee.
Charlotte scratched behind the dog’s ears and fed her a cracker. “That’s all you get,” she whispered. “Don’t tell your father, he doesn’t like me.”
Misty licked crumbs from her muzzle and blinked in conspiratorial agreement.
While Jackie stretched out on a towel, Charlotte kept herself propped up on her elbows to watch the boys play. Misty burrowed alongside her like a fluffy, uninhibited fox.
It was impossible to focus on anything besides Reece chasing the Frisbee across the quad. He caught it and chucked it to Liam, whose last name she still couldn’t remember. It sailed above Liam’s reaching grasp, forcing him to sprint to retrieve it. Garrett booed and Reece raised his hands in apology, a bashful smile on his face.
“So,” Jackie said.
“So,” Charlotte repeated.
Reece kept laughing. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees like the force of his amusement was too much to bear. She’d forgotten that he laughed like an old man, bellowing and enthusiastic. His laugh always boomed through parties like thunder.
“Can we talk about it yet?” Jackie asked.
Reece yelled instructions at Garrett. Still bent forward, the cords of muscle in his arms stood out as they supported his weight. While he wasn’t the lean, toned jock of his college years, he had the same glorious forearms.
Besides, Charlotte liked his new weight. He looked less wiry now. Like he ate three solid meals a day instead of scarfing a Pop-Tart and some Red Bull on his way to afternoon labs.
“Talk about what?” she asked absently.
“Can we talk about the man you’re currently fellating with your eyes?”
Charlotte whipped her head around, smacking Misty with her braid. The dog snorted before dozing off again. “Jackie, that’s vile.”
Her best friend watched her like a hawk through her sunglasses. “I’m not wrong.”
“I don’t want to fellate him.”
Even as the denial fell from her lips, she couldn’t fight the impulse to watch him gallop around. As Reece leapt in the air to catch a rogue throw, his shirt bounced up to reveal a stretch of his soft stomach. He landed effortlessly, spinning on the balls of his feet to throw the Frisbee back to Liam.
