Unlike Camden and Harrison, both of whom had ridden on planes for work or leisure many times in the past, Tristan had never even stepped foot inside an airport before. He honestly felt like an ignorant country bumpkin compared to Camden and Harrison. He did his best to act cool all the way to the airport, but it was nearly impossible to conceal his excitement.
“Harrison, are we heading in the right direction?”
“Yes,” Harrison replied without turning around to look at Camden who was seated at the back of the car. “We’re less than five minutes away.”
Tristan was confused by Camden’s question. “Why did you ask, Cam?”
“Because Harrison isn’t taking the usual route to the airport.”
“We’re not going to Bergstrom,” Harrison explained. “The plane is parked in the hangar at a different airport.”
Camden nodded. “I see. It’s one of the smaller airports.”
Harrison briefly glanced at Camden and grinned. “Something like that.”
A short while later, Tristan got a glimpse of the airport terminal from a distance. Instead of making their way to a parking lot, Harrison drove the car toward the security checkpoint next to the building, and the guard requested identification cards from him, Camden, and Tristan. The guard walked back to his post and remained there for about a minute or so before approaching the car again.
“All clear, sirs,” the guard said while returning the identification cards to Harrison.
Then the guard pulled out a remote control from the pocket of his pants and clicked on one of the buttons. In the next instant, the gate slid open. Harrison thanked the guard before he, Camden, and Tristan continued on their way.
“Are we flying to New York on a private jet?”
Tristan looked at Camden in shock before he stared at Harrison. He knew Harrison was rich, but he didn’t expect the man to own a plane.
“Yeah,” Harrison confirmed.
Tristan was shocked. He was totally at a loss for words. It felt like he and Harrison lived in two vastly different worlds. He was a college student who was attempting to earn his associate’s degree while holding down two jobs, and yet he was barely making ends meet. He scrimped and saved as much as he could by sharing an apartment with three other men and cutting down on any unnecessary expenses, but money was still tight. He peeked at Camden to assess the man’s reaction. Camden seemed impressed, but he wasn’t flabbergasted and speechless like Tristan was. Tristan suppressed a sigh. He liked Camden and Harrison a lot, but he became more acutely aware of the reality that he wasn’t good enough for them. Harrison and Camden were really nice to Tristan, but they probably pitied him or something.
“Are you okay?”
Tristan was startled. He had been so lost inside his head, he didn’t even realize that Harrison had stopped the car next to a plane inside the hangar.
“Y-yes. I’m fine.”
Harrison frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Tristan could tell that Harrison wasn’t convinced, but he was grateful when the man didn’t force the issue. Instead, Harrison got out from the car after squeezing Tristan’s hand gently. Tristan almost teared up, and it took him a few seconds to regain his composure. Once he calmed down, he alighted from the car. Camden was already strolling next to Harrison, and they appeared to be making their way toward some men who were standing next to the plane. Tristan caught up to Harrison and Camden as fast as he could, and he managed to listen to the tail end of the conversation. It wasn’t much, but he figured out that Harrison, Camden, and the other men were discussing the logistics prior to the plane taking off.
“We will be able to depart in about ten minutes,” Camden explained to Tristan. “We should reach New York at around forty-five minutes past six local time. We will be cutting it rather close since the party starts at half past seven, but we should be fine.”
Tristan was relieved upon hearing that. It was sort of his fault that they weren’t able to fly off to New York at an earlier time. His shift at the gym ended at two, and they spent nearly thirty minutes just to get to the airport.
“Is Harrison going to leave the car here in the hangar?”
Camden shook his head. “We have to take out our luggage from the trunk of the car. One of the air stewards will carry them up onto the plane for us so we can change into our tuxedos before we land at the airport in New York. Another air steward will drive the car into the cargo hold inside the jet and secure it properly. We need the car to get to the party venue in New York.”
“Okay.”
After that, things proceeded really fast. Before Tristan knew it, he, Harrison, and Camden were on board the private jet. Since the size of the plane was quite massive, Tristan wasn’t astonished when he saw how spacious it was inside. The interior was decorated like a luxurious apartment. There were two bathrooms. One was close to the door of the plane while the other one was located on its other side. It was big and quite lavish. Tristan didn’t get the chance to look around the kitchen, but it seemed to be fully equipped. The living room had leather couches, a glass table, and a giant flat screen.
“What’s inside that compartment at the front of the plane?” Tristan asked Harrison as they made their way farther toward the back of the plane.
“The pilot cabin,” Harrison replied.
“I’m referring to the room behind it.”
“Oh, that’s the resting area for the flight crew. In it, you can find a small bathroom for the crew and six leather seats that can fully recline so the air stewards and air stewardesses can take turns resting up when we fly long distances. I travel all the way to South-East Asia at least once a year, and it’s a long trip there and back.”
Tristan didn’t know what Harrison was talking about, but he was too ashamed to seek for clarification. He would research everything online when he had the chance. He had to tail Harrison closely because he didn’t know where they were going to. Judging by Camden’s facial expression, he was as much in the dark as Tristan was. Then the three of them reached a door about halfway through the main cabin of the plane. Harrison placed his palm on the scanner to unlock the door, which slid open to the side. Tristan was stunned after entering the room behind the door. There was a king-size bed with a nightstand on either side of it. A built-in closet was installed to the left of the bed. Camden pointed at the door on the right side of the room.
“What’s in there?”
“The bathroom,” Harrison answered. “Let me show you.”
Tristan had thought that the bathrooms outside were magnificent, and they were the epitome of luxury. However, the bathroom he was standing in at the moment made the ones out there look pathetically small.
“Wow!” Tristan exclaimed while darting his eyes all around.
“Do you like it?”
Tristan nodded at Harrison. “It’s incredible.”
Harrison smiled. “We can take turns showering in here later, but let’s go outside. I’ve hired a chef to accompany us all the way to New York, and back. He will prepare some afternoon snacks for us when the plane is steady in the air after taking off.”
Harrison walked in between Tristan and Camden as they made their way out from the bathroom. Tristan liked it when Harrison placed one hand on his lower back. It was a possessive gesture, and it made him feel as if Harrison desired him, but he was most probably overthinking it. He also had a crush on Camden. However, there was no way someone as sophisticated, wealthy, and successful as Harrison or Camden would want to be with Tristan. Camden was closer to Harrison in terms of age, and he more or less had a similar build. He was also handsome. Most importantly, he seemed to be doing really well in his chosen career. He was definitely a much better option for Harrison than Tristan.
“Are you okay, man?”
Camden’s question startled Tristan. “Yeah. J-just a little nervous. First time on a plane.”
Camden smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. Everything is going to be fine. Try to relax.”
Tristan nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
After that, he joined in the conversation as much as he could, but it was difficult to focus. He attempted to shove all thoughts about Camden and Harrison to the back of his mind, but he failed. He was honestly glad when the plane was finally in the air because he could have a moment to himself by using the excuse of admiring the view outside. Since he had never flown before, this was a novel experience for him. Everything felt so brand new. Tristan breathed in and out slowly so he could regain his composure while enjoying the scenery out there. He was relieved when he calmed down somewhat.
Everything was all right until they were halfway through their afternoon snacks. Tristan wasn’t sure what triggered the realization. The three of them were casually chatting about their hobbies, and he happened to focus on Harrison who was laughing at something Camden was saying. Then Tristan glanced at Camden who was beaming widely, and it hit him. He knew what that warm, fuzzy feeling inside him represented. He didn’t think he was madly in love with Camden and Harrison because he had only known them for a few days, but he had no doubt that he was already developing deep feelings for both of them. He was so taken aback, he almost stopped talking for a second or two.
He hurriedly continued where he left off, and he was glad that neither Camden nor Harrison noticed anything was amiss. He wasn’t certain about how he felt, and he required more time to work things out inside his head. He wouldn’t be able to explain it to Camden or Harrison for the time being. Or maybe not ever. It would be too embarrassing anyway. Tristan had to keep his feelings a secret from Camden and Harrison because there was no way they would ever reciprocate his feelings for them. Tristan had to get rid of the one-sided emotion before it spiraled out of control and ruined their friendship. He had to do it fast before Harrison or Camden found out about it. It wouldn’t be easy, but Tristan had to do it somehow. He didn’t have a choice. After all, Harrison only wanted Tristan to accompany him to the party. Camden was just Tristan’s friend. It wasn’t their fault that Tristan was romantically attracted to them, and they weren’t obligated in any way, shape, or form to feel the same way he did. What they had between them was pure friendship. There was nothing more to it.