Chapter 1
“Ican’t believe I let you two talk me into this,” Fernando grumbled. He rolled his small suitcase through the airport. “I need to save money, not blow it on hotels, food, and beer.”
He was nearly done with graduate school; in a month and a half, he'd have his master's in education.
I should be saving for rent while job hunting, not wasting time on a beach, he thought with a sigh.
Months ago, he had thought his first job was secure. The middle school where he was student teaching liked him; the principal had even made an offer. But the school board rescinded it after discovering Fernando’s uncle through social media.
He scowled and practically stomped toward the car rental desk.
“You seriously need to get laid,” Nolen said, making Fernando grit his teeth.
His dumbass friends had been saying the same thing for months now.Sex isn’t going to magically fix what’s wrong in my life, he thought, but a small part of him argued:Hell, it wouldn’t hurt, right?It had been a while since he broke upwith his last boyfriend, and that ache lingered, leaving him torn between longing and cynicism.
“It’s spring break,” Gigi yelled and waved her arms overhead. “It’s time to party.”
Nolen reached over and pushed the sides of Fernando’s lips up. “Smile and have some fun, Ferdie.”
Gigi turned toward them, continuing to walk backwards. She did her best Cher impression and sang “Fernando” at the top of her lungs.
Fernando groaned.I never should have started watching musicals with them.
Nolen shimmied and joined in, ignoring all the people staring at them. He moved ahead of Fernando and danced with Gigi.
“I hate you two so much,” Fernando said, shaking his head. “Why do I hang out with you again?”
They finally stopped singing when security started eyeing them. Gigi moved to one side of him, and Nolen to the other.
“You’re our friend because we’re the only two that haven’t deserted you,” Gigi said, bumping his shoulder with hers. “You know you really love us.”
“Harsh, but true.” Fernando had lost a lot of friends over the last few years.
“You’d love us even more if you got laid.” Nolen’s eyes brightened. “We need to go out tonight. We’ll check into our rooms and get all fancy, then go to the nearest bar.”
Fernando groaned. “Can’t we just go easy tonight? I’m still recovering from mid-terms.”
“You’d recover faster if you were drunk,” Gigi said, humming that damn song under her breath. “I’m the designated driver, so you get to drink as much as you want tonight, Ferdie. Have some fun and relax. This is our last spring break.”
Fernando mumbled a vague response. The semester had drained him; he just wanted it over.
They grabbed a rental car and drove toward their beachfront hotel. Gigi and Nolen chattered in the front seat, excited, while Fernando sulked in the back.
Not sulking—brooding, he insistedto the reflection glaring at him from the window.
He rolled down the window to get rid of that judgy bastard and smiled. He had to admit that North Carolina was beautiful in the spring. The trees were full and green, and flowers seemed to bloom everywhere. It was quite a bit different from New Mexico, though his home state had its own beauty.
Gigi looked over her shoulder at him. “Can’t you feel it, Ferdie? Change is in the air, and your new start is coming. The last three years may have been horrible, but I know it’s going to get better.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “Have you been reading horoscopes again?”
She moved her head from side to side, a serious expression on her face. “It’s a good possibility.”
He laughed. “At least you’re not writing them anymore.”
She gave him a serious look. “I would write you a happy ever after if I could, Ferdie.”
Damn, I love these two idiots. They really cared about him and had stayed by his side through all the rough times. “I would write you into a murder mystery,” Fernando said. “You’d discover the body and be the prime suspect. Don’t worry, though. You’d help the police discover the killer and hook up with the lead detective.”
