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Maybe that was my problem. Maybe I’d been looking for love in all the wrong places—with all the wrong people—and that’s why it had started to feel…empty. And a little boring. Repetitive, even. The thrill of the chase fading.
And now of course, it was as if fate had decided to step in and make me un-fuckable, cursing me by forcing me to get older against my will.
"Don’t stress about it, man. The weekend is just around the corner, and you know what that means?"
"Fresh meat."
We both said it at the same time.
Every weekend would see a whole new batch of guests checking into one of the most luxurious, yet laid-back all-male resorts in the world.
Miguel was right. There’d be plenty of new guys for me to...become better acquainted with.
"We’re fully booked," Leo announced. He’d walked over as Miguel and I had broken off into our smaller conversation.
"And we have an extra-special guest this weekend, too," he continued.
I furrowed my brow. "Oh yeah, who?"
"We ran a radio contest called Happily Ever After in California last week. The winner of that giveaway is staying here this weekend. He arrives tomorrow."
"Hmm…"
I smiled as my gaze drifted out into the dark sea. I suddenly became acutely aware of how loudly the waves were crashing against the shore. My heart rate had ticked up a notch, too.
Happily ever after… That had a nice ring to it.
But as if something like that would ever happen to a guy like me.
3
MITCHELL
One week after my phone call with Jed, I tapped my fingers on the cool white marble counter as I took in the impressive hotel lobby. I had already been greeted by a driver at the airport, whisked away in a white stretch limousine, and escorted from the car up a cobblestone pathway to the reception area where I currently stood. For someone whose only travels up until this point had consisted of the two-hour drive from Cowbell Creek to Los Angeles, this was all super-duper fancy.
The floor-to-ceiling windows with views out to the ocean caught my eye the second I stepped into the lobby. I mean, how could they not? The sight was stunning, and despite not being able to swim, I loved the water.
The whole area was filled with an abundance of natural light that streamed in seemingly from everywhere, and the decor was elegant, minimal, and, well, super-duper fancy, too.
"Ready for the grand tour?"
I looked up at Leo, the owner of the Elysian Resort, who had greeted me and was checking me in, his fingers madly churning across the keyboard.
"Sure, I'd love that. Thank you."
"Great." He stood up and flashed me a wide, welcoming smile.
He was an older guy, maybe in his early forties. He had that classic all-American vibe going on with big eyes and a strong jaw and the look of a person you could immediately trust.
"Now that you are all checked in, I'll get someone to take your luggage to your suite while I show you around the resort."
As he took me around the massive complex, Leo explained that the resort had recently been renovated. Apparently, a lot hadn’t been done to it since it had been built in the ’80s, so it was well overdue.
I had done my own research into the place over the last week, too, reading review after review that highlighted how welcoming the place was, how perfect the location was, and that the place was a mecca for LGBTQIA+ people from all over the world.
"How long have you owned the resort?" I asked as we made our way down a narrow pathway, flanked by a wonderful assortment of bright tropical plants that led away from the reception building.
"Almost ten years," Leo replied, his eyes lighting up with pride. "It wasn’t a lot when we first bought it, but now, it really is something truly world-class." A melancholic wistfulness underlined his tone.
