PROLOGUE
Kris
“Dammit, I’m so fucked!”Kris told his friend Izzy. They were sitting at the Sage Bistro, a little café they frequented for lunch.
“Calm down, Kris,” she told him. “Panicking isn’t gonna help.”
“But what am I going to do? I’ve been lying to my mom for a while now, and the cruise is, like, a month away!” When Kris’s mom had called him in June, the idea of a family cruise for Christmas had sounded like a good idea, but now Thanksgiving was a week away, and he’d run out of time. He’d led his mom to believe he was seeing someone, but the fact was, he’d been single since he and Paul had broken up in the spring.
“I thought for sure I’d be dating someone by now, and Mom is calling and texting every day, asking me for my boyfriend’s name.” He shook his head, totally despondent. “It’s no use. I’m fucked, and that’s all there is to it. I’m gonna end up either in the cabin alone, or worse, rooming with my folks. Ugh!”
“Don’t give up yet; I just got an idea!” Izzy sounded way too excited.
“Okaaay,” he started, a bit suspicious. With her flaming red hair and kooky personality, Izzy reminded him of Lucy Ricardo from the oldI Love Lucyshow on TV. Like Lucy, her schemes were often over the top. “Tell me.”
“I’ll do you one better,” she told him. “Watch.”
She scanned the room and called their waiter over to the table.
“Can I get you something? More coffee?” he asked them.
“Actually, Drew,” Izzy read his name tag. “I have a question for you.” He’d waited on them a few times before, so she sort of knew who he was.
“Sure. What’s up?” He looked at her expectantly.
“Um, do you have any plans the week before Christmas?”
“Izzy!” Kris staged-whispered to her, “what thehellare you doing?”
“Shush, you.” She stared pointedly at Kris. “Let the cutie answer.” Kris looked at him. Yes, Drew was cute. Blond, with startling green eyes and a killer smile; definitely Kris’s type. If they met at a bar or something, Kris would ask him to dance, buy him a drink … something.
“Well, I’m probably working. We don’t get our schedules until about a week before, but I’m almostalwaysworking.”
“Any chance you could get the week off?”
“Actually, the manager reminded me yesterday that I still have vacation time that I need to take, so maybe. But why would I take a week off? I’d rather make a few bucks.”
Kris listened to the exchange and just shook his head. This was a really bad idea.
“Well, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to go on an all-expenses paid cruise to the Caribbean for a week?”
“This is a joke, right?” Drew shook his head. “I, um, I have tables to take care of. Excuse me.”
“Wait, Drew!” Izzy practically shouted. “It isn’t a joke, and we can explain it all to you, but it will take a few minutes. What time does your shift end?”
“I’m on days this week, so I’m off around five. I just need to make sure the person coming in is all set with my section before I leave.”
“Perfect. We’ll meet you back here at five today. Please believe me when I say this isn’t a scam, and we could really use your help.”
Drew appeared to ponder that for a moment. “Okay. I’ll see you at five.”
CHAPTER1
Kris
“I still thinkthis is a really bad idea,” Kris whined. It was ten past five, and they were standing just outside the restaurant.
“I really think this can work,” Izzy reassured him. “Besides, he’s totally your type, right?”
