Colin’s always been the entrepreneur between us. It was him who wanted to start that doll repair business when we were five, and him set up with an iced tea stand every summer, and him who was mowing lawns in the neighborhood as soon as he could push a mower, and him trying to charge kids entrance fees at the local park.

I was just there, in awe of his ideas, ready to back him up however I could. The doll’s missing an arm? Let’s give her a cyborg one instead. Iced tea? I made the sign and put together makeshift coolers so we didn’t have to run back and forth to the house. I was there to clean up the mowed grass and stop the kids at the park from ratting us out.

I’m the support person to his brilliance.

Which is why I need his ass here now.

A whistle comes from behind me, and I drop my head back at the sound. “Already?”

The music in the club below is loud, but I catch my best friend’s laugh. “You set the time.”

“Yeah, well, we both know I’m an idiot.”

“Brom’s taking them to the suite. You better get your ass down there.”

“Colin’s not here yet.”

“Really?” Lars’s incredulous tone echoes my thoughts. “Huh. Well, it’s not like that’s the worst thing. You want these guys to give you a good write-up, and his awkward rambling is fifty-fifty between being cute and being manic.”

“There’s supposed to be photos.”

“Again … good thing. Colin’s not photogenic either.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I can talk about our club without him here.”

“Then he should have turned up. You can’t keep them waiting either, otherwise who knows what the fuck they’re gonna write. It’s a feature piece about the young business owners of Saint Clare’s. They sort of need the owners to know who they’re writing about.”

I finally turn and give Lars my full attention. All six foot seven of his cocky playboy, security guarding, horoscope-loving self. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“I know.”

It takes me a second to realize he’s not reading my mind and is still talking about the feature. “No, not the interview. The guy they’re sending, I looked him up. Cute as hell, single—I think—and openly gay.”

“Ahh.” Lars’s lips tremble. “You were going to try and sleep with him.”

“Bingo. But with Colin currently misplaced, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for more reasons than that, but whatever you need to go with.”