Page 37 of Packed Up In Vegas

“We just missed each other,” Diego replied. “Kai and I went to high school and college together before we moved out to Vegas around the same time you moved to LA.”

“You moved to Vegas for work?”

“Sure did,” answered Diego.

“I…moved for my fiancé. Ex-fiancé, fuck. I’m sorry; it hasn’t been long enough for me to get used to that.”

“Don’t apologize, precious. He was an important part of your life for a long time. None of us expect you to forget him.” Diego squeezed my hand, lifting my knuckles to his lips.

That was a bit of a relief, even though I wished I could just forget Jerry.

“Where are you two from?” I asked the ones up front.

“I’m from Seattle, too,” said Miles.

“Oh my god, shut up! Really?”

“I moved around a lot, but that was the longest stint. Born there, stayed until kindergarten, and back briefly for college.”

“Army brat?”

“Unfortunately. I hated moving. Every time I felt settled somewhere, we’d get notice it was time to go.”

“That’s so hard on kids. I’m glad I got to stay in one place growing up.” I poked Amir’s arm. “What about you?”

“New York,” he replied.

“NYC or the state?”

“Albany, but I did go to NYU.”

“Okay, this is fucking weird. I went there too.”

Kai leaned over and nuzzled my hair. “Red thread.”

“What?”

“The red thread of fate. It’s a folklore tradition that fated partners were connected by a red thread the gods tied to them so they would remain connected until it was time for them to meet.”

I couldn’t exactly deny it. Trading home cities with Kai and Diego, being born in the same place as Miles, studying at the same place as Amir. “That just makes me want to check all the dates to see how close we got without ever meeting. Amir, what did you study?”

“Physics.”

“Okay, we probably didn’t have any intersecting classes then. I was there for cinematography. How the fuck did you go from physicist to live sex show performer?”

Amir snorted. “I don’t know how much you know about physicists, but it’s not the most highly paid profession in the world.”

“I guess that’s fair.” I nudged Kai and Diego. “What about you two?”

“I made a go of med school but decided I liked sleep and sanity a lot better. It was absolutely not for me,” said Kai.

“Honestly, same for me,” Diego replied, “but with pharmacy. By the time I got close to finishing my first degree I was about ready to have a panic attack every time I walked into a pharmacy. Kai and I dropped out at the same time, decided to fuck around in Vegas like two little dumbasses who weren’t even old enough to drink. Rang in our twenty-first birthdays there and decided to never leave.”

“And how did you all end up doing the shows? Do your families know?”

“Absolutely fucking not,” Amir said with a snort. “I got a job right out of college, recruited by a company in Vegas, and my parents still think that’s what I do for work. I started escorting when I realized I hated my socially acceptable job, and that’s where I met the others.”

“Escorting? I need everyone to back up. There’s a lot going on in these backstories.”

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