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Prologue

Luca

Seven years before

“This booze cruise is exactly what you need,” Jason,“After those ht days, and maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll have hot sex” I shakewhen he says thosebrutal I lived on pizza, coffee, and Red Bull for five days straight But I had one goal and one goal only—to ace those fucking exams

“We still need to be reasonable,” I say to Jason while I open my drawer and take out five folded white T-shirts That’s raduate first in his law class fro

Jason groans from his side of the roolue your ass cheeks together” He points atover

The door opens, and Nick and To black backpacks “What the fuck are you guys packing?” Tom comes over and sits on ht? And ill be in shorts all day long”

“Yeah,” Nick says, going over toout his hand, he starts counting with his thu suit, sunscreen, two pairs of shorts, and five T-shirts” He then looks at the three of us and s “Oh, and two boxes of condoers and twirls around in the chair

“It’s not a swingers’ cruise,” I ad “You are aware of this, right?”

“It’s called a booze cruise for a reason,” Nick says, laughing “You booze, you sleaze It’s a circle of life”

“What happens on the booze cruise stays on the booze cruise,” Tom says “We need nicknames”

“Why?” I ask them, confused, while I pack a pair of dress pants, and all three of theether

“You never know if it’s going to get cold at night, or it’s fancy and shit,” I say “Why do we need nicknames?”

“Oh ive your real na?” he says with his hands “Or she’s good enough for the cruise but not good enough for land?”

“Okay, and?” I ask, not getting it

“Then you’ve got to be the asshole and be all like it’s not you, it’s me, but it’s really her and not you,” Tom says “It’s just easier if we come up with code names”