From the farms of Tennessee, Beau Watkins had it all in high school: the cute girl, the popular jock lifestyle, a loving family. As a rising freshman at an out-of-state college, he's determined to find out who he really is behind the fake it 'til you make it attitude. He joins Rainbow Connection, the gay student alliance, hoping to find himself. Instead, he meets Vin Reyes. Raised by his grandparents and the heir to a prosperous company, Vin has been out of the closet since he figured out what that meant. He has it all: fashionable clothing, fancy cars, huge houses, and a real party lifestyle, even a bodyguard. Most of all, he has a secret. Uncomfortable with Vin's generosity, Beau fights his growing attraction for the president of Rainbow Connection, instead chasing a series of shallow affairs. Vin's never been denied anything he wants, though, and now he wants Beau. But it isn’t until an old rival puts Beau in the hospital that Vin realizes Beau means more to him than a simple affair. Can the two of them bridge the gap between their worlds and roll with the all the punches life throws at them?

On a Roll

Beau finally found a spot where he could lean against a marble pillar, watch the ebb and flow of people, get prime snacks off the trays as they passed, and not have to look at his own reflection.


So of course that was when someone decided to talk to him.


“I’d ask you if you were having a good time, but I remember some of these affairs from when I was your age, and I’m pretty sure you’re not.” The woman who greeted him was tall, plump, and somewhere in that age range of not-getting-carded-anymore and using-an-AARP-discount. Her hair was carefully dyed and styled to make her appear younger, but the cut of her dress was sedate. Beau’s mom would have described her as refined. “Beauregard Watson, I think? Gloria introduced us at the concert.”


“Watkins. If I was a Watson, I might have to pursue a medical degree, and I’m not sure I’m up for that much schooling,” Beau said. He shook the offered hand, admiring several flashing bejeweled rings on her fingers. “Ms. Collins, yes, I remember.”


Chapter 48