I stepped off the plane at Miami International Airport and shuffled along with the other passengers toward the baggage carousel. It was the first time I had left Colorado. I had grown up in Fort Collins and had been all over Colorado, but I had never left the state.

And I was excited. I came all the way to Miami to visit Carly Donovan, my best friend. She had moved out to Miami a couple of months ago to be with Brad Williams, her long-lost lover. I was happy for her that she’d found love again but since she moved away and left me behind, I’d been miserable.

Carly and I had studied together. We started out as roommates during our first year, and we’d become such great friends that we bunked together ever since. When Carly had transferred her MBA studies to online classes instead of attending her post-graduate studies with me, I decided I had to convince her to come back.

And that was why I was here.

But it wasn’t only that. I wanted to see my friend again and to finally meet the man who’d managed to steal her away from me.

When I collected my bags from the carousel, I walked through to the receiving area, and Carly waved at me, her hands flying in the air. I hurried to her, and we threw our arms around each other. It had only been a few months, but I had missed her so much.

“God, it’s so good to see you!” Carly cried. “I can’t wait to show you around.”

We walked arm in arm to the parking lot, and I loaded my bags into the back. When we pulled out of the airport and headed toward North Beach, Carly started talking.

“You have to see the place we have now. Brad bought a beach house for the two of us. He said his condo was a bachelor pad. So, you have the spare bedroom with a bathroom all to yourself.”

“That’s great, Carly,” I said, and I meant it. I missed her, and I hated that she wasn’t with me at Colorado State anymore, but I was happy she’d found the love of her life, and she was creating a future for herself. Maybe it was selfish of me to ask her to come back with me.

Miami was beautiful. It was hot and humid with the skies clear and bright. I got a view of the city when we drove through town. The buildings were tall and shimmering, and as we headed out toward North Beach, the scenery changed from city vibes to beach vibes. I loved it. I hadn’t been to the coast because I’d never left Colorado, and it was an experience to be out here where even the air tasted salty.

“We have so much to catch up on,” Carly said. “You have to fill me in on your love life. I know you’ll never tell me anything about that on the phone, you’re so tightlipped.”

I shrugged. “You can complain all you want. But I don’t like talking about it on the phone. Besides, there’s not much to tell.”

Carly chuckled. “I’ll be the judge of that. You tell me everything, and I’ll decide how significant it is.”

I laughed. This was the Carly I knew and loved, the friend who always got into my business.

“I’d rather you tell me about you and your love life. I think that’s way more interesting,” I said.

Carly smiled, looking downright blissful. “Brad is such a sweetheart,” she said. “And his friends are amazing. I guess they’re my friends now, too. Especially their wives. They’re all used to fast-paced lives and a lot of money, and I thought I wouldn’t fit in, but they made me a part of their circle.”

“Your life sounds like a television show,” I said.

“It really does,” Carly agreed. “And I love it.”

We crossed the bridge to North Beach. The houses were decidedly bigger, and when we drove down a road that ran parallel to the beach, there were restaurants and hotels scattered all over the place as if someone had dropped a handful of them and the tourists rejoiced.

“This is so picturesque,” I said. “It looks like a postcard.”

“I’m sure it’s where the postcard photos are taken,” Carly said. “And Brad is home, so you’ll get to meet him.”

I had heard a lot about Brad. When I had met Carly, she had only just broken up with him and things had been horrible for her. She hadn’t wanted to look at another man, and her studies had been rocky as well. It had been a bad start for her. Slowly, she had gotten over the guy and moved on, and the two of us had set out as two single women, Carly with her healing heart and mine with my unrequited love story. When Carly and Brad got together again, I felt like she’d abandoned me, despite how happy I was for her.

But I had never met Brad. I’d seen him on TV a lot of times, but this was the first time I’d meet him face to face.

And I was nervous. Of course, he was nothing more than a guy, but he had been built up by the media so much, I felt like I might be meeting a god. It was strange to think I was headed into the inner circle of the rich and famous and that the person to get me there was my best friend. Two years ago, I would never have imagined this was where we would end up. Of course, when Carly and Brad had first broken up, he’d been a regular guy. It was during his break that he’d become famous.

“Can you believe this is where we’re at now?” I asked. “I’m not only talking about being here in Miami together, driving to your famous boyfriend’s beach house, but as people too.”

Carly shook her head. “It’s crazy.”

When I mentioned I was nervous to meet Brad, Carly shook her head.

“Don’t be nervous. Brad is awesome, and he didn’t let the fame go to his head. He’s a great guy, and he’ll accept you with open arms because you’re my girl. You’re important to me, so by default, you’re important to him.”

I liked the way that sounded.

We pulled into the driveway of a huge house, and I leaned toward the window, whistling.

“I can’t believe you live here,” I said.

Carly chuckled. “Better believe it. It’s a dream come true.”

The front door opened, and a big guy came out. He carried himself the way an athlete did, with a fluid gate and a smile that was camera-ready.

“You must be Hailey,” Brad said. I held out my hand, but he pulled me into a hug, talking about being part of the family. Carly watched us, smiling proudly.

“Hey, babe,” Brad said, kissing Carly after he greeted me. “How was traffic?”

“Fine,” Carly said. “Will you grab the bags? I want to show Hailey to her room.”

Brad nodded and followed us into the house with my bags. When he put them down in the room that was to be mine for the duration of my stay, he kissed Carly again.

“I’m off to the training center,” he said. “I want to watch the second-stringers train.”

“Be back for supper,” Carly said, and I greeted Brad before he left. When he was gone, I turned to the room. It was a large room decorated in creams and beiges with light wood finishes. Hidden lights illuminated the room and a door led to a bathroom that was twice the size of any dorm room we had ever had, complete with a jet bathtub.

“I can’t believe this is where I’m staying,” I said. “It’s better than the Ritz!”

Carly laughed. “I should hope so. Brad paid a lot for the place.”

I walked to the bed and checked my phone in my bag, texting my mom that I had arrived safely. I only saw her on weekends, but she worried.

“How about you get settled, and we’ll have drinks on the back porch when you’re done?” Carly asked. “I have to make a few calls.”

I nodded, and Carly disappeared into the house that I had yet to explore. I turned to my bags and unpacked my clothes into the closet space that had been emptied for me. I loved being here, loved the luxury and the comfort and seeing Carly again.

When I was done, I walked through the house, exploring as I went along. The house was large with a U-shaped layout, and all the rooms were decorated with modern paintings and minimalistic furniture. I wandered around until I found Carly in an office. She hung up the phone as I walked in.

“You found me,” she said.

“I went on a tour through the house in the process, but yeah. It’s an amazing place. Did you do the decoration yourself?”

Carly laughed. “God, no. I don’t have this much skill, although I do seem to have good taste.” She winked. “Brad paid an interior designer. I have to say the woman listened when I said what I liked, and she delivered.”

“She did. This place is so you. But I can see how it would suit Brad too. It’s classy.”

“Thank you,” Carly said. “Let’s sit outside.”

The beach house had a back porch that ran out onto the beach itself, and when Carly and I sipped cocktails she produced from a bar, we sat with the waves crashing right in front of us.

“So, love life,” Carly said.  “Have you popped that cherry yet?”

“God, be blasé about my virginity, will you?” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Sorry,” Carly said. “But you’ve been telling me how tired you are of a label that doesn’t define you.”

She was right. I had been telling her that. I was still a virgin, even though I’d done a lot of other things with men, from fingering to oral and back. But I hadn’t ever given up my virginity because the men had never been worth it. Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted to lose it to someone who cared about more than just the size of my breasts.

“You know how I feel about it,” I said to Carly. “I’m tired of being seen as the ‘good girl,’ but I’m not going to walk that road for the sake of losing my virginity.”

“Well, who knows?” Carly said. “Maybe Miami will take your virtue.”

I rolled my eyes, and Carly laughed.

“So, what call did you have to make? You’re only studying, right? You’re not working too?”

“Oh, no,” Carly said. “I was calling the girls, the football wives, about a dinner we’re hosting on Saturday. I forgot to tell you about it. Brad invited all his football friends and their wives, and we’re going to make a thing of it.”

“Here?” I asked.

Carly nodded. “It’s great fun. I get a caterer so I don’t have to cook, and the night is all about building and maintaining our friendships. We try to do it once a month at someone’s home, and we rotate it. We’re about five couples who do it regularly. It’s important to keep in touch and talk about other things than football. The men can get so sucked in.”

“It sounds like a great idea,” I said. “But do you think I’ll fit in with one of your dinners? I’m not exactly a part of any of the groups.”

“Of course, you will,” Carly said, waving her hand. “You’re part of my group. And the girls are all so great. You’ll see how they make an effort to draw you in. It’s thanks to them that I settled in here so quickly. They really go out of their way. And when the men are gone to play out of state, we support each other because we know what we’re all going through.”

It sounded great, I had to admit. It sounded like something Carly might not want to leave behind. But I wouldn’t focus on that yet. First, the dinner party was coming up, and as nerve-racking as it was to spend time with a bunch of strangers, Carly’s excitement was contagious.