Page 6 of Twist of Fate

“A nurse, Gomez, not a stranger. And you’ve had nurses here every day since⁠—”

“Don’t say it!”

“—you tripped over your massive pile of dirty laundry and somehow managed to break not one leg but both of them. I still don’t know how you were able to fall so spectacularly.”

“I have skills, Luke. Now, go put that tie in the trash and show me our options. If you’re going to get this promotion, you’re going to require my assistance.”

As much as it sucked lying to Gomez, Luke would hate not having his friend in his life even more. After collecting his original alien-blood green choice from the floor in the hall, Luke grabbed the hanger containing his small collection of ties from the closet. He held it up for Gomez’s inspection.

Gomez’s disgusted frown alerted Luke to the tirade heading his way. “No. No. Good God, no. Hmm, no. And also no. Oh, this one isn’t burning my retinas. Let’s go with it.”

Luke tugged the slightly less green tie from the hanger and held it up. “How is this any bett⁠—”

“Don’t question my genius. And grab the matching paisley pocket square from your top drawer. Now, what else are you packing?”

“The what…? Never mind.” Luke opened his top drawer and found the pocket square neatly tucked away. It confirmed his theory that Gomez went through his closet and tossed things he didn’t like on a regular basis. “T-shirts, boxers, basketball shorts, my hoodie⁠—”

“Luka-million, darling, you do realize you’re not twenty-one anymore, right?”

No, Luke wasn’t but genetics had been kind. Even though he’d recently celebrated his thirty-first birthday, he could still pass for a college-aged kid. In his line of work, looking a decade younger than his actual age came in handy. He played up the age discrepancy by making sure to keep his sandy brown hair a bit longer than he would like it. It allowed the natural wave in his hair to come through, emphasizing his youthful appearance even further.

“Ugh,” Luke teased. “One, don’t call me darling. Two, it’s a long flight, Go-Go. I want to be comfortable.”

Plus, no one expected a courier to look like a college kid in an oversized-hoodie and track pants. If he showed up at the airport looking like any other twentysomething on a flight, he’d draw less attention.

Gomez huffed. “Considering you’re abandoning me in my time of need, the least you can do is dress well.”

“Gosh, I’m lucky I’m packing my bags since you’re taking me on a guilt trip.”

“Hardy har har. Promise me this job is local, Luke.”

Luke tossed the new tie on his bed before kneeling next to Gomez. “I promise.”

“You’re the only family I have.”

Which was the only reason Luke hadn’t already moved on. He’d made it a condition of his employment that he be allowed to remain in his current location. It wasn’t as if he worked for the CIA or something.

No, he worked for a tech giant whose CEO didn’t trust technology and preferred having someone well-trained move information the old-fashioned way…by hand. And no, the irony wasn’t lost on Luke.

Considering it paid incredibly well, Luke accepted the CEO’s idiosyncrasies and laughed all the way to the bank. After adjusting the sock barely hanging onto the end of Gomez’s foot, Luke gave his friend’s toes a comforting squeeze.

“Same,” Luke said. “And hey, maybe they’ll send a super-hot nurse. You can practice your flirting.”

“Practice does make perfect. Not that you would know since you’ve been living like a monk since…what was his name again?”

Luke grinned as Gomez wiggled his eyebrows in an attempt to look…seductive? Mischievous? Luke honestly couldn’t tell other than his friend looked ridiculous. He stood and hurried over to the bed and his trusty backpack before Gomez caught him laughing. “No comment.”

“Do you have your chargers?” Gomez huffed through the question, as annoyed as ever that Luke refused to discuss his ex. The betrayal still burned and reminded Luke exactly why he’d decided years ago that Gomez was the only person he could trust.

Luke lifted the pouch of cords from the bed before tucking it into the outer pocket.

“Laptop so we can video chat?”

Luke showed Gomez the computer before securing it into its compartment.

“That’s all I care about. I need a snack. You want something?”

Luke shook his head as Gomez rolled himself out of the room. He had about three minutes before Gomez realized he couldn’t actually get himself a snack. He used the opportunity to pack his blade-less multitool and a pair of ridiculously sharp embroidery scissors—the only TSA-approved weapons he could take—as well as the rest of his everyday carry gear. His EDC didn’t consist of much, but he could do a lot with a little if push came to shove. His training had made sure of that. He added the new tie and pocket square to his packing cube of clothes and called it done.