In the second Kappa Psi Kappa novel, playa extraordinaire Charlie is given six months to live and tries to make things right with all the women he has wronged. But when Gisella starts to fall for Charlie, she finds it hard to heed her girlfriends' warnings--and harder to resist him. Original.

"Surprise!"Charlie Masters clutched a hand over his heart and jumped back from his front door. Before his mind could register what was happening, the large crowd of people crammed into his Buckhead high-rise broke out in song."Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!"At last a smile broke wide across his full lips as he finally crossed the threshold into his apartment where black-and-gold balloons showered down on his head. "You guys shouldn't have," he said in the middle of their song.His smiling and jubilant friends parted like the Red Sea to allow a magnificent four-tier, circular chocolate cake to be rolled out to the center of the living room.Charlie moved forward, taken aback by the decorative dessert. Each layer showcased multiple ribbons of dark and white chocolate. On top, the ribbons looked more like a gigantic Christmas bow with the number thirty-four sparkling in the center.Impressed and touched by the gesture, Charlie blushed like a prepubescent teenager until his friends finally ended their song and erupted into a thunderous applause."Thank you, guys. Thanks. You're the best.""Are you just going to stare at it all night, or are you going to make a wish and blow out the candles?"Charlie turned to his right and beamed a smile toward his best friend and fraternity brother Derrick Knight and his wife Isabella. "Hold your horses, man. Can't a brother just enjoy the moment?"The guests laughed heartily.Derrick rolled his eyes, but his smile remained as wide as Charlie's.To his left, his other three Kappa Psi Kappa brothers cut in, "C'mon man. Make a wish.""Yeah. You're holding up the music," Taariq added.Make a wish.Wouldn't it be great if he could fix his mounting problems by simply making a wish? Feeling the weight of everyone's stare, Charlie played the good sport by closing his eyes, leaning forward and finally blowing out the candles.Another round of thunderous applause ensued and a second later, Rick Ross poured out of his surround-sound speakers, and most of the crowd paired off to get their grooves on. The rest of them crowded around Charlie and pounded his back in congratulations. It felt like most of the guys were trying to break his spine in half.Before Charlie could ask his Kappa brothers how they'd managed to plan this whole thing without him catching wind of it, Hylan moved up behind him and jammed him into a headlock and razed the top of his head with his knuckles."Hey, old man. What did ya wish for?"Charlie chuckled despite his inability to breathe."He can't tell you that," Isabella said, coming to his defense. "If he tells, then it won't come true."Hylan grunted, but released Charlie before he passed out.In retaliation, Charlie popped Hylan on the back of the head, and then the two raised their dukes as if they were really considering squaring off for a fight.Taariq rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth. "You two cut it out."Still smiling, Hylan and Charlie dropped their fists and instead gave each other a shoulder bump."Happy birthday, man," Hylan said. "You're..." Their conversation trailed off when a Halle Berry look-alike strolled past laughing and shaking her romp to the hard bass pounding all around them. "Excuse me, fellahs," Hylan said, adjusting an invisible tie. "But booty calls."Charlie and the gang laughed as Hylan strolled off in a George Jefferson-imitation strut."A steak dinner says he'll strike out," Charlie said, sliding a hand into his pocket and rocking back on his heels.Taariq frowned. "You know her?"Charlie nodded. "Yvette. I tried to hook up with her a couple of years ago, but hergirlfriend,if you know what I mean, nearly took me out."The fraternity brothers chuckled then swung their heads back in Hylan's direction to watch in giddy anticipation of his crash and burn.Yvette beamed a beautiful smile at Hylan and even fluttered a hand across her heart.Taariq leaned to