In his final year in the Political Science program at college in Chicago, Sam Basilli is still recovering from the breakup with his last boyfriend, Malcolm, that breakup which resulted in him not only losing his lover but his best friend. Sam, not the type for one night stands, still vows never to date a friend to avoid such double blows. With regard to relationships, Sam's best female friend since first year, Stasia Cooper, conversely never considers herself to have a boyfriend regardless of what the outside world sees in she not believing in commitment. On the Valentine's weekend, Sam reluctantly agrees, as a favor to friends, to what he considers his worst nightmare in giving Harry Turpin a ride - nine hours - to their hometown, Harry, also a student at the same college, who tormented Sam all through high school for being gay. While Sam's initial impression of Harry is still the same - self-absorbed, adolescent minded, the type of guy that strings girlfriends along until it becomes too messy for him - it isn't until midway through their trip that Sam views Harry in a slightly different light on an admission: that Harry had long ago come out as being pansexual. That discovery at least leads to them having a more fulsome discussion about their lives on the remainder of the drive. With bumps along the way over the next few years, Sam and Harry teeter on the brink of friendship to being in that same vein of friend for Sam that Malcolm was and Stasia still is. As Sam develops even deeper feelings, he has to decide if he will break his vow not to date friends. In the end, generally controlled Sam may be taken over by emotions, both good and bad.—Huggo