The Billionaire Boys Club (Billionaire Romance Series Book 1) (18 page)

Dylan smiled at them. “You two worry too much. I’ll be okay.” He sighed. “So what didn’t I understand today?”
 

On Wednesday afternoon, Kelsey met Tyler at the Student Center lounge. He was sitting drinking coffee when she walked up.
 

“Hi, Kels,” he said when he saw her.
 

“Hi,” Kelsey said, sitting down in one of the soft chairs next to him.
 

“Do you want to get something before we start?” he asked.
 

“I’m fine,” Kelsey replied. She took out her laptop and opened it.
 

“Here are the issues that I found. I did some research on them as well,” she said, swinging the laptop toward him. Tyler looked at the computer.
 

“Okay,” Tyler said. He reached into his bag and pulled out an iPad. “Take a look at this, and tell me what you think.” He handed the iPad to Kelsey, who took it.
 

She looked over the document that Tyler had written, and to her surprise, he had written the complete memorandum. She scrolled down, and discovered that he had found at least three issues that she had missed. Additionally, he had referenced six cases she hadn’t even heard of. She looked up at him. He looked at her expectantly.
 

“I think we should use yours,” she said. She wasn’t sure how else to comment. His work was twice as good as her own. She handed the iPad back to him.

“We can add a few things from what you wrote,” he said. “The Johnson case was overruled, though,” he commented. “It’s bad law now. Your memo is good, though,” He moved the laptop back to her. “Do you want me to forward mine to you? You can make whatever changes you like.”

Kelsey frowned. “Are you patronizing me?”
 

Tyler looked at her in surprise. “No,” he said calmly. “What do you mean?”

“Mine is terrible compared to yours,” Kelsey said.
 

“No, it’s fine,” Tyler replied.
 

“It clearly isn’t,” Kelsey replied.
 

“You missed a couple of issues. What’s the big deal?” Tyler said.
 

“It’s the difference between an A and failing,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Legal writing is pass / fail,” Tyler said.
 

“You know what I mean,” Kelsey said.
 

Tyler took a sip of his coffee. “I think you need to relax, Miss North,” he replied.
 

“Now you’re patronizing me,” Kelsey pouted.
 

Tyler laughed. “Look, Kelsey. Do you want me to tell you that your work is crap? Fine, I’ll tell you that if you want. It’s not though. It’s really good for your first memo,” Tyler said.
 

“And you’ve written hundreds,” Kelsey said.
 

“I’ve read hundreds,” Tyler said, taking a sip of his drink. “The law isn’t new to me. I grew up with it.”

“Your mother runs an internet company,” Kelsey replied. “Not a law firm.”
 

“My mother is a lawyer. Everything runs through that filter. Have you heard the story of Goldilocks and the case of breaking and entering?”

Kelsey laughed. “That’s not how I remember it.”
 

“No?” Tyler asked. “Rapunzel and the story of unlawful detainment?”

“OK, I get the point,” Kelsey said, smiling.
 

“I thought you might,” Tyler said, sipping the coffee and winking at her. “So do you want me to edit it?”

“Sure, why not?” Kelsey said. “I’ll forward mine to you.”
 

“Okay,” Tyler said. He placed the iPad back into his bag and Kelsey shut her laptop.
 

“Are you going to the Hydronic concert this weekend?” she asked him.
 

“Probably,” he replied. “It seems like the entire campus is going.”
 

“Are you a fan?” Kelsey asked.
 

Tyler shrugged. “Zach likes them. Are you?”

“I like them,” Kelsey replied, nodding.
 

“I wouldn’t have expected that. I thought you only listened to Shakira. You’re full of surprises, Miss North.”
 

Tyler took a last drink from his cup and stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kels.” He picked up his backpack.
 

“Bye, Tyler,” Kelsey said.
 
As he left, Kelsey wondered how he knew she liked Shakira.

Wednesday evening, Kelsey sat in the library trying to figure out how to improve her draft before she sent it to Tyler. She was so furious with herself that she hadn’t noticed that the case that she cited had been overruled, but when she went back to look it up, there it was. She had simply missed the note. She frowned. She had been in such a hurry that she had missed the obvious.
 

But it wasn’t really hurry. It was competitiveness. She wasn’t sure what it was about Tyler Olsen that brought out her desire to win. Perhaps it was because he had the aura of someone who had never failed.
 

On Thursday, Kelsey sat next to Tyler in Property. He was typing into his laptop again.

“Did you get my draft?” she asked him, putting her bag on the table.
 

“I did. You rewrote it?” Tyler asked, not looking up.
 

“A little,” Kelsey said.
 

“You didn’t need to,” Tyler said.
 

“I thought it couldn’t hurt,” Kelsey replied. Tyler looked at her. He smiled as he went back to his typing.
 

“Okay,” he replied. “I’ll work on it over the weekend, so we can turn it in next week.”
 

“Thanks,” Kelsey said as the professor walked in.
 

Keith walked into Legal Writing in his usual jeans and flannel. Tyler looked up from his iPad. He had been reading
The Economist
.

“I’m sure that everyone is having a great time with their memos, right?” Keith asked the class.
 

Tyler glanced at Kelsey, but said nothing, as much of the class groaned.
 

“Just remember that they’re due next Friday. Of course if you have any questions, I’m here to help.”

After class, Ryan walked over to Tyler and sat on the table as Kelsey gathered her things.
 

“I’m here to help,” Ryan mimicked. “I wonder if Keith would like to help me find a partner who cares enough to do the assignment.”

“Your partner is less motivated than you? You’re in real trouble,” Tyler said.

“Tell me about it.”
 

“Take it home over the weekend. Have Lisa do it,” Tyler said.
 

“Is that what you did?” Ryan asked.

“Of course not. My mom wouldn’t do it for me anyway. She likes you better.”
 

“That’s true,” Ryan grinned. “Maybe I will. I might run into Charlotte though.”
 

“She wouldn’t be at my Mom’s,” Tyler said.
 

“No, I really mean run into Charlotte. With the car.”
 

Tyler laughed. “Why do you hate her so much?”
 

Ryan shrugged. “Something to do.”
 

“Just go over on Saturday afternoon. She’ll do it for you.”
 

“Why can’t you do it?”
 

“Because I’m not your personal servant,” Tyler replied.
 

“And Lisa Olsen is?”

“I didn’t actually say that,” Tyler replied.

Ryan laughed. He glanced at Keith, who was talking to a student at the front of the class.

“It seems that we should be able to just send things to Kinnon Martins. Outsource our homework. That’s what Brandon does.”

“He does not,” Tyler laughed.

“I’m just saying, he seems to have a lot of time to play Xbox.”
 

“It will catch up to him. He’s still got to take exams.”
 

“That will be difficult to outsource,” Ryan said.
 

Tyler stood up, and picked up his bag.
 

“Bye, Kels,” he said.
 

“Bye,” Kelsey replied. Tyler and Ryan walked out of the classroom and Kelsey zipped up her backpack. She glanced at the door and as she did she wondered, not for the first time, what it was like to be Tyler Olsen.
 

On Saturday, Jessica sat at the mirror putting on black eyeliner.
 

“You look hot,” she said, glancing at Kelsey. Kelsey was wearing tight black jeans, black boots and a Hydronic t-shirt tied at the waist.
 

“So do you,” Kelsey replied. Jessica was wearing a black skirt, black spaghetti strap-top and a black leather jacket.
 

“Not fat?” Jessica asked doubtfully.

“Not at all,” Kelsey said. She looked in the mirror and added some silver eyeshadow.
 

“I can’t believe that we’re taking the night off.”

“Tyler said that a lot of people were going from Darrow.”
 

“Oh, did Tyler?”

“Funny,” Kelsey said.

“You seem to hate him less,” Jessica said.

“He’s the key to my passing Legal Writing,” Kelsey replied. “Anyway, I’m starting to understand him more.”

“In what way?” Jessica asked, putting dark red lipstick on.
 

“I think that his intensity comes naturally to him.”
 

“Like yours comes to you.”
 

“I’m not intense,” Kelsey retorted.

“Ha!” Jessica replied.

“Okay, maybe a little,” Kelsey said, putting on pink lip gloss.
 

There was a knock on the door. Kelsey opened it to Dylan. He was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.
 

“Ready?” he asked.

“Let me just make sure I have the tickets,” Jessica replied.
 

“This was a nice perk. Student services buying out most of the nightclub,” Dylan said, as Jessica looked through her purse.
 

“Got ‘em,” she said. “Are you taking a jacket, Kels?”
 

Kelsey shook her head. “It’s going to be hot at the club,” she replied. “I’ll be fine.”
 

“Is Ashley going with us?” Dylan asked.
 

“She’s going with her man,” Jessica grinned.
 

“That’s why my room smells like a men’s perfume store,” Dylan replied. They left the dorm and walked to Dylan’s car. Jessica got in the back and Kelsey sat next to Dylan.

“You look great, Kels,” Dylan said to her. “You too, Jess.”
 

“Thanks,” the girls said in unison. As Dylan drove out of the parking lot, Kelsey noticed several other groups of students getting into cars of their own.
 

Dylan drove them into downtown Seattle, then turned toward Belltown. To Kelsey’s annoyance, she spotted Ryan’s condo as Dylan drove into an above-ground parking lot. He parked and they got out. He put the keys into his pocket.
 

“Are you sure you’re OK, Kels?” Jessica asked with concern as Kelsey wrapped her arms around herself. The cold night air was blowing off Puget Sound, which was only a few blocks away.

“Let’s just get inside,” Kelsey said. They walked the couple of blocks to the nightclub, where they were carded and Jessica handed the bouncers the tickets. They all got bracelets so they could come and go, and they went inside.
 

The nightclub was already in pandemonium. Even though Hydronic hadn’t begun performing, the opening set had clearly warmed up the crowd. Kelsey saw lots of people from the Darrow Law campus, although she hadn’t spotted Tyler or Zachary yet.
 

“Want something to drink?” Dylan asked.
 

“No, thanks,” Kelsey said. Jessica shook her head.
 

“I’ll be back,” Dylan said. Kelsey glanced after him.

“We’ll watch him tonight, Kels,” Jessica said reassuringly.

“OK,” Kelsey said. She glanced around, and spotted Zachary. His jet black hair was spiky especially for the concert. Tyler stood next to him, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans.
 

Jessica nudged Kelsey. “Tyler has nice arms.”
 

“I’ve seen them,” Kelsey replied. “Every morning, in fact.”
 

Jessica giggled. “OK, I’ll stop,” she said.

“Thank you,” Kelsey replied.
 

Zachary and Tyler headed toward the stage as Dylan returned, a cup in each hand.
 

“The line’s crazy. I brought extra so I don’t need to go back as often,” he said, drinking from one of the cups. “The entire school is here.” They stood around for a few minutes, enjoying the atmosphere.
 

Jessica nodded. “I wonder when they’re starting.”

“What?” Dylan asked.
 

“I wonder when they’re starting,” Jessica said louder, over the noise.
 

“Soon,” Kelsey said, looking at her phone. “It’s almost eleven.”
 

And as if on cue, members of the band walked out on stage and started setting up. The crowd in the club went wild. Jessica grinned at Kelsey.

“I love them!” she shouted.
 

“I’ll be back,” Dylan said. He held two empty cups in his hand as he walked off.

“Did he really just drink all of that?” Jessica asked.

“I think so,” Kelsey replied, as the first notes began to play.
 

Hydronic started by playing songs from their first album. Kelsey was surprised how many people sang along with the lyrics. Then again, she mused, just because law students were serious, it didn’t mean that they didn’t listen to music.
 

Dylan rejoined them, two more drinks in hand. Kelsey glanced at him in concern, but turned back as Jessica excitedly grabbed her bare arm. Dylan left and returned a third time during the first hour, but didn’t come back as the second hour of the show began. Kelsey wondered where he had gone off to for a few moments, but Jessica, who was immersed in the concert, told Kelsey that she was sure that he was fine.