The Billionaire Boys Club (Billionaire Romance Series Book 1) (2 page)

“It’s nice to meet you,” Kelsey’s mom said. “We’ve heard a lot about you already from Kelsey.”

“How was your flight from New York?” Kelsey’s dad asked.
 

Jessica shrugged. “Long. I was happy to land at Sea-Tac.”
 

“How long have you been here?” Kelsey asked, putting her bags down on the other bed.
 

“Since eleven. My plane landed this morning. I dropped my stuff off and walked around. I love the neighborhood.”

“I can’t wait to explore it,” Kelsey said.

“Better do it now,” Kelsey’s dad said, placing a bag next to one of the desks. “Isn’t orientation tomorrow?”

“We can have dinner in Madison Park and I’ll show you around,” Jessica said.

“Great!” replied Kelsey.
 

“We’d better go,” Kelsey’s dad said. “Our 15 minutes are almost up.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Nice meeting you,” Jessica said as Kelsey and her parents headed out of the dorm room door.

“Have a good year at school,” Kelsey’s mom said to Jessica.

“Thanks,” Jessica replied.

“Don’t sue anyone,” Kelsey’s dad said.

“I’ll try not to, Mr. North,” Jessica replied. Kelsey laughed and they walked out of the room and down the stairs.

When they arrived at the car, Kelsey’s bike was neatly placed against the front of the dorm. The student who gave them the 15-minute deadline walked over.

“There’s a bike rack in the basement. Or you can park it in the back.”
 

“Thanks,” Kelsey said.
 

“Nice bike,” the student grinned, looking her over and walking off. Mr. North frowned.
 

“I don’t like him,” he said. Kelsey giggled.
 

“Not a problem,” Kelsey said. “I’m not here to find a date. Anyway, I’m sure I won’t have time.”
 

Her father smiled, gave her a hug, and kissed her forehead.
 

“That’s my girl,” he said. Kelsey’s mother shook her head in amusement.
 

“Do you want me to stay and help you unpack? Your father can drive the car out.”
 

“It’s fine, Mom. I’ve got it under control.”

“I know, Kels. You’re an adult now. It was just really nice having you home over the summer.”
 

“It was nice to be back,” Kelsey replied, hugging her.
 

“You’ll bring Jessica home for Thanksgiving?” her mom asked.
 

“If she doesn’t go back to New York,” Kelsey said.
 

Her mother nodded, tears in her eyes.
 

“OK, we’ve got to go, before someone gets weepy. Kels, we’ll be home late. We’re going to dinner on Bainbridge,” Kelsey’s dad said.
 

Kelsey nodded. “Thanks for bringing me,” she said.
 

“Anytime you want to come home, we’ll pick you up.”
 

“I can rent a car, Mom.”
 

Her mother hugged her again. “Such a big girl.” Kelsey’s mom sighed.

“Into the car, my love. Kelsey, have a wonderful time.”
 

Mrs. North walked around the car and got in.
 

“Thanks, Dad,” Kelsey said. Kelsey’s father kissed her forehead again, and got into the driver’s seat.
 

“We’re only two hours away,” he said to her.
 

Kelsey laughed. “I know, Dad. Have a good dinner.” Kelsey’s dad nodded and started the car. They drove off, waving at Kelsey, who waved back. The car drove the rest of the loop and headed back out of the gate they had entered.
 

Kelsey turned back to retrieve her bike. Her cell phone buzzed and she removed it from the zippered pocket of her jacket.
 

Love you Kels
, said the message from her mother.

After parking her bike in the cool concrete basement, Kelsey bounded up the stairs to her room. She and Jessica had been chatting online with each other all summer, and they already considered each other friends.
 

“They’re off?” Jessica asked, as Kelsey returned. Jessica was putting the finishing touches on her desk, placing pens in a flowered pencil cup.
 

“Back to Port Townsend.” Kelsey replied. She moved the bags to one side and sat on her bed. She looked around the room. Like her room at college, it was small, with walls of glossy white-painted cinder block. She glanced at Jessica’s side. Flowered bedspread, worn teddy bear. Jessica was a girly girl.
 

“Need some help unpacking?” Jessica asked. Kelsey shook her head. “I guess not,” Jessica continued. “You didn’t bring much.”

“I thought I’d be a bit busy,” Kelsey grinned.
 

“You and me both,” Jessica replied. “My parents wanted to know if they should have Amazon send over a television. I laughed at them.”
 

“Exactly,” Kelsey said. She opened one of her bags and pulled out a travel packing cube and unzipped it, revealing a neat stack of jeans. Jessica raised an eyebrow. “My mom packed them for me,” Kelsey explained.

“I was wondering. I was hoping you weren’t a neat freak.”
 

“Definitely not,” Kelsey replied, pulling out another travel cube. Over the next few minutes, she stood and placed her clothes in the dresser against the wall at the foot of her bed. After unpacking all of the bags that were on her bed, she removed them and placed them next to the dresser.
 

She reached into the large duffel bag and pulled out a cozy quilt, which she spread over the bed.
 

“That’s it,” Kelsey said.
 

“Seriously?”

“I need to get some pens in town,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Then let’s go!” Jessica said. She took her coat, which was hanging from the back of the chair and grabbed her purse. It was Kelsey’s turn to look surprised.
 

“A coat? Don’t you have a fleece jacket?”

Jessica laughed. “I have seen nothing but those since I got off the plane. Seriously, I think I saw one coat.”
 

“It rains a lot. Fleece keeps you dry and warm,” Kelsey replied.
 

“I should have asked you to bring one from your store. I have a feeling I’m not in New York anymore.”
 

“Definitely not,” Kelsey said, putting on her jacket.
 

The two girls left the building and walked through the large yard that their dorm faced.
 

“Want to walk around campus for a minute?” Jessica asked.
 

“Love to,” Kelsey said. She hadn’t seen Darrow Law since the beginning of the summer. After graduation, she and her parents had come up from Portland to Seattle for a short vacation and they had visited the campus. Kelsey loved the way it looked.
 

She looked back at the simple but beautiful dormitory. First-year law students were required to live on campus. One dormitory, with three entry doors. Each entry had five floors, a ground floor with a lounge, and four floors with five rooms and a shared bathroom each. The floors were boys on one floor, girls on the next.
 

One hundred and twenty students in the first year class, usually dropping to about eighty graduates by third year. Darrow Law was not for the meek.

Kelsey and Jessica walked across the well-manicured lawn. Past Chambers Hall, where the second and third year students had their classes and where the school administration worked. Next door, the modern glass student center, which fronted Lake Washington.
 

To their right, the huge library, where Kelsey expected to spend most of the next three years. And directly in front of them, the daunting Darrow Hall, where the first years would discover whether they could handle law school. Kelsey knew that almost a third of the class would discover they could not. She was determined not to be one of that third.
 

The girls walked past the statue of Clarence Darrow, the famous lawyer after whom the law school had been named in the 1950’s, past Darrow Hall, and out of the front gate.
 

They turned right and down the darkening sidewalk. The law school was in a quiet residential neighborhood, which had developed around the law school. They knew that they were seeing the homes of their teachers and their fellow students. They walked up 42nd Street for about ten minutes, and back to Madison Street.
 

Madison Street was an interesting mix of upscale restaurants and shops and cozy student coffee shops and bars. “Where first?” Jessica asked.

“Dinner,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Sounds good. What are you in the mood for?”

“Anything,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Mexican? I figure we’ll be ordering pizza a lot.”
 

Kelsey grinned. “I’m sure you’re right about that,” she replied.

They walked down the street, past a coffee shop and a closed toy store.
 
Jessica pointed to a small street off Madison.
 

“I saw one there when I was walking around this morning. It got good reviews on Yelp.”

“Lead the way,” Kelsey said. They walked over to the restaurant, which had a covered patio, which was empty because of the September cold. The girls walked inside and took in the festive Mexican decor. A waitress walked over.

“Two,” Jessica said. The waitress picked up two menus and walked them over to a table near the window. The restaurant was mostly empty, with only a few tables full.

The girls sat and took their menus.
 

“Cool,” Jessica said. She looked over the menu. “I think I’ll have nachos. I never got rid of my freshman 15 from college anyway.
 
How about you?”

“Fajitas,” Kelsey replied. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” The waitress walked over with a basket of tortilla chips and salsa. She took their order and walked back to the kitchen.
 

“You didn’t stop for lunch on the drive down?”

“We did. I was too nervous to eat,” Kelsey replied, taking a chip. “But I feel better now that I’m here.”
 

“Enjoy the moment. I won’t relax until I’ve gotten through exams.”
 

“That’s months from now.”

“Exactly,” Jessica smiled. The waitress brought over their soft drinks.
 

“Just what I needed,” Jessica said, sipping her drink and taking another chip. “What time is orientation tomorrow?”
 

“9 a.m., I think,” Kelsey replied. “Darrow Hall.”
 

“Getting us started in the torture chamber already.”
 

Kelsey smiled at her. “That’s what we’re here for.”

“Here’s to the ordeal,” Jessica said, raising her glass. Kelsey did the same.

After dinner and a quick stroll around the neighborhood, the girls headed back to campus. They headed to the service road entrance, but discovered that the gate had been locked for the evening.
 

They walked around to the main gate and entered the campus. They walked past the statue, toward their dorm, where two boys stood outside.
 

“They look like they stepped out of the Ralph Lauren catalog,” Jessica said, a little too loudly. One of the boys looked at her. He was wearing a polo shirt and jeans.
 

“Are you girls lost?” the boy said. “The community college is down the hill.” The boys laughed as both girls frowned.
 

“Don’t be insulting, Matt. Obviously, they’re looking for the high school. You’re in the wrong neighborhood, ladies. Go back out of the gate and get on the bus,” the other boy said to them. The boys laughed again.

“We’re One-Ls,” Jessica fumed, using the name for first-year law students.

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Matt said.
 

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Jessica snapped. She removed her key card from her pocket.
 

Kelsey, who had been silent through the fuss, rubbed her head. Her nerves had been getting to her all day, and she felt a headache coming on.
 

“Something wrong?” the other boy asked her. She looked up, into the cold grey eyes of a plump boy dressed in a navy fleece jacket.
 

Kelsey frowned. “I’m fine, thanks,” she snapped. Who were these guys?

“I don’t think she’s feeling friendly, Brandon,” Matt said to him.

“That’s clear,” Brandon replied. “Perhaps they should get some rest.”
 

“If you’d get away from the door, we could go in,” Jessica commented.
 

“Oh, so sorry,” Matt said. He moved to clear the path for the girls.
 

“You certainly are,” Jessica said with sarcasm.
 

Brandon laughed. “She’s a feisty one, Matt. Better hope she’s not in your section.”

“I’m sure I can handle her.”

“I’m sure you can’t. Come on, Kels,” Jessica said, walking past Matt and opening the entry door. Kelsey followed her and the door closed behind them.
 

“The New Yorker was cute,” Brandon said.

“They were both stupid,” said Matt.

Brandon laughed. “I wouldn’t assume stupid.”

Matt smiled wickedly. “We’ll find out as soon as classes start.”

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the lone window of their room as Kelsey yawned and stretched. She looked over at the cell phone sitting on the shared nightstand and sat up in horror.
 

“Jess! It’s almost 9 a.m!” Kelsey shouted.

“What?” Jessica said sleepily. Kelsey threw off the covers and leapt out of bed. She looked around frantically for her shower caddy, towel, and robe, and ran out of the room. Jessica raised her own arms, and a bit slower than Kelsey, since she was still tired, located her things and left the room.
 

I cannot believe I’m going to be late on my first day!
Kelsey thought as soap streamed down her shoulders. She turned off the shower and briskly dried off.
 
As she stepped out of the shower in her robe, she almost bumped into Jessica, who had finally woken up to the fact that they were going to be really late for the Dean’s welcoming speech.