The Billionaire Boys Club (Billionaire Romance Series Book 1) (9 page)

“Hi?”a voice said, and Kelsey looked up into Ryan Perkins’ stunning blue eyes.
 

Kelsey swallowed. “Hi,” she said haltingly. Ryan had been the one looking at her this morning in small group.
 

“I saw you talking to Matthew’s roommate. Are you friends?”
 

“We went to college together,” Kelsey said.
 

Ryan held out his hand. “Ryan Perkins.”

Kelsey shook it. “Kelsey North.”

“Are you from Seattle?”
 

“Port Townsend,” Kelsey replied.
 

“Really? I always think of that as a vacation spot, not someone’s hometown,” Ryan replied.

“I spent my whole life there,” Kelsey said.
 

“I’ll have to revise my entire opinion about it,” Ryan grinned.

“Which was?” Kelsey asked.
 

“I take the fifth.” Ryan said. “I don’t want to get in trouble with such a pretty girl.”
 

Kelsey felt herself about to blush, so she said, “So how many times have you been?”

Ryan shrugged. “At least ten times. We used to go camping near there on the Fourth of July every year.”

“At Fort Flagler?”

“You’ve been?”
 

“All the time. It’s a great place to camp.”

“Do you like camping?”

“I do.”
 

“An outdoorsy type. I guess you’d have to be, living in Port Townsend.”
 

“Medina isn’t exactly the big city,” she said.
 

Ryan smiled broadly.
 

“And how did you know that I was from Medina?” he asked.
 

Kelsey bit her lip.
 

“Take the fifth, Miss North. Don’t incriminate yourself.”
 

Kelsey laughed. “I will,” she said. She spotted Jessica standing a few paces away, drinking her Diet Coke and looking at the pair with interest. Ryan glanced over and saw Jessica waiting.
 

“Okay, I just wanted to introduce myself since we’re in group together. Looking forward to working with you this year, Miss North.”
 

“Me, too. Mr. Perkins.”
 

Ryan’s eyes sparkled in the fading summer light. “Bye,” he said, walking away.
 

“Bye,” Kelsey breathed.
 

Jessica walked over. “You’re glowing. Could it be that one of the Irritating Five isn’t irritating?”

“Could be,” Kelsey replied.

The next morning was a panel discussion in front of all of the 1Ls about building a legal career and the importance of paying your law school debt. Kelsey noted that the last topic didn’t seem to be of interest for most of the students in the room. She was beginning to wonder if she and Jessica had been paired together because of their financial aid status.

She ate lunch with Jessica and Ashley, who was pleased to have made some inroads into building a relationship with Matthew. They had had a long conversation at the cookout, and Ashley spent most of the hour analyzing it with the girls.
 

Back in small group, Ryan greeted Kelsey pleasantly, while Tyler Olsen gave her a bored glance and turned back to his smartphone. Kelsey sat in her usual spot. For the second day in a row, it seemed as though there were fewer students. The small group, joined by two professors, spent the day doing some class simulations, as well as further discussing study techniques. Kelsey was glad that Professor Eliot wasn’t presenting today.
 

After small group, the 1Ls walked over to the student center, where the student organizations fair was being held. Although Darrow was smaller than most law schools, there were over 35 student groups in attendance. Kelsey and Jessica glanced through the tables quickly and left within a half hour.
 

“Do they really think that anyone is going to join the drama club during their first year in law school?” Jessica asked, as they left the building. The cold, wet September air hit her cheeks.
 

“I bet that they’re just there as an advertisement for next year,” Kelsey said, zipping up her fleece.

“Yeah, maybe that’s it. The only thing I’d consider is the yoga club. I bet that will help with the stress,” Jessica said.
 

“That’s a good idea,” Kelsey said. “We should do that.”
 

They walked across the quad and into their dorm. Tyler, Matthew and Zachary were sitting in the lounge as they passed.
 

“I should let Ashley know her man is downstairs,” Jessica said, reaching for her phone as they walked up the stairs.
 

“What does she see in him?” Kelsey said.
 

Jessica shrugged as she sent a message. “Money?”
 

“I think she has more,” Kelsey said, unlocking the door they had reached.
 

“Money has to marry money,” Jessica said as they walked inside.
 

“I guess,” Kelsey said. She placed her damp jacket on the back of her desk chair to dry. Jessica did the same.
 

“So two more days, then the weekend, and then our lives are over.”
 

“A nice way of thinking about the beginning of classes,” Kelsey said.
 

“I’m just being realistic, Kels.”
 

“Depressing.”
 

“Sometimes the truth hurts.”
 

“Are you looking forward to going into town?”
 

“Actually, I’m more looking forward to meeting Dylan’s brother. Since we’re going to be related and all,” Jessica grinned.
 

“This again.”
 

“Well, you seem to have moved on to Ryan Perkins.”

Kelsey blushed. “He’s nice.”
“And not bad on the eyes. But he’s one of the Irritating Five.”
 

“I’m not sure it’s fair to judge him on his childhood friends,” Kelsey said.
 

“Maybe. Anyway, I’m thinking about renaming them the ‘Billionaire Boys Club,’” Jessica said. “Oh, you know what?”
 

“Hmm?” Kelsey said.
 

“Amazon says my books were delivered today at noon. Want to come check with me?”
 

“Sure,” Kelsey said. They left the room and walked down to the basement. 1Ls had mailrooms in the dorm, while 2Ls and 3Ls had to go to the student center for mail. They opened their personal mailboxes. Both of them had package slips — Jessica one, Kelsey two.
 

They handed their slips to the student behind the counter. He set down a copy of “The Second Amendment: A Biography” and went to get their boxes. He returned with Jessica’s first.
 

“It’s pretty heavy,” he said as he slid it over the desk. Jessica lifted it gently.
 

“No kidding,” she said.
 

The student returned with two packages for Kelsey, one a large Amazon box, and another decorated with marker hearts on top.
 

“Cookies!” Kelsey said delightedly.
 

“Don’t forget to share,” said the student as he picked up his book. Kelsey winked at Jessica and opened the top box. She opened the tupperware inside and held it to the student.
 

“Have one,” Kelsey said. The student looked at her in surprise.
 

“I was kidding,” he stammered.
 

“Have one,” Kelsey repeated, holding out the box. The student sheepishly took a cookie from the box.
 

“Thanks,” he said, embarrassed. Kelsey and Jessica left the mailroom with their boxes and slowly climbed the stairs. They walked into their room and set the boxes on the beds.
 

“One less cookie for Dylan,” Jessica said. “Gimme.” Kelsey handed her the tupperware box and looked on the outside of her package. Her mother had sent it on Monday, which meant that she must have been baking cookies on her return on Sunday night.
 

“These are good. Don’t tell Dylan you got a package,” Jessica said between bites. Kelsey laughed and looked inside the box. Her mom had packed a second box of cookies, along with a few more of Kelsey’s favorite snacks and a card. Kelsey opened the card, which was signed by both her mother and father. A fifty dollar bill fell out.
 

“Money for the weekend!” said Jessica, taking a second cookie. “You didn’t want me to leave any of these, right?”
 

“Save some for Dylan.”
 

“Ha! Like he’d share.”
 

“So much for love,” Kelsey quipped.
 

“There’s love, and there’s cookies. I know which one has always been there for me,” Jessica said, taking a bite.
 

Over the next two days, Kelsey continued to follow the schedule. Full 1L meetings, small group (where Ryan always greeted her with a friendly hello) and lunch and dinner with Jessica, and occasionally Dylan or Ashley. She had looked at her casebooks and put them aside, knowing that they would be waiting for her on Monday. Kelsey had decided, like Jessica, to make the most of this short calm before the storm.
 

When they woke up on Saturday morning, the sun shone brightly into their room. Jessica yawned loudly as Kelsey’s eyes fluttered open.
 

“What time are we going?” Jessica asked.
 

“Let me look,” Kelsey said, reaching for her phone. As of midnight, Dylan’s brother hadn’t arrived, and Dylan was furious, in his own calm Dylan way.
 

“Ian finally got here at two,” Kelsey said, scrolling through her phone. “So Dylan said let’s meet downstairs at 10:30.”
 

“Works for me. What time is it now?”
 

“Ten,” Kelsey replied.
 

“We really need to buy a backup alarm clock today. Neither of us are early risers.”
 

“Don’t I know it,” Kelsey said, getting up. “My parents’ store opens at 10, and I was only on time if one of them woke me up and dragged me into the bathroom.”
 

Thirty minutes later, Kelsey knocked on Dylan’s door. Matthew opened it.
 

“What?” he said unpleasantly.
 

“They’re here for me,” Dylan said from behind him. “Kels, Ian’s in the lounge. Can you make sure he’s awake? If he’s not, tell him he’s not coming with us.”

“Okay,” Kelsey said, and she and Jessica left. Arriving downstairs, they spotted a boy in a baseball cap and jeans asleep on a sofa, head on his rolled up t-shirt.
 

“Ian,” Kelsey said, softly shaking his bare shoulder. He stirred but didn’t awaken.

“Ian!” Jessica called sharply. He stirred again, turning over and opening an eye to look at them.
 

“Hi, Kels,” Ian said sleepily. “Dylan’s upstairs.”
 

“I know, he asked me to wake you up.”
 

“We’re leaving at eleven,” Ian said, turning back over.

“Nope, now,” Kelsey said.

“Are you kidding me?” Ian said.
 

“Dylan said if you want to go, you need to get up,” Kelsey said. Jessica sat on the chair next to them.
 

“He knows when I got in,” Ian said grumpily, sitting up.
 

“Why were you so late?” Kelsey asked.
 

“There was an accident on I-5 near Tacoma.” Ian said, unrolling the t-shirt and putting it on. “I was stuck for hours.”
 

“You sure you don’t want to sleep?” Kelsey asked.

“No way. I haven’t been up here in a year,” Ian replied. “And Dylan’s not going to invite me up.”

True, Kelsey thought. Dylan walked down the stairs.
 

“Sleeping Ugly awakens,” Dylan said.
 

“Why did I have to sleep down here?” Ian asked him.

“Because my roommate is a jerk, and I wasn’t in the mood to fight with him about you at 2 a.m.”
 

“Do I get a bed tonight?”

“No, but you can have the floor,” Dylan replied.

“Maybe I’ll sleep in Kelsey’s room. She likes me,” Ian said, winking at her.
 

“Kelsey is nice to you out of a misguided belief that I care,” Dylan shot back.
 

“Brotherly love,” Jessica said under her breath.

“Let’s go. Where’s Ashley?” Dylan said.

“Totally forgot her,” Jessica said.
 

“I’ll run up,” Kelsey said. She dashed up the stairs and knocked on Ashley’s door. Ashley answered.
 

“Ready?” Kelsey asked.
 

“I am. I’m so excited to go with you girls,” Ashley replied. She put on her red fleece and they headed down the stairs.
 

“Hi, Ashley. This is my brother Ian.”
 

“Hi, Ian,” Ashley said politely. Ian silently looked at Ashley’s curves.
 

“Say hello, dummy,” Dylan said, punching him in the arm.

“Hi,” Ian managed to say. Dylan shook his head in exasperation.
 

“Let’s go,” he said. The five of them walked to the small off-campus parking lot two blocks away. Ian spent his walk ogling Ashley, who had linked arms with Jessica and was discussing Matthew.
 

“It’s going to be a long weekend,” Dylan said.
 

“He’s leaving tomorrow,” Kelsey countered.
 

“Not soon enough,” Dylan said. “And Mom’s forcing me to drive him to the airport. She says he won’t make it on the plane by himself. She didn’t want him to drive up.”
 

Kelsey laughed. Dylan reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, which were on a Portland State University Alumni keychain. He pressed the “open door” button, and the lights flashed on Dylan’s BMW.
 

“I’m not sure we can all fit,” Jessica said, eying the back seat.

“Someone can sit on my lap,” Ian said.
 

“How gracious,” Dylan said to him. “Or we can strap you to the roof, Mitt Romney-style.” The girls laughed.