effect on you.”
Josh winked at his girlfriend and smiled. “Still. I’d like to get me a bike.”
Ely shook her long dark hair with the vehemence of a five-year-old. “Not while you’re with me, you don’t. You know they call them organ donor machines, right?”
“Huh?”
“The people who drive motorcycles end up being organ donors real fast—as in dead real fast.”
Jessie nodded. “It was terrifying to see the ground whizz by so close to me and at that speed. I know it must be dangerous, but I have to admit it was bloody exciting.”
“They’re way cheaper than cars.” Josh nodded in approval, but Ely wrung her hands together.
“So are bicycles, and you don’t see me rushing out to buy one of those.” Then she gave him a smirk that made Jessie feel uncomfortable. “No, Josh, you have a car. It might be a wreck, but it’s good enough for what we need.”
Jessie guessed they did more than drive in the old banger. Suddenly she needed to get out of the room.
“I think I’ll head over to the library,” she said, grabbing her pile of notes and her laptop. “I need to catch up on some work.”
“Don’t go,” Ely said.
“I have to. I feel like a spare wheel around you two lovebirds.”
Ely laughed. “What’s wrong with being a spare wheel? Ever heard of a tricycle? Best bikes ever made!”
“Outside of the Bugatti,” Josh mumbled, and his girlfriend smacked the top of his head.
“I’m serious. You can’t go anywhere.” Ely got off her bed and stood in the middle of the bedroom between Josh and Jessie. “I have to tell you about my new business plan. It’s so cool. It’s going to make me a million bucks.”
Jessie was surprised. She knew her roomie was a natural business woman. Ely was already making a tidy profit on bootleg Bollinger and prohibition pinot grigio, but she hadn’t been talking about any other business ideas.
“What you talkin’ about, baby?” It seemed to be news to her boyfriend, too.
Josh was so laid-back Jessie wondered if he and her friend would really make it as a couple. Ely was a party girl, but she was also, in her own way, very ambitious. The problem was her parents were pointing her in the wrong direction. The Southern belle was not cut out for college life. She was too much of a free a spirit. Whoever thought she should do psychology was so misguided.
Jessie knew Ely had already received a few warnings from various teachers for nonattendance, and the sole reason her homework was up to scratch was because Jessie did most of it. She thought Ely shouldn’t be in college at all, but she kept these thoughts to herself. Ely’s parents ran a very successful hair product company. Briskin Hair Care was one of the biggest brand names in the country. Not only did they sell in the States, they were available in the UK, too. Jessie hadn’t made the connection between her roommate and the hair care giant until Ely told her about it. At the time, she’d seemed embarrassed to admit her parents’ success.
“It’s hardly something to be ashamed about,” Jessie had said, suppressing the envy. She’d already had a pretty good idea Ely’s family was wealthy, but to own Briskin Hair Care? That put them in a whole new league of wealth. They were as big as L’Oreal.
“Now, I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but hear me out. This could really work, and if it does, it’ll change the way we shop forever.” Her eyes were bright, and she was on fire with her idea in a way Jessie had never seen.
“Okay.” Ely got off the bed to make a proper presentation. She wore dark blue denim jeans tucked into her perennial cowboy boots and a blue-gray checkered shirt hung loose. Ready to begin, she stood with her legs slightly apart, her hands on her hips, and looked at her little audience. Then she took a deep breath. “Do you remember when we were kids? We used to get our water from the faucet, but now everybody drinks bottled water.”
Josh winked at his girlfriend and smiled. “Still. I’d like to get me a bike.”
Ely shook her long dark hair with the vehemence of a five-year-old. “Not while you’re with me, you don’t. You know they call them organ donor machines, right?”
“Huh?”
“The people who drive motorcycles end up being organ donors real fast—as in dead real fast.”
Jessie nodded. “It was terrifying to see the ground whizz by so close to me and at that speed. I know it must be dangerous, but I have to admit it was bloody exciting.”
“They’re way cheaper than cars.” Josh nodded in approval, but Ely wrung her hands together.
“So are bicycles, and you don’t see me rushing out to buy one of those.” Then she gave him a smirk that made Jessie feel uncomfortable. “No, Josh, you have a car. It might be a wreck, but it’s good enough for what we need.”
Jessie guessed they did more than drive in the old banger. Suddenly she needed to get out of the room.
“I think I’ll head over to the library,” she said, grabbing her pile of notes and her laptop. “I need to catch up on some work.”
“Don’t go,” Ely said.
“I have to. I feel like a spare wheel around you two lovebirds.”
Ely laughed. “What’s wrong with being a spare wheel? Ever heard of a tricycle? Best bikes ever made!”
“Outside of the Bugatti,” Josh mumbled, and his girlfriend smacked the top of his head.
“I’m serious. You can’t go anywhere.” Ely got off her bed and stood in the middle of the bedroom between Josh and Jessie. “I have to tell you about my new business plan. It’s so cool. It’s going to make me a million bucks.”
Jessie was surprised. She knew her roomie was a natural business woman. Ely was already making a tidy profit on bootleg Bollinger and prohibition pinot grigio, but she hadn’t been talking about any other business ideas.
“What you talkin’ about, baby?” It seemed to be news to her boyfriend, too.
Josh was so laid-back Jessie wondered if he and her friend would really make it as a couple. Ely was a party girl, but she was also, in her own way, very ambitious. The problem was her parents were pointing her in the wrong direction. The Southern belle was not cut out for college life. She was too much of a free a spirit. Whoever thought she should do psychology was so misguided.
Jessie knew Ely had already received a few warnings from various teachers for nonattendance, and the sole reason her homework was up to scratch was because Jessie did most of it. She thought Ely shouldn’t be in college at all, but she kept these thoughts to herself. Ely’s parents ran a very successful hair product company. Briskin Hair Care was one of the biggest brand names in the country. Not only did they sell in the States, they were available in the UK, too. Jessie hadn’t made the connection between her roommate and the hair care giant until Ely told her about it. At the time, she’d seemed embarrassed to admit her parents’ success.
“It’s hardly something to be ashamed about,” Jessie had said, suppressing the envy. She’d already had a pretty good idea Ely’s family was wealthy, but to own Briskin Hair Care? That put them in a whole new league of wealth. They were as big as L’Oreal.
“Now, I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but hear me out. This could really work, and if it does, it’ll change the way we shop forever.” Her eyes were bright, and she was on fire with her idea in a way Jessie had never seen.
“Okay.” Ely got off the bed to make a proper presentation. She wore dark blue denim jeans tucked into her perennial cowboy boots and a blue-gray checkered shirt hung loose. Ready to begin, she stood with her legs slightly apart, her hands on her hips, and looked at her little audience. Then she took a deep breath. “Do you remember when we were kids? We used to get our water from the faucet, but now everybody drinks bottled water.”
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