Page 14 of Just Friends
“Nice. So you’re saying money’s not a problem for her?” Vaughnsy asked.
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Where’s she from?” Mikey asked.
“Montana. She grew up in a farming commune run by hippies, actually.”
The boys rumbled with shock and surprise:
“Wait, what?”
“She grew up on a friggin’ hippie commune?!”
“How have you not told us this yet, Cammer?”
“I dunno. You never asked.” I summarized the story as best I knew it. “Her parents were hardcore hippies in the seventies. They moved from California and started a commune with a big group of friends. But it kinda fell apart after a few years because not everyone was pulling their weight, I guess—”
“Shocker,” Dane interjected sarcastically, earning a round of chuckles.
“—so the commune eventually dissolved and switched to private land ownership. But the families that lived there still wanted to raise their kids with an alternative lifestyle, so they were all home schooled, all their kids were birthed at home, that kind of thing.”
There were a lot of blank stares around the room. To be fair, I didn’t quite understand exactly how it worked, either. But Piper obviously turned out cool, so whatever. I’m not a hater.
“Aaaaaaaaaah,” Parisi said at last. “NowI get your obsession with this girl. Cute? Check. Independently wealthy? Check! Down withfree love? CHECK! Fellas, we tease him, but I actually think Big Rig’s got itallfigured out. Imagine having a hot, hippie-chick roomie who helped you get laid,andwanted to suck and fuck all the time—and she wasn’t even after your money!”
I chuckled. “Cute fantasy, Frenchy, but it’s not like that. We don’t fuck.”
“Really?” Parisi frowned. “But you have boned her at leastonce, haven’t you?”
“What? No. She’s my best friend. And my roommate. You don’t shit where you eat, bud.”
“Câlisse!” he swore and clapped his hands. “But surely, you’ve tried, right? I mean, tell me you’ve at least made a moveon her?”
“C’mon, man. I just told you she’s my best friend.”
“It’s a simple yes or no,” Parisi insisted.
Thankfully, the conversation moved on.
“Does she ever bring dudes home?” Reavo asked.
“Only if she likes the guy,” I said. “She’s dated a couple guys in the years we’ve lived together, but she doesn’t bring randos home.”
“So she’s too busy to hang out with us tonight, eh,” Mikey said. “What’s she so busy with, anyway?”
“Her dating app launches in a month,” I said. “I can’t believe how much work it’s been. She’s been busting her ass, day and night, for a solid six months now.”
“Really? It’s that much work?”
I nodded. “Yeah, bud. She’s been doing all this research into psychology and dating trends and stuff. And she’s interviewed tons of single men and women about what they look for in a partner, and what they wantina dating app, and so on. Plus she has to actually manage all the people she hired to do the coding, get them to implement her ideas,andfigure out how to market the damn thing so she can actually make money on it. It’s way more work than you’d think.”
“Huh,” Dane said. “Sounds like a handful.”
“It is. But hey,” I said with a shrug, “she’s a hard working girl, so if anyone can do it, it’s her.”
“Oh! Oh!” Niko announced, shaking me by the shoulders. “I have great idea, Big Rig.”
I smiled. “What’s that, bud?”
