Page 7 of Idaho

"Well," I told him, "if all goes to plan, they'll be my new roommates." Thomas had a pained expression on his face. "Just wait here, please?" My smile was all charm. Working with Father for years had taught me everything I needed to know about people and how to appease a situation.

Thomas huffed, but went and got back into the car. He wasn't happy about this. Father had rented a huge house on the northern side of the city for me to stay in, but I wanted to get the full college experience. The one that had been previously denied to me. This was the first time away from my parents, for the most part, and I wanted to do things the way the Americans did. So, as soon as the private jet touched down, I'd started looking for a different place to live. Thomas would stay in the house at the edge of town, and I would hopefully be living here with two women named Jo Simmons and Brittney Alcott.

I smoothed my hands down the jeans I'd thrown on that morning. My father would have a coronary if he saw the way I was dressed. It was always dresses, skirts, or pant suits when I worked. Boring. Stuffy. A little thrill raced through me knowing that I was in charge now. Mother had been an integral part of this. She was the one who'd convinced Father to allow me to come on this little adventure. It hadn't been easy, but here I was.

My hand shook a little with excitement as I knocked on the door. After a brief wait, the door was ripped open, making me take a small step backward. The woman standing there smiled at me.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you. Are you Eva?"

"I am, and you must be J-"

"I'm Jo Simmons." She reached her hand out and snagged mine before I could even lift it, pumping it up and down. "It's so nice to meet you!"

"You as well," I told her, returning her bright smile. I already liked her. She was energy incarnate. I could tell she would be one of those people who had trouble sitting still for extended amounts of time.

"This is perfect," she said, yanking on my hand until I was dragged into the house. "I couldn't believe our luck when you called. Marie was moving out that day and it really works best when we have three of us in here. Cheaper," she told me with a sobering look.

"Understandable," I replied, looking around.

"It's nothing fancy," Jo continued, finally letting go of my hand and beginning the tour with the living room, then the kitchen. "But it's home, for now."

"It's lovely," I assured her as we went down the hall and she showed me the bathroom, then two bedrooms.

"This one is mine," she said, opening the door to reveal a room covered in clothes. They littered every available surface inside the room and it made me smile.

The place was a far cry from where I'd grown up and I couldn't be happier about it.

"Brit will be back later," she said, bumping open another door, "but this would be your room. It has the ensuite bathroom, so the rent would be a bit more since it's the master bedroom." She sounded worried, as though that could be a deal breaker.

"That's no problem," I assured her, stepping into the space. "It's perfect." I already had a really good feeling about Jo. And if this didn't work out, I still had the other home. "I'll take it."

Jo squealed, grabbing my arms and wiggling her hips. She was a bit younger than me, if I had to guess, but she was so sweet. This was what I'd wanted the first time around in my college experience, but it had been impossible to get out from under my father's rigid expectations. Coming halfway around the world seemed to be my only option. I loved my parents, and my siblings, but that life was so...stifling. I wanted something more. Freedom. A chance to choose what I wanted to do with my life. And, if I could help it, to never hear about my obligations and duties again.

"I really like your accent," Jo said, a bit more shy now. "Where's it from?"

"Luxembourg," I told her.

She blinked at me, making a face as she tried to figure out where that was.

"It's near Belgium," I offered.

"Oh! That's really cool." She motioned for me to follow her back into the living room and we sat down across from one another, me on a couch, and her in a reclining chair. "So, you're here for school?"

I nodded. "I'm getting my PhD."

"That's amazing. What are you studying?"

"Political Science."

"You must be wicked smart."

I blinked, considering her words. "I don't know about that." I wasn't stupid, but this was just what was expected of me. It would go toward helping my father with his business. I'd been traveling with him to various meetings and functions since I turned twenty-one. "It's to help me in a career I already have," I hedged.

"That's cool. Hopefully it'll help you get a promotion or something. Brit and I are taking extra classes this semester, so don't be surprised if we're not around as much. Oh, and our boyfriends tend to stop by a lot." She gave me an apologetic look. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all." I shifted and pulled a wad of American bills out of my pocket. Jo's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "This is what I owe for rent, I think? I'd like to move in today if that's possible?"

"S-sure," she said, taking the cash. "Thanks. Brad will be by around six, if you need help bringing things in?"