Kristen looked at June and smiled.
“My company, KISS Holdings, is underwriting all financial aid to Archy Jonas to an amount equal to his old scholarship. This will include housing and living expenses, and any and all perks that would normally be offered to him as a scholarship recipient. KISS will also pay Purdue University the standard service fee for managing the student loan. Standard loan terms apply in that no payments need to be paid until one year after Archy leaves Purdue, and will terminate ten years afterward. The interest rate for the life of the loan is one percent. Do you have any questions?”
“One percent?” Mr. Keesan sputtered. “The prime interest rate is…”
“The loan is already backed by KISS,” Kristen interrupted. “Purdue is getting a service fee for processing the loan, and the one percent is a bonus on top of that fee. Purdue has no exposure with this loan, and can only gain—even if only a relatively small amount—from it.”
There was a small amount of haggling of the finer details, but it was obvious that Kristen was on top of things.
When the discussion was ended, Mr. Keesan seemed to have a new respect for Kristen. He offered each of us a handshake as we started to file out of the conference room.
Before Kristen left, she turned to Mr. Keesan. “By the way, my friends and I would appreciate it if you could secure us a University car for the next twenty-four hours. You can bill KISS at your normal rates.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Swift.”
Mr. Keesan went to his secretary and whispered something to her. She nodded and got a pair of keys from her purse, and Mr. Keesan handed them to Kristen. “It’s the dark blue Buick in the parking lot.”
“We’re not taking your secretary’s car, are we?” I asked.
“Well, Mr. Crit…”
“Crittenhouse,” I offered.
“Mr. Crittenhouse, it’s the University’s car. Another will be sent to replace hers in about three hours, and she’ll get her car back when you leave.”
The secretary shrugged and didn’t look too put out.
“Thank you, Mr. Keesan.”
“Do you know where we would be able to find Archy?” Kristen asked.
“You could try his dormitory at the Hilltop Apartments, or the football field,” Mr. Keesan answered. He looked thoughtful for the moment. “They had practice earlier this morning. So he may be at his apartment or having lunch.”
“Can you please meet my companion, Lynette Robbins, and explain to her how to find Archy’s apartment? She was going to meet us with one of the lawyers my father secured at the other building.”
“Certainly, Ms. Swift.”
Kristen nodded and the three of us left. We found the Buick and Kristen drove. Kristen seemed to know her way around Purdue, as she drove straight to the Hilltop without having to consult a campus map.
“Have you been here before?” I asked.
“Will and I spent some time here a couple of years ago,” Kristen answered. “He was thinking of attending here.”
“Is that how Mr. Keesan knew your father?”
“Uh, huh,” Kristen said, smiling. She asked June, “Which building is Archy staying at?”
“Building five,” June answered.
“Ahh, that would be at the top of the loop,” Kristen said.
Kristen didn’t park in the parking lot, but parked illegally closer to one of the buildings.
“Isn’t this illegal?” June asked.
“Not for University cars,” Kristen answered. “That’s why I asked for one instead of getting a rental.”
June and I giggled at that.
The three of us, led by Kristen, entered the building. June knew Archy’s apartment number, and we knocked on his door.
The man that opened the door was enormous. He was big, black, and must have had about twenty-five pounds on Archy. “Yeah?”
June took the initiative. “I’m Archy’s girlfriend from Illinois,” she said softly. “These are my friends. Are you Sam?”
The large man smiled. “You that chick June?” He turned around. “Hey, little guy! Your old lady is here!” He opened the door wider and let us in.
The apartment that I was looking at was unlike any dormitory that I had envisioned. It had a separate living room, two bedrooms, and even its own bath. It was truly an apartment.
Archy came out of the bedroom wearing only his boxers. “June!” he said, running toward his girlfriend. He picked her up and they spent about two minutes kissing.
While Archy and June were getting reacquainted, I offered my hand to Sam.
“Let me guess,” Sam said. “You that guy they call ‘Oogie,’ and the other one must be Kristen. Am I right?”
I smiled. I could see my reputation was getting wider thanks to Archy. “Yeah.”
“Archy’s playing at the Marriott tonight.”
“Trumpet?” I asked, surprised.
“Yeah. Just him, a piano, and a drum. They do some old jazz stuff.”
“Cool!” I said, grinning. I couldn’t wait to see Archy back in action.
Archy and June had finally finished their hot kiss. “Sam, this here’s the guy I was telling you about. He’s the virtuoso—that’s French for talented dude—that taught me to read music.”
“I figured,” Sam said, his laughter booming. “Kristen, I’m honored to meet you.”
“Why are you guys here?” Archy asked.
“Kristen canceled your scholarship,” June said, grinning.
Both Sam and Archy reacted identically. “She what?” they shouted together.
“You are now on financial aid, backed by my holding company.”
“But he’ll lose the apartment!” Sam said.
“I have it arranged so that Archy loses nothing. However, your coach now has no hold over Archy. There’s a Mr. Keesan that Archy can visit that will arrange for a counselor to plan for your eventual veterinary degree.”
“You’re shitting me!” Archy said.
“I’d have a hard time passing you, Archy,” Kristen said sweetly.
I smiled, having gotten Kristen’s joke. Suddenly, Sam burst out in thunderous laughter. “She’s funny, Archy!”
Finally, Archy and June got Kristen’s little joke. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I keep the apartment, the car…” Archy stopped, thinking he may have said too much.
“It’s our car,” Sam said. “It’s a lease and Tiny Boy and I share it. That means he goes where I want him to go.”
“Well, we have our own wheels,” Kristen said.
“Did you bring the Camaro?” Archy asked.
“No,” I answered. “Kristen had her Uncle Jerry fly us to Purdue Airport, and we took a limo from there, and the University made a University car available to us.”
“No shit!” Archy said, laughing. “You can park that thing anywhere!”
“Of course,” Kristen said.
“Do you have practice this afternoon?” June asked.
“It was this morning,” Archy answered. “Tomorrow, we have a game. I haven’t been used yet, but if Sam here were to get a cramp in his sleep, I might play as a substitute.”
June looked at Archy with a wicked grin. “Did I ever show you how to administer a Charley Horse?”
Sam actually backed away from the diminutive June. “Don’t you fuckin’ dare! That boy is too eager for me to get an injury, and I’m defenseless against a lovely little woman like you!”
June moved toward Sam, but her motion had absolutely no threat in it. When she backed Sam against the wall, June gave Sam a hug and softly said, “Thanks for the compliment.”
Both Sam and Archy had an open afternoon and we sat around, allowing Archy and June catch up on everything that happened since Archy left for Indiana.