Contents
September 1999
Overview
Lucky and Cary insinuate themselves into a wealthy Stanford circle, spinning new identities and launching a sham nightclub funded by naive friends. Priscilla’s return derails their plan to vanish after graduation, forcing Cary to open the club. By Christmas 2003, Cary produces a Boise house deed under Alaina’s name, and they flee with Betty, aiming for a clean start.
Summary
In September 1999, Cary throws a surprise “nineteenth” birthday party for Lucky at Priscilla’s immaculate mansion, debuting their new personas—Jonas Weston and Alaina Parkes—to a circle of affluent Stanford friends. Lucky performs flawlessly, reinforcing Cary’s strategy: charm the generous, careless rich.
Over the school year and into summer, Cary seeds a sob story about their home’s repossession and leverages friendships during a Madrid trip with Magnolia and Aaron. They secure a coach house on Hugh’s family estate, paying no real rent. Lucky keeps multiple lives running—student, socialite, and secret monthly prison visitor to John using a forged ID—while questioning Cary’s definition of “greatness.”
Cary “drops out” to prioritize opening a nightclub, convincing friends to invest while traveling and delaying real progress. The club, named Lucky, becomes a front as he diverts funds to tuition and savings, insisting their marks won’t miss the money.
At Lucky’s 2003 SFU graduation, Priscilla appears uninvited, implying leverage over their scam and meeting privately with Cary. He returns shaken, admitting Priscilla is forcing him to open the club and keep working for her, postponing their planned escape.
On Christmas Eve 2003, after a profitable night at the club, Cary presents Lucky with a deed to a Boise, Idaho house in her Alaina identity, promising a fresh, legitimate start. Declaring themselves free of Priscilla, Cary collects the club’s cash and retrieves Betty. Lucky agrees, and they leave San Francisco to begin a new life.
Who Appears
- Lucky (Alaina Parkes/Cadence)Performs a new persona among Stanford elites, questions their cons, secretly visits John, and agrees to flee to Boise.
- Cary (Jonas Weston)Orchestrates social infiltration and a sham nightclub, bows to Priscilla’s pressure, then secures a Boise house to escape.
- PriscillaReappears at graduation, leverages control over Cary, and forces them to keep the club running temporarily.
- MagnoliaWealthy friend charmed by the couple; hosts in Madrid and helps cement their social cover.
- AaronPart of the affluent circle; vacations with them and champions funding Cary’s nightclub.
- HughProvides the coach house lodging and joins as a club investor.
- WillFriend in the Stanford crowd; socializes at early parties.
- BettyProtective dog who stays with Lucky; leaves San Francisco with them.