Lazy, feckless and unfaithful, Jamie sets out aiming to be everything he was taught not to be: as far as he's concerned, his parents' work ethic is useless. So he blazes a hedonistic trail, sustained firstly by hormonal imperatives, and secondly by a desire to get one over on the world. Rachel, thoughtful, industrious and introspective, is also trying to escape her inheritance. She embarks on a journey which eventually brings her into contact with Jamie. Theirs is a brief meeting, but one which ultimately has radical consequences for both.