for me?
An Honorable Man
“Shit.”
Jodi, the Goodwins’ chef, is pacing back and forth across the Hillcrest common room. Cindy still isn’t feeling well. She’s lying on the couch while Dad massages her feet and makes her drink water. He thinks she’s dehydrated. The other bad news is that we’re short-staffed for Mr. Goodwin’s fancy dinner party tonight.
If Cindy calls out of work sick tonight, it sure won’t make our family look good. It would truly suck if Dad lost his new job.
“Mom, let me help,” Ethan, Jodi’s thirteen-year-old son, says. “What can I do?”
“If you owned a tux maybe you could serve,” Jodi replies.
“Let me take Cindy’s place,” I interrupt, standing up.
Everyone stares at me. Working in the kitchens during a fancy Goodwin dinner is the last thing I want to do, but I can’t let Cindy get fired.
“You can be a server,” Jodi says, nodding at me. “Just follow Paula’s lead and you’ll be fine.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cindy says to me, clutching her stomach. Dad gives me a kind smile, looking grateful as he places his hand over Cindy’s.
“It’s not a problem,” I say, but it is. I can’t imagine serving Jack twice in one day.
Cindy loans me one of her maid uniforms, because unlike at breakfast, I have to put my Goodwin game face on. The blue dress hangs below my knees and if I look straight down, I can see my bra.
Super embarrassing. God, why did Dad have to get Cindy pregnant?
Up at the manor house, Ethan is helping his mom plate the salads while Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin greet their guests in the parlor. Paula is filling carafes with wine. Jack is hiding out in the kitchen, sneaking bites of everything Jodi is cooking. He pops a shrimp in his mouth and she smacks his hand. “For the third time, get out of my kitchen!” Ethan and I crack up when Jack steals a piece of cornbread behind Jodi’s back.
Jodi hands me a water pitcher and tells me to go fill the glasses in the dining room. I pour water into a glass and I’m moving on to the next place setting when a handsome guy I’ve never seen before stumbles through the doorway. He appears to be twenty or so. His black suit, blazing red tie, and shiny shoes just scream power .
“Where’s the goddamned bathroom?” he says.
“Down the hall to your left,” I reply quietly, taken aback by his behavior. I start toward the kitchen to see what else Jodi needs me to do but he takes me by the elbow and turns me around. I smell alcohol on his breath.
“I’m Marcus Winchester.” He puffs his chest out like he’s more important than Prince William then scans my body. “I can’t believe the Goodwins keep you hidden away.”
You have got to be kidding me.
“Excuse me,” I say, cradling the water pitcher against my chest, and try to head toward the kitchen, but he doesn’t let go of my arm.
He looks down at my uniform, well, more specifically, down my dress, because it’s way too big.
I have a sudden urge to throw this water on Marcus—but if I do that, my dad and Cindy might get fired and we would have to leave before the baby is born and we might not find more work and where would we live and oh holy God—help.
“I’m needed in the kitchen.”
“You’re needed here.” Marcus laughs softly, squeezing my arm harder. “Don’t you want a kiss? I’ll give you another chance, even though a bad girl like you doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.”
Who the hell does he think he is?
Marcus leans in and I’m debating whether or not to toss the water on him when Jack appears in the doorway.
“Jack,” I blurt.
Marcus releases my arm and I step away, panting, my tongue heavy and dry. I shake my head at Jack, trying to show him that Marcus is the last thing I want.
“Marcus, meet Savannah. She’s one of my good friends,” Jack says with the hint of a threat in his voice.
I step away, my hands shaking as I continue pouring water into glasses. I breathe in and out. It’s only a couple hours. I
An Honorable Man
“Shit.”
Jodi, the Goodwins’ chef, is pacing back and forth across the Hillcrest common room. Cindy still isn’t feeling well. She’s lying on the couch while Dad massages her feet and makes her drink water. He thinks she’s dehydrated. The other bad news is that we’re short-staffed for Mr. Goodwin’s fancy dinner party tonight.
If Cindy calls out of work sick tonight, it sure won’t make our family look good. It would truly suck if Dad lost his new job.
“Mom, let me help,” Ethan, Jodi’s thirteen-year-old son, says. “What can I do?”
“If you owned a tux maybe you could serve,” Jodi replies.
“Let me take Cindy’s place,” I interrupt, standing up.
Everyone stares at me. Working in the kitchens during a fancy Goodwin dinner is the last thing I want to do, but I can’t let Cindy get fired.
“You can be a server,” Jodi says, nodding at me. “Just follow Paula’s lead and you’ll be fine.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cindy says to me, clutching her stomach. Dad gives me a kind smile, looking grateful as he places his hand over Cindy’s.
“It’s not a problem,” I say, but it is. I can’t imagine serving Jack twice in one day.
Cindy loans me one of her maid uniforms, because unlike at breakfast, I have to put my Goodwin game face on. The blue dress hangs below my knees and if I look straight down, I can see my bra.
Super embarrassing. God, why did Dad have to get Cindy pregnant?
Up at the manor house, Ethan is helping his mom plate the salads while Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin greet their guests in the parlor. Paula is filling carafes with wine. Jack is hiding out in the kitchen, sneaking bites of everything Jodi is cooking. He pops a shrimp in his mouth and she smacks his hand. “For the third time, get out of my kitchen!” Ethan and I crack up when Jack steals a piece of cornbread behind Jodi’s back.
Jodi hands me a water pitcher and tells me to go fill the glasses in the dining room. I pour water into a glass and I’m moving on to the next place setting when a handsome guy I’ve never seen before stumbles through the doorway. He appears to be twenty or so. His black suit, blazing red tie, and shiny shoes just scream power .
“Where’s the goddamned bathroom?” he says.
“Down the hall to your left,” I reply quietly, taken aback by his behavior. I start toward the kitchen to see what else Jodi needs me to do but he takes me by the elbow and turns me around. I smell alcohol on his breath.
“I’m Marcus Winchester.” He puffs his chest out like he’s more important than Prince William then scans my body. “I can’t believe the Goodwins keep you hidden away.”
You have got to be kidding me.
“Excuse me,” I say, cradling the water pitcher against my chest, and try to head toward the kitchen, but he doesn’t let go of my arm.
He looks down at my uniform, well, more specifically, down my dress, because it’s way too big.
I have a sudden urge to throw this water on Marcus—but if I do that, my dad and Cindy might get fired and we would have to leave before the baby is born and we might not find more work and where would we live and oh holy God—help.
“I’m needed in the kitchen.”
“You’re needed here.” Marcus laughs softly, squeezing my arm harder. “Don’t you want a kiss? I’ll give you another chance, even though a bad girl like you doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.”
Who the hell does he think he is?
Marcus leans in and I’m debating whether or not to toss the water on him when Jack appears in the doorway.
“Jack,” I blurt.
Marcus releases my arm and I step away, panting, my tongue heavy and dry. I shake my head at Jack, trying to show him that Marcus is the last thing I want.
“Marcus, meet Savannah. She’s one of my good friends,” Jack says with the hint of a threat in his voice.
I step away, my hands shaking as I continue pouring water into glasses. I breathe in and out. It’s only a couple hours. I
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