a cook. And she could live anywhere she wanted in the whole world.
Elle just had to get heard by the right people and it would happen. She knew it. With her looks and her voice, she knew it was only a matter of time.
Huge green eyes and dark hair marked her as Irish for anyone who looked. And plenty did. Her skin was pale as milk and unmarred, other than a tattoo high on her right hip. Her long dark hair and plentiful curves meant that she was forever fighting off the unwanted advances of men. But she didn't care as long as it helped her on the road to stardom.
Someday she'd be a guest at places like this instead of the help, she thought as she swept up the broken china.
Someday.
2.
Jake pulled on his borrowed tie and swilled another gulp of his watered down bourbon. He stared balefully around the Gold Room at the country club his father and brothers belonged to. All the Delancey men had belonged here in fact, going back three generations.
All except him.
God, he hated this place.
Not only was it filled with ostentatious, rich, privileged old bastards but, even worse, the food sucked. It did have decent bourbon though. If only he could get someone to give it to him straight.
Someone must have warned them about him.
It's not that Jake wasn't allowed at the club. He just wasn't allowed without supervision. Not since last time. He'd only been twelve years old at the time, but that was old enough to sneak behind the bar and steal a bottle of booze. He'd drank the whole damn thing with his brothers Daniel and Jackson.
They'd all gotten drunk but he'd been the one who drove the golf cart straight through the front window of the pro shop. He'd been the one who caused Daniel to break his arm. He'd been the one who was shipped off to military school.
What a laugh. That place taught you discipline sure, but only by learning how to take a beating. Or worse. He'd left the instant he turned eighteen- the day after graduation. And that was only because his mother had begged him to finish.
Even he couldn't turn down a woman who was dying.
His brother Daniel was asking him something. He tore his eyes away from the girl he'd been watching. It wasn't easy to do.
"What?"
"I said, are you back to stay? We could really use the help now that Dad's-"
"Shut up Daniel."
Jake rolled his eyes at his eldest brother Jackson. Of course they weren't keeping him in the loop. He wasn't one of them any more. He hadn't been since that day they let him take all the heat fifteen years before.
Besides, he wanted to go back to looking at her.
He'd been staring at the waitress all night. Jesus, he'd never seen anything like her. Those huge green eyes, the startlingly pretty face, the lips. Never mind the jet black hair, porcelain skin, legs that went on forever. It was the voice that he hadn't been able to get out of his mind.
Husky and rich but utterly feminine. And with an Irish lilt that was somehow lyrical, soothing, and arousing. All at the same time.
Jake felt like he was tied up in knots, and he hadn't even taken the time yet to really check out those magnificent tits of hers.
Eleanor.
That's what her name tag said.
Unfortunately she had disappeared from the room again. Presumably to work, but it felt like she was hiding to annoy him. He could bear his
Elle just had to get heard by the right people and it would happen. She knew it. With her looks and her voice, she knew it was only a matter of time.
Huge green eyes and dark hair marked her as Irish for anyone who looked. And plenty did. Her skin was pale as milk and unmarred, other than a tattoo high on her right hip. Her long dark hair and plentiful curves meant that she was forever fighting off the unwanted advances of men. But she didn't care as long as it helped her on the road to stardom.
Someday she'd be a guest at places like this instead of the help, she thought as she swept up the broken china.
Someday.
2.
Jake pulled on his borrowed tie and swilled another gulp of his watered down bourbon. He stared balefully around the Gold Room at the country club his father and brothers belonged to. All the Delancey men had belonged here in fact, going back three generations.
All except him.
God, he hated this place.
Not only was it filled with ostentatious, rich, privileged old bastards but, even worse, the food sucked. It did have decent bourbon though. If only he could get someone to give it to him straight.
Someone must have warned them about him.
It's not that Jake wasn't allowed at the club. He just wasn't allowed without supervision. Not since last time. He'd only been twelve years old at the time, but that was old enough to sneak behind the bar and steal a bottle of booze. He'd drank the whole damn thing with his brothers Daniel and Jackson.
They'd all gotten drunk but he'd been the one who drove the golf cart straight through the front window of the pro shop. He'd been the one who caused Daniel to break his arm. He'd been the one who was shipped off to military school.
What a laugh. That place taught you discipline sure, but only by learning how to take a beating. Or worse. He'd left the instant he turned eighteen- the day after graduation. And that was only because his mother had begged him to finish.
Even he couldn't turn down a woman who was dying.
His brother Daniel was asking him something. He tore his eyes away from the girl he'd been watching. It wasn't easy to do.
"What?"
"I said, are you back to stay? We could really use the help now that Dad's-"
"Shut up Daniel."
Jake rolled his eyes at his eldest brother Jackson. Of course they weren't keeping him in the loop. He wasn't one of them any more. He hadn't been since that day they let him take all the heat fifteen years before.
Besides, he wanted to go back to looking at her.
He'd been staring at the waitress all night. Jesus, he'd never seen anything like her. Those huge green eyes, the startlingly pretty face, the lips. Never mind the jet black hair, porcelain skin, legs that went on forever. It was the voice that he hadn't been able to get out of his mind.
Husky and rich but utterly feminine. And with an Irish lilt that was somehow lyrical, soothing, and arousing. All at the same time.
Jake felt like he was tied up in knots, and he hadn't even taken the time yet to really check out those magnificent tits of hers.
Eleanor.
That's what her name tag said.
Unfortunately she had disappeared from the room again. Presumably to work, but it felt like she was hiding to annoy him. He could bear his
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