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"Enter."
I opened the door and smiled endearingly at the family's long-term housekeeper. The woman had been a second mother to me and one of the few who had never lost hope or faith in the youngest Delancey brother. She smiled warmly as I sat in the spare chair by her desk.
“Hello, handsome.”
I bussed her cheek and grinned at her. She smiled back for a moment. Then she gave me a look.
"What do you want, Jake?"
"Can't I just stop by to see my favorite lady?"
She rolled her eyes and went back to making lists. The woman was always making lists. It took incredible organizational skills to run an estate this size. Mrs. Garretty had those in spades.
"You can. But you didn't. You are up to no good again, I can tell."
"I'm just looking for some intel."
She leaned back in her seat, staring at me over her glasses.
"Alright. Shoot."
"The new maid. Eleanor. She took a few days off. I want to know why."
Mrs. Garret's eyebrows shot up.
"You like her, do you?"
I nodded eagerly, sure I was going to get what I was after.
"So do I."
She pushed her glasses back up her nose and resumed her list making.
"But–"
"Let me ask you this, Jake. How much do you like her? I don't want you trifling with my staff. I don't care how pretty she is, the girl has grit. She deserves better than to be another one of your castoffs."
"She won't be. Anyway, she keeps turning me down."
Mrs. Garretty let out a belly laugh that would have been insulting if I didn’t know the old woman adored me. I frowned.
Actually, it was still pretty insulting.
"Please, just tell me. I'll be good. I swear."
She stared at me searchingly then sighed and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. I leaned forward to see her writing down the address of a nightclub. She handed it to me.
"She's got a gig tonight. 10 pm."
I snatched it up eagerly and pressed a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh, and Jake. It's not really a secret. You must be the only one who doesn't know about it. Half the house is going to see her perform tonight.”
"What, even Jackson and Daniel?"
She nodded slowly.
"You're all just messing with me all the time, aren't you?"
She grinned and winked at him.
"It's all in good fun, Jake. Have a nice time tonight."
"Thanks Mrs. G, I owe you."
Chapter Sixteen
Elle
"You ready?"
I stared into the mirror without really seeing my own reflection. I was wearing a short shredded denim skirt and a black corset top. My sheer black stockings were tucked into knee high black boots, on loan from Shirl. Eye makeup and bright lipstick completed the look. My hair was long and loose, with a couple of wild curls thrown in for good measure.
I was 100% pure rock and roll. It was a costume of course. But it made me feel like another person.
A person with loads more confidence that regular old Elle, with the holes in her shoes.
"Yeah, let's do this."
I followed Mark the bassist out onto the stage. The theater was surprisingly full for our first gig. Tom must have been promoting us hard. I knew without a doubt that he'd add that to the list of things that I “owed him.”
He hadn’t tried to cash in yet. Hopefully I could avoid him indefinitely. The key was not to be alone with him. The man gave me the willies.
I shook my head. I had to focus. I had too many men on the brain this week. The band was what was important.
We were good. Really good. I knew that. But the solicitous way Tom was acting was towards me… it was gross. I’d already felt like I’d been slimed when he came over to say hello to me tonight. The difference between Jake and Tom was stark. The two men who were courting me were as different as night and day.
Jake could be annoyingly persistent but he never made me feel like I owed him anything. And he gave me goosebumps and butterflies. Tom just made me want to run and hide.
I was in trouble with both of them. But different kinds of trouble. With Jake, I was in danger of losing my head and my heart. With Tom I was in danger of losing my lunch.
Thankfully I knew the guys in the band would look out for me. I’d already told them not to leave me alone with Tom. That way I wouldn't have to get into it with the guy and potentially make an enemy.
That would be the end of my music career in Nashville. Not just mine either. Ours.
I had to avoid alienating him at all costs. Well, almost all costs. There was one thing I would not give him just to make peace.
Myself.
Tom was on now, standing towards the edge of the stage in a tight spotlight. He was talking to the crowd, pumping them up for the next act. He wore a thousand dollar suit with cowboy boots peeking out. And sunglasses. Who the hell wore sunglasses at night anyway?
