Sure enough, Elise had a hand on Macon’s arms, stroking from his elbow down to the wrist. She held his hand in hers and the free hand kept stroking as she spoke. Even from where Ally stood she could see the crocodile tears clinging beautifully to Elise’s high cheekbones.
“Still, reason and rationality will win the day,” Serena said.
Her hands were shaking with anger. What right did that woman have to come in here and try to take her man? Macon was hers. He damn straight better be because she was the one he humped like fifteen times a day. She’d been worried she was going to walk funny after his crazy “try it” play session the night before. Had Elise been the one who let him play with a butt plug? Nope. That had been her. Had Elise let him tie her up and torture her with his tongue for what had to be an hour? Definitely not.
But Serena was right. She had to be calm. “I will talk to him about it after she leaves. Then we can sit down and have a good chat about why she came here.”
“Oh, I think she came here to try to sleep with your man, Jones,” Big Tag said.
“Stop,” Jake nagged.
“Come on. Tell me you don’t want to see what happens when her inner redneck makes an appearance. Ain’t no redneck like a Georgia redneck. Her accent’s already gotten deeper. Look at the way her hands have that slight shake to them. She’s thinking about killing Miss New York,” Taggart explained. “I’m going to lay a hundred on Georgia there.”
Jake shook his head. “I’d be stupid to take that bet. Ally could take that plastic Barbie doll down in a heartbeat.”
“She’s not going to because she doesn’t have to,” Serena insisted. “She’s the lady in this scenario and she’s very secure in her relationship.”
Nope. She really wasn’t. Macon was gorgeous and well educated and he’d come from money. Oh, he might not have a lot of it now, but a man like Macon wouldn’t be down for too long. Wouldn’t he want a sophisticated wife like Elise by his side?
Elise moved her chair to be closer to him. It didn’t take a lip reader to see she was telling him she was sorry and she thought she deserved a second chance. No. They deserved a second chance. That was the way a woman like Elise would play it.
Elise reached up and brushed back his hair.
And Ally was done.
“Thank god. Go for it, Georgia,” Big Tag said as she strode back over to the table.
She wasn’t going for anything, but she deserved some respect. “Hi, I’m assuming Macon hasn’t explained things, but I would really appreciate it if you would not touch my boyfriend in such an intimate way.”
There. That was polite. That wasn’t slamming a fist in her face. It was good. She was a Southern Belle. Not a crazed redneck.
Macon had turned and one brow arched over his face. “I did mention you, baby. You need to stay calm. You have nothing to be jealous over.”
Elise rolled her eyes. “You should leave and let me and Macon work this out.” She turned back to Macon, her hand right back over his. “Macon, I forgive you for leading that waitress person on. I understand.”
“That’s very mature of you,” Macon replied, dragging his hand back. “You should probably stop now.”
“I blame myself. I was so upset over what happened to you overseas. You lost your leg, Macon. Do you know how hard that was on me?” She reached down and touched his leg and then pulled back, distaste evident.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Macon drawled.
She moved her hand to the whole leg. “I think we should give it another shot.”
“I am going to shoot you if you don’t get your hand off his leg. Both of them. Don’t you ever touch his stump again, lady. That is mine and I will lose my shit if you put a hand on it.” All of her life she’d been told she had her daddy’s temper. Well, she was going to try really hard not to kill anyone, but she might be fighting a losing a battle.
Macon turned slightly, his eyes finding hers. “Baby, I really can handle this. Why don’t you go and finish up the Napoleons? They need a glaze. You know how to do that.”
He’d been teaching her, patiently going over every step and letting her mess up entire batches so she could learn. She was about to nod and go and finish up. When Macon used that tone, he liked to be obeyed. He didn’t use it very often. For the most part, he was incredibly indulgent. He never said a word when she yelled at him to hurry up or moaned about the fact that he left his towels all over the floor. He simply picked them up and apologized and kissed her. So he wasn’t the crazed-Alpha, you-must-obey-me-at-all-costs Dom. And she could be the reasonable, trusting girlfriend.
She managed to get a few steps toward the kitchen when she turned to look at Macon one last time. She trusted him. She believed in him. If he said he could handle this, then he would.
That was when Elise smirked her way. “Yes, why don’t you go and finish up in the kitchen while my husband handles me. He handles me quite well.”
Macon opened his mouth to say something, and that was when Elise leaned over and planted her lips on his.
“Take it.” Serena pushed an umbrella her way. It had been sitting near the coat rack in the lobby, so Ally knew her friend had walked back to get it. “Time for reason is over. Kill the bitch.”
Macon managed to move out of Elise’s arms, but Ally had had enough. It was time to stake her claim and let the Elises of the world understand what happened when she tried to take a Georgia girl’s man.
Ally held the umbrella like a baseball bat and managed to see Elise through a haze of red mist that seemed to have filtered into the room. “I told you to get your hands off him.”
Elise finally seemed to give a damn. She jumped back. “Macon, tell your crazy girlfriend to lay off.”
Macon stood up and sighed. “Yeah, I think we’re past that now. Don’t kill her, baby. Taggart, I’ll take one of those beers. If she can flame out on my ex-wife, I can have a single beer.”
“Feel free.” Macon could have a six-pack and not scare her. They had moved past that particular trigger. He was probably a very affectionate drunk. “I will take care of this situation.” She focused all her attention on the woman who’d had a hand on her man. “Get out now and don’t you dare come back.”
Elise took a step toward the lobby. “Macon, you need to protect me.”
Macon was sitting down with Big Tag and had that long overdue beer in his hand. “I already gave a leg for my country, Elise. I’m all out of protection for anyone I’m not actively fucking. Unfortunately, you’re up against the crazy lady I am screwing on a regular basis, so you’re on your own. Ally, you know we’re going to have a long talk after this is done, right?”
He was going to require a short period of complete obedience and she would give it to him. She brought the umbrella down on the table right in front of Elise, glorying in the way she jumped.
“The next time that’s going to be your head,” Ally vowed.
“You pathetic piece of trash. You can’t keep him,” Elise said with a snarl. She held her handbag up like it was protection. “When he wakes up he’s going to realize he needs a woman with some class, someone he can be proud of.”
The words cut, but she wasn’t about to let that show to Elise Miles. God, she was jealous. She hated the fact that the woman still had his name. How could he have married this cold woman? Except that Elise was right and he needed someone well bred, someone who could move through society properly.
“Out,” Ally yelled and she realized she had more than a small audience now. She turned slightly and saw that Chef Taggart, Eric, and the rest of the crew had come out of the kitchen and were actively watching the scene being performed in front of them.
Yeah, she was making quite the impression, but she couldn’t back down now. If she was about to get fired, she was going to make sure there was a damn good reason behind it. She marched on Elise.
Those five-inch heels could really move when they wanted to. Elise hauled her skinny ass toward the front door.
“Macon!” Elise shouted, her arms out as though they could protect her. “Macon, please.”
“It pleases Macon to not have anything to do with you.” Macon yawned and tipped back his beer. “We’re divorced. We’re going to stay that way. Go back to New York. Find some other rich idiot to take care of you. The bank’s closed here. I’m a working man now.”
“If you would talk to your father,” Elise pleaded.
Ally was done talking. She swung the umbrella, narrowly missing the blonde, but then she’d planned it that way.
Elise screamed and Taggart shouted out something about a swing and a miss.
Ally chased the lovely Elise right out onto the street. The minute she could, she locked the door. That woman wasn’t getting back in.
“And stay out. You aren’t welcome at Top.” She turned, her hands still on the umbrella.
Big Tag and Jake clapped, but they weren’t the only ones. She looked over and the entire kitchen staff plus Deena, Tiffany, and Jenni were cheering her on. Thank god.
Chef Taggart gave her a thumbs-up. “Way to take out the trash, Ally.”
But Macon frowned her way. He stood as she walked back into the dining room. “Chef’s office. Now.”