past the diners. The conversation on the porch ceased momentarily as all eyes perused the bronzed form of the young woman. Flirtatiously tossing her mane of lustrous dark-blonde hair, the girl cast a dazzling smile at one of the male guests. James could see that the young lady was clearly Eleanor’s daughter and a great beauty as well.
As the girl reached the end of the porch, Lindy and Lucy seated themselves at the table, looking perplexed.
“Why did everyone suddenly stop talking?” Lindy asked.
Bennett pointed at Eleanor’s daughter, who had stopped to chat with a woman in an apron. “That lovely little vision walked on by and everybody’s brains just shut right down.”
“Well, she certainly looks like a healthy American girl,” Lindy said flatly. “But I’d hate to be her skin in twenty years.”
“You can see right off who her mama is, too. Eleanor’s thin and handsome. She must’ve been a real looker in her day,” Lucy offered. “I guess they’ve been blessed by good genes. The rest of us have to work every day just to fit into our uniforms.”
“Hey. Where’s Gillian?” James inquired.
“You know Gillian.” Lucy squeezed lemon into a glass of ice water. “She wants to cleanse our room before she comes down to lunch.”
“I must have been in the bathroom for that announcement.” Lindy rolled her eyes. “Please tell me she’s not using patchouli incense. I hate that smell.”
Shaking her head, Lucy smirked. “I thought I saw a package of Egyptian Kush Musk sticking out of her purse. Who knows? It could smell even worse than patchouli.”
Before either of the men could respond to Lucy’s remark, a heavy man wearing a Hawaiian shirt stepped onto the porch. He cast a complacent glance around and then his bloodshot eyes fell on the figure of Eleanor’s daughter. Strutting over to the attractive young woman, the man shook his head and made bubbling noises with his lips. As he did so, his pink and fleshy cheeks shook and his enormous stomach wobbled beneath his shirt’s pattern of dancing hula girls. Sweat stained the chest area of his shirt and dripped down his puffy face and neck.
“Lord Almighty, girlie!” he bellowed hoarsely as he neared his prey. “You’re hot enough to fry an egg on! Mercy me! I’ve seen napkins that are bigger than that there bikini.” He smiled, displaying a row of yellow teeth. “Allow me to introduce myself.” He bowed as low as he could until the pouch of his belly prevented him from bending over any further. “ I am the world-famous Jimmy Lang, winner of more first-place bar-b-cue trophies than I can count and the future champion of Hudsonville Hog Fest.” He nudged the young lady in the side with his meaty elbow. “You come on down to my pit anytime, you fine thang! Then you’ll find out why they really call me The Pitmaster. I know I’m a bit on the big side—seems I gained a whole ’nother person this year—but I’ve got skills other men just don’t have. These hands like a nice piece of tender meat, and you’re about as tender as they come, girlie.”
Several of the inn’s guests frowned in distaste, but the majority viewed Jimmy with amusement. Eleanor made her way to her daughter’s side at the same moment that Jimmy uttered his lewd invitation. After attempting to shoo her daughter inside the house, she gave Jimmy Lang an icy smile and whispered, “Francesca, please!”
Francesca slowly wound the towel around her waist as she struck a coquettish pose for Jimmy’s benefit. “Do barbecue contestants make a lot of money?” she asked coyly.
Jimmy roared with laughter. “You get right to the marrow of it, don’t ya? You’re my type of gal, missy!” His face puffed up with pride. “We get a nice pile of cash for becomin’ champion, but winnin’ the money’s nothin’ compared to gettin’ a big-time sponsor. This year’s sponsor is Heartland Foods, and they wanna expand their line to include barbecue. I win this one and
As the girl reached the end of the porch, Lindy and Lucy seated themselves at the table, looking perplexed.
“Why did everyone suddenly stop talking?” Lindy asked.
Bennett pointed at Eleanor’s daughter, who had stopped to chat with a woman in an apron. “That lovely little vision walked on by and everybody’s brains just shut right down.”
“Well, she certainly looks like a healthy American girl,” Lindy said flatly. “But I’d hate to be her skin in twenty years.”
“You can see right off who her mama is, too. Eleanor’s thin and handsome. She must’ve been a real looker in her day,” Lucy offered. “I guess they’ve been blessed by good genes. The rest of us have to work every day just to fit into our uniforms.”
“Hey. Where’s Gillian?” James inquired.
“You know Gillian.” Lucy squeezed lemon into a glass of ice water. “She wants to cleanse our room before she comes down to lunch.”
“I must have been in the bathroom for that announcement.” Lindy rolled her eyes. “Please tell me she’s not using patchouli incense. I hate that smell.”
Shaking her head, Lucy smirked. “I thought I saw a package of Egyptian Kush Musk sticking out of her purse. Who knows? It could smell even worse than patchouli.”
Before either of the men could respond to Lucy’s remark, a heavy man wearing a Hawaiian shirt stepped onto the porch. He cast a complacent glance around and then his bloodshot eyes fell on the figure of Eleanor’s daughter. Strutting over to the attractive young woman, the man shook his head and made bubbling noises with his lips. As he did so, his pink and fleshy cheeks shook and his enormous stomach wobbled beneath his shirt’s pattern of dancing hula girls. Sweat stained the chest area of his shirt and dripped down his puffy face and neck.
“Lord Almighty, girlie!” he bellowed hoarsely as he neared his prey. “You’re hot enough to fry an egg on! Mercy me! I’ve seen napkins that are bigger than that there bikini.” He smiled, displaying a row of yellow teeth. “Allow me to introduce myself.” He bowed as low as he could until the pouch of his belly prevented him from bending over any further. “ I am the world-famous Jimmy Lang, winner of more first-place bar-b-cue trophies than I can count and the future champion of Hudsonville Hog Fest.” He nudged the young lady in the side with his meaty elbow. “You come on down to my pit anytime, you fine thang! Then you’ll find out why they really call me The Pitmaster. I know I’m a bit on the big side—seems I gained a whole ’nother person this year—but I’ve got skills other men just don’t have. These hands like a nice piece of tender meat, and you’re about as tender as they come, girlie.”
Several of the inn’s guests frowned in distaste, but the majority viewed Jimmy with amusement. Eleanor made her way to her daughter’s side at the same moment that Jimmy uttered his lewd invitation. After attempting to shoo her daughter inside the house, she gave Jimmy Lang an icy smile and whispered, “Francesca, please!”
Francesca slowly wound the towel around her waist as she struck a coquettish pose for Jimmy’s benefit. “Do barbecue contestants make a lot of money?” she asked coyly.
Jimmy roared with laughter. “You get right to the marrow of it, don’t ya? You’re my type of gal, missy!” His face puffed up with pride. “We get a nice pile of cash for becomin’ champion, but winnin’ the money’s nothin’ compared to gettin’ a big-time sponsor. This year’s sponsor is Heartland Foods, and they wanna expand their line to include barbecue. I win this one and
Similar Books
