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Post by Genevieve Buchanan on Jun 12, 2017 21:29:15 GMT -6
Jenny laughed when Dean told her that her calling him Mister McCoppin made him feel like a grandpa. She almost wanted to call him that again to pick on him. "Okay, Dean." She said as she walked passed him and got into the car. And just like before she sat like a lady. The only difference was her happiness, it was there for right now. She had a wonderful short time with Dean. He made her feel listened to. It was only a shame that this was probably the first and only time she would see him. James never really kept the same drivers.
She was going to try to see if she could get Dean to stay, but she doubted it. Either way she was happy that she had this time with him. They made small talk as he took her to her destination. Some of it made them laugh, some of it made her wanna hit Dean a little in play. Of course she didn't, but she loved how he talked to her. Like she was a person instead of a trophy.
It made her sad that she wouldn't be able to talk like this with him once James was in the car.
They entered the neighborhood, the beautiful and rich life of the Waterfront is in full gear tonight. Everyone was hosting a party, but no party would be bigger than the one at the Blue Lagoon. It almost terrified Jenny when they rolled up and she saw nothing but people at the restaurant.
Of course she pushed the fear away and gazed at the woman there. Luckily for her no one looked as grand as her tonight. She had picked the right dress. That meant James would not leave her side for sure.
Once Dean rolled up and opened the door for her Jenny got out and took the sight in once more. She stared for a while before she looked at Dean. And before he could react to her looking at him, she moved close to him and placed her hand into his. There she gave him a hundred dollar tip.
"Thank you for listening." Jenny whispered gently into his ear before she gave him a light kiss on the cheek. She then pulled away and smiled. "Well thank you Dean for the lovely ride. Please wait here until my husband and I are ready to leave." She said before she saw James walk up to them. A huge fake smile came to her lips as her husband took her into his arms.
"You look lovely tonight. Just as I expected. You're the absolute gem of this place! Mr. McCoppin thank you for getting my wife here safely and on time. Here is the money I promised." James said as he handed the man two-hundred and fifty dollars. He then took Jenny by the waist and took her into the restaurant.
Though before she entered with him she gave one more glance to Dean before her focus was now on her husband.
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Post by Dean McCoppin on Jun 12, 2017 21:53:13 GMT -6
The social elite really did not play around whenever they had their parades and social events. Everything was turning out to be so lavishing and polished that Dean could not help but wonder just how many money these people blew up here to show how rich they actually were. If he had to take a wild guess, the shoes of most these people were probably as expensive as his entire set of clothes combined with the symbolic ammount of rent he used to pay back at Miss Harris' hotel. It went without saying that this was a pond made only for those who could swim in it.
And even so, there was always this empty feeling in most of them. All their smiles were as artificial as the porcelain they insisted on displaying around their houses. Their eyes hollow like an empty pond, so well kept but whose fish the owner forgot to feed. It was strange, and he saw how some of them missed acting like...real people.
Jenny seemed to be one of those people. Over the course of an hour he had seen several sides of her, which only showed how repressed the woman seemed to be in her little big world. Only when no one was watching could he feel she was starting to loosen up and enjoy herself. Things were never that simple, were they?
It went without saying, however, that this was easily the most well paid job he had ever had. For a few instances, he could not believe his eyes when he saw the tip she had gently chosen to give him. One hundred dollars was more than enough for a lifetime in Aquila Hotel. Adding that to Mr Buchanan's more substancial pay, Dean could feel much safer and focused on the reason that had brought him to Gatsberry in the first place.
Nodding politely at both his employers as they made their way into the restaurant, Dean could not help but bow his head to the blonde when she glanced back at him. She was intriguing, to say the least. Much more layered than he ever expected. This day was being something, wasn't it?
A few hours of waiting and wandering around awaited him now, which was something he could cope with. Taking off yet another cigarette from his pocket, he leaned back against the polished white car as he kept on taking in the sight and thinking to himself about what he would do over the next course of days.
For all he could tell, Gatsberry was a complex structure, incredibly distributed in hierarchies. The rich feasted above the poor, and the middle classed ones survived and thrived in their own way. He supposed the mob kept things in place, seeing how few police men he had seen ever since coming to the city. It was almost shocking, really, to see how little they seemed to be needed.
If these rich people here were the center of wealth and capitalistic power, he wondered who really called the shots. Heck, were they all in Korso's pockets as well? He'd have to find out.
He had heard that at the docks and amongst certain rival merchants were some bickerings, so he was sure he could gain some notoriety working for them. Possibly. Probably. Beatrice would help him as well. Immersed in these thoughts, hours clicked by as he spent his time pondering his course of action while occasionally glancing at the palace like restaurant his clients awaited him in.
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Post by Genevieve Buchanan on Jun 13, 2017 15:36:17 GMT -6
Jenny didn't leave James' side at all that evening. He kept her close to him and showed her off to anyone who asked. She really felt like a trophy tonight. She was starting to feel overdressed. Too many people asked about her dress and asked where she got it from. Thankfully James didn't let them know after she told them she didn't remember. Jenny really hated it when other women asked that, it meant they wanted it.. That they wanted it and wanted to be just like her, which was something she wasn't going to have.
And all while she had to keep on the fake pleasantries and smiles, James was off getting drunk and having a good time with the men. Of course she had to stand or sit by him as he did this. So it wasn't a surprise to her when he started to grab her a little rough and show her off a bit sexually to his friends. Jenny laughed at first, but the fake smile quickly left after the fourth time he did that. When that time came she pushed him off of her a little and grabbed his arm.
"Do that again and I will leave and make a scene." Jenny whispered into his ear while she smiled. She smiled so nobody would question what she was doing. To them it looked like she was whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Of course her talking back to her husband got her a glare, but it didn't last long due to he wanted to keep appearances.
And after an hour of that James suddenly got up to make an announcement. This caused Jenny's eyes to widen as gift box was given to James by one of the waiters. He pretty much told the whole room about how much he loved her, how much he respected her, and how lucky he was to have her. All of the romantic things you could say was poured out from his lips.
And it felt so fake to her.
But when he finished the speech, he got on one knee and opened up the gift box. The moment he did and she saw what it was, she gasped in surprise.. It was a string of pearls, a string of pearls that were worth three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They were beautiful that a tear fell from her eyes.. She knew why he got her this.. She knew damn well. He knew that she knew about his affair and was using this as a bribe.
"Damn him for making this so public, I can't throw it back in his face..." She thought before she finally opened her mouth.
"I-I'm speechless.. They're beautiful darling, absolutely beautiful. Thank you and I love you too!" Jenny said as another fake smile came onto her lips. Then her and James shared a kiss before he placed the pearls around her neck. Then they partied a little bit more.
Jenny had to pull the plug when she figured James was about to lose his cool with how drunk he was. She had one thing to thank him for in that instance.. And that was for not being a noticeable drunk.
She said her goodbyes and finally left the building with James. She smiled when she saw Dean had the car door open for them already. Jenny rushed in a little bit before James followed. And once they were in, James roughly grabbed her to his side and started to kiss her cheek and neck. This made her very uncomfortable, it wasn't the first time he did this..
"Please bring us home, Dean." Jenny said as she tried to gently push her husband off of her.
"What?? Why are you pushing me away?"
"Cause I'm not in the mood, James. Plus you're drunk."
"It hasn't bothered you before."
"Well that was before I found out what I know, now please be quiet before we start a scene." Jenny said as she got herself away from her husband who now looked shocked and a bit angry she had spoke to him like that. But she had shut him up for now, and that was all she needed.
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Post by Dean McCoppin on Jun 13, 2017 15:58:02 GMT -6
Dean had lost some track of time, honestly. He did not mind relaxing as he waited for his employers to come. Seeing how well paid he had been, it was absolutely surprising to see how many people actually avoided this line of duty, for all he had been told. Serving socialites seemed simple enough. Far too simple.
He started to suspect that people avoided it because of the type of personality formed once you had so much power. He had seen how pampered and protected Jenny seemed to be, so he was darned sure James was darn protective of her. Or at least posessive. If he suspected a man was getting close to her in a manner he did not like, it would be easy to make him vanish. Gatsberry seemed out of control enough for that to happen without anyone blinking an eye. He had seen enough brutes walking around to know they could easily turned hired goons. He would have to be careful of how he interacted in front of people.
He adjusted his stance once he noticed the couple leaving and walking towards the car, surprised at how quickly they actually were moving. They seemed stable enough, even if the husband was a bit tipsy. He'd have to be even more careful now, considering this new information. He didn't really know what to expect from James Buchanan, and he really knew it would be a bad move to ask questions.
Driving off the largely populated area, Dean would be lying if he said he had not felt a bit uncomfortable with the environment created around him. He had seen his fair share of complicated things, having served in a force, grown up in slums and fought in the war. Yet these were scenarios in which he had some say in the matter and could always react or leave whenever he did not appreciate how the were going. This time, however, he was stuck. Until the moment he left the Buchanan couple home and gave back the keys, Dean was trapped and helpless in his own way, if he valued his neck.
Raising both his eyebrows once again while looking at the car's mirror once he heard a quick exchange of words, he had a bit of a hard time trying to ignore what was being said and remain cold and apathetic while driving at a steady pace. Like Jenny had said before, this had nothing to do with him, and he had a lot to lose if her intervened at that very moment. Not unless James pushed it too far or tried something funny on the backseat of the car.
Exhaling softly as they neared the Buchanan residence, Dean gave the occasional glances from the corner of his eye, amazed at how well he was controlling himself and slightly annoyed at himself as well for not doing anything.
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Post by Genevieve Buchanan on Jun 13, 2017 16:32:28 GMT -6
The quiet didn't last long, after a couple of minute James Buchanan went back to feeling Jenny and holding her to him. Of course she fought it off a bit, but when he started to grip a bit tighter she started to stop fighting. He was getting irritated and she didn't want that.. But as he continued with this scene she felt her cheeks growing red as her blue eyes tried to look at something to get her mind off of her husband. She felt embarrassed that this was going on in a backseat of a car being driven by someone new. If it was any of their other drivers she wouldn't feel like that..
Though when she felt James grip her stomach hard she felt her eyes go wide before she quickly pushed him off of her. "Enough James! I told you I'm not in the mood. So please stop causing a scene and let us enjoy this ride home." She demanded as she gave James a bit of a glare.
James glared at her and went to try again, which caused Jenny to quickly react and move herself completely away from him and pushed him off of her. "I said no, James!" Jenny exclaimed before she turned away from her husband and looked out the window. Hoping that she finally got to him. She let out a big sigh before she suddenly felt a hand grip her shoulder and viciously turn her around.
Her blue eyes widened in horror as she felt James grab her new pearls and used them to yank her towards him.
"You do not talk to me like that Jenny, remember your place or I'll make you remember." He hissed at her.
Jenny felt insulted and afraid, but when she felt him viciously grab her once more to pull her to his lap, she quickly reacted. A hand went flying straight across James' face, causing him to fall backward just a little. "You're drunk and making a scene!" She exclaimed as she backed against the car's door. She watched James falter a little which made her relax.
Finally, she knocked some sense into him...
Suddenly the back of James' hand hit Jenny across the face harder than she had hit him. He then grabbed her and got ontop.
"And you wonder why I choose Lily over you!" James hissed.
"Get off!! James!" Jenny exclaimed as she started to fight her husband.
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Post by Dean McCoppin on Jun 13, 2017 16:49:48 GMT -6
In spite of a few bumps along the way, Dean was certain they would find their way to the couple's home before something too serious happened. It could not happen, not at that particular point. If he wanted to avoid trouble, it really could not go down. He knew how he was, he knew he'd intervene and he knew he'd get into trouble. Maybe...just maybe the couple could remain calm so he did not have to soil his conscience with refrain.
It was far too good to be true, it seemed, because once he heard the sound of Jenny's hand hitting James' cheek, the driver was aware that things would go down soon. The man was drunk. Clearly now, and he would not take such behaviour in front of another. Especially from a wife he treated as a trophy. He decided to speed up and approach the gates of the residence before it was too late.
He though well indeed, because before he knew it, Jenny had predictably been struck by James. Quite harshly too. Seeing the man on top of her, Dean knew where this would get and realized he had to act. Stopping the car as the residence's gates started to open, the driver opened his door and moved to the back seats, firmly grabbing James by behind and pulling him back.
The man was larger than him. Taller too, for sure. He could hold him, but knew he would not get so lucky if he was sober. "Easy there! You don't wanna do that, come on, think!" he said at James' ear while blocking his arms, relieved the servants had noticed and were running towards the commotion. "Help me out here you fools, he's drunk!"
It was a bit hard, but eventually there were enough servants around to hold James and probably tend to Jenny, so Dean managed to let go of the wealthy man, groaning before taking a few steps back and pressing his back against the gates to catch his breath before eyeing Jenny for a split second.
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Post by Genevieve Buchanan on Jun 14, 2017 8:21:12 GMT -6
Jenny gasped when her Husband was forced off of her, breathing hard as she backed further away into the car, away from everyone. Tears streamed down her face as she covered herself. She hadn't been stripped, but she sure felt like it. Blue eyes watched in horror as the servants came rushing out to take James away. But when some came to help her she immediately yelled at them to not come near her. She didn't want to be touched right now. So they backed up and let the woman breathed.
She immediately looked away from her servants as she gasped and breathed, trying to calm herself down. She was going to be sleeping in the guest room that was for sure.
As she calmed herself down she saw a bit of movement behind her, causing her to turn around. The moment she did, she noticed Dean looking at her, causing her to freeze. Her big eyes looking at him in horror as tears fell from her eyes. Though she didn't look at him for long, she had quickly looked down at her knees as she continued to cry.
After five minutes of this, Jenny finally decided she needed to stop crying and leave the car. She quickly wiped her eyes, fixed her hair, and took out a mirror to make sure she didn't look too much of a mess. She then got out of the car. Her servants immediately brushed her off and fixed her hair just a little before they went to take her away. But she stopped them with a sign of her hair. She sighed and turned around to look at Dean once more. She took out a fifty dollar tip from her purse and walked to him.
She tried to look a bit proud, but it was more transparent than the tear stains on her face.
"I'm very sorry for my husband. I do hope you work for us again, Dean. I'll make sure that you do as well. This is for your troubles." Jenny said with a bit of shakiness in her voice. She then took his hand and placed the fifty dollars into his hand before looking up and smiling at him. "Thank you again." Jenny said as she turned away.
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Post by Dean McCoppin on Jun 14, 2017 16:02:26 GMT -6
This was not what he had been expecting when he had accepted to be a daily driver to a wealthy family. For all he had been told, it was one of the safest lines of work for the lesser qualified, and in terms of work per se, it was quite easy to get done. He was just not told about what really hid behind the closed doors of the elite's palaces. What seemed like pearl necklaces turned out to really be chains wrapped around people's necks, slaves of their fortunes and of what high society demanded them to act like. It was as if you gave part of yourself away in terms of power.
Dean felt like he was a fool, but he always had a hard time witness agression between couples, especially if they were married. It bothered him, and while it was quite usual for a husband to be dominant over his wife, it still bothered him when it was done in the form of sheer submission. Having grown in a poor environment, Dean knew what it was like to have the ones he cherished and himself be looked at as if they were expendable pieces. Jenny seemed to be just that in her husband's hands. It bothered him, almost stinging. He had nothing to do with it, and yet the fact that he barely intervened was severely aggravating him regarding his own morality.
James was strong, as he had expected. Having held the man back and dealt with his outburst had made Dean realize he needed to be careful when confronting others. His employer's thrasing and clumsy movements had left him a bit sore after holding him back alone. He was glad he had, though. If the man had touched his wife in an agressive manner again, Dean would probably have acted more violently. Even in failure, he had done something decently, at least.
What kept him in place more, though, was how distressed the blonde woman turned out to be. It was not surprising at all, seeing how humiliating the entire ordeal was. She seemed to live in this porcelain idilic little world, so rough wake up calls were probably incredibly hard for her to take in. As far as Dean could tell, Jenny was badly shaken and damaged. He let her sob and regain her composure out of respect for her dignity. His father had always told him that people fell so that they could learn how to get up, and Dean knew Jenny needed some space.
He was slightly relieved to see her come out of the car at last, after what seemed like and eternity. Tension was something he was used to, but it did not mean he particularly enjoyed it. He didn't at all, actually. The golden haired beauty seemed better, even if she was clearly not okay at all. The driver merely stared at her now, his hazelnut eyes focused on her for a while, not a word escaping his lips once she moved closer to him, much to his surprise.
Dean did not really know how to process what she had said to him until a few seconds had passed, his expression remaining calmed but a bit shocked as she spoke to him. She wanted him back? On one hand, he surely welcomed the incredible pay. He had enough to lodge himself in Gatsberry for quite a while now, no worries attached. However, he did not think she knew how dangerous it might be to have him return. He had physically confronted her husband, who did not seem like the most forgiving man. Truthfully, Dean was wary that she might face reprecussions for having him back. He legitimately feared to have his cover blown somehow.
And yet...something also told him he should come back. He felt like an idiot for feeling so sympathetic towards Jenny, but there was something about her that kept pulling him in. Beyond that glistening golden hair and those eyes as blue as an ocean he could gladly lose himself in...there was this subtle innocence and this certain sadness about her that made him feel she...could use someone to listen to her. He was meant to help people, right?
Clenching the fifty dollar bill in his hand, he bit his lower lip while looking away when she turned away before taking a deep breath, cursing himself in his mind. "I wouldn't go inside just yet..." he muttered, his gaze fixated on the gardens of the Buchanan residence, trimmed and tended to in a glorious manner. Frowning, he sighed once again, placing his hands in his pockets. "He's still very rowdy and you probably don't need any more of that anytime soon. Take some time for yourself and...wait a bit alright?"
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Post by Genevieve Buchanan on Jun 19, 2017 21:29:14 GMT -6
"I wouldn't go inside just yet..."
Jenny turned to look at Dean, surprise in her eyes when he said that. She stopped dead in her tracks as she could feel tears form. She listened to how he said her husband was still rowdy and that she didn't need anymore bad treatment. This made her look at her house before she slowly looked back at him.
"As much as I would love to wait, Mr. McCoppin, I just can't leave my husband by himself. He is already mad and me being out here will just make things worse. This is the first time he has hit me, and I want it to be the last. But to assure you that I will be alright, I plan on making my way to my guest room. That is where I will be for the rest of the night. My servants will make sure he does not bother me." Jenny said as she sent a little glare to her servants. Telling them in a way that what she just said was an order. Her big blue eyes then went back to Dean.
"Please do not tell anyone what happened here tonight." Jenny asked with a begging expression. A expression that showed how vulnerable she truly was. It told Dean that she wanted to keep living in this fairytale that was starting to break apart before her. It was starting to feel like the pearls around her neck were a collar.. This thought made one single tear fall from her eye before she turned and wiped it away.
"Thank you again for the wonderful, relaxing ride, Dean. I hope you have a wonderful night. I do hope to see you again." Jenny said as she kept her back slightly to him as she now refused to look at him. And once she was done speaking she walked towards the house. Once she got to the door she stopped and looked back at him, nodding her head softly to him. Then she went inside.
The rest of the night was sure going to be a quiet one now.
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