Page 42 of Blue Gold

Finally, a genuine smile took over his beautiful lips, lighting up his whole face before he went back to his chopping board.

Looking at the mountain of potatoes I still had to peel, I grabbed the peeler back and started working again.

“You know, you still haven’t told me why you left France to come here,” I said, trying to make lemonade out of lemons and learn more about him while we were here.

“To be a model.”

I knew this much, although I found it hard to believe. For starters, Elliot didn’t seem too eager to chase that path, as he was more than happy to work as a cook.

“And yet, here you are, working as a private chef in the Hamptons.”

“For now.”

Since I felt like there was more to his story than he was willing to share, I tried digging more. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to start a modeling career in France?”

“No.”

“Come on, you don’t expect me to believe that.” I snorted. “Paris is known for its fashion and glam. I’m sure there were more than enough modeling opportunities for you there.”

A loud sound startled me, and I looked aside to see Elliot had slammed his knife on the cutting board.

“Why are you interrogating me?” he snapped, eyes locked with mine.

Shocked by his sudden shift in mood, I stared at him.

“I’m not.”

“And yet, you ask all those questions.”

“Elliot, I was just curious⁠—”

“I’m here, and that’s it.”

His eyes looked wild as he stared back at me. He was definitely angry, and not wanting to upset him more, I nodded.

“Okay,” I quietly said, understanding I’d hit a nerve.

Without saying another word, Elliot grabbed the knife and went back to chopping. Not wanting to make the situation worse, I was prepared to start peeling again when he swore, and I turned to see him holding his hand close to his chest.

In a matter of seconds, I was at his side.

“What happened?” I asked, worry carrying through my voice.

“I just cut myself,” he hissed, holding his hand tighter.

Only now noticing the blood on his thumb, I quickly grabbed a towel and covered his hand with it. He winced as I applied more pressure on the wound, so I placed a hand on his lower back to keep him composed.

“Don’t be scared. It’s just a small cut,” I promised him while watching his face pale.

“O-oh God, I hate blood,” he wheezed, voice wavering.

Instead of reassuring him it was nothing to worry about, I pulled him closer as I continued to apply pressure on the cut. Elliot didn’t resist and quickly buried his face in my chest while I used the towel to soak the blood. He was a bit shaky, so I used my free hand to softly stroke his hair. While his eyes were closed, I took a moment to lift off the towel and check the wound.

“H-how is it?” he asked.

Thankfully, it wasn’t deep and wouldn’t need any stitches.

“It’s a small cut, nothing you should be scared over.”