Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Alex and Heather are laughing together, making some kind of sweet potato thing for dessert. I’m having visions of the fluffy sweet potato casserole that my mother makes every Thanksgiving, and my stomach growls.
June is being her flirty self with Desi, and he’s eating it up. The rule is no fraternizing, but Desi and June are getting along a lot better than June and I are, despite our kisses outside.
I take a moment to look around.
Sebastian isn’t here… Neither is the chef he and Ariel were working with.
And neither is Evangeline.
I look toward Emily once more. She and Misty are listening to their chef, Katie, explain something, presumably about the dish they’re preparing. I think it’s called callaloo. It looks like some kind of greens.
Emily still looks rigid. Hell, I would be too if I had to work with Misty. I walk toward them but then turn abruptly.
There’s only one person who has the answers I need.
EPISODE 101
CALLA-LOST
Emily
This whole thing is maddening.
Misty seriously thinks I’m the one who may be the biggest threat here? Why does anyone have to be a threat? Does she truly think it wasn’t an accident?
I’m pissed as all bloody hell, and doubly pissed that Misty thinks I harmed Ariel on purpose. It’s all rubbish, really, but perhaps it’s better if Misty believes it wasn’t an accident—at least for now.
River has met my gaze a time or two since Ariel got injured. He doesn’t look pleased. Newsflash. Neither am I!
Of course, I agreed to do something. I was going to salt the dish or some other harmless tactic.
I can’t help but watch River, though. He looks brilliant in that apron and nothing else on top. Seeing his bare chest triggers all sorts of memories—the feel of his muscles under my fingertips, of his big cock inside me…
Damn.
I need to focus.
Misty, oddly, seems to be listening intently to Katie for once. Maybe she’s decided to try winning this cook-off on merits. Who the hell knows? That woman says one thing one minute and something completely contrary the next.
I slide next to Katie as she and Misty are adding the rinsed greens to the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Misty hasn’t added the pepper yet.
“Excellent,” Katie says. “You want to layer the greens in gently on top of the onions and garlic.”
Misty inhales. “It smells amazing already. How long do we sauté the greens?”
Katie gives Misty a smile.
All the while, I’m wondering what planet I’ve suddenly landed on…or rather, what alien life force has taken over my cooking partner. She’s actually being nice to Katie.
“We’ll give them about five to seven minutes,” Katie says. “You want the greens to wilt but also retain some of their vibrant green color. Keep stirring occasionally.”
“What can I do, Katie?” I ask.
“Grab the pepper that Misty chopped. We’ll add a little at a time.”
I nod and pick up the small ceramic bowl of the light-orange pepper. “The greens look dry. Do we need to add broth or something?”
“Not yet,” Katie says. “First, we let the natural juices in the greens come out. That’s where we get the earthy, nutty flavor that his dish is famous for. Once they’ve wilted down, we may add some liquid, but many times we don’t have to. Plus, it adds cooking time because the liquid has to cook off, and it may dilute the natural flavor of the dish.”
I watch as Misty moves the greens with tongs. To my surprise, the greens do produce a lot of moisture. Not that I doubted Katie, but when I sauté spinach, it wilts quickly but produces virtually no liquid at all.
“We’re ready for the pepper now, Emily.”
I take the bowl. “How much?”
“These little boogers pack a wallop. I like it spicy, but we’ll be getting mega spice from Desi’s jerk chicken, so I don’t want to overdo it. Let’s start with about a teaspoon.”
I glance around. Since moving to the States, I’ve had to get used to measuring in volume rather than weight. “Where are the measuring spoons?”
“Just eyeball it,” Katie laughs. “That’s what we all do.”
I nod and take a pinch of the pepper in my gloved hand. That looks about right.
“Go ahead and sprinkle that onto the greens while Misty continues to sauté,” Katie says. “Then we’ll add some fresh thyme sprigs and salt and pepper to taste.”
Salt and pepper? I glance around. I couldn’t find any salt when I needed it. But out of nowhere, Katie brandishes a set of salt and pepper grinders and hands them to me while handing Misty a fork.
“Emily, you add just a little each of salt and pepper, and Misty, I want you to take a taste and tell me if it needs more of either.”
How will Misty know what it’s supposed to taste like? Then again, she did say she’d had the dish before. She just didn’t know what it was called.