Triple Diamonds (Mystic Nights #2)(8)
“Yeah, the best,” parroted Lesley.
“Okay, I’m the best, but please work on those papers.” And with a parting wave she left her two brothers to their own devices.
She couldn’t wait for their graduation. She was proud of them, and knew her parents would be too. Their deaths had shattered them, but unlike many teens who rebelled, they’d stayed focused most of the time, and both were committed to pursuing a college degree. It was what their parents had wanted. Both boys had scholarships to UCon, and with the financial aid they received from the tribe, they would be covered completely. They just needed to cover the expenses of the car they shared, and insurance, though she would help them for incidentals if they needed it.
Once they left for college, her plan was to get a small apartment in town, with two bedrooms for when they came home, and continue to work at the casino. She would also begin to save again. Her dream was to open her own restaurant. However long that took, she was determined to try again.
She would do whatever it took. Whatever it took, she told herself as she drove towards the massive casino she could see off in the distance though it was still miles off. Tower One and Two both were visible above the tree line. This casino, though she didn’t care for gambling much, was the bread and butter for her people. Hers too. Now. But it wouldn’t always be. She wanted a place of her own. That was her dream.
*
The moment Jewel walked into the kitchens of The Mystic, she felt at home. She’d only been working a few months, but loved it there. The noise, the sounds of cooking and chopping, and dishes clinking, and the heat and steam from the dishwashers, fryers and cooktops, enveloped her. The scents were overwhelming, but she had always felt at home in this environment. From the time her mother first taught her to bake a cake, she had known this was what she wanted to do.
The head chef, Louis, greeted her warmly, gave her the assignments for the evening, and went over the specialties with her. She loved working with him, and had learned a lot these past months from the European trained chef. When he finished with his rundown, the boisterous French men left her to her tasks confidently. He’d come to depend on her and she didn’t want to disappoint him.
They worked together well. After his initial instructions, they worked beside each other symbiotically, he barely having to direct her after that. Although his eagle eyes were everywhere, and he watched all acts in his kitchen, he could get mad when needed, when things weren’t happening fast enough for him, or the way he wanted it to. French profanity flew. “Colis, de tabernacle,” was one of his favorites. When those words were heard everyone buckled done to their tasks and refocused their efforts. But overall, he ran a smooth kitchen.
She couldn’t wait to be in charge of her own kitchen someday. And she felt confident learning under him, that she would be able to do it too. She wanted to be able to lead, but also foster this kind of work ethic and attention to detail that Louis did. She was lucky to have worked for two amazing chefs already in her short career.
She began to chop her vegetables, julienne style. Her knives were sharpened to her specifications each day. And she made quick work of the carrots, and then set to work on the green beans. She’d begin preparing the meats, while Louis was focusing on his special sauces and measuring out the ingredients he needed when the influx of guests began to settle down for their evening meals, and the controlled chaos would reign. But it was a good chaos, a flurry of activity that kept patrons returning to one of the hotel’s many restaurants time and time again. They cooked for the five star rated Vineyard Restaurant which also boasted great wines. It was situated on the main floor of the casino in the back and looked over the river.
She looked up after only thirty minutes when she heard a quiet hush come across the kitchen. The usual pattern of sounds had stopped and that quiet distracted her. Her eyes grazed across the room until she saw what had interrupted the flow. Stalking towards her was Joseph Sassacus, and his brown eyes, flecked with copper, were directed at her. She hadn’t seen him in nearly a month. He looked good enough to eat as he powered her way purposefully. She felt a sheen of perspiration pop out on her forehead, and used the back of her sleeve to wipe it away. She wondered what he was doing down in the kitchens again. And why he was approaching her.
She cleaned off her knife, swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat, and sheathed it in the block she used for her knives. It was apparent he was coming directly towards her, and she wondered what he could possibly want. Her heart beat faster, and she was suddenly nervous. She remembered their last meeting all too well. The shock she felt when he touched her was something she couldn’t get out of her mind.
As he strode her way, she realized she had never seen a man so focused. It was disconcerting. Since the incident last month in early March, she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him. Only Tawny and Eve made occasional pit stops in the kitchen. Once in a while Jonathan passed through, but since his marriage a few weeks ago, she hadn’t seen him either.
Joseph stopped directly in front of her, the massive cutting board that served as her station separating them. Kitchen etiquette said he should always speak to the head chef first, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Louis bristling under the slight. “How have you been?” he asked directly unaware of his breach. His eyes searched her face and he gazed around her before settling those dark eyes on her once more, a slight smile crinkling the corners of his mouth.