Triple Diamonds (Mystic Nights Book 2) (4 page)

Now, two years later, with her brothers’ graduations from high school looming, they had encouraged her to apply for the job of sous chef at the hotel and casino nearby when the position had been posted. It was good timing for her because they needed the money. After her parents had died, they had to leave the reservation after the six month grieving time had been allotted. Being unmarried with no kids of her own, housing on the reservation was difficult to hang onto. The pressing need for homes for families with young children had forced them off the reserve, and then the insurance money had begun to run out.

The trailer she rented just off the reservation had tapped her out of her limited savings, too.

Luckily schooling was paid for, and she had worked feverishly to finish her degree while her brothers were in school. She wanted to finish when they did. And both boys had found part time jobs to help with the expenses over the last six months. But it was getting harder. Heating the trailer this winter had been expensive. It had been one of the coldest winters in Connecticut for as long as she could remember.

But only seeing her brothers briefly in passing in the mornings and for the few minutes she had before she left for work was taking its toll on her. Her brothers, seniors at Lantern Hill High, had gotten into a few scrapes. She knew not being around gave them too much time on their hands without adult supervision. She just hoped she could keep them on the straight and narrow for a few more months, and instill in them the importance of towing the line and being responsible. It’s what her parents had done for her.

She heard their small pick-up truck pull up as she finished dressing, donning her white coat before adding another layer. The heater in her Nova was not working, and she couldn’t afford to have it repaired right now. These boys ate. A lot! And feeding them so they could continue with their track and field activities was her priority. They both had scholarships to the University of Connecticut, but they still needed to finish the season strong.

And just exactly where her earlier thoughts had taken her, they both kissed her as she stood by the door but bypassed her quickly and then proceeded to raid the refrigerator. Standing over six feet tall, they crowded the door peering in at the slim pickings inside. Wesley grabbed the plate of cold chicken and Lesley followed him to the counter snatching a piece before they faced her.

“Please stay in tonight. You both have research papers due at the end of week,” she reminded them.

“It’s not due until Friday!” Wesley complained over a mouth full of chicken.

“Yes, but you have track practice all week, and you both have two shifts each at the gas station.”

“Yes, Jewels,” Lesley replied not even making eye contact as he passed her on the way to the sofa using his hand as a plate to carry his chicken so as not to get crumbs on the carpet.

“And if you could pass the vacuum, I’d love you forever,” she said as she picked up her purse from the small rickety table by the door. She reached inside and grabbed her keys and her employee ID badge. She quickly snapped it onto her uniform.

“You’ll love us any way,” Wesley added as he joined his brother on the sofa.

She smiled at her brothers indulgently, “And there is a lasagna in the oven for you when you get back from track. 350 degrees for forty-five minutes.”

Both brothers gave her broad smiles at this bit of news. “You’re the best Jewels.”

“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.

She tried to focus on him, and not the stares she was getting from the other staff working in the kitchen that evening. But the intensity of his gaze unnerved her.
Those coppery eyes.

“Um, good,” she stated as nonchalantly as she could muster. But casual conversation with one of the management was not something she was used to. A compliment in passing, and a few words with Louis were sometimes exchanged, but the management never really stopped to talk to her.

“Again, the food you prepared for my brother’s engagement party was fabulous. And Louis’ praise of you was glowing. Perhaps when the new restaurant project my mother wants to add on top of Tower Two is complete, you might be ready for that.” Her chest began to hammer. Her own kitchen. That was quite the prize, but something that wasn’t usually offered to someone with her limited experience. She scrutinized the man before her more closely wondering what he was up to.

He was watching her eyes, and she tried to stifle the excitement that the thought of running her own kitchen caused. Her own restaurant to manage. She’d heard the talk of opening up a fine steak house on top of Tower Two,
The Oakwood
. And, it would be years before she could open her own place. But running her own restaurant would build her reputation, and a clientele that would come to her establishment. She hoped this was real.

“That would be great.” She didn’t want to show too much excitement at the thought. She knew that project was at least a year or more away. But to think that Louis and the Sassacus’s were discussing her as a possibility was astonishing.

His next words confirmed her suspicions. “Well, it’s still a year away, but I just wanted to let you know we have our eye on you.” His voice had dipped strangely when he’d said that. His eyes then scrutinized her closely and she felt the heat of his gaze as his eyes roamed over her in her uniform. She knew she had a good body, but geesh, the man was making it so obvious. Again, she felt her mouth go dry.

She also heard the undercurrent of interest in her that was more than just in her culinary skills.
What was his game? Could this be for real?
Or was he throwing her this bone so he could get a favor in return?
And from the way he was visually appreciating her assets, she wondered if the job might come with strings attached. That she would not tolerate. She’d heard the rumors about Jonathan and Joseph. She also knew some girls who had taken them up on their unusual offers. And those girls hadn’t needed the incentive. The brothers were renowned for their prowess in the boardroom and the bedroom. Well, that wasn’t her. She couldn’t be bought that way and she was about to tell him that when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“How are those beans coming along, Jewels?” Louis’ voice boomed across the kitchen using the nickname many who knew her well used. Jewel pulled out her knife.

Looking down at the mound of vegetables she still had to prepare, she quickly glanced at Joseph and apologized. “Sorry, I really need to keep working,” she gave him a slight smile trying to politely end the conversation before her temper rose anymore. She began to set her beans in place, and then began to chop them, to accompany tonight’s main course of saucy shrimp. If his offer were serious, she would consider it, but nothing more.

Joseph saw the play of emotions run over the small beauty’s face. First there had been surprise, and excitement. Then he saw the cloud pass over her aquiline features. He didn’t like seeing the doubt or suspicion there, but he hadn’t been able to help the innuendo that had come out when he’d told he would be watching her. It had slipped out. And he also hadn’t been able to help his eyes appreciating her figure. She had all the right curves for him. He found her powerfully attractive, but then there was the thefts that had been occurring. But her dismissal of him, and the quick way she resumed her previous activity didn’t deter him, he just watched her work. Her eyebrow raised she tied to concentrate on her work despite the fact that he hadn’t moved.

The dimple in her right cheek when she had given him that slight smile, had drawn his attention. And he couldn’t look away. He watched her hands dice and chop the vegetables effortlessly wondering what else those hands were capable of. His thoughts began to run rampant. He knew he was practically ogling her but he couldn’t look away. And from the way her chest began to rise and fall, straining against her uniform, he wouldn’t look away if he could. He wanted to know what they looked like. Tasted like.