Episode 97
EPISODE 97
JERKIN’ AROUND
River
Supermodels have never been my thing. I love a beautiful body as much as the next guy, and June is tall, thin, and gorgeous, but we have nothing in common.
Then again…there’s another tall, thin woman in this kitchen with whom I have nothing in common. Emily Kensington could easily be a model. She’s blond to June’s brunette, but she should be walking runways wearing her own creations.
That would be something.
June and I are working with the guest chef, Desi something. He’s smiling and friendly, which makes me look all the broodier in comparison.
June gives me a bright smile. “I’m so glad we’re working together. I haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time with you yet. This should be fun.”
Damn, she really is as gorgeous as those glossy images of her wearing the sexiest lingerie on the planet. She’s wearing a yellow thing that looks like a minidress but I think is actually shorts. It’s sleeveless with soft ruffles around the neckline and a wide open back, showcasing her perfect creamy skin.
Still, I’m not in the mood for any of this.
She touches my arm and gives me another dazzling smile. “Turns out we have the main dish. Meat. We may have an unfair advantage, you being a beef rancher and all.”
I resist an eyeroll. “I doubt we’ll be making steaks.”
“What else would we make?”
“Goat,” I say. “Curried goat is a staple in Jamaican cooking.”
June wrinkles her nose. “Goat?”
“No, pretty lady.” Desi laughs. “No goat tonight. We’ll be preparing grilled lobster and classic jerk chicken.”
“That sounds wonderful!” June grabs Desi’s arm. “I’ve eaten all over the world, and I’m so excited to learn from you.”
“My jerk chicken in renowned,” Desi says. “But it’s not for the faint of heart. You like spice, Miss June?”
“Do I ever! The hotter the better.” She hangs on Desi’s arm and looks up at him adoringly.
Uh…didn’t she just say she wanted to get to know me better?
Then again, who can blame her? Desi’s jovial personality could win any woman over, especially when the other choice is a sullen cowboy. The staffers were told ahead of time to help make the women feel beautiful, and Desi’s taking those instructions seriously.
Still, June is here to meet me, not Desi. I’m stuck here for two weeks, so I may as well make the most of it. I close the distance between June and me and force a smile. I don’t dare look over at Emily, who’s paired with Misty, of fucking course. The woman I can’t get out of my mind and the woman I want off this island—what a combo.
Looking at Misty makes my thoughts drift to Brett. By now, Sienna should be on her way back to the States, and Brett should be…
Who the hell knows? I hope he’s at the hospital finding out why Rachel and Ginger left against the advice of Rachel’s physician. If anyone can finagle the necessary information, Brett can. That man can finagle anything.
I still can’t believe that he had feelings for Jake all those years ago. And now, he’s looking at Misty as his second chance to be close to a part of Jake. I’d gladly hand Misty off to Brett…if I trusted her. The fact is that I don’t, and Brett shouldn’t either. Jake was a good soul, gone from this earth too soon. Misty may be his half-sister, but that doesn’t make her the same.
I think she’s more than proven otherwise.
Whatever. Two weeks, and this is all behind me.
It can’t be over soon enough.
“River”—Desi meets my gaze—“come here. I’m going to show you how to prepare the jerk seasoning for the chicken.”
I nod and listen with half an ear as Desi explains about the combination of spices that makes jerk so special and unique.
I never went hungry. Not a day in my life. My mother always fed Dad and me and most of my friends.
But Jake… He occasionally went hungry. Sometimes, when I think about the decadent lives we all lead now, I wonder what Jake would think of all of it. He was a simple guy—a good soul who just wanted to do the right thing by his pregnant girlfriend.
And he paid dearly for it.
“You got that, River?”
Desi’s voice. Shit. “Sorry. What?”
“It’s time to prep the chicken,” Desi says. “This is a fresh chicken. I’ll cut it into pieces.”
June beams at me. “You should do that, River. You have such strong arms.”
Desi laughs. “I could teach you, but it will take you a lot longer. Observe.” Desi wields a shiny meat cleaver, and within seconds—seriously—the chicken is in pieces on the silicone cutting board.
June’s eyes nearly pop out of her head. “I’m not even sure I saw your hands move.”
“Told you this is my specialty. Do you know how many chickens I prep per day at my restaurant in Montego Bay?”
“Couldn’t guess,” I say dryly.
But Desi has moved on. “We use the pieces with the bone in and skin on.”
June gasps. “Chicken skin? I haven’t eaten chicken skin in… Well, as a model, I have to steer clear of fat.”
“Pretty lady, the skin is full of nutrients. It’s similar to offal.”
“It’s awful?” June asks.
“Offal. O F F A L. It refers to the internal organs of an animal.”
June wrinkles her nose. “Yuck!”
“People tend to forget that skin is an organ. It’s not technically offal, but it shares many characteristics, such as plenty of zinc, phosphorous, and Vitamin E. Besides, the colonel can’t be wrong, can he?”
June laughs, but frankly, I don’t think Desi is as funny as he thinks he is.
“River,” he says, “I need you to rinse the chicken pieces under cold water, and you, June, give our marinade another good whisk.”
Right. The marinade. I wasn’t paying attention during that part. I simply nod, move the chicken pieces to the sink, and turn on the cold water. I grab the spray arm and?—
“Ah, shit!” Water drenches my shirt.
June walks briskly to me. “What happened?”
“I pressed the spray button too soon.”
“No problem.” She gives me a wink. “Just take off your shirt. In fact, maybe I’ll take mine off as well.”
I turn to her and meet her gaze. She really is trying to get me to participate. She’s a sparkling light in this kitchen…and I’m a brooding cloud. “You keep that little outfit on. You’re bright as a sunny day. It suits you.”
She parts her lips, as if she’s amazed I’ve given her a compliment.
I really need to get over myself.
“Here, let me help,” she says.
I grab a towel to dry off my hands while June pulls my shirt over my head.
“There.” She tosses my shirt over the back of a chair. “Now you can get as wet as you want.”
I can’t help a smile. I should go get a dry shirt. It’s probably not the most sanitary thing to be cooking half naked, but Desi doesn’t seem to think anything of it, so what the hell?
One quick gaze at Emily, though, and I know she’s not a fan.
So be it. June is my partner today, and I’m done spoiling her fun. Once the chicken is all rinsed, we return to Desi.
“I see there’s a party going on already,” he says. “Should I lose my shirt too?”
“Not the worst idea I’ve heard.” June smiles.
“Afraid I have to stay clothed.” He lets out a chuckle. “Now let’s get this marinade on the chicken.” He grabs a thigh and a sharp knife. “Watch me. I’m going to make some shallow cuts on this piece so the marinade can really penetrate. You two do the rest of the pieces.”
June and I score the remaining chicken pieces, and then Desi shows us how to rub the jerk marinade over all of them, making sure to get under the skin.
June and I get a rhythm going, and once we’ve rubbed all the pieces with the jerk marinade, Desi gives us his seal of approval. “Excellent job. A member of my staff has the charcoal grill set up outside, and he’ll do the actual cooking.”
“How come we can’t do it?” June asks.
“We have to start working on the lobster, Miss June.”
June nods and then turns to me. “Are you having fun? Because I sure am. I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this, but I’m pleasantly surprised.”
“It’s actually okay,” I tell her. “Sorry I was such a buzzkill at first.”
“Hey, it’s been a weird few days. We’ve all been a little on edge.”
I’ve been on edge more than most, but no need to voice that. “Thanks for putting up with me.” I smile.
“Do you think we’ll win?” she asks.
“I’d say we have as much a chance as anyone. Maybe even more. I mean, we’re making lobster.”
June winks. “I sure hope we win, because I already know who I’m choosing for my private date.”