He remembered how devastated she was when Tabitha took her own life. She had been mentoring the girl who had a horrible home life with a depraved uncle who let his friends abuse her, and whose own mother had looked the other way as long as she was able to get her next fix. For a year, she had taken the girl under her wing. She tried to help the girl, encourage her, and spend time with her so she would know the world was not completely vile. But Tabitha’s suicide had rocked her and torn her up, so now she was extra protective of her own kids. And he didn’t blame her for that. Not at all. The protective streak ran strong in him too. Losing his parents at a young age made him realize how precious each moment was with those you loved. And he loved Jessyka. More than anything.
He was anxious to get underway though as he glanced down at his watch once more. He’d made arrangements to have dinner with his old college friend, Jewel Sassacus, and her husband tonight. They had the evening free, before the producers of the show had them meeting everyday to go over their daily schedules for filming and production.
He hadn’t seen Jewel since their graduation from culinary school, nearly seven years ago. He was excited to head to Lantern Hill, the Indian reservation upon which the casino sat. It wasn’t too far. The brand new casino had been built five years earlier along the Mystic River. It was in a beautiful location and he’d seen pictures of it on the Internet.
His aunts had also been there several times as they did enjoy gambling on occasion and had gone there for a few shows. They said the casino rivaled Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun, two other casinos in Connecticut run by the Pequot tribe.
This casino, the one they were staying at, was named for the river. In the beautiful Connecticut evenings, he knew it would be quite majestic. It sported two massive towers that were 20 stories tall, four nightclubs, five restaurants, several upscale shopping and merchandise venues, as well as three theaters that all were booked with live performances nearly every night of the week. The casino also ran excursions for their guests that included sailing tours up the river, excursions into the famous Mystic community, sightseeing tours on the nearby reservations, fine dining activities, cooking and cultural classes to teach the guests about Native American culture, and even tours to nearby museums. It was indeed a class act resort, and he hoped he and Jessyka would have time to enjoy some of those activities and the other amenities the casino had to offer. It would be their first real vacation, ever. Plus, there was also a very big chance that he could come away with the grand prize of $150,000.00 on The Cook Off. It was exciting. That money would really help them out.
When he saw Jessyka come out alone, a smile on her face, he knew they were ready to go. Or that she was finally ready to let go. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and that made him love her even more. She was going to miss the kids, as was he, but he didn’t want to show it in front of them. He looked back over her shoulder as she reached him. He saw his three aunts, each holding one of the kids standing in the doorway, all waving, with Aunt Sandra helping baby Suzie do the same.
“I’ll call when we get there, after we settle in,” he called out to them from his position by his aunt’s SUV.
“Bye Daddy,” Sara called out. He heard the brave tremor in her voice. He winked at her which made her smile. His aunts called out their goodbyes and good lucks as well.
“Bye love, bye John. Bye Suzie. We will talk to you later. Be good.” He waved once more as he opened the door to the tan SUV and watched as Jessyka settled into the seat. He made sure she fastened her seatbelt before he closed the door.
He walked around to his side of the vehicle. Once he was inside, he wasted no time. He was ready. To have fun. To be alone with his wife. To work on that bucket list he had worked on last night. And hopefully to win a huge windfall. There was nothing he wanted more than to turn his money pit into the kind of home he wanted to make for his family. The kind of home he had grown up in.
CHAPTER 5
Benny was having a blast, and so was Jessyka. Jewel was just as funny as he remembered and her husband, Joseph, was easy-going. But the man knew how to have fun. He hadn’t expected a politician to be so normal. Joseph was a good man, and had been a bit of a shock. He knew the man was an attorney and a council person on the local reservation, but he was huge and looked like he would have been more suited for armed combat than for the boardroom or courtroom. The man was tatted up like a biker, and looked like no attorney, or politician for that matter, he had ever seen, yet he felt like someone who would get along with his entire SEAL team back home.
The drinks they had after dinner loosened them all up. He enjoyed getting to know his old friend’s new husband. Despite being a politician, the man was levelheaded and really cared about his people, his state, and his country. He served his country in his own way and that was something Benny respected. Jewel had found a good man and he was happy for her. He remembered that in culinary school she had hooked up with a few guys he thought were below her, and had always felt she deserved better. He was glad to see she finally found that. And that the man loved her to pieces could not be denied. The way he looked at her when he thought no else was, was proof enough.
They’d eaten dinner at one of the five star restaurants the hotel boasted. In fact, it was the restaurant Jewel worked in. But it was one of her nights off. She wanted to open her own restaurant, but had been persuaded to continue working at the casino by her mother-in-law, Tawny Sassacus, instead. The renovations for the second tower were complete except for the new restaurant that would open in the west wing. She wanted her daughter-in-law to run it. The opening for that restaurant would be next year. Jewel agreed as it was giving her the time to spend with her new husband and ensure her younger twin brothers were making the successful transition to college life.
Jewel was very excited about the project. She talked animatedly about it during dinner, and Benny even offered her some suggestions. Talking with her, he realized how much he missed it. When he was younger, he wanted to open a restaurant too, stay local, and be near his family. When he was retired from the military, he was going to help Jessyka with Aces. It was something they talked about when she decided to purchase the place a year earlier.
His dreams of being a chef had been way-laid for some time, but those dreams were being revived now. It was true that life had gotten in the way. But, he’d made good friends, found the love of his life, and now had a family of his own. And that life was in California.
“What about kids?” he asked Jewel.
“Most definitely,” Joseph put in. “But we want to wait for a couple of years. My brother, and his wife, Aliya, just had a baby boy last month. We’ll let them enjoy the spotlight for a bit.”
Jewel was nodding her agreement. “Yeah, definitely. I want to get this restaurant off the ground too, and my brothers are in their first year of university, so I want to make sure they are settled and doing well. Plus, Joseph is still trying to figure out how to juggle his duties here and as a council member for the reservation.”
“You definitely sound busy,” Jessyka said.
“Please!” Jewel waved her hand at Benny’s strikingly beautiful wife, and then pushed her long black hair over her shoulder. “You’ve got three kids, a full time job, and a house to put together. I’m just enjoying being a newly wed.”
“But still…” Jessyka tried to brush off the compliment.
“Nope, I’m not complaining. I’ve got it easy right now. I know it. Thanks to this man.” Jewel leaned over and Joseph was there to accept the kiss she offered up to him. “I’m so lucky.”
Jewel was beaming, and Benny was happy for his friend.
“Well, I’m lucky too. Because Benny has given me everything I’ve ever dreamed of, and then some.” More, she thought. She counted her lucky stars every day that he had walked into Aces with his buddies and noticed the marks on her arms. Bruises left by her ex, Brian.
“Hey, how about we take this party upstairs and check out my sister in law’s new club? It’s fan
tastic. And Stryker is performing tonight,” Jewel exclaimed.
“Heck yes, the chance to dance and hear Lucas Stryker sing!” Jessyka practically jumped in her seat. She had seen in the brochure the producers of The Cook Off had sent that Stryker played in the roof top bar four nights a week. She had been hoping they would get to hear them perform.
“You know, I went to school with Lucas Stryker!” Jewel told her in confidence. “He went by Levi then.”
“Oh my goodness. You will have to give me all the deets!” Jessyka squealed. “Or even better, get him to come and play at Aces in California. Oh, my god, that would be fantastic.”
Joseph laughed. “I don’t know if my wife has that kind of pull with the band.”
Jewel smiled mischievously. “But your sister might.” Joseph just shook his head. He still couldn’t believe his sister Eve had gotten involved with this man. A rock star!
Jessyka was waiting patiently for Jewel to explain her last comment, and Jewel didn’t disappoint her. “Well from what I hear, Eve, one of Joseph’s sisters is dating him.”
Joseph laughed harder. “It was on the Buzz a few weeks ago.” He mentioned a popular TV gossip show that was renowned for out scooping the tabloids.
Benny laughed. “Well, we must have missed that episode.”
“Probably because we were watching the powder puff girls, or the ninja turtles,” Jess teased.
“That is something I CANNOT wait for,” Joseph stated sarcastically with an eye roll as he slipped his credit card in the black sleeve the waitress had just set down on the table. When Benny went to take out his card, Joseph just waved him off. “You can get the drinks, buddy.”
Benny nodded, liking the man immensely. He was good to Jewel, and loving and protecting of his family. He’d seen that in just the few hours they spent together over dinner. Already his vacation, and time with just adults, was making him relax. Even if he didn’t win the grand prize, he knew this vacation was just what he and Jessyka needed. The last few months had been hectic for them both. He planned to enjoy each and every minute of the time he had with his wife.
The waiter came back with Joseph’s credit card at that moment, and they all waited while he quickly signed the slip inside leaving a hefty tip before they got up.
“Well, let’s head on up then,” Jewel stated, glancing at her watch. “Stryker goes on at ten, and I want to make sure we get a good table.”
They all got up to follow her out. Benny was excited too. Dancing with his wife was something he rarely got to do, and that would be a lot of fun. But not as much fun as what would occur later that night when he took her to their suite.
He brought plenty of protection. He and Jessyka were done with kids. For now at least. They decided that they would wait a few years before adding to their brood. Jessyka had a hard time with birth control; she was planning on getting the shot that would prevent pregnancy for three years. But she needed to wait until her next cycle finished before getting it. He wished she had gotten it sooner, but he wasn’t wasting this opportunity either. If he needed to wear the glove, he would. He planned to make this trip one his wife would never forget. And not because he had knocked her up again either. He just wanted to rock her world. Again, and again.
* * *
Heidi fumed. When she saw Benny Sawyer, of all people, she almost dropped to the floor. Her heart beat a rapid tattoo that threatened to burst out of her rib cage. She had to turn around quickly and duck out of the lobby before she did something rash like strangle the man. That, and she didn’t want anyone to see her reaction to him. She glanced over to the check in desk to see if any of her coworkers had noticed. Thankfully, they all seemed oblivious and were helping other customers. She ducked behind a large potted plant and pretended to look for something in her purse, but secretly glanced up again to see where Benny Sawyer was going. The man had ruined her life. Destroyed it, and she wondered what he was doing here. She thought for sure she would never see him again. She watched as he got into the elevator with three other people. She recognized Joseph Sassacus. Everyone knew who he was. The man was a God around here. He was a lawyer, a politician, and the son of Tawny Sassacus, the queen of the casino. Heidi resisted rolling her eyes. Everyone worshipped the ground that woman walked on, and Heidi couldn’t stand it. These people had it all. She tamped down her envy, and focused her hatred on the person who deserved it most. Benny Sawyer. She didn’t get a good look at the two women with the men. They both had long dark hair. She assumed one of them was Jewel Sassacus, Joseph’s wife. She felt bile rise in her throat. The elevators closed too soon. The other woman might be Benny’s wife. She wasn’t sure. Her stomach rolled again at that thought. But she knew him being here was a sign. It meant something. It meant she couldn’t put the past behind her anymore. Not without dealing with it. And how would she deal with it? She needed time to think.
Grabbing her keys from her purse, she quickly glanced around once more to make sure no one noticed her suspicious behavior. Tucking her shoulders in, and without glancing towards the desk where she had just finished her shift five minutes earlier, she headed to the doors that lead to the outside world and her car. All she wanted to do was get out of there, get in her piece of shit car, get home to her piece of shit trailer, and lock the door. Lock it, and figure out what she was going to do to Benny, that fucking bastard, and his fucking wife Jessyka. All she knew was they both had it coming. They didn’t deserve to be happy. Not now. Not ever.
CHAPTER 6
Benny was pumped up. The meeting with the producers of the show that morning had him excited to get underway. He was ready for this competition to begin. Jonas Lyons and Jan Haddock, the two producers of The Cook Off, introduced all of the contestants to the host of the show, Dusti Hayes. She was an intense, bubbly personality, who had them all fill out a questionnaire that would be used to further develop their bios for the first episode. Then, the producers informed them of who would be the celebrity judges. They were set to arrive on Monday, the first day filming, which happened to be the next day. The three judges would be scoring the eight contestants in the four rounds of competition; appetizers, soups, entrée, and dessert. The contestants would be presented with a plethora of ingredients from which to create their concoctions. They would also be given one ingredient that they had to use, and they wouldn’t be informed of what that ingredient was until the live show was being filmed.
The first judge was a famous New York based chef who ran the Four Seasons, Rhonda Ziglar. The second judge, a French pastry chef from Las Vegas, Francois LeJerome, was renowned world-wide and ran the patisserie at The Paris in the city that never sleeps. And lastly, the owner of the famous new hamburger chain, Paul Wahlberg from the Boston area. Benny could see Jessyka sitting in the nearly empty auditorium with the other family members of the contestants, and he waved at her at that announcement. He knew she loved the Wahlburger’s reality TV show. She’d been a fan of the family for years. He knew she would want to meet the hamburger guru. He could feel her excitement through the auditorium enveloping him. Last night, after making love, they couldn’t help but talk about the what ifs, the things they would do first. What if they won? What would they do next with the house? He was going to bust his ass to try and win this thing. He was going to pull out all the stops to make this happen.
Jan had explained what each of the four rounds entailed. He needed to think about the categories, and think about the most versatile recipes he could make that included basic standard ingredients the show would most likely provide. Ones that could be manipulated with the special ingredient the judges would call upon them to use. That was the key. Using the special ingredient and not destroying the flavor of the original could make or break him. The judges would expect him to use the special ingredient to enhance his own recipe.
They would be timed too. So he had to think of foods that could be prepared quickly yet creatively in the amount of time for that round without the risk of losing presentation points. That wou
ld be part of the score, as well as texture, taste, flavor, and creative use of the secret ingredient. It was a lot to consider.
He glanced around and took in the other contestants. Two of them would be eliminated each round until it was down to the final two for the dessert course. Many of the other contestants were professional. He had been out of the cooking scene for quite some time. But he knew his love of cooking had never gone away. His desire to create tantalizing foods and desserts had stayed with him through the military and even in the field. He recalled the time the men caught a jackrabbit and he made a stew that had blown the men out of the water. It had been a heck of a lot better than their k-rations. The guys tried to catch another one for the next two weeks.
After the producers gave them their schedules for the week, they each took a turn in the sound booth to be recorded reading their pre-written bios for the opening credits of the show. They’d read it a few times each and the editors promised them that it would be sliced up and patched together seamlessly later that evening to get the desired effect. When they were finally dismissed, all of the contestants were anxious to head back out into the audience to greet their partners, or spouses who were waiting in the proverbial wings.
“Everything go okay in the sound booth?” Jessyka asked, anxious to hear about the behind the scenes part of filming a show. She still could not quite fathom that what he filmed each afternoon would air in the evening after the production and editing teams did their magic.
“Yeah, well, they said it went well.” He’d stumbled once over a few words, but got it on the second go round. The sound techs told him not to worry, that they got what they needed. They looked like professionals; he just didn’t want to sound like a jackass on national TV.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Betting on Benny (Kindle Worlds) (Mystic Nights Book 6) Page 3