“If the calls stop, does it matter anymore?”
He thought for a minute. “I guess not.”
“And do you believe me when I say there’s nothing romantic going on between Mars and me?”
He wrapped his arms around me and, ever so gently, kissed me. When I didn’t push him away, he kissed me with such fervor that my toes tingled.
He released his hold and looked deep into my eyes. “I have a lot of work to do to wrap this up. Meet me at Bernie’s for dinner?”
I would even wear eye makeup and something alluring. “One thing—what happens to Darby?”
“She used a fake ID and lied to us, but she did save you. If she cooperates, I imagine she’ll go back to her normal life.”
He kissed me on the nose, and I watched him walk to the corner before I closed the door behind him.
When I returned to the kitchen, Natasha held a glass of champagne and was saying, “I see a Civil War theme for the wedding. Blue and gray, with pewter accents. Muskets and bayonets in vases.” She gasped and held a hand below her throat. “The men in the bridal party can dress in uniforms and the women will wear hoopskirts . . .”
Over my dead body.
RECIPES & COOKING TIPS
Sophie’s Easy Pulled Pork
1 pork shoulder roast (the cut is important)
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Pepper
If your grill comes with a smoking arrangement, then follow the instructions for your grill. If not, place wood chips or pellets for smoking in a small disposable tin pan and cover with water. Be sure to open vents. Preheat the grill to 300 degrees.
Mix the paprika, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to taste, and rub the mixture on the roast. Wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, but leave the top open so the meat is exposed. Close the foil after 3 hours.
Place the roast on the grill and the wood chip pan next to it. Close the cover and roast slowly for 5 hours. Keep an eye on the wood chips so they don’t dry out and burn. About an hour into the process, you may need to replace the wood chips with a fresh pan.
After 5 hours, remove the roast from the grill and let stand 30 minutes. Be careful when removing the foil because fabulous juices will be in the bottom. Serve with the juices and your favorite barbecue sauce.
Beer-Bottom Chicken
1 whole chicken, giblets removed
1 can beer (12 ounces)
Salt
Preheat the grill to 400 degrees. (Note: Cover the center burner with aluminum foil so the chicken juices won’t clog it.) Drink or pour out half the can of beer. Rub the chicken with salt. Seat the chicken on the beer can and splay the legs so they help the chicken “sit up.” It may lean forward a bit, which is okay as long as it doesn’t topple. Place the chicken in the center of the grill (be sure the burner underneath is off; if using charcoal, spread it to the sides to avoid flame-ups under the chicken). Close the lid and roast for 45 to 50 minutes. The legs should move easily when done, and you shouldn’t see any pink inside. Be careful when removing the beer can—it will be very hot.
Wedded Blitz Martinis
1 jigger vodka
¾ jigger peach schnapps
1 jigger cranberry juice
½ jigger mango nectar
Pour into a martini glass and enjoy!
Natasha’s Aphrodisiac Cake
Natasha made this cake with Buttercream frosting, which can be piped into beautiful decorations. For those who prefer a less sweet icing, please visit divamysteries.com for an alternate.
6 eggs at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon finely ground pepper
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 cup flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans or line with parchment paper.
Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored. In a separate bowl, mix the pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and flour and gently blend into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared pans and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Turn the layers out of the pans.
RASPBERRY FILLING
10-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
Drain the thawed raspberries, reserving the liquid. Sprinkle the gelatin over the reserved liquid in a small saucepan. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the cream and reserveof the whipped cream. Place the gelatin mixture over low heat and stir constantly until dissolved. Mix the gelatin into the thawed raspberries. If the mixture is warm, refrigerate briefly until cool, but not set. Beat the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream and refrigerate while making the chocolate filling.
CHOCOLATE FILLING
2 squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup raspberry liquor
Reserved whipped cream (set aside earlier)
Melt the chocolate and the butter and blend well. When it has cooled, stir in the raspberry liquor, then mix with the whipped cream.
To assemble the cake, cut each layer in half with a serrated knife, so you have four layers. Place the first layer on the cake plate and cover with half the raspberry filling.
Place the second layer on top, then spread with the chocolate filling.
Place the next cake layer on top. Spread with the remaining raspberry filling. Top with the final layer.
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Beat the butter with the sugar. Add the vanilla and cream. Frost the cake, reserving part of the frosting for decorative piping.
The Diva Takes the Cake Page 29