Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Betting on Benny (Kindle Worlds) (Mystic Nights Book 6)

by MJ Nightingale

  Benny focused as the judges explained how the food for the appetizers would be judged. He was anxious to hear what the afternoon’s special ingredient would be. A cart on wheels was rolled in with the evening’s special ingredient which was hidden from their view while music played to increase the excitement. As the satin covering was whipped off the bulky object, Benny recognized immediately the large wheel of Vermont white cheddar. They were going easy on them, he presumed for the first round. But immediately, his Aunt Jenny’s cheesy baked mashed potato appetizers came to mind. He smiled. She’d be thrilled that he was using one of her recipes.

  These little concoctions had been popular with him, his cousins, and friends when they had come over to hang out after baseball practice. Filling, easy to make, and fast, if the potatoes were prepped ahead of time. But he had a quick fix for that, too.

  The moment the buzzer sounded Benny went to work. The oven was set to 375 degrees to preheat and then he joined the other contestants who were already pulling their ingredients from the table laden with various staples. He felt cameras above his head whiz by. It was surreal. But he ignored it as best as he could per Dusti’s instructions. He grabbed six large russet potatoes and a small pack of bacon, and left the rest of the ingredients for later. They were basic, and he was sure they wouldn’t run out.

  Heading back to his station, he passed Rachael Bromley and gave the woman a quick nod, noticing she had grabbed flour and shortening, and apples. Interesting choice he thought, knowing already what she had in mind. Mini apple turnovers with cheese. It was different. Daring for an appetizer. The judges might even consider it a dessert. She was being brave.

  He didn’t have time to look at the other contestants though. He had to get his potatoes to a boil as quickly as possible. He dropped his basket on his table top surface and reached for a pot and immediately filled it with water and salt. He put it on the large burner and set it on high to bring to a quick boil. Grabbing the peeler, he skimmed it across the surface of the potatoes removing most of the skin, but not all. This would give his appetizer a bit of color. He threw the potatoes in the sink and began to thoroughly clean them. Afterwards he quartered each and threw them in the pot of already steaming water and covered it.

  He saw from the corner of his eye another contestant being interviewed by Dusti. She would come to each of them twice during the course of their preparations to interview them. They were told to keep that time into consideration when they made their choices. He was glad she hadn’t chosen him first. He’d have time later, but getting the staples prepped was paramount.

  While the potatoes boiled, he slit open the small pack of applewood smoked bacon and placed eight slices on a cookie sheet and popped it into the oven to bake while he went to gather and prep his other items from the ingredients table. Without the other contestants grabbing stuff and eyeballing him while he made his choices, he would be able to peruse the table without fear of a copycat.

  Walking over past Dusti who was now speaking to Rachael, he nodded her way. Only Ricardo Remore was there and he noticed the man watching him slyly while the Latin doctor grabbed the other items he needed. Benny chose a generous cutting of the Vermont cheddar, and also selected regular sharp cheddar for its color. He also picked out chives, sour cream, and one large egg. He gave Ricardo a curt nod as the man took his time perusing the remaining ingredients. Benny felt bad. The man was taking too much time choosing, perhaps waiting until everyone else was done because he was worried someone might steal his idea; he didn’t know for sure, but it might cost him later.

  Benny wished him luck and left.

  Back at his mini kitchen station, he found Dusti waiting for him as he settled the rest of his ingredients on the table. She wasted no time in beginning the interview. He gave her his full attention after swiping away at a trickle of sweat on his brow.

  “So Benny, what are you making?” Dusti asked, her voice chipper and upbeat.

  “Well, Dusti, it came to me as soon as I saw that Vermont cheddar. It’s one of my Aunt Jenny’s favorite recipes. Cheesy Loaded Baked Potato Mini Muffins. It’s a pretty simple recipe actually. And she made it for me and my cousins all the time. We loved it and it was filling. It was a good choice for hungry teenage boys.”

  Dusti tossed her long mane of chestnut brown hair over her shoulder. “That’s right; we saw that in your, um, package.” She paused to lick her lips, then continued. “You were raised by your three aunts after your parents were killed in an automobile accident.”

  He didn’t even remember them anymore. He was so young. It was hard to miss what he couldn’t recall, but his aunts, they were everything to him. “Yes, that’s true. My aunts were fantastic and it is because of them that I love to cook. I’m so glad I’m able to share a little bit of them with all of you today.”

  “Well it sure does sound good. I can’t wait to try it.”

  “They may not be fancy, but I’m telling you once you try these appetizers you’ll be making them again and again.” He had made them several times for Wolf and the gang back in California at one of Caroline’s get-togethers. He couldn’t wait until his house was done so he could have everyone over at his place. That thought motivated him even more.

  “Like I said I can’t wait to try them. Is it complicated?” she asked with all seriousness. She leaned in closer as she said it, and he could see down her blouse because of where she had repositioned the microphone. He quickly averted his gaze and looked out to the audience smiling uncomfortably.

  “No, not really. My aunt would always make them if she had extra leftover mashed potatoes. That’s the only difficulty when I’m under a time crunch like this. I’ve got to start from scratch. Just getting the potatoes ready is going to take the bulk of my time.”

  “Do you think you’re going to be able to manage?” she asked, her voice suggesting she was really concerned about him, and the possibility that he may not finish in time would be tragic.

  The woman was more than a host, she was a good actress, and it seemed a nefarious seductress as well. “Yeah, it’s no problem; I’ll just get everything ready to go so once the potatoes are boiled and mashed I can throw everything together. I just hope that I’ll be done at least 30 minutes ahead of time so that I can get the appetizers nice and crispy and adorned before the buzzer goes off.”

  “Well good luck, Benny. I know a lot of people in the audience are rooting for you.” On that cue there was sporadic applause from the audience. They must have that flashing sign telling them to clap, he thought. “I know I am,” she smiled coyly at Benny and once again her hand snaked out to stroke and then squeeze his bicep. He resisted shrugging her hand off. It was blatantly obvious, and he knew his wife would definitely make a comment about Dusti’s behavior to him later. She was smiling as she walked backwards to the next contestant. He was shocked how open her invitation was. That smile. He had seen it on the face of every woman he ever met in a bar. The woman was sexy as hell, but Jessyka was the only woman he needed, or wanted for that matter. He might have to tell Dusti to back off. But the fact that she was doing it in front of an audience of over five hundred shocked him. The woman was persistent. He’d give her that.

  “Thank you,” he muttered politely, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head at her open invitation. He glanced toward the area where his wife sat. He could make out her shadow and her crossed arms over her ample chest. He could also make out the shapes of Jewel and Aliya. Jewel’s hand was covering her mouth. “Um, yeah, thanks Dusti,” he repeated and then quickly turned back to his table to resume his work.

  He looked up briefly when Dusti spoke again. “Oh, you’re very welcome, Benny,” her eyes flashed. “And I’ll be by…a little…bit later…to check on you…again.” She said the words ever so slowly, dragging them out.

  “Sure thing,” he nodded as she finally moved along to the next contestant. He kept the laughter inside. He knew that Jess would definitely have something to say about the way Dusti’s hand had
squeezed and then lightly scratched the length of his arm with her fingernails. She’d probably already said a mouthful from the look of her posture and Jewel’s behavior. Jess was used to girls flirting with him; it happened often, and it shocked him that women did it right in front of her. But Jessyka would stake her claim and tell the woman to move along. She couldn’t do that now, not with a live studio audience, though he was sure she was tempted.

  As he picked up his knife, he thought about his friends’ wives back home. They would be angry as hell for Jess if any of those clips made it into the show when it aired tonight. Women often tried to flirt with him, but the fact that she had done it so openly while interviewing him on a television show was, well, just something he could not quite comprehend. Dusti was ballsy. He would give her that. He also knew if that little clip made the airwaves the guys back home would be in hysterics. The women would be planning on doing something to the host of The Cook Off with their own fingernails. Like scratching Dusti’s eyes out.

  He had to stop worrying about that. He needed to focus. Benny worked quickly, prepping the other ingredients, grating the two kinds of cheeses, chopping the chives, and checking on the potatoes. They needed another five minutes. So he headed back to the ingredients table to grab a few other items.

  He needed butter, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and a bit of milk. Once he found all of those items he returned to his station. He started to smell the bacon and quickly checked the status of that particular ingredient. The bacon, too, was nearly crisp enough. Just a few more minutes there.

  While he waited, he cleaned up his prep area and grabbed a large glass bowl for the potatoes and found the hand blender.

  Removing the bacon from the oven, he put it on a cooling rack and then checked on the potatoes one more time. He was happy to see that the fork passed through one without any resistance. He tried a few others to be sure they were all ready. Carrying the pot from the stove, he walked over to his sink and dumped the contents into the colander he had already placed inside.

  He allowed the hot steaming liquid to evaporate on its own accord while the potatoes sat in the colander allowing them to be completely drained of any excess moisture for another minute.

  When the steam cleared, he picked up the colander and gave it a couple of shakes over the sink before he dumped the potatoes into his large glass bowl. He added the butter and mayonnaise and just a couple of tablespoons of milk. He gave the potatoes a dash of garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Then he mashed the ingredients all together while he glanced at the clock. All was good. He still had over an hour left.

  Once he was satisfied with his mashing, he threw the utensil he used into the sink and then picked up the blender. His Aunt Jenny would be disappointed if he didn’t have lump free potatoes. He couldn’t wait to call her later and tell her that he used her recipe for the very first part of the competition. She would be excited to watch the program air later that evening. He thought about not telling her and just letting it be a surprise. He might just do that too.

  When the potatoes were whipped to perfection he added the Vermont white cheddar after quickly shredding the amount he needed. He took four of the slices of bacon from the rack where it had been cooling and placed it on his cutting board. He quickly chopped it up into small pieces. He tossed both of those prepped ingredients into the mix, adding the egg and stirring with a large wooden spoon ensuring that the egg was thoroughly mixed into the thick mixture. When he was satisfied, he set it aside and examined the cabinets beneath him that had been prepped by the show’s staff with all kinds of pots and pans and bakeware. He was thrilled to see the mini muffin tins. It would make it so much easier and neater looking than spooning the mixture onto a cookie sheet. Plus, they would cook faster and give him time to focus on the presentation.

  He forgot the cooking spray so he headed back to the ingredients table one more time and was elated there was still some left. As he passed by the other contestants he saw what many of the others were making. Someone was just pulling out puff pastry shells from the oven. That was tough to do in their allotted time. He saw one of the women feverishly working on an artichoke. The competition was going to be tough, and for a moment had a niggling doubt that he hadn’t been creative enough, especially when he saw the homemade tostadas being flipped by the woman from Chicago. But he shook it off, and with the cooking spray clutched in his hand went directly to his station.

  He spritzed both pans generously and then began to spoon his potato mixture into the small tins, packing them as well to fill each container and then he used the back of the spoon to smooth out the tops. He wanted them to come out golden brown and be crispy. Glancing at the clock, he saw he had forty five minutes left. He had time. But just enough. He would start working on the presentation while they baked. He popped them in the oven and set the timer to remind him to take them out when Dusti showed up again for her second interview. He was relieved in the timing once more.

  This time she didn’t spend as long and kept it more professional. He wondered if someone in production told her to behave herself. She asked about his ingredients, and what he had done and what he had left to do. He explained the process. And when she left, he quickly chopped the rest of the bacon and the chives that he had yet to do. Those were for the garnish on top.

  With thirty minutes left, he cleaned his surfaces to have them ready when he took the baked potatoes out, and then he looked for four plates to use to serve the judges. He would garnish each plate simply with a fresh spring of parsley. He got those ready and when his timer went off, he knew he had just fifteen minutes left. Again his adrenaline was up because of the timing. He was cutting it close. He grabbed the pot holders and pulled out the potatoes noticing the perfect color and crispness. He set each tray on the counter, and then dropped a few sprinkles of the cheddar cheese onto each and popped them back into the oven. Three minutes. The clock ticked by. Ten minutes left. It was close. Very close.

  Pulling them back out, he put them onto the cooling rack, they needed five minutes. He found a large tray to put the remainder that would be passed out to the audience later. Each minute ticked by, and when he had five minutes left, he used a knife to slip aground eight of the mini appetizers and carefully placed two on each plate. He worked on the big tray and was glad he had lifted them all out without incident. Only one had been mangled and that one he placed into the garbage. When the two minute warning was announced, he used a teaspoon to slip a little sour cream onto each of the eight loaded mashed potato muffins and then dropped a few more sprinkles of the bacon and the chives. The sprig of parsley was placed just as the buzzer sounded and the contestants were told to step back. He had finished, just in time, and he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air as the crowd cheered for them all.

  He was shocked at how intense the competition had been. He had almost completely forgotten the audience was there. It had been crazy. When behind the scenes people came to take his plates and placed them on the long table before the judges, he was relieved to take off his apron. They would be given a few minutes time while the judges were brought out and put into place. The floor underneath them began to move as it was a show deck and rigged with tracks to make it expand outward and to the left, and someone came to grab the remainder of his appetizers.

  “Hey, I didn’t get the sour cream on these,” he remarked about the remainder.

  “It’s okay,” a tech responded. “We have someone in the back to take care of that. After the judging, the remainder will be sampled by the audience.”

  Benny nodded his understanding as a make-up artist came out of nowhere to give him a touch up and remove the shine and sweat from his face. His first thought was that the entire audience could see this happening, including Jessyka. He glanced her way out of the corner of her eye. She was snapping a picture with her phone. He groaned. Evidence. Great! She’d better not send it to the girls. He’d kill her.

  When the make-up artist finished with him and moved
on to another contestant, he took a moment to scan the stage. All of the contestants looked pleased. He chatted with a few close by. Cathy Brister had made a cheesy shrimp dip, with baked, homemade pita chips. Impressive. She was very friendly. He liked her and hoped she made it with him to round two. He also talked to Ashley Moore, and she shared her near mishap with her artichokes, but all of the contestants he spoke to seemed happy with the outcome and their finished product. All seemed to think they had a chance. It was going to be tough. One at a time, each was called out to appear before the judges. And he watched as each contestant came back. Some were elated, some were crestfallen, and some came back unsure. He was last again, and when it was his turn he surged forward to face the judges. It was time to see if he and Jessyka still had a chance at the grand prize. He hoped so, and until that moment, he didn’t realize just how much he wanted to win.

  CHAPTER 8

  The applause was thunderous when the winners were announced. And Benny was so relieved to be one of them. His appetizers had been delicious. The judges loved them. His sour cream had not held up so well while waiting for his turn to be judged, but they understood that he’d made something that was meant to be served immediately. He did admit that had he finished just five minutes earlier, the mini muffins would have cooled longer and the sour cream would not have melted so much. But he made it. He felt bad for the two contestants who did not. The woman, Ashley Moore, who made the stuffed artichokes, had been cut. She hadn’t enough time to soften the leaves properly, and the judges had taken points for texture that cost her. And then Ricardo Remore, the man who had taken so long to get started, who had made baked buffalo chicken dip with the homemade tostadas, had been cut. His tostadas had been excellent, but the time to cook and shred the chicken had cost him in presentation, and the Vermont cheddar flavor had been overwhelmed by his seasonings. It was a shame, and he felt bad for them both.