so we kind of settled for Lucy.”
Kane nodded. “We started brainstorming about who we could get and then we remembered that you . . .” He pointed at Nikki and the knot grew tighter. “You are an actress. I was able to find some clips of your old show on the Internet and let me tell you, honey, how you didn’t get swooped up and put on the big screen is beyond me. You’re fucking brilliant, baby.” Nikki cringed at his choice of words. “And we need you. We need you to play Lucy’s part in what could be a huge hit.”
“So? You’ll do it, right?”
Oysters Kilpatrick with Champagne
Oysters Kilpatrick is a traditional Australian dish, and as with all oyster dishes, they pair wonderfully with a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine. Obviously, Derek had romance up his sleeve when he ordered food and drink considered by many to be aphrodisiacs, but his plans don’t seem to be working out. Nikki was also probably on the same wavelength and not expecting Kane and Nathan to show up with their proposition. Will Nikki take the bait or chow down on the oysters and hightail it back up to the room with her hot guy?
24 fresh oysters, in their shells
rock salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
⅛ cup butter
4 slices bacon, rind and all fat removed, finely diced
sea salt, to flatten leaf parsley taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp leaf parsley, chopped
lemon wedges, to serve
Preheat the grill to the highest temperature.
Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish.
Combine the Worcestershire sauce and butter in a small saucepan and heat the butter until it melts and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Spoon a little of the Worcestershire sauce and butter mixture over each oyster, and top evenly with the diced bacon and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Cook under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.
Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 4-6.
Chapter 11
The next hour was like TiVo. Nikki went from fast-forward to rewind, pause, and then play again. After Kane and Nathan begged her to star in their movie, Derek invited them to sit down and have a drink and share the oysters with them. She was unable to find her voice for several moments, or what felt like an eternity, but Derek jumped right in.
“That sounds wonderful.” He patted her knee. “Doesn’t it, Nik?”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Nathan said. “You know, timing and luck have a lot to do with success and this may be your time, Nikki. I know it’s come out of horrible circumstances, but the show must go on. And we’re willing to pay you nicely.”
“Wait a minute, what about Lucy? I mean, did the police leave yet? Have they determined what really happened to her?” Nikki asked.
Both men stared at her. Kane said, “What do you mean what really happened to her? That snake of Andy’s bit her and she died. And did you not hear the part about getting paid to star in a major motion picture, and with Shawn Keefer no less?”
“I just think there is more to it than that. And yes, I heard your offer.” But come on, where were the ethics here? An actress had died and these guys were insisting that the show go on.
“Nikki,” Derek said. “You promised.”
“I’m sorry. I have an active imagination.” She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.
They all continued staring at her. Men were so stupid sometimes.
“It was a fluke. An accident,” Nathan said. “Look, I know the timing sucks, but, Nikki, we have to have an answer. Will you do this movie with us?”
Okay, she was either in someone else’s dream or nightmare—which one she could not be sure—but all the same, this proposition simply did not seem real. And, how about Derek getting so excited? What was up with that?
“Nik, I think this is something you might really want to
Kane nodded. “We started brainstorming about who we could get and then we remembered that you . . .” He pointed at Nikki and the knot grew tighter. “You are an actress. I was able to find some clips of your old show on the Internet and let me tell you, honey, how you didn’t get swooped up and put on the big screen is beyond me. You’re fucking brilliant, baby.” Nikki cringed at his choice of words. “And we need you. We need you to play Lucy’s part in what could be a huge hit.”
“So? You’ll do it, right?”
Oysters Kilpatrick with Champagne
Oysters Kilpatrick is a traditional Australian dish, and as with all oyster dishes, they pair wonderfully with a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine. Obviously, Derek had romance up his sleeve when he ordered food and drink considered by many to be aphrodisiacs, but his plans don’t seem to be working out. Nikki was also probably on the same wavelength and not expecting Kane and Nathan to show up with their proposition. Will Nikki take the bait or chow down on the oysters and hightail it back up to the room with her hot guy?
24 fresh oysters, in their shells
rock salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
⅛ cup butter
4 slices bacon, rind and all fat removed, finely diced
sea salt, to flatten leaf parsley taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp leaf parsley, chopped
lemon wedges, to serve
Preheat the grill to the highest temperature.
Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish.
Combine the Worcestershire sauce and butter in a small saucepan and heat the butter until it melts and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Spoon a little of the Worcestershire sauce and butter mixture over each oyster, and top evenly with the diced bacon and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Cook under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.
Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 4-6.
Chapter 11
The next hour was like TiVo. Nikki went from fast-forward to rewind, pause, and then play again. After Kane and Nathan begged her to star in their movie, Derek invited them to sit down and have a drink and share the oysters with them. She was unable to find her voice for several moments, or what felt like an eternity, but Derek jumped right in.
“That sounds wonderful.” He patted her knee. “Doesn’t it, Nik?”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Nathan said. “You know, timing and luck have a lot to do with success and this may be your time, Nikki. I know it’s come out of horrible circumstances, but the show must go on. And we’re willing to pay you nicely.”
“Wait a minute, what about Lucy? I mean, did the police leave yet? Have they determined what really happened to her?” Nikki asked.
Both men stared at her. Kane said, “What do you mean what really happened to her? That snake of Andy’s bit her and she died. And did you not hear the part about getting paid to star in a major motion picture, and with Shawn Keefer no less?”
“I just think there is more to it than that. And yes, I heard your offer.” But come on, where were the ethics here? An actress had died and these guys were insisting that the show go on.
“Nikki,” Derek said. “You promised.”
“I’m sorry. I have an active imagination.” She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.
They all continued staring at her. Men were so stupid sometimes.
“It was a fluke. An accident,” Nathan said. “Look, I know the timing sucks, but, Nikki, we have to have an answer. Will you do this movie with us?”
Okay, she was either in someone else’s dream or nightmare—which one she could not be sure—but all the same, this proposition simply did not seem real. And, how about Derek getting so excited? What was up with that?
“Nik, I think this is something you might really want to
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