Love on the Lido Deck Read online

  Love on the Lido Deck

  A Nautical Romantic Comedy

  Barbara Oliverio

  Copyright 2014 by Barbara Oliverio.

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Scolapasta Press

  Denver, CO

  719.339.6689

  [email protected]

  www.scolapastapress.com

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from Scolapasta Press or Barbara Oliverio, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

  Smashwords Edition

  Licensing Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

  Author Photo Copyright Cliff Lawson

  Cover Art Lisa Hertzi

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014906719

  1. Romance

  2. Comic Fiction

  3. Humor

  Book Design and Cover Design 2014

  E-Book by e-book-design.com.

  See what critics are saying about

  Readers Favorite Award Winning

  Love on the Back Burner:

  A Tasty Romantic Comedy

  Scintillating and refreshingly original....there is more to this romcom than meets the eye as Oliverio cannily entwines the joys of cooking and love with the sustenance found in the sanctuary of family.

  Bookviral.com

  ...all the ingredients for the perfect romcom...fascinating characters who spring from the page with their energy... interesting settings that are clearly depicted for us... lots of fun, dollops of anguish, and a well thought out and executed plot.

  Readers Favorite

  ...a wealth of fantastic and hilarious characters...

  Novelgrounds

  This was a good first book from the author, and to top it off we got some authentic recipes provided in the back.

  Mrs. B’s Books

  ...just the thing to take my mind off the wet, windy, wintry weather raging outside my windows last weekend.

  BondiBookGirl

  It’s nice to read a book that can leave you weak in the knees from just a few well-timed kisses...(and) the best part of Love on the Back Burner is the food!!

  Window on the World.

  Great debut. Barbara Oliverio thrills readers with a recipe of humor and a crisp storyline...I loved it, loved it.

  Chicklitpad.com

  ...perfect for lovers of romantic comedies, and I am curious to read what will be next from this author!

  A Spoonful of Happy Endings

  Dedication

  For Darby

  You’ll be in my heart, always.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, as always, to my parents who gave me my life, my blue-collar work ethic, and the greatest gift they could: my Catholic faith. Thank you to my big brother, John, the best remaining part of my childhood (and the only other living person who can remember all the intricate rules to the “Salvo Cinnamon” game). Thanks to the rest of my extended Italian family.

  Thank you to the early readers and book clubs who took a chance on my debut novel Love on the Back Burner and showed that even in the 21st century, people still appreciate a romance that is PG rated. Thank you to everyone who tasted recipes for me as I narrowed them down for inclusion in this book.

  Thanks to Nancy, Wade, and Drew for love and laughter during many great travels in planes, trains, automobiles, and cruise ships “all over the world and parts of Alabama.”

  Thanks to Maryanne for including my humble efforts in wordsmithing and presentation as you brought great new projects to St. Thomas More Parish, and to everyone else in my St. Thomas More family—all of you have been a great support in my writing endeavors.

  Thank you to Grandma Janet, who unconditionally accepted me into the family and continues to share her best recipes with me. Thank you Nikky T. for sharing what it’s like to be on the crew of a cruise ship; if I bent any facts to fit the story, it’s certainly not her fault.

  Appreciation once again to Susan Hindman for her deft editor’s pen, to Li Hertzi for a killer cover, and to independent publishing gurus Polly Letofsky, Gail Nelson, and Andrea Costantine.

  Finally, thank you to the love of my life, Darby, who didn’t blink when I said we needed to go on a cruise on the largest ship sailing the ocean as research for this book. He still manages to be the hero and leading man in my life story.

  Prologue

  “Keira, I think my job is a metaphor for my life.”

  That was my best friend, Alexandria, opening a phone conversation as we so often did, without so much as a “hello” or “how are you?” I couldn’t keep from giggling.

  “Seriously, Alex? How can that be? You know you’re more organized than any three people I know.”

  I had been away from Denver on business for several weeks, but I had kept up with every crisis in Alex’s personal and work life via phone, text, and even Skype, so I knew she was just overreacting and needed to vent.

  “I don’t know, Keir. I just feel like I’m not as settled as I should be.”

  “Do you want my true opinion?”

  “You know, that always sounds like it is going to be helpful, but when people start that way, they’re going to say something negative.”

  “Not necessarily,” I offered helpfully. “Maybe they’re going to say the most positive thing in the world.”

  “Really? Go ahead.”

  Uh-oh. I could tell from her tone that anything I said was going to get her blue eyes flashing and her short brown pixieish hair standing on end.

  “Well, you do have a tendency to act impulsively ...”

  Oops, not a good beginning. I needed to back out of that.

  “But all in all, you do go about things in an orderly fashion.”

  I realized that was the worst non-statement statement ever, but I could explain it.

  “Explain please.”

  “Settle down. I see you squishing your mouth up to one side and squinting your eyes.”

  “I am not!” she insisted, but I instinctively knew she was un-squishing and un-squinting.

  I continued. “It’s like after we had just one discussion about you branching out from always cooking your Italian specialties for your dates, you immediately decided that you would attempt to cook these guys the cuisines of their own families.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t just blindly decide to—”

  “Calm down, you asked for my opinion.”

  “Hey!”

  I ignored her and continued to point out the positive side of her dating escapades not so long ago. Although ... each one had turned into an episode of I Love Lucy. We both laughed as I recounted them.

  “Admit it, you even kind of like the drama. Life would be too boring without it.”

  “Oh, Keir, I’ll be so glad when you get back home next week.”

  Oh boy. There it was. My opportunity to let my best buddy know what was going on in my life. Go ahead, Keira, tell her. She’d never believe it, though. I’m just not an impulsive person.

  “Um. Actually, I’ll be stayi
ng for another several weeks.”

  Coward.

  “What? How messed up is that company? You never have to take this long to finish an installation,” Alex said, referring to my job of traveling around the country doing software installations for corporations.

  “Oh well, you know, things happen.” There. Missed another opportunity to spill.

  “Okaaay. So do you have a guess as to when you’ll be back?”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but she cut me off because she had reached the airport and had to concentrate on looking for her brother in the pickup area. Whew. Saved by traffic.

  We closed the call, and I smoothed down my dress, checked that my long blonde hair was still tucked neatly in its professional chignon, and walked back into the office where I had been tied up in a meeting for the past hour. I had just asked for a few moments’ break when Alex’s call came in.

  “So, Ms. Graham,” said the important-looking gentleman on the other side of the imposing desk. “Are you ready to take the plunge?”

  I blew out a sigh, took my lucky pen out of my purse, and glanced over the paperwork again. Then I signed my name on the line.

  “Congratulations!” he said, grinning. “We’re glad to have you on the team at Worldwide Event Planning. It’ll be a whole new world for you!”

  I shook his hand and smiled nervously. A whole new world indeed.

  Chapter One

  Four Years Later

  “Keira Graham Events. What can we plan for you today?”

  I answered the phone the same way I had since opening my own event planning company and with the same excited anticipation. Would this be a newly engaged bride eager to plan her destination wedding? Would it be the marketing manager of a software company planning the launch of its newest offering and looking for the most outlandish party venue? Or would it be a newly widowed older gentleman who had no idea how to plan a tasteful reception after the funeral of his beloved?

  I never knew who would be on the other end of the phone, but I was always happy to meet with a potential client. Who knew four years ago that I would leave my secure career as a systems analyst to jump into this crazy, hectic world of event planning—and fall madly in love with it? But I did, and I really loved it.

  After an apprenticeship with the prestigious Worldwide Event Planning in San Francisco, I took another chance and opened my own shop in Denver and was building my business slowly but surely.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I answered the caller with a twist of my lips. “We are the company that organized the birthday party for the mayor’s dog.”

  My junior partner Juliet’s head shot up from her desk. She waved her perfectly manicured hands wildly and gestured no, no, no!

  I spun around in my chair to avoid her signals.

  “Well, no, we don’t exactly SPECIALIZE in pet parties. That was a very special event for the mayor.”

  I spun back around and stuck my tongue out at Juliet, who by this time was glaring toward my desk. I decided to tease her a bit.

  “Tell me a bit more about your Crusher.”

  Juliet had a murderous look on her face, and she leapt up and struck a hands-on-hips pose. I decided to put her out of her misery.

  “Of course. I’ll be happy to get you the name of the pet bakery where we got the cake.”

  I looked up the name of Denver’s premier pet bakery and gave her the phone number, but I decided to have a little more fun with Juliet—who by now was directly in front of me, tapping a neatly shod foot—before I hung up.

  “But if you DO decide to have a full party for Crusher, do keep us in mind. Bye now.” I smiled innocently as I neatened up my desk.

  “One of these days ...” Juliet threatened as she strolled regally back to her own desk. Juliet was tall with a drop-dead physique and a striking head of natural curls, and she was often mistaken for the singer Beyoncé.

  “Oh, come on,” I cajoled. “You know you loved planning that event.”

  “Keira, you know full well that when you gave it to me, you didn’t tell me it was for a DOG. You just said it was for the mayor.”

  “Ah, no. What I said was that it was for a member of the mayor’s family. You know he’s never seen without that ...” I struggled to finish the sentence.

  “Mutt?” offered Juliet helpfully.

  I shook my head.

  “No,” I said. “I was trying to think of the breed. Bernese? No.”

  “Does it matter?”

  As a matter of fact it did. I have always prided myself in being accurate. My best friend, Alex, never missed an opportunity to point out that trait, and my mother often suggested that young men might find my tendency for accuracy a bit “off-putting.”

  “Swiss Mountain Dog!” There. I remembered.

  “Great,” said Juliet sarcastically. “Now I’ll be able to sleep. But really, Keir. NO MORE PET PARTIES.”

  I grinned. “I can’t promise that, Jules. Remember, that one with the mayor brought in big dollars and got us great visibility.”

  “Whatever.” She waved my arguments aside. “Could we banish that one safely in the doghouse and look at what’s really coming up?”

  I whipped my blonde locks into a quick side braid, kicked off my high heels, and propped my feet up on my desk, and we got down to the daily business of reviewing upcoming events.

  “Long term?”

  Juliet began to rattle them off.

  “We have the Donohue golden anniversary in six weeks at the Denver Botanic Gardens.”

  “Are the invitations ready to go?”

  “Absolutely.” Juliet held one up for me to view. “You know, I love the fact that they asked in lieu of gifts that people make a donation to any Denver museum of their choice.”

  I nodded. “If anyone truly knew the Donohues, they’d know they wouldn’t have it any other way. Music?”

  “That’s the one with the grandson who is a member of the Colorado Symphony. We have a string quartet from there organized.”

  “Sounds good. How about food?”

  “Hors d’oeuvres and champagne for the first hour, then the plated dinner. They’re offering a filet or salmon, but people don’t have to choose until that night.”

  We continued discussing the rest of the arrangements for that event, then moved on to the next one.

  “We have the Sweet Sixteen for Caitlin Myers,” said Juliet.

  “That’s the painting party right?”

  Juliet nodded.

  “At first the venue didn’t want to close down for an entire evening for a nonalcoholic event. But when I told them who Caitlin’s parents were, they were more than happy.”

  “I figured they would look ahead to future business.” I grinned.

  “To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure why a teenage girl would want that particular type of party, but I get it now after meeting her.”

  “She is a quirky girl, definitely not the typical overprivileged teen who wants the over-the-top super bling party that you see on the reality shows.”

  “It’s going to be fun,” Juliet said.

  We ran down the list of those arrangements and moved to the next event.

  “Because it’s off-season it wasn’t that much of a problem reserving the entire stadium for the software launch next month.”

  “Did you order the specialized jerseys in the company colors?”

  “Yes.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Jules, just remember the commission we’re pulling in for that party,” I said, smiling.

  “I know, I know.” She grinned. “I negotiated that deal, remember? I just shudder to think why some marketing person picked two very similar shades of green as corporate colors.”

  “Ours is not to question,” I shrugged.

  “I don’t know how you stay so calm, Keira.” Juliet looked back at her screen, tapped a few keys, then frowned. “Uh-oh. One small problem for the event this weekend.”

  “This weekend?”

  “Witheroe,”
Juliet continued.

  “I thought it had been running pretty smoothly.”

  “Oh, it has,” she said, nodding. “The Tasteful Wedding Package. Church ceremony followed by catered dinner at the family’s country club. Very very traditional. Bride’s family is from money so old it has cobwebs on it.”

  “Well, the money does pay the bills, sweetie,” I pointed out.

  “No,” she said, frustrated. “You know what I mean. They didn’t want to explore anything creative. When we do those cookie-cutter events, I feel that people don’t think we are the cutting-edge planners that I know we are.”

  I nodded. Despite a reputation for being very good event planners and having a steady stream of work, it was hard to get jazzed up over the bread and butter of our business: the tasteful, elegant weddings.

  “I hear ya, Jules, but a majority of my first leads came from my mother’s circle, and they weren’t exactly nouveau riche.”

  My parents were both from generations of “old money” in Denver, and sometimes it was hard to escape the trappings that came with that. I had been presented at a debutantes’ ball, for heaven’s sake. One of the things I liked best about going away to college to Notre Dame was that for four years, I wasn’t “the Graham girl.” I was just Keira. But when I first arrived at the university, it took me awhile to break away from the thought that people might want to be my friend just because of my money.

  My freshman roommate, Alexandria, was the first to put me at ease. We became fast friends and have been ever since. She’s a ball of fire and wouldn’t let me sit in the dorm; she dragged me to every event she signed up for. People called me Ice Princess because they thought I was so stuck up. Ha! Hopelessly well-bred was more like it. Little did they know how much work it was to undo all the years of having to be on my best behavior for Denver’s high society. Luckily, with Alex’s help, it didn’t take too long. Ever since that freshman year, I’ve been able to be myself. I got my degree in systems administration—unheard of for girls in my “station”—and worked in high tech for several years until I took the leap to follow my dream and become an event planner.