Love on the Lido Deck

by Barbara Oliverio

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” I laughed, then looked down the next street. “Here we are, I think.”

  We turned down the pleasantly shady street, and after a few minutes reached the large church. In a moment worthy of a movie, the bell tolled just as we knocked on the door to the rectory. The door opened, and the smiling face of a spry white-haired priest appeared.

  “Ah, you must be Father Damiano!” he said heartily in accented English.

  “Pleased to meet you,” said Damian, then pointed to me. “This is my sister’s best friend, Keira. Well, she is also like a sister to me.”

  I smiled up at him.

  “Lovely to meet you!” Father Juan Pablo said, shaking my hand. “Come, come!”

  We followed him around to the front of the church, ascended the steps, and entered through the carved door. The interior was beautifully appointed. We walked down the side aisle alongside the pews.

  “I think I’ll stay here and light a candle.” I indicated the rows and rows of flickering red votives.

  “No problem. We’ll be back in a moment,” said Father Juan Pablo. He and Damian continued on to the working sacristy, where items were kept to prepare for services.

  I lit the candle and moved to a nearby pew to wait for them to return. I found a peace and calm in the cool, dark church, and I welcomed the time to myself. Soon they were back, and we walked outside into the bright sunshine.

  “So,” said the cheerful priest, “that should last you until the end of the voyage.”

  “Thank you, Father,” said Damian. “Can I pay you to replenish your supply?”

  The elderly priest waved his hand. “It’s taken care of. Brennan McAllister has made all the arrangements.”

  “Do you know Mr. McAllister?” I felt compelled to ask.

  “Ah, yes! He used to come to Mass. And he would visit when he had a day off while was attached to a different ship as a crew member, before he was promoted. Fine, upstanding young man.”

  “We appreciate his efforts, don’t we, Keira?” Damian nudged me.

  “Uh, absolutely, Father.” Were there other virtues I missed seeing in Brennan McAllister?

  The priest clapped his hands together. “Can we return to the rectory, and will you let me offer you a beverage or a snack?”

  I looked at my watch.

  “Unfortunately, I need to get back to the ship. Damian, if you want to stay—”

  “No, I’ll escort you back.”

  “I understand. But you both come back to visit us when you have more time.” The priest shook our hands, and we said our good-byes and began the short walk back to our floating home.

  “That was nice,” I said after a few moments of walking. “I’m glad you asked me to come with you.”

  “Well, I sensed that you needed a break.”

  “It seems like we’ve been on the ship a lot longer than three days.”

  “You’ve been really busy. So, I know that things are going well in general, but tell me, is it what you expected?”

  “Well, the key to events like this is the planning.”

  He laughed.

  “Well, yes, Damian, I know it’s baked into the title ‘event planner,’ but not everyone can plan, you know.”

  “I’m just curious, Keir. If this is what you always wanted to do, why didn’t you major in marketing like Alex? It seems like this career is in the marketing arena.”

  “It does, doesn’t it? But this is really a hybrid field. It’s marketing, of course, but requires lots of the project management principles that I studied in college.”

  “What about all that math that you studied?”

  “Project management relies on math. But don’t tell that to the event planners who came in through the marketing path—they’d run screaming.” I smiled thinking of some of the marketing majors I’d supervised in the computer lab.

  “Marketing majors like Alex?”

  “Oh, you know your sister. She was a whiz at whatever she studied. There were others who never thought they’d need to do math after college.”

  “Anyone in particular?”

  I stopped.

  “If you think you’re going to get me to talk about Brennan, you can save your breath, thank you. I’ve had discussions about him with Mother and Russ, and I’m ready to put him to bed—I mean THAT SUBJECT to bed.”

  “No problem, Keira.” He barely hid a smile. “I was just reminiscing your college days with you. Why so touchy?”

  “You weren’t IN college with me, Damian. I think at that point you were in the seminary.”

  “Yes, but you came to visit a lot. And when you weren’t there, it was ‘Keira this’ and ‘Keira that.’ Even on the phone.”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t know that you were Alex’s hero?”

  “Alex? Our Alex? The most confident person on earth?” I tried to reconcile this with the memory of the self-assured Alex who had pulled me out of my shell freshman year.

  “Keira,” he pulled me over to a quiet bench situated under a fragrant, overgrown bush. “When we sent her out there, she was the big fish in the little pond of our hometown. And you know what happens to small town big fish at the big bad university: they usually get swallowed whole. Well, who does she get matched up with for a roommate? A beauty queen with brains and a heart.”

  “You’re making me sound like some character out of The Wizard of Oz.”

  “Well, keep that metaphor. She saw that you didn’t have the courage. But she had that in spades! She looked up to you in so many ways and knew that all you needed was a nudge every now and then.”

  “Every now and then? We never sat still!”

  “Exactly. You were the perfect partner in crime for her. The Romy to her Michele. The Ethel to her Lucy. The Thelma to her Louise—”

  “Seriously? Thelma and Louise? Can you really see us going off a cliff?”

  “I can’t, because you would be the sensible one to put a stop to it.”

  “True. But hey, why am I Ethel and not Lucy?”

  “You’re kidding, right?” His eyes widened. “Alex is the very definition of Lucy!”

  “All right, all right. But that still doesn’t explain why you think she looked up to me, other than the fact that she’s shorter than I am.”

  “Because she could count on you. You were and still are honest, true, loyal—”

  “So I’ve gone from being the Cowardly Lion to Toto?”

  Damian grabbed me around the shoulder with one arm, pulled me off the bench, and knuckled the top of my head with his other hand.

  “Ow, ow, ow!” I pushed his hand away and rubbed the top of my head as we continued our walk. “One thing is for sure. When you and Anthony said you had adopted me as your little sister, you really meant it.”

  He grinned broadly.

  “Too late. Once Nonna said you were in, you were in.”

  We both smiled nostalgically at the thought of Nonna’s high standards.

  “Anyway, SIS, the point of this discussion—”

  “You mean sermon?”

  “DISCUSSION ... is to let you know that we ALL know you are honest, loyal, and true. And we’re thrilled with your success. But more than that, we all know how special you are and how much you deserve to find the right guy who deserves you. Don’t be too quick to be discouraged. You’ll know when it’s right. Okay?”

  I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “Did you all have a meeting this morning to see who could make me cry the most? First Russ, now you? I swear if your dad wants to sit down and talk with me—”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Dad will be more likely to hand you a piece of gum and lecture you on the evils of makeup and nail polish.”

  “Well, that would be just as sweet and would make me cry just as much,” I laughed. The church bell tolled once more.

  “Goodness! I’m going to be late, and I don’t want to leave Jules in the lurch!”

  “We’re not that far
from the dock, so we’re fine. Let’s get you back to work. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  I hugged him tightly.

  “You can find me a long lost brother that you might have or one that Cam might have. I just don’t think I’m going to find anyone to bring into the family who deserves all of you!”

  “Oh, keep your eyes open. You’d be surprised at who would fit in with this crazy crew!”

  Chapter Twenty

  I had just enough time to return to my stateroom, change into my Keira Graham Events uniform, grab the necessities for the day, and dash to the demo room. I joined Jules for the end of the second day of Joe’s demo, “Dip, Dip, Hooray.”

  “How’s it going?” I whispered to Jules as I slipped into the chair next to hers at the back of the room.

  “Perfect, but did you doubt it?”

  “Nope.”

  “Louisiana Annie was a smash again, and Joe is taking them by storm. Both rooms have been packed. Not to mention—”

  “Do the attractive ladies in the back have a question?” Joe shouted from the front of the room as he ostentatiously paused his demo. Heads whipped around.

  “Could I substitute Greek yogurt in that particular dip?” I tilted my head sidewise and pursed my lips.

  Joe’s face split into a grin. “Why yes, that would work out fine. I was just about to recommend that.”

  The crowd returned their attention to Joe.

  “How did you know that the question you asked would fit in with what he was saying at that exact moment?” Juliet whispered.

  “I have amazing deductive powers.” I stuck my tongue out at Joe behind the heads of the crowd, and he responded a friendly wink. “Plus I was in this demo the other day, remember? I knew where he was.”

  Juliet reached over for a fist bump.

  I motioned for her to follow me outside. I could feel Joe’s eyes follow us in amusement.

  “So, Jules, do you want to take time off this afternoon?”

  “No, I’m looking forward to the demos.” She paused and pulled a small envelope from her pocket. “Brennan stopped by to leave this for you.”

  “Oh. Fine.” I took the envelope and slipped it into my own pocket without opening it. “So, we’re good to go for the next round?”

  “Yes. Um, Keir,” she paused.

  I pulled my ponytail tighter.

  “Yes?” Maybe that came out a bit more impatient than I wanted.

  “Nothing, nothing. Let’s get back inside. I hear the applause. That means Joe is done.”

  “Thanks for almost showing up, Keira,” Joe snickered as I reached the stage following the end of his demo.

  “Did you need anything that Jules couldn’t provide for you?”

  “I might have.”

  “Get over yourself, and don’t think you can pull that pouty act with me, buddy.”

  His face split into a grin, and he pulled me down onto his lap. “I can’t fool you!”

  “Hey!” I jumped up. “You want me to lose my professional image?”

  “Seriously?” He pulled his face sidewise. “I saw you and the Indian Chief last night, and you were anything but professional, sister.”

  “What?” I colored.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t think many people saw you off in the shadows. It is easy for me to be stealthy. You know how most people ignore a poor crippled boy in a wheelchair.”

  “Poor crippled boy, my eye. Who were you with in the shadows? Besides, mine was just a moment of madness.”

  “Sure, sure, but how about that second time? That was sure more than a moment—what?” He must have seen my face fall because his teasing nature stopped.

  “Um.” I smoothed my hair and straightened my collar. “Yeah. That wasn’t me.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, well.” I blew out a breath. “You know.”

  Joe grabbed my arm.

  “Hey, Keir, we’ve known each other a long time. You tell me if you need me to kick his butt, okay? Remember, I’m a trained soldier.”

  I looked at his wheelchair pointedly.

  “Well,” he popped a wheelie, “no one expects the wheelchair stealth daredevil.”

  “I think I’m good for now, but I’ll let you know.” I laughed as I began to walk away.

  “I’m serious, Keir!” Joe called after me.

  “I know you are. That’s what scares me!” I walked away and felt the envelope from Brennan weighing heavily in my pocket.

  I grabbed my materials and walked into the adjacent room to prepare for the next demo. It was quiet and empty except for the chairs and the stage, so I went to the furthest corner and sat alone. My hand shook as I pulled the envelope from my pocket and read my name on the front, written in impeccable cursive. I recognized the influence of private school education.

  Slipping the single sheet of paper out, I unfolded it to find a hastily written note in the same cursive:

  Keira,

  I know you recognize me now and you must understand why I did what I did. We have so much to discuss.

  Brennan

  “Are you ready?” Juliet came upon me, just as I’d started to ponder what the note could mean. “You see that Aaron is here, don’t you?”

  I hastily refolded the note, replaced it in the envelope, and shoved it back in my pocket.

  “I do, I do.” I quickly gathered myself together. “I’m glad he ordered extra buns since the crowd is going to go crazy for this demo.” I looked up to see that Aaron Lorton, the chef—who had come into the room and bypassed me somehow—was up on stage, uncovering his materials, and directing his crew.

  A jovial crowd began to stream in for the demo, “Red, White, and Bun.” Aaron was featuring the best hot dog recipes from the wildly popular blog “Red, White, and Bun: 50 Hot Dogs from 50 States.” He had traveled around the country sampling hot dog stands, joints, and restaurants in each state and had documented his journey.

  “Hi ladies,” said Aaron’s twin brother, Karl, as he walked toward us before the demo began. He slid buns piled high with Chicago Dog fixings on the table in front of us, then took the chair next to mine. The brothers were from the Windy City and took pride in educating people on the exact method of constructing a Chicago Dog.

  “Yum.” I took a giant bite.

  “Whoa, slow down, girl. We have a couple more demos,” Juliet said.

  “I know, I know.” I wiped the corners of my mouth. “But I didn’t really eat breakfast.” I turned to Karl. “How have you been?”

  “Red hot,” he said with a wink.

  “Ha. Can you ever make a statement without using some sort of hot dog reference?”

  “You do realize that hot dogs are how we make a living.”

  “Luckily for the two of you, you can switch off in presentations.”

  “Not so lucky.” He made a grand gesture of smoothing his eyebrow with his thumb. “I am the better looking and more popular.”

  “You’re identical twins, you goof.” Juliet leaned behind me to flick him on the shoulder.

  “To the untrained eye,” he sniffed.

  “Stop it, children,” I laughed. “Karl, this dog is awesome. Just for my own benefit, are you two finally compiling the recipes and your journey into a book?”

  “It’s with the editor as we speak,” he said, nodding. “After this gig, our publicist will start planning the book tour.”

  “And?” I looked at him expectantly.

  “And what?” he asked.

  “Aaron and I have already talked about an event in Denver, Keir,” said Juliet. “He told me this morning about the book tour. I couldn’t let an opportunity pass to pitch planning an event for them.”

  “Good girl.” I smiled.

  “Wow, you guys are always on top of it, aren’t you?” Karl said.

  “Never lose the opportunity to market, Karl,” I said.

  He nodded his head as he stood up. “Oh, I hear that. Can I get you another dog? We’re moving on to West Vir
ginia Dogs after the Chicago Dogs.”

  “Mmm. Those are with that special chili, aren’t they?”

  “It’s West Virginia style, Keira. The sauce is specifically hot dog sauce, not chili.”

  “I shouldn’t, but ...”

  He grinned and took off down the aisle as Aaron began the demo.

  “Bring me two!” Jules whispered loudly and turned to me, her look daring me to comment.

  I looked down at my paper, smiling.

  “Yes, Keira?”

  “Nothing, Jules. I heard Canadian men don’t mind their ladies a bit larger.”

  “Ha.” We watched the demo for a while, then Jules tapped my shoulder and whispered. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Wasn’t that a question?”

  She rapped her fingers on the table, attempting to ignore my humor. I gestured for her to join me in the hall.

  “What up, Jules?”

  “Would you ever consider a long-distance relationship?”

  “Why? Are you still thinking about getting serious with your Canadian doctor?” I had to tiptoe around the subject since we had almost argued about it yesterday.

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged.

  “Juliet, do I have to remind you again that you just—”

  “Met him.” She finished my sentence. “I know. But there’s something about him that makes me want to explore this a bit more.”

  “Love at first sight is for the movies.”

  “This wasn’t ‘love at first sight,’ Keira,” she said. “It was at least second or third.”

  “Your argument is getting pretty thin.”

  “Well, I didn’t say I wanted to marry him. I just said I wanted to pursue getting to know him better. Besides, after he gets back from the cruise, he’s going on another round of Doctors Without Borders, so it wouldn’t be any different than if he were from Denver and going away for a while.”

  “What! That’s your justification? You’re going to start a relationship with a guy who not only lives in another country, but is going to yet another country!”

  “Well, when you say it out loud, it doesn’t sound like it makes much sense.”

  “MUCH? Try ANY.”

  Luckily, we were in the hallway so the crowd couldn’t hear my outburst. Karl joined us with our hot dogs.