Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1)

by Celia Kennedy

  Summoning up all her charm, she draped her arm around my shoulders. “Bella, we’ll toast the bambino with these! A combination of prosecco, sweet vermouth, Campari, and an orange twist. Sugar and spice, and everything nice!” I gave her a big smile to let her know she was off the hook.

  I gave Liam a glance and ventured my thought. “Since we have you all here, it seems as good a time as any to invite you all to the christening. Since the wedding was a quiet affair, we’ve decided to pull out all the stops and have a big party. Obviously the exact date is a bit nebulous, close to the end of October. We’ll send out invitations when we know.”

  My abdomen tightened and I felt the flutter of the baby readjusting itself. Reflexively, I put a hand to my belly and used the other to catch Tiziana’s hand. “Tiziana, I’d like for you to be the baby’s godmother.” At this, she jumped up and down, nearly toppling the tiara and hairdo. Marian, Hillary, and Kathleen looked despondent.

  “Good Lord, I’ve married an Irishman! Don’t worry! You’ll all have your turn!”

  “True enough,” chorused through the group.

  Liam took over. “As for godfather, Des, we’d like to ask you.”

  Des, who was stuffing his bowtie into his tuxedo jacket pocket, looked up in utter shock. “Seriously? Look, I’m flattered, but let’s be realistic. I’ll be crap! I’ll probably forget all her birthdays, and then, when she’s eighteen, I’ll take her out for a few drinks. And then, let’s face it, I’ll probably try to shag her!”

  “About A Boy!” I shouted.

  Keep reading for an excerpt of

  Cognac and Couture,

  The Passport Series, Book Two

  Cognac and Couture

  Five Countries, Five Lives, At the Same Moment

  11:10 p.m. Friday, August 21, 1998

  “DARLING, COULD YOU just lean a little further back, lift your left foot just a touch, and make sure your toes are softly pointed?” the celebrated celebrity photographer Jeremy Sutton sang out to Kathleen in a sycophantic voice, just before bellowing to the hairstylist, “For Christ’s sake, brush her hair off her forehead and keep it off. I want her hair over her right shoulder, not her left.”

  A fairly large number of people were attempting to juggle light reflectors, hold down wind barriers, and grapple with styling weapons, while dodging small ocean waves that rushed the beach. Granted, they were in the shallow blue waters, but it was all so ludicrous that Kathleen had to suppress laughing while the makeup artist applied another layer of powder to take the shine off her forehead.

  “She’s sweating! Someone get a bloody umbrella over here and shade her,” the photographer demanded, while he prowled around Kathleen, looking at her through various camera lenses. Lowering the camera from in front of his face, he looked at her and said charmingly, “Darling, you are simply beautiful. For you, there is no bad angle.”

  Cries of urgency registered in Kathleen’s head, just before a wave swept the photographer to his knees. He heroically held his camera over his head, saving his equipment. Once she realized the photographer was fine, she looked where all the commotion was occurring. Two of the wind barriers had blown down the long sandy beach, and several people were chasing after them, hoping to stop them before they crashed into innocent bystanders.

  The scene unfolded on Finn’s Beach at the southern tip of Bali. To get there, they had had to take a two-minute funicular ride between two steep cliff walls covered in a dense jungle of plants. At the base of the cliffs, a sandy beach rushed into the crystal clear Bali Sea.

  The photo shoot was officially a disaster! Kathleen waved to one of the staff hired by Forbes Magazine. “Could you drag this under the palapa for me?”

  Taking in the general chaos, the darkly tanned employee grabbed the teak lounge chair out of the surf and tugged it into the shade. “Would you care for a drink while you wait?” The man had a dignity discordant to the situation.

  Kathleen smiled from beneath the protection of the dark green palm fronds that roofed the palapa. “A tall glass of pineapple juice would be wonderful.” Not that she was cruel, but, since it wasn’t her turn to clean up a disaster of epic proportions, she sat back and watched the scene with a wide grin.

  The soggy photographer made his way to her after directing all of his employees to pack up their equipment. “Truly sorry, love, but it’s a bust. The wind is too strong. We’ll need to find another location. My assistant has a spot in mind a few miles up the road. Okay?”

  “Absolutely fine. How long until we leave?”

  “Twenty minutes or so.” With that, he was off to confer with his assistant.

  Kathleen drained the glass and leaned her head back against the wooden frame of the chaise. She felt a catnap coming on; with nothing more to do than listen to the lapping waves and the clacking of the palm fronds, she let the heat and the soothing melodies pull her into a short sleep.

  ***

  When they arrived in the remote and tiny cove of Padang Padang, it was still early in the day. The photo shoot soon attracted the interest of the beachgoers and locals; they quickly set up places to watch from a few hundred yards away. The owners of the small fish cafés on the beach enjoyed a high volume of business.

  “Fancy a nosh before we get started?” Jeremy asked Kathleen. “You need a make-over anyway.”

  What an ass, she thought to herself. Not that she was surprised that her makeup and hair needed fixing, but he just was so abrupt and arrogant. The consummate professional, she replied, “The fish smells incredible. I could definitely do with some food.”

  The two made their way to one of the smallest cafés and ate a quick meal of ikan bakar, grilled fish, and fried noodles. “This is extraordinary,” she said after a few bites.

  “Try this.” Jeremy held a small dish that contained a red sauce.

  “What is it?”

  “Sambal. Its base is bumbu—a combination of many spices. A bit on the picante side. Tasty though.”

  Kathleen used her fork to take a small sample. Using her little finger to deliver a sample to her mouth, she felt the fire. “Excellent. A little too hot for me, though.” If the photographer realized how much she was sweating through the material of the lightweight business suit chosen for the photo shoot, he’d have a conniption.

  While he finished his meal, her eyes swept the crescent-shaped cove, taking in the massive boulders plopped down along the beach randomly by Mother Nature; trees grew out of them at odd angles. The natural beauty of the cove was more rugged than Finn’s Beach, which appealed to her.

  Jeremy interrupted her thoughts. “This should suit you well.”

  “How so?”

  “A lily among thorns.” He tossed money onto the table. “Shall we?”

  “Sure.”

  As they walked back to where the minions wrangled equipment and props, Jeremy called to the stylists, “All right, she’s all yours. Get her ready. Someone find her a toothbrush. She’s had fish for lunch. A fresh suit, too. She’s ripe!”

  Kathleen stopped abruptly, kicking up sand. You’re definitely a thorn, she thought to herself.

  ***

  Just as the sun began to set on Padang beach, Jeremy called it a wrap. “You know, I think some of these photos with the soft colors of the sun setting will be perfect.” He stared at the digital screen of his camera. “Lovely, really lovely.”

  Kathleen was grateful when one of his quieter assistants offered her a lift. She wouldn’t have to listen to Jeremy drone on for the next hour as they drove to their hotel, The Four Seasons Bali at Sayan. The name sounded as gorgeous as the landscape they drove through.

  The resort was built on stepped hills amongst lush jungle and rice paddies; it had plunge pools, riverside restaurants, and a spa, all of which called her name. She had perfected the art of being busy while relaxing.

  ***

  About the Author

  Celia Kennedy was born on a military base in Wurzburg, Germany. Her parents’ penchant for traveling stu
ck with her: she’s lived in and traveled through several countries.

  The imagined world has always fascinated Celia. She has studied art history, interior design, landscape architecture, and architecture. Her thirteen-year career at the University of Washington in Seattle ended in 1996. Not wanting to be homeless, she left the academic world and worked as a landscape architect, married the love of her life, became a mom, and served as PTA president and Boy and Girl Scout leader.

  Her love of travel, the designed and natural world, friendship, self-discovery, wine, chocolate, AND love are the foundation of her books.

  Celia Kennedy’s other work includes:

  The Accidental Series: Prosecco and Paparazzi, The Passport Series, Book 1

  The Accidental Series: Cognac and Couture, The Passport Series, Book 2

  Venus Rising

  Sugar, It’s Cold Outside (Cupid on The Loose Anthology)

  April’s Fool (Fools Rush In, April Fools’ Day Anthology)

  Meri’s Over A Barrel (Girls of Summer Anthology)

  She is currently working on book three in The Passport Series: Gin Fizz and Grit, The Passport Series, Book 3.

  To learn more about Celia Kennedy:

  Website: www.celiakennedy.weebly.com

  Blog: www.womanreinventsself.blogspot.com

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennedyCelia

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMKAuthor

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Celia_Kennedy

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