Baby V (Chianti Kisses #1)

BABY V

A novel

Book one in the Chianti Kisses series

TARA OAKES

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

First edition. January 7, 2015

Copyright c. 2015 Tara Oakes

Written by Tara Oakes

Published by Smashwords

Book Cover: Image by Tatiana Vila, www.viladesign.net

TO MY LAMBCHOP, MY LOVE

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook 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 yo
u’
re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Baby V, is one of the very first novels I have written. It sat on my hard drive for years and years. Every once in a while I would revisit it, and tinker around with it some more.  After all of the positive feedback and success from the novell
a’
s in my Kingsmen, MC series,
I’
ve decided to throw myself into finishing it and putting it out there for all of you to read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did while writing it. But, just like every other one of my book
s…
there are a number of people to thank for i
t’
s release.

The people do
n’
t change much, book to book. First, my editor Laura. Thank you so much for finding the time to squeeze me into your hectic schedule. Whether i
t’
s short notice deadlines or editing small sections at a time, you always come through.

To my PA, Desire Slove
r…
I
t’
s been quite a journey. It started with you educating me in all things indie author related, to me finally being able to help
you,
as you make the transition from PA to writer. I wish you many successes in your career and I hope you find the fulfillment and rewards that I have.

To my newest team member, Alicia. Yo
u’
ve been hanging around in the background for some time now, helping out whenever needed. I look forward to a fantastic future as you take on more and more responsibilities.

To my chica from across the pond, Claire. Time differences be damned, you are a great asset and I ca
n’
t thank you enough for all of your hard work and tech savvy.

CBB, Thanks so much for another great set of teasers. It feels like Christmas morning overtime you send me one.

To my Bet
a’
s, Autumn, Christy and Norma. Thanks for all of your feedback and your patience as I sent chapter after chapter.

And my street team, the Trollo
p’
s. You gir
l’
s are the best! Yo
u’
re all dedicated, truly passionate about the books you read and the authors you support.
I’
ve gotten to know many of you and
I’
m proud to have such a loyal group supporting my books.

Thanks to my graphic designer Tatiana for another great cover. this one was a tough one for u
s…
but It came out beautifully.

Thanks to all of the bloggers and reviewers that spend so much time promoting and supporting my books, as well as those from other Indie authors. I
t’
s a tight knit community, that I had no idea even existed until a few months back. But i
t’
s embraced me and made me one of their own. I will forever be grateful.

And lastly, but in no way the leas
t…
than
k’
s to all of the readers who continue to choose book after book of mine to invite into their world. I spend more time than I would ever admit to, bringing these stories and tales into the world for you. I
t’
s sometimes a terrifying thing to do, as I want so desperately not to disappoint any of you. Each comment, each review and every single kind word of support and encouragement you all give to me means more than any group of words could ever express. And tha
t’
s saying somethin
g…
as I can usually find some phrase, some way to verbalize what
I’
m trying to convey. But, the love and acceptance that the book loving community has shown to me, leaves me speechless.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR

THE KINGSMEN, MC SERIES

A LI
L’
LESS BROKEN

A LI
L’
LESS LOST

A LI
L’
LESS HOPELESS

ALL AVAILABLE NOW ON
AMAZON.COM

BITTERSWEET DECEPTION

BOOK FOUR IN THE KINGSMEN, MC SERIES

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW ON
AMAZON.COM

PROLOGUE

The definition of an arranged marriage:

Marriages in which family members take a significant role in bringing a couple together. Relatives, particularly parents, often take the initiative to find, evaluate, and approve potential spouses for their children.

CHAPTER ONE

The church bells finally finish chiming but I can still feel their metallic vibrations course through me. At least I will
never
have to hear those god awful bells again. Ever. Four years of listening to the slightly off-beat tolls have been enough to drive me to loathe them on more than one occasion. In the beginning, they were charming... that lasted all of a week. Soon after, I could sense the daily noon ringing like a well-tuned internal alarm clock, as it usually meant that I was late for class. If I was
really 
lucky, it meant only that my rare, but desperately needed afternoon nap was about to be interrupted. I know
I’
m not alone in my lack of affection for the old bells, because whenever anyone refers to them... i
t’
s always as th
e“
damn bells
.
”

I look around at all of the other girls lined up with me and wonder if any of them are thinking the same thing about that last ringing. It was just another one of those
 “
las
t
”
 
memories we would all share before graduation. Our last exam, last night in our out-dated but charming dorm rooms, last assembly-line styled breakfast, and our last days as students at St. Bart's. Until today, we had all been heading down the same path. In about two hours, we would splinter away into a hundred or so different ones.

“
Well, do I
?
”

I snap out of my daze with a confused
 “
Hmm
?
”
 
to my right.

“
V... do I look like I have too much lipstick on? I want to be able to see my lips in the pictures, but not to look like a cheap pin up doll. Christy says I have too much on. I don't think I have too much on.  Do I
really
  have too much on
?
”

And this is the last time I would have to listen to Katherine Lang ask me one of her mind numbing questions.

“
No. I
t’
s not too much. The photographers are like ten feet away from the stage and I don't think they're taking close up shots
.
”
 
I really have no idea what kind of photos they were going to take, but I probably wouldn't have worn as much of the pale pink lip lacquer that the petite blond slathered on herself.

Thanks to the inescapable alphabetizing of last names, I have had to endure random questions like this for the last four years. I look down the line of endless burgundy gowns toward the covete
d
“T
”
 
section of the group with envy. Stephanie catches my eye, giving me an overly enthusiastic and sarcastic thumbs up.

I would give anything to change my name right now. Nothing too crazy... something generic like Tate or Thatcher will do. But
nooo
. I'm a Lombardi and stuck with th
e
“L”
s for just under two more hours. I hope. 

I don't think this can last longer than that. Father Cross is known to give a long-winded Sunday morning sermon but even he wouldn't want to stand out here in the blazing sun any longer than he has to.

Before I can finish rationalizing the merits against a drawn out graduation day, the familiar orchestrated beginning o
f
“
Pomp and Circumstanc
e
”
 
begins to play loudly. Taking a deep breath, I follow Katherine's lead toward the stairs of the newly erected stage. As I grab hold of the bannister, I stand tall on my toes to try and see out into the crowd.

Hundreds of happy faces and flashing cameras are staring back toward us. Quickly glancing over the waving children, pointing parents, and people fanning themselves with folded programs, I scan for the large group of familiar faces that are waiting to see me take a seat behind the podium. I am about to give up and turn my attention toward the last step, when I find what I am looking for. A dozen or so adults and a gaggle of little kids all with the same light olive skin and dark brown hair as mine, stand out against the background. I smile knowing that my family is beaming looks of pride in my general direction.

Concentrating on the task at hand, I carefully walk halfway across the stage to my assigned seat, sitting as gracefully as I can. Mission accomplished. The last thing I need is to trip over my tent of a graduation gown and fall flat on my face before my brothers. They would never let me live it down.

The sun beats down on us like a fry lamp at any given fast food establishment. Our gazes respectfully aim toward the back of Father Cross' head, but I'm sure I'm not the only one stealing glances of their personal group of fans every few moments.

Mine is probably one of the larger ones. Sister Mary Francis wasn't thrilled when I handed in my seat count for the ceremony. I'm sure she would have told me to trim it a bit but held her tongue thinking about the amount of zeros on my family's endowment check to the school every year. 

Most of them are here today. Well, the ones living on this side of the Atlantic, anyway. Mom, Nonna, Aunt Rosie, my brothers with their wives and kids... and Theresa and Dom.  I take inventory of each of them as I check them off my mental family list.  And then I notice it.

“
Miss Katherine Lan
g
”

Father Cross turns slightly toward us as Kate gently squeezes my hand before getting up to receive her diploma. I smile and nod in return... chuckling a little when I notice the pink smear on her left hand.  She had decided to remove some of her war paint before having her perfect smile immortalized for her graduation pictures. Smart move.

I quickly move my attention back to my personal group of troublemakers starting to share collaborative looks between one another as they sit up in preparation. This is
not
good. If the four of them are communicating through silent glances and nodding with little smirks thrown in, that means they are all thinking somewhere along the same line. I'm on the receiving end of those lines of thinking more times than I care to recall.

The applause is loud but polite for Kate. Her family makes the expected cheers with her name being added to phrases such as,
 “
Go Kate!
,
”
“
That's my sister
,
”
 
and
 “
Yay Katie
!
”
 
Perfectly fine, tasteful and acceptable.

She grasps her diploma, faces the small group of men with wide-angle lenses stationed below the stage, and I can imagine her flashing the megawatt but slightly plastic smile she is famous for. It's the same smile she gives everybody, every time, exactly the same. I'm sure it was perfected somewhere around thirteen years old in the company of her vanity mirror. Lipstick was probably added somewhere around her sweet sixteen for dramatic effect.

The applause dies down while Father Cross angles himself back towards the microphone perched atop of the podium. 

“
Miss Vincenza Maria Lombardi
.
”

I hold my breath and stand up, preparing for the noise.

I lock eyes with Father Cross, steadily heading in his direction. I have tunnel vision.
Just concentrate on reaching the podium and take my diploma when he hands it to me.
This is all I can think of to drown out the spectacle starting to erupt about ten rows deep into the crowd. 

My eyes do not budge from that diploma as it nears. The last thing I need to do is give them a reaction. I've learned the hard way over too many years, that if they see the slightest bit of frustration or acknowledgement... then it just carries on longer.

Father Cross, headmaster of St. Bartholomew's Women's University, looks like a deer caught in headlights. I'll bet he's never had this happen in the twenty-plus years he's given this same drawn out commencement speech, handing out these leather bound diplomas. I can't ignore the touch of irony in the situation, though.

Here stands the man who time and time again refused to change the outdated school curriculum after countless petitions and student senate meetings. 

Finishing and Etiquette courses are mandatory no matter the degree you were completing. After all, St. Bar
t’
s is well known to be one of the finest (and few remaining) institutions where the daughters of the upper-crust can be educated in all things
 “
proper and polishe
d”
.

With families like this seeking out their services, why would they change protocol? It isn't like the students are paying the bills or granting the ostentatious endowments. The families do, and the last thing Father Cross will let happen on his watch would be for the benefactors to suddenly loose faith in his archaic and traditional policies.

And yet here we are on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, enjoying the fruits of his labor... while the wealthiest, most financially generous family that this school has likely ever seen is making a scene the likes of which St. Bart's gentry have ever witnessed.

A very small, crooked smile is fighting through all of my efforts of suppression. It is the same type of smile this man has given me every time I presented him with the school yea
r’
s latest petition to no longer mandate trivial classes such a
s
“
Traditional dance
,
”
“
Entertaining
,
”
 
an
d
“
Social graces
.
” 

I extend my right hand out toward the deep burgundy leather portfolio he is grasping and my left hand to take his salutary greeting. Widening into a full smile, I turn in the direction of the photographers below, and the clicking sounds begin. His palm is sweaty, but cold. Weird and gross at the same time.

My peripheral vision begs my attention. They're on their feet, hands in the air, pumping. Fingers are cupped around mouths to project the hooting and hollering further, louder. My little nephew Johnny is being held up in the air to add his own voice to the mix of calls being shouted my way. 

WAIT. There's a sign. Fuck. Really? A sign? I can't resist the urge any longer, and stare full-force in their general direction, taking in the entirety of it.

Mike, the youngest and most mischievous of my three older brothers (and most likely the ring-leader of today's affair), is holding up a rather large white cardboard sign with professional lettering sprawled across it... huge letters shining and sparkling in the bright sunlight.

WAY TO GO BABY V!

The blood rushes to my face before I can try and contain it. Mike is waving the sign back and forth, slowly, while doing his best impersonation of a rabid sports fan. His brown hair flops around from the sudden motion of jumping up from his seat. He sees me watching him and adds a nodding motion to his yelling.

John is next to him, holding little Johnny high above the crowd. Pure glee is painted across Johnn
y’
s
(“
J
J
” as only I call him) round little face. As the eldest of my brothers and head of our family, John should know better than to encourage the next generation to jump on th
e
“
Baby
V
”
 
bandwagon.  As angry as I am with him, I can't help but notice the look of pride on John as he holds his first born and only son up to watch me receive my degree.

Tony is next down the line of men making fools of themselves. His perfectly gelled coif and artificial tan stand out among the crowd of W.A.S.P.y alabaster complexions. The Jersey Shore has nothing on my brother Tony. He is suave to a fault and a killer lady's man. My inner Gloria Steinem is itching to add the phrase
 “
man slu
t
”
 
to the mix, but Tony has a heart of gold and has never treated a woman badly. He treated them well in fact...
all
of them. But, he's a tamed man now, and married faithfully for over a year. Tony is so excited and laughing hard enough that he practically doubles over.  Dom is slapping him on the back while laughing himself. 

Dom. Gorgeous Dom with dreamy eyes. Tony was a ladies man, but he was just a wingman compared to Dom. Dom can have any girl he wants... and probably has. Growing up, all of my friends swooned over him like flies on ice cream, and he loved every bit of it. Domenico is not a blood brother to me like the other three, but close enough that I never hesitate adding him to their collective title.  They are simply,
 “
The brothers
.
”

Dom's eyes lock with mine long enough to see his famous grin and sly smile, before he adds the loudest boast yet to the ordeal.