The Many Flavors of Love

I recently wrote a very short Valentine’s Day story that I intend to expand into a novella. In the meantime, I’d like to share it here as a free read for everyone who loves romance. Love comes in many flavors, and often appears where we least expect to find it. 

The S.S. Amore Buffet

by Gemma Juliana

Ruby Belle checked her hair one last time. The mirror in her cabin reflected sparkling sapphire eyes and sun-kissed glowing skin. Her long chestnut hair – swept into a chignon – accentuated high cheekbones. 

The scarlet silk dress and sexy black heels transformed her. She was elegance personified, in complete contrast to her real life back home.

 

Just for this one week of her life, she was Cinderella.

Winning the Mediterranean cruise at the fundraiser was a stroke of luck. The money raised would go to help those who’d lost their homes when the mega tornado had roared through town. 

She’d lost everything – home, car, and all her possessions. Worst of all was the loss of her old family photos and letters. It was as if her past had been wiped away, and sometimes she wondered if it had ever existed. But memories and a heavy heart assured her it was real, not a figment of her imagination.

What a fantastic cruise it had been. She was no longer the numb, lonely woman who’d boarded the vessel. 

For five days, Marco Mandolino had treated her like a princess. His love medicine had helped her move past the devastation. He’d made her laugh and feel alive and desirable again.

Ruby tried not to think about tomorrow, when they’d have to part ways. She hadn’t meant to get emotionally entangled, but somehow it had happened. When the ship docked, everyone would scatter and return to their lives, and her coach would turn back into a pumpkin. 

But she’d have new memories to add to the old ones.

As she made her way along the deck to the gala dining room, a familiar sandalwood scent enveloped her and a hand came to rest on her arm. Her heart skipped a beat and joy flooded her being.

“Come with me, beautiful woman. Tonight I have arranged something special to honor you.” His fingers trailed down her arm and clasped hers. 

“You’ve honored me all week, Marco. You’ve treated me like a goddess.” Ruby’s voice was breathless with excitement. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” Chestnut highlights glowed in Marco’s raven hair as he glanced sideways at her and winked. “And you deserve to be treated like a goddess.”

They walked through the stateroom towards the elegant staircase, their blended magnetism drawing admiring stares. 

He led her up several flights of stairs, until she thought they’d land on the star deck. Unlocking a set of double doors, he led her into a room decorated like a Bedouin tent in red and gold. A buffet was positioned along the inner wall, opposite a solid glass wall that overlooked the ocean and stars. A gold-covered table was at the heart of the room.

“This is magnificent,” Ruby stood still as she took in the décor. “How on earth did you arrange this? It must have cost you a fortune.”

“These are my private quarters, decorated in honor of you today,” Marco smiled, as he led her to a silver champagne bucket.

“You own the S.S. Amore?” Ruby’s eyes widened in surprise. “I thought you were a tourist like me.”

Marco nodded, his dark eyes glowing with good humor. “It was my pleasure to be a tourist with you this week instead of the usual work, work, and more work. You’ve given me a priceless treasure by reminding me that life can be sweet with the right person by your side.”

“It sounds like we were good medicine for each other, then.”

He poured two flutes of golden bubbles and handed her a glass before lifting his in a toast. “Here’s to you, Ruby Belle. This week has been sheer magic. I wanted to enjoy you in privacy on this last night.”

“Please don’t remind me it’s almost over,” Ruby’s smile faltered. “This has been the best week of my life.” The champagne fizzed and buzzed its way down her throat to her belly. 

“Come, let’s choose some food from the buffet and sit down. We have lots to discuss tonight.” 

“What a splendid selection of sensuous love foods.” She gazed at the typed menu to read the names of each dish.

Mediterranean Moonlight Buffet

Cocktail: Champagne with Crème de Cassis

Appetizers: Oysters Parmesan, Pan-Seared Scallops on Lemon Spinach

Pre-Entrée: Fondue – White Wine Cheese Sauce with Asparagus Spears and Apple Slices

Entrée: Shrimp Scampi In Basil Garlic Pesto Sauce, Saffron Rice With Wild Mushrooms

Dessert Choices: Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Raspberries in White Chocolate Sauce, Crepes Suzette, Unlimited Whipped Cream with Dark Cherries and Red Grapes

Cappuccino or Espresso

Liqueur Choices: Strega, Cointreau Orange Chantilly Whipped Cream

An hour later, Ruby sat back in her chair and drew a deep sigh.

“Marco, this has been the most romantic night of the most exciting week of my very ordinary life. You are so thoughtful. I can’t tell you how much this all means to me. Thank you for everything.”

“I have a proposal for you.” Marco smiled as he rose from the table. He took her hand and led her to the glass door. The balmy oceanic breeze slid inside as they stepped onto the deck where moonlight played on silver waters.

“If I could just save this moment in time…” Nervous, Ruby gazed at the stars and reached upwards. “They’re so close I can almost touch them.”

“How would you like to stay on the ship for a while?” Marco wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter.

“I’d love nothing more than to stay, but I can’t. I have no resources since the disaster, and wouldn’t be here now except for winning the prize. This has been a dream come true.”

“I’m offering you a shipboard job. You can stay a month, three months, whatever you like. I don’t want you to leave yet, Ruby. I think we have something special, and I’d like us to explore it. Do you feel it, too?”

Ruby’s heart jumped with delight. She nodded, and placed her hands on his chest. “I do,” she whispered. “I’m so happy you do, too.”

“I have a gift for you, whether you stay or go.” He reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulled out a small black velvet box, and handed it to her. “I hope it makes you think of our week together every time you wear it. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

As she cracked open the hinged box, a blazing ruby heart set in gold rested against the black velvet.

“It’s exquisite,” she cried. “I can’t accept such an expensive gift, Marco. And...I have no gift for you.”

“You are my gift. Please, you must accept it. You've given me so much joy this week. I'd like it to be the first of many gifts.” He clasped the jewel around her neck, then his hands cupped her face and his mouth found hers. 

Ruby’s body melted into his as her arms encircled his neck. The warmth of his hands slid over her back and she pulled herself closer to him. The kiss seared her lips and engulfed her in a wave of longing as a low moan escaped his lips.

“So, tell me, Ruby. Will you stay a while, or maybe forever?”

Her smile was as dazzling as the glow of the overhead moon. “I’ll stay, Marco, as long as I can earn my keep. I’d love nothing more than to spend more time with you.”

His eyes lit up. “Welcome aboard, Ruby. Your paid job is as my new very personal assistant. In your free time, you can be my muse.”

~*~*~*~

Since February 14^th is synonymous with the many flavors of love, I’d like to share a personal detail from my daily life. It’s not about romance, but the enduring love of a son for his mother.

When our son was 1 year old, we were in a grocery store on Valentine’s Day. There were soft velvety roses for sale in the novelty section. On impulse my husband and I bought one for our little son. Every time we gave it to him, we hugged, kissed, cuddled and he loved it. 
 

Fast forward fifteen years, and our now sixteen year old son has been giving me “The Rose” – that cost $1.99 at the time – almost every day during the past decade. Sometimes he’ll leave it with a cup of tea he made for me and an “I love you” note on the kitchen counter, sometimes he’ll pull it out from behind his back and surprise me with it, and often I’ll find it on my pillow at night or perched on my computer screen in the morning. As you can see in the photo, it is well worn and looks a bit the worse for wear, but it exudes love and happy memories. It has become a sacred treasure in our home. 

This blurb is my tribute to a fine son.

 ~*~*~*~

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.

Connect with Gemma:

http://gemmajuliana.com

Twitter: @Gemma_Juliana

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemma.juliana

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Celtic Romance

Celtic Romance
by Cornelia Amiri

The month of love, February and the holiday of love, Valentine Day, one of my favorite holidays, will soon be upon us. Valentine Day reminds us that many of our fondest thoughts and memories are of romance, including dating and weddings, courtship and betrothal and these events were just as special to the ancient Celts. Love and marriage was so important to the Celts that they had more types of recognized marriages than any other culture. Under the Brehon (Brehoon) laws of Ireland, there were not one, but 10 types of marriage. I’ll list them.

#1. The man and wife contributed an equal amount of property or finances.
#2. A woman moved to the man's property and contributed little or nothing financially but managed the housekeeping.
#3. A man moved to the woman’s property and contributed little or nothing financially but managed her cattle and her fields.
#4. The husband and wife both had property and managed their own individually, but the children's rights were still safeguarded.
#5. By mutual consent the man and woman shared their bodies, but lived under separate roofs. I call that the have your cake and eat it too marriage.
#6. A man abducted the wife of a defeated enemy. So the woman came to that marriage as a spoil of war.
#7. The man and woman got together only for one night of sex. In modern times we have a slang expression for this relationship, we call it a one night stand. The Celts had an expression as well, they called it a soldier's marriage.
#8. A man seduced a woman by lying to her or by taking advantage of her while she was drunk.
#9. A union by forcible rape. The ancient tale of Camma and Sinorix detail what Celtic women felt about this marriage. After Sinorix killed her husband and forced her to wed him, Camma put poison in the ceremonial wedding cup which they both drank from together. Vengeance against Sinorix was more important than her own life. She used the marriage to get revenge.
#10. Both the man and woman were either feeble-minded or insane.
The Welsh, under the laws of Hywell (whowell) the Good, had the same types of marriages as the Irish, except for # 10.

All types of banter must have occurred regarding these marriages. Going by the way I numbered the marriages, instead of Yo Mama, they might have said something like, “Oh, you must have been born from a number 10 marriage.” And they could have more than one spouse, so an ancient Celtic man or woman could have several combinations of marriages. Can you imagine meeting someone and asking not “are you married?” But “what number marriage do you currently have?” They might reply, “Oh, I have a #1 and a #5 and of course a couple of # 7’s.” . . . And I thought modern day dating was complicated.

To modern man, it seems silly or even cruel to refer to some of these unions as marriages. But it isn’t, because these marriages were not for the benefit of the man or woman, they were for the protection of the children. By recognizing all these unions as legal marriages, the Celts insured there were ¬no illegitimate children. A child born of any of the 10 unions would inherit like any of their parents’ other children. Also the land did not go to the eldest son. The estate was split between all children including the daughters.

Handfasting was another type of Celtic union, it lasted for only a year and a day. It predominantly took place at Lughnassadh (LOO-nahs-ah), the Celtic Harvest festival, celebrated August 1. Single men lined up on one side and unmarried women on the other. They paired off and married for a year and a day. The couple’s wrists were literally tied together during the ceremony. This is where we get the expression "tying the knot". The couple had to return to the same place the following year to make their marriage permanent. They could also end the union at that time by simply standing back to back, facing north and south, and walking out. Going their separate ways, single once more.

Fruit gathering was also part of Lughnassadh. And this was romantically done as young men and women paired off to pick bilberries and didn’t return until nightfall. This included the sweet custom of boys threading the berries into bracelets for the girls to wear that day.

Another important festival for the ancient Celts was Beltaine (bell-tayn), which in modern times we call May Day. The May Queen led the Beltane procession with her ritual courtship of the Green Man. These symbolic marriages of the god and goddess, in the form of King and Queen of the May, were mirrored in human courtship. One of the most popular May Day traditions was to set a basket full of spring flowers or other small gifts at a neighbor’s house without them seeing you. If you got caught, they would chase and then kiss you. Courtships for the ancient Celts would often begin at Beltaine and the marriages would be held at Samhain (Sah-van), which in modern times we call Halloween.

Samhain, as the beginning of the New Year, was the main season of weddings for the ancient Celts. A tradition that survived in Wales, in Montgomeryshire, was on Samhain they made a mash of nine ingredients: potatoes, carrots, turnips, peas, parsnips, leeks, pepper, salt and new milk. A wedding ring was hidden in the mash. Teenage girls dug into the mash with wooden spoons, anxious to learn their fate, for the one who found the ring would be the first one married. The way it was done in Carmarthenshire, was that on Samhian, nine girls made a pancake together, containing nine ingredients, divided it among themselves, and ate it. Before dawn, each girl would have a vision of her future husband.

Moving forward, up to the 16th century, we find one of the most interesting Welsh customs, loving spoons. Celtic handmade love spoons were carved from one piece of wood with symbols on the stem, which had various meaning, from two hearts “We love each other” to an intricate knot meaning “together, forever.” A farmer might carve a vine with flowers on the stem which would mean “love grows.” A sailor might carve an anchor which would mean “steadfast love.” The spoon was the main eating utensil of the day, so by giving a lady a spoon the man was also saying I can provide for you, you won’t go hungry. Love spoons were like engagement rings, if the lady accepted the spoon, she accepted the proposed marriage.

Another quaint courtship custom which began in the 16th and 17th century was bundling. On long, dark, cold winter nights, courting couples were encouraged to share a bed - but they were fully clothed and the boy or girl was sewn into a "bundling bag," a linen sheet that would bind, confine, and conceal the legs, and consequently, private parts of the body. By the late 1600s, Wales's supposedly relaxed sexual morals had become the brunt of English jokes, with the scarcity of Welsh virgins the tired old punch line. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English historians blamed the wayward Welsh for the bundling custom. Though bundling was a perfectly innocent courting ritual. A visitor to Wales reported that female servants were so fond of bundling, they refused to work unless their lovers were permitted to share their beds.

With this romantic romp through the ages, from Brehon marriage laws to bundling, you can get a taste of what courtship and marriage was like for our ancestors. Romance was as important in ancient times as it is today. For as the poets say . . . love is timeless.

For more Celtic/Romance and my books of Long Swords, Hot Heroes, and Warrior Women, please visit my website at httm://CelticRomanceQueen.com