Blazing Hot Chef: Blaze Family Romance, #8

By Daria Blake

When Paolo and Marina meet... they really turn up the heat!

 

Ask anyone and they will tell you: Paolo Perso is living the dream. His cooking show is number one, his new retail food line is about to launch, and his 5-star restaurant in Los Angeles is so popular you have to know someone just to get a reservation. So why does he feel like someone deflated his soufflé?

Marina Blaze has worked hard to get where she is. A long-time assistant producer for The Eating Channel, she's just been given her big break: Producer of her own project; a special series of cooking shows featuring Paolo Perso, celebrity chef. But when the cameras start rolling, it's clear this show will end up going from the frying pan into the fire... unless she can whip it all into shape!

 

Will Paolo's performance prevent Marina from reaching her career climax, or can she put the flavor back into his sauce?

• Language: English
• Publisher: FS Romance Press
• Release date: Jul 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201812256

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

MARINA

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W e’re on our way to the hospital now. My producer gasps into the phone between sentences as she grapples with labor pains. Her baby isn’t due for another month. Looks like this little guy is determined to choose his own birthday regardless of my plans. She lets out a nervous laugh.

I hold the phone to my ear as my mind races with all the things we still had left to do before she went on leave. Oh, wow, Grace. Okay. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll call Paolo’s people and let them know we have to cancel. I grab my coat and keys and head out the door. I need to get to the office and start making calls. Good thing we weren’t already there, or you’d be having your baby on Paolo’s private island!

Grace’s breathing has gone back to normal, replaced by the echoey rumble of road noise as our call plays through her car’s speakers. We aren’t going to cancel, Marina. We can’t. Too many things have been put into place for this.

Oh. All right, I say, confused because the whole point of this project with celebrity chef Paolo Perso was the timing, and if the producer isn’t available… Are we rescheduling, then? Even as I trace through my memory trying to recall who Grace had lined up to take her place when she went on maternity leave, I know I’ll come up empty because this very thing was on the list to discuss this coming week.

Oh, god. Hang on! My boss’s breathing is measured and loud as she does whatever it is pregnant mothers do during labor. When she comes back on a minute later, she does so with a loud, tired sigh. Marina. Paolo’s shows need to happen as planned. His branding team has done a huge media buy to support it ahead of his new sauce line’s launch, and CCI is counting on us as part of their big push ahead of their competition.

Grace is telling me things I already know. Right. Understood. The California Culinary Institute’s annual cooking competition is happening next month. It’s a huge deal for them, and this year the competition has been picked up by the Eating Channel. As one of their most famous alumni, Paolo Perso has agreed to do several exclusive cooking shows as a lead-in to the competition. His show will be the prime time program every night during Cook-Off Week, where all the programming will be talking about CCI and their annual event.

I’ll take care of everything, Grace. Don’t worry.

I was hoping you’d say that. Her relief is obvious. You’re the best, Marina.

I smile at the compliment and roll through the names I was going to suggest for her replacement when we met this week. All right, so who did you want me to call to take your place? I think Greg Chadwick is back in town tonight, and last I heard he was available. I could try Simone Glass from Channel Six. She’s been doing more freelance work lately. I don’t think Michelle Winn is available anymore. I heard she signed on to that climate change documentary.

Marina…

I unlock my car and slide into the driver’s seat, trying to come up with more names, but it’s the end of summer and people are on vacation and it’s becoming clearer to me that our options are probably more limited now than they might have been earlier in the season.

But I am determined to find the answer, as always, to whatever hurdle we’re facing. I bet Jessie might be interested. He’s been working with the film school a lot lately, but I’m sure he’ll—

Marina, Grace interrupts, her voice soft.

Yes? I feel like she’s about to tell me that she’s already lined up someone to take over and I can almost feel the tension release from my shoulders.

"I want you to do it." She actually sounds serious.

My body goes still as I reply to what she just said. Me? Grace, I... It feels like a stone has settled into my stomach and a hand has gripped my throat. I don’t…

Marina, it’s time. You’ve put in the work. You should head your own project. And this is perfect for you.

I need more time. Grace, I can’t just take over…

"Don’t