All the Way Read Online Free Page B

served.”
    The awful finality of the quote slammed into Gavin’s brain and he read it aloud. “Anthony Riccio is the head chef of Mia Casa and states this about a customer’s dining experience: ‘The food is of the same high quality no matter what day or time a diner visits. I pride myself on consistency and good cooking.’ If this is the truth, don’t bother going in for lunch, either, unless you want to keep chewing your vegetables throughout the day.”
    Tony threw his head up to the sky and spit out his declaration. “A lie! We shall sue and regain our reputation!”
    Gavin surrendered the battle and reached for the crystal shot glass to pour a stream of whiskey. He ignored his mother’s shocked gasp and directed his words toward his chef. “Tony, the waiters told me they never served so much water. We want the bar bill up, not the water bill.” He cut his hand through the air for silence when his chef opened his mouth. “Enough. What’s done is done.”
    “Tracey said I don’t spend enough time with her and she’s thinking about going with this other guy,” Brando said. “I had to convince her not to. Why am I always working anyway, when Gavin gets all the credit?”
    His father reached out and grabbed his brother by his ear like he was three. “Brando, I am the one who called your brother and asked for help. He took a leave from his job to help us, and you will respect this.”
    One lower lip jutted out in a sulky expression to rival Marlon Brando. “I bet I could’ve gotten a better review from Miranda Storme.”
    “Brando Luciano, respect your older brother,” boomed Archimedes Luciano, patriarch of the family.
    Brando stood up. “Why should I, Pop? I was the one who was supposed to inherit the restaurant. He goes away for three years, decides he wants the business, and you go and give it to him. Now look what happens. If business sucked before, it’ll be worse after the review.”
    Gavin hated to admit his brother was right. His gut told him there was more to that review than just business, and he was to blame. “Mia Casa was going bankrupt, Brando,” he said quietly. “It’s a family business and we’re all involved, but this place needs some changes to keep up with the times. Dating and partying is fine, but the restaurant needs twenty-four hour attention. Are you ready to do that?”
    “Sure. I’ll just imitate you. Abandon the restaurant and achieve a crappy review from the most important food critic in town. Pure genius.”
    Mama shook her finger at his brother. “Language!”
    Gavin squeezed his eyes shut. Unfortunately, his brother spoke the truth. Crap, why hadn’t he suspected she was on a formal review? Because the moment he laid his gaze on her, he’d been toast. When he left her years ago, she’d been ready to embark on her studies at the culinary. He figured she’d be a prestigious chef, and kept track of her progress while overseas.
    Instead, she exploded in the papers and high-profile magazines as the hot new reviewer in the city. He studied everything she’d ever written. Her work demonstrated a sharp-witted style, a wicked sense of humor, and an old-fashioned tendency toward fairness.
    But Sunday’s column was personal, and Mia Casa took the hit. How much money had he already sunk into the renovations and big-time advertising to build a new client base? A menu overhaul almost put him in the hospital, as each item needed to be argued over with his parents, while his mother mourned the loss of traditional favorites.
    The celebrity chef stunt almost lured him to quit. Almost. He demoted Antonio to assistant, and splashed the announcement of the big new hire of a well-known chef from the Food Network. His grizzled appearance and world-weary expertise was impressive. Gavin figured the guy could take any crap his family threw at him and get Mia Casa big exposure.
    Wrong.
    His family plotted the chef’s demise from the beginning. Expensive truffles suddenly