Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2021 18:03:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: styln10@comcast.net
Subject: Chapter 25 Robbie's True Love III

25.

Robbie and Tommy got up, showered with some brief kissing and stroking,
saving themselves for later that night after the party. They dressed
casually for breakfast and they walked into the living room. The doorbell
rang and Bradley, the butler, answered the door. Daniel and Cynthia
entered, and they all hugged and kissed their boys.

Bradley had set the table for four and chilled orange juice was waiting, as
well as delicious smelling French Roast coffee. Everyone sat down and
Bradley brought in a platter of scrambled eggs, sausage patties and home
fried potatoes.  Sour dough toast was also on the table with strawberry
jam. This seemed the easiest for everyone. Coffee was poured and everyone
tucked in.

Robbie asked his Dad, if they could take this suite permanently as they
would be down here often for the restaurant. Daniel agreed and said that
was fine. It would be easier than booking a room at the last minute. They
chatted about the restaurant and the re-opening that evening.  Robbie said
everything was set, the staff were great, and all were hard
workers. Especially the Raoul and Carlos, the kitchen staff, bussers, and
the dishwashers. Sandra, the person trying to park illegally, came in as a
server and so far showed great potential The new POS system was a fine
addition and should work well. It would be a fun evening. Cynthia asked
what the menu was, Robbie laughed and said they would have to wait and be
surprised.

Tommy asked how things were with both of them. Cynthia answered first and
said she was busy with her charity work and playing bridge. The house kept
her busy and they were looking forward to the new Opera season in the
September. Bradley poured more coffee.

Daniel said he had several meetings that day at the office in town and
would be gone for most of the day and needed to get going. Cynthia said she
wanted to do some shopping and asked if the boys wanted to go with her and
have lunch out. Both men thought for a minute and Robbie said let me call
the restaurant to see how things are going this morning.

Dean answered and said things were great. The flowers had come and the
whole place looked fabulous. "I've got things under control here, so take
the day and relax before tonight." He would see them about 5:00 or so as
the party started at 6:00. Dean also said they had a few more calls from
more people who wanted to attend. Robbie said that was fine.  "If you need
me, just call my cell as we will be shopping and having lunch with my Mom
and that we will see you tonight."

Daniel kissed Cynthia goodbye and hugged the boys and then left to go to
the office for meetings. They were thinking about buying several office
buildings in and around the L.A. area.  These buildings were good deals and
the corporation wanted to increase their real estate holdings in the area.

Just as they were finishing breakfast, Sgt Taylor called and the coroner
deemed Ralph's death as a suicide, so case closed for now. He also told
Robbie that he had a visitor two days before he died. It was his slightly
younger brother and seemed rather ruff around the edges and somewhat
unkept. His name was registered as Bernie. Bernie appeared to be in his
early 40's.  No one thought much of it although it was his only visitor
except for several attorneys that tried to work with him, but to no avail.

Sgt. Taylor, of course, was invited as a guest for the party and he had
accepted. He asked if he brought a guest, was it alright? "Of course, dear
friend, we will see you this evening, and again thank you for all your
guidance and help with this mess!"

After Daniel left, Cynthia and the boys were out the door to do some
shopping on Rodeo Dr.  and to have lunch at the Polo lounge. The hotel town
car had been brought around with a driver for the day. Robbie and Cynthia
got in the back while Tommy rode in the front seat.  Cynthia had mentioned
she wanted to go to LV for a new purse and wallet and then to Gucci, as did
Robbie, since he wanted a couple of pairs of new loafers and a couple of
belts. Also, to Hermes, for a belt for Tommy and a couple of ties. Robbie
and Tommy also got a couple of ties for the dads. Robbie would treat
Cynthia to a new scarf, which they were famous for, as well as a fabulously
expensive Birkin handbag. Cynthia already had several of the purses and was
carrying one today!

(They start at around $20,000 and up depending on the purse [been there,
done that] I would kill for one of the belts but those run from $850 to
over a $1000 and the leather straps alone are close to $900. Although, I do
have four men's ties from there. They cost about $200 apiece and they are
gorgeous!! True story, last time we were in Monte Carlo on a cruise, we
went for drinks at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino. We were in the lounge
having a drink before a show when three young ladies came in, each carrying
Birkin bags. They literally threw them on the floor before collapsing into
chairs and demanded service! Over $70,000 worth of purses being thrown
around? Who can figure!  Anyway, back to the story.)

They arrived at Gucci and found what they are looking for. Robbie found his
shoes and bought a pair for Tommy with matching belts. Cynthia really
didn't find anything special, so they headed to Louis Vuitton. Cynthia
chose a new purse with wallet and checkbook cover and a new make- up bag
with the classic LV logo. Tommy and Robbie each choose med sized travel
bags and a carry on also in classic LV style. Since they flew private,
there was no worry about theft.

It was nearing noon and a pick me up was needed, so off to the Polo Lounge
for a bite by the pool with large-iced teas and salads. They had their
purchases sent to the hotel and delivered to their suites. They were
excited about their shopping, and all were looking forward to the party
that evening.

Lunch was salads. Cynthia had a shrimp salad with Louie dressing, Robbie a
Cobb salad with blue cheese dressing and Tommy ordered a tuna salad. All
had iced teas. They were delicious.  They declined dessert. Cynthia looked
at her watch and said she wanted to get back to rest a bit before getting
dressed. Robbie and Tommy thought that was a great idea as well. On the
drive back to the hotel, Robbie said he needed to be there by 5:00 to check
on things. Tommy would go with the parents and arrive just before 6:00.

They returned to the hotel and the men escorted Cynthia to her suite. She
kissed each of her sons and thanked them for a wonderful day and would see
them later at the party. The guys let themselves into their suite and as
soon as the door closed, they were in each other's arms, kissing. Robbie
pulled back and said he had a great time shopping. Tommy agreed.

The men stripped off and laid down for a cuddle and a quick snooze. They
woke about an hour later and went to shower and dress for the
evening. There was a little playtime in the shower but both men decided to
save it for later, after the party. They dried each other off as was their
custom and picked out the suits they would wear for the evening. Robbie had
chosen a classic black Armani, with a black French cuffed dress shirt and
would pair that with diamond cufflinks and a black and white geometric tie,
a diamond lapel pin and black suede Gucci loafers.

Tommy on the other hand, had chosen the dark blue suit from Hugo Boss, they
had purchased for the wedding with a white shirt and striped tie in blue,
raspberry, and white. He had also brought his sapphire and diamond
cufflinks and dark blue Ferragamo leather slip-ons. The men kissed and
Robbie looked at his diamond Rolex seeing it was time to leave for the
restaurant.  Tommy was not dressed yet and he had a bit of time yet, as it
was only 4:45. One of the hotel town cars would drive him and he would come
back to the hotel with his parents in the hotel limo, a dark blue Rolls.

The drive was an easy one, just a bit of traffic and they arrived just
before 5:00. As he walked in he was amazed how fabulous everything
looked. The Chandelier gleamed and the flowers were fantastic. The whole
place looked great. The staff were checking the tables and the buffet
stations were organized. The staff looked excellent in all black with white
ties.

Robbie chatted with Dean, and they were both excited for the party to
start. As they were talking, Sgt Taylor arrived with a striking man at his
side. Sgt. Taylor (Andy) introduced the man as Gregory, his husband. The
man was tall, had dark hair, was clean shaven with gorgeous hazel eyes and
seemed to be very well built under his tailored dark suit. The men seemed
so suited for each other. Andy was also tall, with lighter brown hair and
green eyes, and equally well dressed.

Andy said they had been together for nearly five years. They had been
married for two. They lived in West Hollywood where Gregory was a lawyer
specializing in family/inheritance law. He was doing very well and would
make partner soon.

They walked to the bar and each ordered Chardonnay. Ryan smiled and the men
thanked him for the wine. As they stood there chatting, there was a ruckus
at the front door and a disheveled man entered demanding to talk to some
"fag named Rob," and right now! Dean asked what the problem was? He just
pushed Dean away. "I want the faggot now, and I mean right now!!"

One of the staff helped move the very scared Dean off the floor. Andy
stepped forward, asked what the problem was and showed him his badge. "I
want that faggot Rob now. He has to answer to me for my brother's death. He
walked into the bar and demanded the staff hand over cash and
jewelry. Robbie stepped forward and said "I am Robbie Blackford and I had
nothing to do with Ralph's death. That was his own doing. Ralph had stolen
major money from the restaurant, had slandered everyone and had claimed
ownership using forged illegal documents from my family corporation."

"Give me your fucking money now, faggot, as well as the jewelry you've got
on!!" He waved his gun around and then shot once up at the ceiling. The
shot scared everyone and one of the ladies screamed!

During this mess, one of the servers, a young man named Seth, silently
walked up behind Bernie, and crashed a bottle of wine on his head. He fell
like a ton on bricks, stunned. Andy stepped forward and grabbed the
gun. Then he handcuffed Bernie while an ambulance was called. He was still
slightly conscious as blood ran down his face. The ambulance arrived in
short order and so did several policemen.

Sgt. Taylor showed his badge and told the officers what had occurred. They
loaded Bernie into the ambulance while reading him his rights and placing
him under arrest. He would most likely stand before a judge in the coming
weeks. Thank goodness there were no guests yet. As the ambulance and police
drove away, the first guests started to arrive. Several asked right away if
there was a problem and were quickly assured that a guest had fallen and
was taken to the hospital for observation but was not seriously
hurt. Another disaster averted, thank God!!  Robbie and Tommy were shaken,
but it all had been handled quietly. The staff understood and were a bit
anxious but went right back to work as guests were arriving at any moment.

Everything was put back in order as more guests started entering and
everyone looked splendid. The dark blue Rolls pulled up and Cynthia, Tommy,
and Elsa, got out help with help of the driver. Cynthia looked stunning as
always, wearing a stunning midnight blue lace cocktail dress, by Givenchy
with matching evening heels also in dark blue lace.  Around her neck was a
stunning diamond and sapphire necklace with matching earrings and her
rather large 26 carat emerald cut, diamond wedding ring sparkled as well as
a huge sapphire and diamond ring on her right hand and a sapphire and
diamond bracelet. Thom Sr. looked stunning in his dark blue Hugo Boss
suit. They made quite a pairÉ

It was a short time later that Daniel arrived, also wearing a dark navy
suit from Armani and a white custom French cuffed shirt with a tie
featuring different shades of blue and silver. He added diamond and gold
cufflinks.  He greeted his sons and kissed his wife!! Nothing was said
about the incident. All the guests were dressed in similar fashion; The
ladies gleamed and sparkled while the men looked sharp in their wonderful
suits. Robbie greeted everyone as Hors`d oeuvres were passed and so were
glasses of wine, both red and white as well as champagne.

Just then Daryl and Sam walked in, dressed quite nicely, and greeted both
Tommy, Robbie and the senior Blackford's!  Daniel asked Sam how the new
horses were. "The delivery came this morning and if you have time, before
you head back up north, I would love to have you come and see them. I think
you will be quite pleased!!"

Daniel thanked Sam for his diligence and hard work.  Daniel also greeted
Daryl warmly and asked how things were going?

"Just great Sir and I'm happy to be at the ranch. I really love being
there!"

Sam and Daryl went to mingle and meet people. They seemed to fit in well!
Daryl was introduced for now as his good friend. They would save the
engagement news for the next day!  Some people knew that Sam worked at the
Blackford ranch as head of the horse stable and for handling purchasing. He
really was quite good at what he did. Consequently, he was paid very well
for his efforts, and he totally loved his job!!

Tommy was chatting with friends he knew from the offices here. He looked up
and standing before him were both Thom and Danielle, his parents. He was so
shocked he couldn't speak for a moment. Then he asked, "Mom and Dad, why
didn't you say you were coming?"

"For the simple reason, we wanted to surprise you both. SO SURPRISE!!! He
grabbed his Dad and gave him a huge hug and kiss and the gently grabbed his
mother and kissed and hugged her. "I love you both, play along with me." He
went over and grabbed Robbie and said, "I want you to meet a couple of
friends of mine." Robbie was slightly distracted and replied, "Ok Babe, and
was soon standing in front of his other parents. To say the least, he was
was dumbfounded!  "Mom, Dad. Why didn't you let us know you were coming, we
could have picked you up and gotten you a suite at the hotel!! What a grand
surprise. Thank you both for coming!!"

"You think we would have missed this party given by our sons? Are you bit
daft or what?? We already have a suite in your hotel and had one of the
Corporate cars drive us here for the evening!"

 A server passed with a tray of champagne, and each grabbed a glass. Daniel
stepped up and pinged his glass asking for everyone's attention. "For those
of you who don't know me, my name is Daniel Blackford. I am CEO and
Chairman of the Blackford Corp. Robbie, our son, runs the restaurant side
of our business and through his diligence and very hard work with his
husband, our other son, Tommy Gilman Blackford, he has brought this
restaurant back up to snuff. On behalf of our 10 restaurants in the San
Francisco Bay area, this one in Beverly Hills and a 12th restaurant in Palm
Desert, I wish to toast both our boys and extend a huge thank you.  Son,
congratulations for a job very well done!!!"

Tommy was standing with his husband and his parents, beaming with
glee. Everyone applauded!! Robbie took this opportunity to say a few
words. "Thank you to everyone for coming to our grand re-opening. After the
mess we had with an interloper, who claimed he was the `new manager' and
took over, firing all our wonderful help and stealing a substantial sum of
money, I am just glad we caught it in time. Everything is returning to
normal. With my husband Tommy, we rescued this establishment. I assure you
this will never happen again!!! So, everyone please enjoy it the
evening. Thank you again for coming."

The evening went as planned. Everyone was in line at different stations
raving about the food and how fabulous everything looked. Many stopped to
chat with Robbie and Tommy and with the senior Blackfords. The restaurant
actually looked better than before, and everyone was having a good
time. The food was fabulous. It was now after 10:00 PM and some guests
started to leave after feasting at the huge dessert table.

Sam and Daryl had been chatting to several people and now that things had
calmed down a bit, Sam asked to talk to everyone in the family about
something important. "I would like to meet in the morning over breakfast
and tell everyone something, if that is OK??"

Robbie then said, "That's a great idea. We will set up a breakfast buffet
in our suite for 10:00 AM for eight of us. We do have some family business
to discuss anyway. (He wanted to tell the parents about the near disaster
just before the party) So, we will see everyone at 10:00 in the morning and
come casual. The senior Blackfords left in the waiting Rolls and Elsa asked
for a ride back to the hotel. When most everyone had left, Robbie called
the crew together and thanked them for their hard work. There would be
bonuses for everyone. The restaurant would be closed Sunday and Monday. It
would be open for lunch on Tuesday. Robbie, Tommy, Sam, and Daryl shared a
ride back to the hotel in a limo that had been hired. Both Robbie and Tommy
were exhausted and couldn't wait to get back to their suite and collapse.

"I sincerely hope, in spite of that little bit of drama before the
re-opening of the restaurant, everyone enjoyed the event and felt it was a
success."

Much more to come in the next Chapter. Sam and Daryl's big announcement,
the family business to be discussed and of course Gerald's retirement from
the household. Stay tuned as always. Any suggestions or comments are
welcome. Stay safe during the new onslaught, wear your masks, get
vaccinated and please play with caution. Be yourself, be kind to and help
others when you can. And, as always, huge THANKS to Allen for his hard work
keeping this story readable and for posting it to Nifty, this great asset
for original stories!!!

Cheers,

Your Sexy Chef