by Ella Frank
HIS MOTHER HADN’T been wrong. From the second the three of them walked into the kitchen until now, an hour later, Robbie’s sisters hadn’t stopped talking over the top of each other to ask Julien and Priest anything and everything about themselves.
What did they do? How did they all meet? How old were they? Thirties was all they got there. But just as Robbie had suspected, nothing was off-limits, and surprisingly, Julien and Priest had an easy answer for every question.
It was weird, really. Robbie had been so nervous about asking these simple questions of these two when he’d first met them, that he’d figured it would be as awkward for his family as well. But somehow Julien and Priest seemed to fit right in, and were apparently happy to stand in a kitchen with four nosey Italians as they prepped the seafood for the big stew his mother was making for dinner.
Julien had been put to work on filleting the fish, since he was an expert. Robbie was on the other side of the kitchen with Felicity cleaning and cutting the calamari, while Priest…Priest had been commandeered by Valerie to deal with the filling of the cannoli, and that was quickly becoming the entertainment of the afternoon.
“So you’re a lawyer?” Valerie said, as she put a tray of empty cannoli shells in front of Priest.
As Priest smiled down at the shortest of the Bianchi clan, Valerie practically batted her lashes at him, and Priest glanced in Robbie’s direction. Robbie quickly looked away, trying to hide his smirk because payback is so delicious…really it is.
“I am, yes,” Priest said, polite as can be as Valerie handed him a plump piping bag full of the sweet ricotta mixture. “Julien might actually be better at whatever it is we’re about to do here.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Valerie said as she picked up one of the pastry shells and directed Priest’s hand so the tip of the nozzle was at the opening. “You just have to squeeze with a firm, steady hand. You can do that, right?”
Robbie snorted, trying to hold back his amusement, but Priest’s expression was priceless. His eyes had widened at Valerie’s boldness, and he appeared speechless as she brushed her blonde hair over her shoulder and moved even closer.
Robbie probably should’ve mentioned something about Valerie’s affinity for gingers. He’d been going to in the car on the way up there, but that would’ve taken away half his fun, and watching her fawn all over Priest, and seeing him squirm, was making Robbie’s afternoon.
“So which one’s the better kisser?” Felicity asked under her breath, and Robbie’s head whipped around so fast that he was surprised it didn’t fly right off his neck. As he gave her a look that screamed, Shut your face, she just laughed and blew one of her black curls out of her eyes. “Come on. Don’t act like some kind of saint now.”
Leaving Priest to fend for himself, Robbie reached for his next victim and started chopping a little harder than necessary. “I’m not,” he said through gritted teeth. “But a lady doesn’t tell. Especially in his mother’s kitchen.”
“Since when have you been a lady? And I’m sure you’ve done much worse in this kitchen,” Felicity said, then took a sip of her Chardonnay.
“Have not. But I’m not about to tell you now. Ma is right over there. I don’t want her finding out that—”
“You’re a big slut?” She grinned.
Robbie picked up one of the octopuses and dangled it at her. “Want one of these in your bed tonight?”
She scrunched her nose and held her hands up. “Well, yours will be too full, so yes, he can come sleep with me.”
“You’re lucky we aren’t staying here, or you’d be in so much trouble.”
Felicity put her wine glass on the counter and frowned. “What do you mean you aren’t staying here?”
Robbie glared at her, but Felicity merely raised her eyebrows, expecting a response.
“We just thought it would be easier if we stayed at a hotel down at the waterfront.”
“Easier?” Felicity said, and when their mother left the kitchen, she said, “Pazzo. The minute Ma hears you aren’t staying here, she is going to have a conniption fit.”
“Which is why I haven’t told her yet,” Robbie said, as he reached for the next slippery little sucker. “I’m kind of hoping that Penny”—as if on cue, Robbie’s oldest sister Penelope pushed open the back door of the house and stepped into the kitchen—“shows up.”
Penny looked the picture of perfection with her high-waist A-line dress of white and navy, and cute little cropped cardigan. Around her neck sat the gold crucifix she’d been given on her sixteenth birthday, and as Robbie’s eyes dropped to her pregnant belly, all he could think was: Aw, we’re such a good little Catholic family. The unwed pregnant daughter, and the gay son who brought his married boyfriends home. Oh well, we can’t all be perfect.
“Well, well, look who’s here,” Penny said as she walked to Robbie, then kissed him on the cheek. “I didn’t believe Felicity when she said you’d actually agreed to come home for the weekend.”
“Really?” Robbie said, as he washed his hands and picked up his wine glass. “Because I believed her in a hot second when she said you got knocked up by golden boy Jack Paulson.”
Penny aimed daggers at their sister. “God. You have such a big mouth, Felicity.”
Oh shit, here we go.
“He was going to find out anyway,” Felicity said. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“The big deal is Jack’s married and it was a one-night, stupid, drunken mistake.”
“So no one knows but…us?” Robbie said. “How scandalous. Does Jack know?”
“Yes,” Penny said, her voice lowering. “But that’s it. He refuses to tell Mary Beth yet, and had a fit when I said I wanted to tell Ma and Pa. So for now, it’s easier with the families so close to just—”
“Lie?” Robbie offered.
Penny smacked him in the arm. “I’m not lying, I’m just—”
“Omitting the truth?” Felicity suggested.
“You need to keep a lid on it,” Penny said to her. “I don’t want to be the focus of any more gossip than I already am.”
“Umm, newsflash,” Felicity said. “Unless you go into labor this weekend, you’re not the one who’s going to be under scrutiny for the next three days. Robbie and his married couple are.”
“Felicity,” Robbie said, and when everyone in the room stopped and looked at them, Robbie realized how loudly he’d said that. “I…I don’t know how many times we have to have this argument. I won the karaoke challenge last year. Don’t even play.”
Priest’s eyes narrowed as he toweled off his hands, and Julien grinned. There was no way in hell they believed that bullshit story for a second.
But then Robbie’s ma—God bless Ma—walked back into the kitchen and said, “I think Robert’s right, honey. He did that peppy little song about calling someone—what’s the name of it again? It was stuck in my head for days.”
Valerie put her hand on Priest’s bicep. “‘Call Me Maybe.’ He was obsessed with it.”
Robbie arched an eyebrow at his touchy-feely sister. “Well, he’s going to be calling you never, Val. So hands off.”
Valerie hugged Priest’s arm, and Robbie rolled his eyes as she began humming the song, and when the rest of his sisters started to sing the chorus, Robbie’s heart lodged in his throat.
If Priest and Julien weren’t both standing there staring at his blushing cheeks—and insane family—Robbie might’ve gotten a good laugh out of his sisters singing around the kitchen like they used to when they were teenagers. As it was, he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
“You suck,” he told Valerie, who winked.
“As do you, I’m sure.”
“Valerie,” their mother said as she opened the fridge. “That’s no way for a lady to talk.”
Robbie grinned triumphantly, and thought he was off scot-free until their ma grabbed some butter and turned to pin him with that stare of hers. “Or young men, for that matter.”
Robbie’s eyes shifted to Julien, who was washing his hands at the center island as he mouthed cheeky, and Robbie’s legs suddenly felt unsteady.
“Ugh,” Penny said, recapturing everyone’s attention. “That song is like the plague—utterly contagious.”
Valerie started laughing, and then turned to gaze up at Priest. “And I don’t do it half as good as Robbie.”
“I’m sure he’s something to see,” Priest said, and when he turned his eyes on Robbie, it was all Robbie could do not to grab hold of the counter to keep himself upright.
Okay, Julien and Priest needed to get back to work and stop looking at him, because they were making him forget his brain and how to do simple things like, you know, stand and…talk.
“He showed us his rendition of a certain Starship song,” Priest said. “Maybe we can convince him to show us this one too.”
“Oui,” Julien said, “Starship has never sounded so good.”
Robbie was about to mention one other time a Starship song sounded pretty amazing, in a horrible way, when his mother hugged him into her side.
“He always was the little performer, weren’t you, baby?” she said. “Dressing up in my high heels and your sister’s skirts. He really was quite pretty.”
“Was? Thanks, Ma,” Robbie said, shaking his head. “And I don’t think they need to know all of this.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re still pretty. And I always thought you and Felicity would’ve made a fabulous little pop group.”
“Oh my God,” Robbie muttered, his cheeks now burning with embarrassment. “Kill me now.”
As the loud rumble of a truck sounded, everyone in the kitchen fell silent as Robbie and his sisters looked toward the back door. Ma put the tub of butter on the kitchen counter and squeezed Robbie’s arm.
“Right,” she said, and aimed a smile at Julien and Priest. They were also staring at the back door, their smiles from a moment ago having been replaced with serious expressions, because the final Bianchi had just arrived home. “I’m going to go out and help your father. I trust you can all look after our guests.”
The girls nodded, and Robbie stood beside Julien and Priest.
As his mother pulled open the door, she aimed one final look across the kitchen to where her son stood with his “guests,” and then headed outside to greet her husband.
AS THE BACK door slapped shut against the side of the house, Robbie jumped, and Valerie flew across the kitchen to join Penny and Felicity, who were now peering out the side window.
Priest looked at Julien, who grimaced, and then they both turned to Robbie, who seemed frozen to the spot by the tension that had just blasted through the kitchen like an arctic wind.
Up until now, things in the Bianchi family had been fairly relaxed with Priest and Julien. Robbie’s mother had invited them into her home, introduced them to her daughters, and then put them to work in her kitchen. But in the back of Priest’s mind, this was the moment they had all been waiting for. The moment when they would finally get to meet the missing Bianchi, Robbie’s father.
They didn’t really know a lot about him, Robbie didn’t talk as much about his father as he did his mother and sisters. But Priest didn’t take that as a slight toward the man, because whenever Robbie did talk of him, it was always with affection and a proud edge to his voice that made Priest…curious.
As Julien wiped his hands on the dishtowel, he leaned into Robbie until their sides brushed and said under his breath, “Est-ce que tu vas bien?”
One thing Priest had come to admire about Robbie over the course of knowing him was his strength of self, and he had to believe it came from the people in this house. So he was very interested in how this was all about to go down.
“I, uh, yeah,” Robbie said, and then nodded a little too fast. “I’m okay.”
“Good,” Priest said, and placed a hand on Robbie’s back. “I think it’s important that your parents have this moment without us there at first.”
“I agree,” Julien said. “I don’t want them to feel they have to put on an act just because we’re in the room.”
“I know,” Robbie said, but his voice cracked a little. “Pa’s just… I just don’t want to disappoint him.”
Julien trailed a fingertip under Robbie’s chin. “Mon cher petit. I don’t think you could disappoint anyone.”
“Ugh,” Robbie said, and turned toward Julien to rest his forehead on his shoulder. “Then why am I so nervous? Maybe I should just go out there and talk to them.”
“Non. Non. I think it’s best you stay here and help me keep a certain little blonde and her piping bag at bay. I think someone has a crush on our Priest.”
Priest let out an inelegant sound, and his eyes shifted to the three women chatting amongst themselves over at the window.
Robbie’s sisters were so incredibly different from one another, and yet so lively and animated, just as he was. They never stopped smiling or joking around with one another, and that love of life, that enthusiasm to welcome strangers into their house, made it clear why Robbie had turned into such a vibrant man. This environment he’d grown up in had nurtured a kind, joyful soul and was the very thing Julien and Priest loved most about him.
“Sorry we’re being so rude,” Penny, the oldest—and pregnant—sister said, when she spotted Priest looking their way. Then she crossed over to the three of them.
She was a beautiful woman, the pregnancy not diminishing that in the slightest. She had the same dainty cheekbones and blue eyes as Robbie and their mother, whereas his other two sisters had more cherubic faces with rich brown eyes.
“I didn’t even properly introduce myself. I’m Penny, Robbie’s oldest sister. And I know who you are,” she said as she flashed a smile at Julien. “Mr. Thornton.”
“Call me Julien. Please.”
“I’m so disappointed I wasn’t able to come to your restaurant’s opening, but…” She gestured to her swollen belly, and Julien chuckled.
“There’s no need to be disappointed,” Julien said. “You have an open invitation. Whenever you come to Chicago, let us know and I’ll make sure there’s a table available.”
“Are you kidding?” Valerie said, as both her and Felicity joined them on their side of the kitchen.
“Non,” Julien said, and ran a hand down Robbie’s arm. “Any family of Robbie’s is always welcome at JULIEN. At any location.”
Valerie brought a hand up to cover her chest and sighed, much the same way Robbie did whenever he was caught in Julien’s spell.
“Robbie said there’s even a table that overlooks the kitchen,” Felicity said. “For private dining.”
Priest didn’t miss the mischievous light in Felicity’s eyes as she winked at her brother, and if he had to lay bets, he’d guess that Robbie had filled her in on their first date, and just how private that room could be.
“That’s right,” Julien said, as Robbie’s cheeks reddened. “The Skybox. It’s our personal table. Always reserved. But if you’re ever in town, you have my permission to ask for it by name.”
“I’m going to take you up on that,” Penny said, and then turned her attention to Priest. “And you must be the famous lawyer who helped out Vanessa.”
Priest cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, that would be me.”
Valerie ran her eyes over Priest’s frame—not for the first time—and shook her head. “Man did Robbie hate you when you first met.”
“Val,” Robbie said, and tried his best to glare her to death.
“Oh, come on,” Valerie said. “I’m sure he already knows how you felt. It’s not like you’re very good at hiding your feelings.”
“Neither are you,” Felicity pointed out, then took a sip of her wine. “You’re looking at him like you’re going to pounce on him. Calm down, Val, he’s gay.”
Robbie groaned. “Could you all be any more embarrassing?”
“It’s okay,” Priest said, and then looked to Felicity and Valerie. “But to a
nswer you, Valerie, yes, I was very aware of Robert’s…less-than-glowing opinion of me.”
“Robert, huh? No one gets away with calling him that but Ma.” Valerie laughed, and Priest couldn’t be sure, but he could’ve sworn Robbie groaned again. It was really a head-trip to see elements of Robbie in each of these lovely ladies. But it was right there: the teasing, the attitude, and the mischief.
“Pa used to call him that too. Whenever he got in trouble,” Felicity added.
“Which I’m sure was more often than not,” Priest said.
Robbie aimed accusatory eyes Priest’s way. “Okay. That’s it. I don’t have to stand here and—”
“Listen to us talk about you?” Penny said. “Since when have you shied away from the spotlight?”
Robbie poked his tongue out at his eldest sister, and Priest decided to step in and break up the brewing Bianchi battle. “We assume whatever is going on out there right now has to do with us.”
“I think that’s a pretty safe bet,” Felicity said, and her lips curved. “It’s not every day your son brings home his married boyfriends to meet the family.”
“Oh my God,” Robbie said. “Way to be subtle, Felicity.”
“Please. We’ve all been thinking it. I was just the one brave enough to mention it.”
Julien nodded. “Oui. It is a rather unique situation.”
“Yeah. But Robbie’s never done anything by the book,” Valerie chimed in. “Have you, brother?”
Robbie rolled his eyes.
“But this must be serious,” Penny said, as she sized Julien and Priest up. “He’s never brought anyone home with him, and—”
“He’s right here,” Robbie said, and put his hands on his hips. “Would you three stop grilling them? Damn.”
“It is serious,” Julien said, answering Penny, as he stepped into Robbie’s side and took his hand.
“Very serious,” Priest added, taking his other hand.
Three pairs of eyes widened at that, and then Penny said, “Serious as in…?”
Priest opened his mouth, about to respond, when some loud Italian words drifted through the kitchen window, and all of them turned in the direction of the back door.