Page 49 of Priest (Confessions 3)

“You are just heavenly,” Sofia said. “But stop that or you’ll make a fool out of this old lady.”

“Non. Not possible,” Julien said as he straightened to his full height. “I see no old ladies here.”

Sofia swatted at his chest, and as she did, Felicity walked over and stopped by Julien’s side. Robbie frowned and looked beyond them, clearly looking for his other sisters.

“I see Robbie’s introduced you to Ma. You’ve been spared the rest of us Bianchis tonight; something came up,” Felicity said as though they were all old friends, and when a sly smile curved her lips, Julien could see the same little minx that resided in their princess gleaming in her eyes.

Robbie turned his attention to Felicity. “Something came up?”

“Ah, yes,” Felicity said, and her entire face lit up with a devious grin. “Penelope had to stay home at the last minute…food poisoning. Val decided to stay with her, and so did Dad.”

Robbie let out an inelegant sound that had everyone looking at him, including his mother, and then he seemed to collect himself and shook his head as though very concerned by this news.

“That food poisoning can be really bad, I hear.” He let out another small chuckle that had Felicity giggling. “Can last months and months.” After that, he lost it.

Sofia frowned at her children before turning back to Julien. “Excuse them. They get a bit ridiculous when around one another. You and Mr. Priestley were telling me how you met my Robert.”

“Oui,” Julien said. “Priest helped your cousin Vanessa, and I met Robbie at his job, The Popped Cherry.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” Sofia said, as she looked between the three of them. “I’m so glad that Robert’s found such lovely new friends.”

Felicity coughed at that, and Robbie glared at her before turning to his mother. “Thanks, Ma. They are lovely,” he said, but conveniently left out any part that labeled them as “friends.”

Sofia’s eyes narrowed a fraction, and then she looked between the two men she’d just met. Julien knew without a doubt that the wheels were turning. It was in the assessing way she was now looking at him and Priest.

“And, um, how did you two say you knew one another?” she asked, and Julien and Priest looked to Robbie, who raised his eyes heavenward, as if he’d known this was coming and there was no fighting it.

“They’re married, Ma,” Robbie said softly. “Julien just keeps things private due to being in the public eye and all.”

“Ohhh,” she said, and nodded. “Well, you two make a striking couple, and both such gentlemen.”

“Merci,” Julien said.

Priest inclined his head. “That means a lot to us coming from someone who raised a dynamic man such as Robert.”

Her eyes lit at Priest’s use of Robbie’s full name, and she beamed. “I couldn’t agree more. My baby boy is truly special. Whoever ends up with him will be extremely lucky.”

“Stop it, Ma,” Robbie said, but wrapped his arm around his mother’s waist and pulled her into his side.

“It’s true. So whoever they are,” she said, and took either side of his jaw between her thumb and forefinger, making sure she had his complete attention, “they better treat you right.”

Her word choice of they didn’t escape anyone. When Robbie kissed the top of her head and aimed a crooked smile at Julien and Priest, all Julien could think was that they most certainly planned to treat Robert Antonio Bianchi right.

* * *

“DID I JUST see you standing over there chatting with your mother and your married boyfriends?”

Robbie would’ve known that voice anywhere, and when he looked up from Elliot’s text saying he was on the way, he spotted Logan Mitchell standing hand in hand with his husband, Tate, and let out a huff of air.

“Yes. Oh my God. I told them she would work things out the second she saw me with them. And I was right. She should’ve been a detective.”

Logan scoffed as he reached out to finger one of Robbie’s lapels. “Well, she didn’t murder either of them, so there’s that. You clean up nice, Bianchi.”

Robbie glanced down at his suit, remembering the reaction Priest and Julien had had to it earlier tonight. He aimed a cocky look at Logan and said, “I know.”

Tate chuckled and looked at the crowds of people now all moving toward their assigned seats for the night. “This place is something else. Julien sure knows how to make an impression.”

Robbie couldn’t stop the pride that filled him at the obvious admiration in Tate’s voice. He raised his eyes and spotted the skybox. “That’s a private table—well, floor, really. He was originally going to open it to the public because it overlooks the kitchen area as well as the actual restaurant. But once he moved in, he decided to keep it private for him and Pr—well, us.”

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