Late afternoon on this Friday in June, Mark Antonious Richfield the Nation’s Top Male Model, entered the kitchen of his thirteen-bedroom manor house in his estate in Paradise, California.
The noise level from nearly thirty occupants, including one dog, was at its peak. Earlier this afternoon, Mark had his friends and family flown to Sacramento from Los Angeles in his private jet.
From Sacramento, Mark’s chauffeur, Louis, shuttled the group in a rented van to his middle son’s science fair. The fair was at the school and marked the end of both his young sons’, Isaac Milton Richfield, and Jacob Bentley Richfield’s school year.
This weekend was Father’s Day Sunday, and it was the first large gathering Mark had in months.
Most of the guests were familiar faces, couples that visited often, stayed in the same guest bedrooms, and knew the routine.
There was only one man invited whom Mark had never met.
Keith O’Leary and his husband Carl Bronson, both Hollywood actors, had invited their new chef, Eric ‘Coco’ Cochran, a lovely nineteen-year-old graduate of the Culinary Institute, to join them and help Mark’s chef, Sierra, in preparing meals.
Included in the gathering of male couples, was Sharon Tice, Jacob’s mother and Mark’s former ex-fiancée. Sharon recently remarried her second husband, French actor Henre Ward. The handsome man accompanied Sharon and her two high-school aged daughters, Chelsea and Elizabeth Ann.
Mark’s husband, Steven Jay Miller, whom Mark had married for a second time after being married to Stan Bergman, Isaac and Jacob’s father.
Mark paused near the kitchen nook, a bench seating area with a grand view of the outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts, and paddock and stable for their horses.
His eldest son, actor Alexander Mark Richfield’s looney white Saluki-mix mutt, Lady, raced between Mark’s legs and outside through a dog-door they had installed whilst Alexander and his LAPD lieutenant husband, Billy Sharpe, lived here.
Chasing the white fluffy mutt outside, were his two sons, Jacob, who was eight, and Isaac, who was nine, along with Isaac’s new friend, Byron. The three youngsters were in bathing suits. The clamber distracted Mark from what he was going to do, which was make sure Sierra and Coco got along well, and could cook as a pair.
Sierra was a mature woman, matronly in shape, and married to their manservant, Warren. It appeared the two chefs were getting along swimmingly. When Mark was finally able to focus on them, they were laughing and acting like best mates.
“Sierra?” Mark asked over the noise of men walking behind him either going for a swim on this warm June day, or intending on playing basketball or tennis.
“Yes?” Sierra asked in the noise.
“Are we good with the situation?”
Coco, a stunning blue-eyed blond with a body like Adonis, gazed at Mark as if he were a little starstruck.
Sierra gave Mark her thumbs up of approval and replied, “Coco’s going to do the starters and side dishes, while I handle the main courses and desserts… at least for now.”
“Lovely.” Mark was pleased.
Coco said, “We’re swapping recipes. I’ll teach her my brioche and she’s teaching me her bagels!”
Laughing at how adorable the two chefs were, Mark felt relieved there would be no tension between them.
Just as he decided what he would like to do next, Mark’s thirty-five-year-old son Alex and actress transgender Swedish model, Tadzio Andressen, approached from the hallway, coming from the bedrooms they shared with their husbands. Both were in bathing suits to enjoy the warm afternoon and outdoor pool.
“Hi, Dad.” Alex, with his shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes, looked so much like him, Mark wondered if people on the streets of Los Angeles mistook Alex for him.
“Are you swimming?” Alex asked him.
“I’ve not decided yet.”
Tadzio, with her long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, had top, but not bottom surgery. She had married Alex’s husband, Billy Sharpe’s nephew, Matt Nolf. Matt was also working for the LAPD as a patrol office, while his fifty-five-year-old lieutenant uncle was an instructor for the police academy.
“Okay.” Alex kissed him and he and Tadzio continued to the kitchen’s back door.
Next to wander by were Jeff Chandler and Mickey Stanton. Another married pair of cops, Jeff a homicide lieutenant and his hot partner, a robbery detective.
The couple were in shorts, topless, and were quite the sight.
Jeff drew Mark into his arms sensually. “Do you want to play basketball with us, gorgeous?”
Whilst Jeff nibbled Mark’s neck, sending chills over his body, Mickey called to Billy Sharpe, who was on his way towards them from the bedrooms down the hall, with Matthew.
“I doubt I can compete with you bruisers.” Mark smiled at Jeff’s affection, which he knew was loving and kind.
Billy, Mark’s son-in-law, was also in just gym shorts for the basketball game. The man may be in his fifties, but worked out harder than any man Mark ever knew. The former army vet was more like a drill sergeant than a passive lover.
“Let’s go!” Billy, with his biceps barbed wire tattoo, with ‘Alex’ scrolled into it, clapped his hands. “Miller! Larsen!” Billy roared.
Matt laughed at his uncle and left the house.
