Chapter 1
Malibu in April. Nice. LAPD homicide detective lieutenant Jeff Chandler turned the steaks he was grilling on the patio deck of his beach house. With the arrival of spring, Jeff and his husband, robbery detective Mickey Stanton, entertained their guests. LAPD community police officer Joe Scarbino, and his Hollywood movie star spouse Jeremy Runner. It was still too chilly to swim in the Pacific Ocean, but nice enough to play volleyball or walk on the sandy beach. Mickey stepped onto their patio with a platter. “How’s the steak?” Jeff inspected the choice cuts and used a two-pronged fork to remove them from the grill. “Done.” Joe poked his head out of the glass sliding door. “Are we eating inside or out?” Jeff closed the lid of the gas grill as the grease continued to smoke from the fatty meat. “How about inside?” Mickey brought the platter into their kitchen and placed it on the table. Jeremy had made a garden salad and was tossing it in a large ceramic bowl. Joe, with his dark brown hair and matching eyes, held a beer in his hand and leaned his back against the counter. “What can I do?” he asked. Jeremy placed the salad on the table and kissed Joe’s lips. “Eat.” “Oh, I will,” Joe purred sensuously and cupped Jeremy’s ass cheek. Mickey laughed at Joe’s answer, because the four of them planned on having group sex for dessert. Jeff removed condiments from the fridge, ketchup, salad dressing, and barbecue sauce. The kitchen table could seat six and had a great view of the beach and ocean through the glass sliding doors. Mickey asked, “More beer? Water?” Jeff set out tall tumbler glasses and a pitcher of filtered water on the table too. He then sat down, and they passed the food around. Joe finished his beer, dropped the bottle into a recycling bin under the kitchen sink, and joined them. They each took a baked potato and piece of steak to their plates and then handed the salad bowl around. “So,” Jeremy said, “This Saturday Mark’s sons are having their bar mitzvah?” “Sons?” Mickey asked as he split the steaming potato and added butter. Jeremy nodded and replied, “Yeah. I guess the three boys are doing it together.” “Three.” Jeff had the invitation someplace but couldn’t remember where he’d put it. Joe chewed the steak and said, “Yeah. Zak, Jake, and Stan’s and Bryan’s son, Hal.” “Oh!” Jeff said with a laugh, “I get it.” Mickey dipped the rare steak into barbecue sauce on his plate and asked, “Have any of you ever been to one before?” Jeremy laughed. “I had one!” “You’re Jewish?” Mickey asked. Joe laughed. “You didn’t know, Mick?” “Obviously not.” Jeff winked at his hot hubs. “Good steak, Jeff.” Jeremy nodded as he chewed. “What’s ceremony about?” Mickey poured water into his glass. Jeremy finished chewing and replied, “It’s a passage into manhood.” “Thirteen?” Joe smirked. “Yup. Into the teens.” Jeremy crunched on a slice of radish and then said, “Have you seen Isaac lately?” They were speaking about the Nation’s Top Male Model’s son, Isaac Milton Richfield. Mark Antonious Richfield had three sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Alexander, was in his thirties, while his two younger boys were thirteen and fourteen. Jeff and Mickey exchanged glances. “We were at the estate with you guys in February.” Jeff gestured to his husband, “Zak was all over Mickey.” “I thought Byron was his boyfriend.” Joe sat back after finishing the steak. He belched and drank ice water. “He is,” Mickey said, “… but when Byron isn’t there…” Jeremy chuckled. “It’s cute.” Jeff and Mickey exchanged glances. “It’s only cute when they’re really young. It’s fucking awkward now.” Mickey moved his empty plate aside. “Does anyone want another piece?” Jeff indicated the leftover steak. “No. I don’t eat red meat much anymore,” Jeremy replied. “We don’t either, but the prime cuts were on sale,” Mickey said. “Too bad you don’t have a dog.” Joe smiled. “You could give it to them.” “Speaking of dogs,” Jeremy asked also finished eating, and sipping the ice water, “Do you guys see Billy and Alex at all?” Jeff figured Jeremy meant Lady, Billy and Alex’s Saluki-mix mutt. “Only when we have the gang here visiting. We’re not that tight with Sharpe.” Jeff stood and took the empty plates to the sink. “Let us help clear up, Chandler,” Joe said. “It’s fine.” Jeff rinsed plates and loaded the dishwasher. Mickey stood to return items to the fridge and refill the water pitcher. Joe asked, “Are we gonna play around?” Jeff smiled at Mickey as he continued to rinse plates and stack them into the washer. Mickey winked at him with a grin. Jeremy saw it and said, “I take that as a yes.” Joe pumped his fist. “Awesome.”
