TOBIAS

“I like coming here,” Jacob announced.

Tobias had arrived late last night and this morning they were back at The Bluebell for Saturday brunch.

“I like it too,” Tobias agreed. “It’s getting to be quite a tradition with us, isn’t it?”

“What’s a tradition?”

“It’s like when you follow something, or when you do something with a group of people and you do it many times. Like at Christmas, when Santa leaves the presents under your tree, and you all get up the next day and open them together. That’s a tradition.
That’s what it’s like, when you pass things down.”

“Down where?”

“Down from my parents to me, and then,” he paused.
“And then maybe I could, we could,” he looked at Savannah, “we could pass it down to you, whatever the tradition was.”

“So coming to this place is a tradition?”

“No,” he replied, “but coming here the day after I return from a business trip seems to be.”

“Did you go in your private plane?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“To Seattle, then Houston, then back home.”

Coming home to these two made all the lonely days, the power deals and hard negotiations worthwhile.
Jacob had been asleep when he’d arrived back late last night and Savannah had waited up for him.
They’d talked for a while, catching up on each other’s week, but he’d fallen asleep soon after and there had been no time yet for a proper welcome.

“You’re going to fly in that plane soon,” Tobias told him. “When we to go Miami, after the party.”

“I can come this time?”

“You know you can, Jacob,” Savannah exclaimed. “No summer day camp for three weeks.”

His eyes sparkled. “Three whole weeks?”

“It’s going to be great, you wait and see,” Tobias told him. “How’s school been, buddy?”

But Jacob paused before answering.

“Jacob?” Savannah asked.

“’Sbeen good,” he replied, but Tobias could see through it.

“Just good?”

“Jacob Samuel Page,” said Savannah.

Yeah, thought Tobias. He was going to have to do something about changing that surname too.
Jacob Samuel Stone had a nice ring to it.

“What’s up, buddy?” he asked, as the server came over to take their order.

“Hey, Mr. Stone. Hey, guys.”
Tobias jerked his head up and glared at the server who was overly familiar and cheesy.
“Do you all know what you’re having this morning?”

“Not yet, could we have a few moments?” Tobias replied.

“Sure,” he replied, and then “Were you looking at properties in the Upper East Side?” he asked.

Tobias looked at the man with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. “You’re here to take my order.”

“Yes, sir. But would you care to comment anyway?”

“Comment on what?” Tobias snarled. What did it take to even have breakfast in peace? He could see his bodyguards rushing towards him. “Jacob, buddy. What are you having?” Tobias asked, ignoring the reporter, because he knew for certain that this man was an imposter.

Jacob sank lower in his seat, his expression somber.
“Hey,” said Tobias, reaching for his arm gently. “Sit up, buddy. Don’t be scared. It’s okay.” In the next moment, his bodyguards had each grabbed the server’s arms and dragged him towards the door. He didn’t go easily or quietly and a commotion ensued.
Diners turned and stared.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the imposter cried but Tobias’s men were cold, like robots.

They threw him out and stood over him, preventing him from re-entering the café.

A slow murmur spread around the café, and Tobias was familiar with that hush, followed by the prodding elbows, and stolen glances in his direction. People were realizing he was in their midst, and who he was with.

Another man, not wearing a server’s apron but a shirt and dressy slacks, rushed to Tobias. “We’re so sorry, sir. I don’t know how he walked in here and …”

Tobias waved his hand at him.

“I’m the manager here, sir, and if there’s anything I can do to make—”

Tobias’s gut twisted as he shook his head with silent rage. Another breach of security and with Savannah and Jacob by his side. He wasn’t happy. He held up his finger to silence the blubbering manager.

“We don’t want to lose your patronage,” the manager blabbered on in the background.

“You won’t lose it, if you give me some peace,” Tobias hissed, shaking with fury. The man scampered away without a further word.

“What just happened?” Savannah asked, looking fearful again.

Tobias closed his eyes for a brief second, hoping this hadn’t frightened her off. It would not do to have her take another step backwards.

“He was a sleazy undercover reporter rat scavenging for news,” Tobias replied, searching her face for her reaction.

It was important to know how she felt about these things because they would happen every now and then because his guards couldn’t always be next to him twenty-four-seven. Nor did he relish the idea of having them around him like a second skin.

What had happened was rare but it served only to reinforce his awareness that there was heightened interest in him now because of his love life. Ludwig had briefed him about the press and its ongoing speculation about his relationship.

Now the rumors had shifted to an impending proposal and wedding and he was going to outsmart them.
Unfortunately, incidents like this one would only increase over time.

“Was that man lying about who he was?” Jacob asked, staring out of the window where a small crowd had gathered.

“Unfortunately, Jacob, people do that sometimes.”

“Is it because of who you are?”

“Who am I?” Tobias asked, bemused.

“A filthy rich man.”

“Jacob!” Savannah cautioned.

Tobias peered closely at the boy who appeared to shrink back in his seat. He smiled. “Who told you that, buddy?”

“That’s what Henry Carson said.”

“Have you invited that little—” He paused, changing his choice of words, “that little boy to our party?”

Jacob nodded. “I didn’t want to, but I did because you said to.”

“Good boy, Jacob. Is he coming?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t say but everyone else is.”

Tobias turned to Savannah. “Did Candace give you an update about the RSVPs?”

“Mostly everyone is coming,” she replied, giving him an incredulous look. “Surprisingly, only two have declined, and they’re your mastermind buddies, who are out of the country. Plus, we’re still waiting to hear from the Carsons.”

He wasn’t surprised, most people showed up.

“Were they your security guards?”

“Yes,” replied Tobias.

“Are they always around?” Jacob sounded impressed.

“All the time, buddy.”

“Cool! You mean I never have to be scared again?”

“What are you scared of?” Savannah asked, turning to her son.

“Nothing, no more,” said Jacob. “We saw your mom!” he told Tobias, his exuberance returning.

“My mom?” Tobias turned to her in surprise. “When?”
And how come Savannah hadn’t mentioned anything last night?

“She came over a few days ago, when I got back from meeting Brigitte.”

“You never told me.”

Savannah smiled. “You only got back last night. I didn’t want to talk about that.” She hadn’t said much, not about the meeting with Brigitte Obenchain. Even when he probed, she’d had other things to distract him with, and he’d been happy enough to let her.

“I don’t know why she did that,” complained Tobias. “She knew I’d was away.”

“I thought she might.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with her alone.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Savannah replied. “She was nice.”

He snorted with laughter. “That’s impossible,” said Tobias, “You mentioning my mother and ‘nice’ in the same sentence. You don’t have to lie about her, Savannah. I know what she can be like.”

“She kept asking me about school, and who my friends were,” Jacob told him.

“Yeah,” said Tobias, feeling disgruntled. “That’s exactly what my mom would do.”

“Rosalee doesn’t like her neither!” Jacob added.

“Jacob!” admonished Savannah. “Rosalee never said anything of the sort.”

“She doesn’t like her,” Jacob persisted. “Your mom wanted to know if she was a cleaning lady or a cook.”

“I called Rosalee later and apologized,” explained Savannah.

“That’s my mother all over,” groaned Tobias.
“I see now why you say she’s an acquired taste.”

“What does that mean?” asked Jacob.

“It means,” said Tobias, running his eyes over the menu, “that not everyone will like her. She takes some getting used to.”

“I think I might have to get used to her,” said Jacob agreeing.

“Jacob! What is it with you this morning?” Savannah was shocked. “Don’t be so disrespectful.”

“What did I say?” asked Jacob, turning red as he lowered his head, no doubt knowing from the tone of his mother’s voice that he’d said something wrong.

Tobias chortled. “It’s not his fault,” he told Savannah. “I’ve learned that there’s no bullshit with kids. Sorry, buddy,” he said, knowing he’d committed the cardinal sin of swearing. “Children tell it as it is and they never dress things up. I like that.”

“Your mother wasn’t that bad,” said Savannah.

“Now you’re dressing it up,” he said, taking her hand. “You can be honest with me.”

“She could have been worse is what I mean.” Savannah explained, still obviously trying to rectify the situation, and he appreciated that she did.

He tugged at her hand and dropped a kiss on her lips.
“I love you,” he murmured, and he didn’t care who saw or heard him. “You don’t have to make excuses for my mother. I know exactly what she’s like.” He turned to Jacob. “Knowing her, I bet she probably interrogated you.”

The boy nodded his head vigorously.

“And she probably interrogated Rosalee. I’ll have to apologize to her when I see her. Is she coming to the party?”

“They all are. Her son and his wife and her grandson,” Savannah replied.

“Diego’s coming?” Jacob asked excitedly.

“Yes, he is.”

“Maybe I’ll apologize to her in person. Maybe,” he said, “I’ll embarrass my mother in front of her.”

“Tobias,” said Savannah. “You’ll do no such thing.”

“My mother thinks she’s above some people, and that’s not acceptable to me. I know she stopped by to look you over.”

“She’s a mother. I’d probably do the same if I were in her shoes.”

“Not the way she did,” he countered. “I’d rather not let our weekend go downhill talking about my mother all day long.”

“What are we doing today?” asked Jacob.

“We can do anything you like, buddy, but first we need to order some food. I was under the impression we came here to eat.”

Jacob giggled.

“I was going to meet with the realtor,” said Savannah.

He looked up.

Not that business again.

She’d hadn’t mentioned anything lately and he’d believed that she might have stopped looking. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with my mother, would it?”

“No.”

“You’re not a good liar, Savannah,” he said. “As it happens, I need to visit the realtor too.”

“What for?” she asked, surprised. “Is that what the reporter was talking about?”

“Who cares what he was talking about. He was digging for more information.”

“But was he onto something?” she asked, probing.

“He must have found out, these rats often do, that I looked at a few properties before I went away,” he replied, mesmerized by the flecks of amber in her eyes.

“Those big residential properties you mentioned before?” Savannah asked.

“That’s right, but they’d also be for investment purposes, obviously,” he said, quickly. A family home was an investment. “I’d like you both to tell me what you think of them.”