Over The Rainbow - Georgetown Book II - 5. Over The Rainbow • Part V

Although the flight from Washington’s National to Boston’s Logan took less than ninety minutes, the actual door-to-door travel took over twice as long. Thankfully, the ride from the airport to the hotel was only fifteen minutes; they were ready to enjoy their weekend. The Ritz-Carlton accommodated an early registration and after dropping off their luggage, they headed out in search of food.

“I can’t believe you want to go to a tourist trap for your birthday lunch.” A doubtful expression tarnished CJ’s face.

“Leave me alone. Remember it’s my day and I get to choose.” Even though they gorged on seafood two days before at César’s fortieth birthday dinner, Owen insisted he wanted more. They were on the way to Faneuil Hall and the same spot Brad took them to when they previously visited Beantown. “I want clam chowder and a lobster roll. You promised I could have whatever I wanted for my twenty-fifth.”

“True dat. But there are some great seafood joints around Boston Common, within walking distance from our hotel.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll hit one of those tonight. I plan on stuffing myself with fresh lobster all weekend long.”

Because they had a late night on Thursday, and an even later one on Friday when they went drinking with members of the Scandals Rugby Football Club, Owen did not want to be out until the wee hours. Instead, after a spectacular meal at the restaurant the concierge suggested, they ended up at the movies watching Guardians of The Galaxy. It was a long time after returning to the hotel they at last went to sleep; by then both were tired, sweaty, and sticky. And CJ’s ass was feeling tender.

• • •

CJ sipped his second cup of coffee as Owen stirred from his slumber. They enjoyed the continental breakfast from room service, showered, dressed, and were outside the hotel as Mac and Hilary McNally drove up to take them to brunch. They had not seen the former Mrs. Kennedy since she and her husband were in Washington the previous June for her son’s graduation from high school.

“So, when did you guys last talk to Bradley?” Hilary sat in the passenger seat, her body twisted so she could look at the visitors in back.

“It’s been like two or three weeks, I think. He called us one night out of the blue.” CJ looked at Owen for confirmation and received a nod.

“That sounds about right. Although he did text me yesterday to wish me a happy birthday. When was the last time you spoke with him? Recently?” Having lived in the same house with Brad and his brother Patrick since moving from Australia, Owen was closer to the two than to any other member of their group.

“As a matter of fact, we did. Last night. We got one of those out-of-the-blue phone calls as you put it.” Based on what they had said before, the Kennedy brothers liked Mac a lot and were happy with him as their stepfather. “I spoke with him for a couple of minutes, but Hilary was on the phone for a while.”

“My son’s not the best at keeping in touch. We had a lot to catch up on. He told me he’d talked to your friend Chipper and was going to email you about it sometime today. They want you to do something with them.”

“Uh, oh… What are they up to? Ozzie and I saw Chipper in Washington over spring break. He didn’t mention anything about him and Brad plotting.”

“He said to tell you it has something to do with a guy named Clive who you met in South Beach last year.”

“The photographer?” CJ was confused. After meeting the man in August, he sent them the casual shots he took of the three friends but had not bothered them since. CJ had told him he was not ready for a photo shoot during the fall. He was too wrapped up in the presidential campaign at the time.

“That would be him. Brad told me Chipper already posed for him earlier this year.”

“Yep, we found out about it when Chipper was in DC. He told us Clive asked about us during a shoot down in Miami. He wondered if we would be willing to pose for a fashion spread sometime this year. But we haven’t heard anything else since.”

“I think the guy’s been stalking around you two before approaching you again. You may as well tell them what’s coming, Hilary.”

“I swear, Mac, you make it sound like a conspiracy. Anyway, to make a long story short, it seems this photographer wants to use the six of you for a big spread in Vogue.”

“HE WHAT?” He clamped a hand over his mouth for a moment. “Ooops, sorry about shouting. You surprised the heck out of me. What six of us?”

Mac’s guffaw was followed by a coughing fit. “Your little group of friends from high school. They’ve all been plotting behind your back. So it is a conspiracy.”

“Mac! You’re turning it into something bad and it isn’t! I guess Chipper showed the photographer a picture of him with the two of you, Brad, Harley, and Thiago. After his solo modeling, Chipper and Clive got in contact with the others. He wants you guys for a Versace campaign.”

“Ha! That’ll never fly. The Army wouldn’t want a Ranger doing modeling.”

“Shows how little you know, CJ.” Mac glanced in the rearview mirror and winked.

“Mac’s right. Brad approached his boss and received permission to do it. As long as there’s nothing obscene or controversial, his commanding officer thinks it would be great publicity. They’ve all agreed to it and Brad was elected to convince you two. That’s why he’s e-mailing you. He said it would be fun for you six to spend a weekend in New York having your pictures taken.”

• • •

After a short nap, they spent time in the hotel’s fitness center before getting ready for the evening. Although they had a growing collection of fanciful bowties, due to the occasion and the guest of honor they decided to eschew those colorful bits of fabric and donned black silk ones with their tuxedos.

“Oh my… It’s lovely. What do you know about it?”

CJ almost choked when Owen asked him the question. “You think it’s lovely and want to hear about a building?”

“Mate, you may be studying to become a diplomat, but I know how much you love architecture. That hasn’t changed. Some of your appreciation has rubbed off on me. I’m sure you read all about it already, so spill.”

The visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum was at the core of their trip to Boston. The invitation arrived with a hand-written note from Congressman Joseph Kennedy III encouraging CJ to attend.

He stared at the American flag hanging from exposed roof beams and visible through the floor-to-ceiling expanse of glass panes enveloping the structure’s atrium. Banks of floodlights illuminated the Stars and Stripes and made the building glow in the evening’s twilight. “It was designed by I. M. Pei. He’s the same guy who did that building in Miami I like. The one with two straight sides and a curve on the other. The one that gets lit at night. Anyway, this was done before he became world famous and Pei was chosen by Jackie Kennedy herself.

“It was originally supposed to be on the Harvard campus but neighbors were afraid of the traffic it would attract. This site used to be a garbage dump and they added yards of top soil before building. The entire thing’s a collection of geometric forms and that simplicity was something Mrs. Kennedy said attracted her to the architect.”

“How old is it?”

“Come on, let’s head inside. The building opened in the late seventies. It took a long time to get finished but damn if they didn’t get it right.”

“CJ!”

Owen earned himself a discreet elbow to the stomach when he leaned into CJ and whispered to him. “Mate, for real? We’re in bloody Boston at a place we’ve never been to and you get recognized?”

CJ could not deny there was a thrill to having your name called out by the former First Lady of the United States. Michelle Obama walked their way while the group surrounding her stared at them. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! And you too, Owen. Why haven’t you guys come visit us? We asked CJ’s brother about you last time Sasha had him over.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Obama.” CJ extended his hand, which was brushed aside so he could be hugged. “I promise next time Ritchie goes over, we’ll play chauffer and stop in to say hello.”

“Good. Barack and I want you to keep in touch. We think you have a bright future ahead of you and we’d like to be part of it.”

“Why is it I’m not surprised at finding you already talking to the First Lady?” Congressman Joseph Kennedy, III placed a hand on CJ’s shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. “I hope you don’t mind I took the liberty to invite CJ and Owen tonight, Michelle.”

“Mind? I’m delighted to have these two young men with us. Barack and I had the pleasure of visiting with them before and it’s been a most enjoyable experience.”

Owen smiled while CJ fidgeted; he felt uncomfortable with people talking about him. “Representative Kennedy―”

“Stop right there, CJ. You may have to use my title in public but not here. I’m Joe.” Kennedy let go of CJ’s shoulder and took a step to the side. “I’d like to introduce you to my cousin. Caroline, CJ Abelló and his fiancé, Owen Liston. Gentlemen, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy.”

“You’re engaged?” Michelle Obama leaned into Owen and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Congratulations! When’s the wedding? If it’s not a small, private affair I expect an invitation.”

“Ambassador Kennedy, it’s a pleasure.” CJ offered his hand to the daughter of the late President Kennedy. “We haven’t set a date, Mrs. Obama. The way my parents keep talking about it, I don’t think it’ll be small. Unless Owen and I decide to elope. One of my cousins did the same earlier this year and the idea’s appealing.”

“I don’t think eloping’s in our future.” Owen placed an arm over CJ’s shoulders while addressing the two women at the same time. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador. I think my life would be in peril if I don’t agree to some sort of ceremony. It’s not CJ’s parents or my own I fear. It’s his grandparents.”

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was named after President Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer prize-winning book, which recounted the stories of eight U.S. Senators who risked their careers by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good. Created in the late eighties by members of the deceased President’s family, it was designed to honor him and recognize the quality of political courage he admired most.

The award was presented each May at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in connection with the observance of President Kennedy’s birthday on May 29. The 2017 honoree was former President Barack Obama and the year’s celebration was special since it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the deceased President’s birthday.

“I hope that current members of Congress recall that it actually doesn’t take a lot of courage to aid those who are already powerful, already comfortable, already influential. But it does require some courage to champion the vulnerable and the sick and the infirm.” President Obama’s acceptance speech made the case for his expansion of health care coverage and against the current President’s attempts at overturning his predecessor’s signature legislative achievement.

CJ spent time talking to several attendees he had met during the previous year’s political campaign, but his most involved conversations were with Caroline Kennedy and her son Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, who bore an uncanny resemblance to his grandfather. She seemed to warm up to him after discovering he was a student at Georgetown University’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service and was interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy. She was candid about her personal experiences in that world while recounting her time as the United States’ ambassador to Japan.

When her attention was diverted by her duties for the evening, she handed CJ a business card asking him to call and promised to speak with him again whenever he felt like asking more questions. “My cousin Joe and Michelle seem to hold you in high esteem, CJ. I trust their judgement and will keep an eye on you from now on. If the Kennedy family can ever be of assistance in your career, you let me know. Politics is a noble endeavor. If you hear the calling, answer it. We need men and women committed to working for the good of the many and not the few.”

• • •

CJ went to Boston against his fathers’ wishes. Final exams for the spring semester began the Monday after the ceremony at the Kennedy Library and he had to arrange to take a test he would miss by returning to Washington too late to sit for it. He was certain the Kennedy family’s long association with Georgetown paved the way for his professor’s quick acquiescence to administer the examination at a different time, after the reason for missing it was explained.

“Hey, Papa, did you read the sports page yet?” CJ walked into the kitchen holding his tablet to find Brett nursing a mug of coffee with a section of The Washington Post spread on the breakfast bar.

“Morning. Haven’t gotten there yet. Why?”

“There’s an article about a guy named Robert Taylor―”

“Robert Paylor, not Taylor.” Brett shuffled the newspaper sections looking for the correct one. “He was injured in a rugby game on Saturday that left him paralyzed.”

CJ was busy refilling the empty mug he had carried back from the basement. “You know about it already?”

“Yeah, I got an e-mail about it on Sunday. An old friend from school’s still at Cal. He works there.”

“Wow, you still keep in touch with people you went to college with?”

“Dude, don’t sound so surprised. You know your other dad does too. And anyway, my best friend from those days lives right next door. I see him almost every day.”

“Duh! Damn, I keep forgetting you and JP were friends in school.”

“Yep, proud Golden Bears. Don’t worry. One day you’ll be explaining to your kids how you met Harley and the rest of your crew way back when.”

“The article said they’d started a GoFundMe page to help with the medical bills. Are you going to send them money?”

“Already did. Oh, and if Cal doesn’t pull out, we’re going to Philadelphia the first weekend in June.”

“How come?”

“Brett and JP want to show support for their alma mater.” César had walked down the stairs, dressed in a suit, ready for work. “There’s some sort of rugby tournament that weekend. I think they just want to ogle muscle boys wearing tight shorts.”

“Asshole! It’s called the Penn Mutual College Rugby Championship. Rugby 7s. Cal’s won it the past four years in a row.” Brett blew on his fingernails and buffed them against his bare chest.

“Cool, Ozzie’s gonna love going to it. And I won’t mind some ogling of my own.” CJ’s lopsided smile was wiped off his face moments later.

“Sorry, bud. Brett, JP, Tom, and I will be there but you can’t go.”

“What do you mean I can’t go?” CJ almost pouted but thought better of it; the dads would abuse about it for days if he did.

“Ritchie’s going to be in the midst of finals. He has to study and we don’t want to leave him alone that weekend.”

“Patrick can look after him.”

“Patrick’s not his brother. You are. Anyway, you’ve been in Philly often enough in the past year. I think most of the matches will be on TV. We’ll wave at you.”

“Assholes! Okay, I'm done with you people. Need to get back to studying for my test this afternoon.”

• • •

The end of the examination period did not mean CJ had time to be lazy―not that his personality would lead him to sit around doing nothing―but the arrival of Geoffrey and Pamela Liston meant he would be donning his tour guide hat while they were in the United States.

“Geoff! Pam!” Unlike with most trips to Washington National Airport, CJ parked his dad’s Escalade in the garage instead of driving up to the arrivals pickup area. He was waiting for his future in-laws inside the terminal when they exited the customs and immigration area.

The couple’s smiles could not have been bigger and when Pam was the first one to reach CJ, she hugged him, sobbing. “Darn it! I swore I wasn’t going to cry this trip and here I am slobbering all over your shirt already. Oh, it’s so good to see you, CJ. You have no idea how happy the entire family is about you and Owen getting engaged.”

“Welcome to the family, son!” Owen’s father eschewed the handshake and instead wrapped his son’s fiancé in a bone-crushing hug. “Well done, mate. Pam’s right, the entire Liston clan’s excited about you becoming one of us.”

Owen was sitting for his last examination when his parents’ flight arrived. Ritchie and Patrick were in school while César, Brett, Tom, and JP were all at work; it fell upon CJ to get the Listons settled in. Since Owen was practically living with CJ, his parents took over his bedroom in the house next door during their visit. They were invited to use one of the guest rooms at the Abelló-Davenport home but Geoff said he did not feel right staying anywhere but with his nephew John Paul.

That evening, both households came together. The meal was simple, with steaks grilled to perfection and wine flowing with ease. Food and drink were secondary to the happy conversation between the three older couples and the younger set. Owen was done with his tests and the remainder of the week he planned to be with his parents. Except for a couple of nights when he and CJ planned to attend pre-graduation parties.

• • •

After the long flight, a heavy meal, and lots of alcohol, the Australian visitors begged not to be woken up too early the following day. It was almost noon when they left the house with CJ and Owen. They did not go far; the young couple headed straight for The Tombs and lunch since Owen’s parents had missed breakfast.

“CJ! Where’ve you been hiding, bud?” Hank was one of the few servers who was not currently a college student; he had dropped out and started his own company. He worked when he felt like it and clients put up with it because he was a genius when it came to computers and networks. Even though he could support himself with that business, he clung on to his college days and remained at the Tombs years after he had left Georgetown.

“Ozzie and I were out of town for a few days. Then we were studying and taking finals. We’ll be around from now on. Nothing much planned until later in the summer.”

“Four for lunch? Your table?” The server reached into the wooden bin holding menus, took four, and headed towards the main dining area.

“CJ has his own table?” Pam walked next to Owen with Geoff and CJ behind them. Her question elicited chuckles from her son and the man she was talking about.

“Mum, you have no bloody idea what it’s like―wait, don’t sit there. That’s CJ’s spot. He likes to sit with his back to the wall.” Owen earned himself a scowl from his mother.

Once they were seated and ordered beverages, Geoff took up the questioning. “Okay, let me see if I have this right. One, the server knows CJ by name. Two, the server mentions CJ has his own table.” Geoff paused for a moment, glanced around the restaurant, and stared at CJ. “Nice pub to have your own table at, son. Okay, three, not only does CJ have his own table but he also seems to have his own chair at said table. On top of all that, my son tells his mother she has ‘no idea what it’s like.’ Would somebody, anybody, like to elucidate me? I have no bloody idea what’s going on.”

His future father-in-law ticked off each of his points with CJ smiling while he watched. When Geoff tilted his head at the end, it was too much. CJ burst out laughing a fraction of a second before Owen did. “I’m sorry.” CJ wheezed the words out, trying to bring his laughter under control. “I’m sorry. I just think it’s funny. Go ahead, Ozzie. I know you love doing this.”

“Mum, Dad, as I’ve told countless people before: Welcome to my world. CJ’s name being shouted out when he walks into a place’s normal. He seems to have the power to make others remember him. I’m used to it by now. And it’s not just in Washington. It happens in Miami and New York too. You’ll see.”

Owen’s parents looked uncertain; Pam voiced their doubts. “You’re exaggerating, aren’t you? I can understand him being known here and having a favorite table. He lives across the street and I bet you guys are in here all the time.”

“Mum, it happened in Boston earlier this month. At the bloody JFK library. By the former First Lady. And then Mrs. Obama bitched at him for not going to visit them at their new house.”

Their lunch turned into a litany of who, when, where, and why CJ―and in many cases CJ and Owen―appeared in the photographs on the wall outside their basement bedroom. It was not CJ’s favorite thing to discuss but Geoff and Pam seemed interested in the why more than the who when it came to the famous people. That made it easier for him to discuss the celebrities.

After lunch, the two locals led the visitors on a walking tour of their neighborhood. Owen’s parents wanted to see as much as possible of the university, so they roamed around campus for a while. CJ also took them to spots the Kennedys frequented in the fifties and sixties. He had come across a JFK inspired, walking tour of Georgetown during his reading ahead of the trip to Boston.

To complete their Georgetown Day as Pam called it, they went to Martin’s Tavern for dinner. The owner greeted CJ and Owen by name and asked them what booth they wanted. Geoff and Pam both chuckled while shaking their heads. They asked for the proposal booth and this time sat next to each other.

• • •

Carson moved into one of the basement guest rooms after the end of classes. He started his summer job at the Washington mayor’s office on Monday. He laughed when over dinner a month before, César and Brett agreed to let him stay at their house but warned he might see or hear things he was not used to. He appeared unfazed by the fact he and Ritchie would be the sole straight ones in the house.

Owen and Ethan were graduating from the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School on Saturday; Friday night they headed to one of the many parties hosted by classmates. Patrick, Carson, Tank, Thiago, and the other Squad members in town were invited to come along. Returning home with a few drinks in them, the Uber driver threatened to throw them out of the car if they did not keep the volume and horseplay down.

Saturday morning, the dads discovered they had a full house. Ethan and Tank shared the second floor guest room while Thiago took the remaining one in the basement. They were in the kitchen, trying to decide what to feed the horde of young men when CJ stumbled upstairs.

“Morning. I need coffee.” CJ’s boxers did not hide his plumped up penis well; Brett pointed at it and chuckled. “Fuck you, Papa. Leave me alone.”

“A little hung over?” César pointed at the bottle of painkillers on the counter next to the juice carton. “Hope it was worth it.”

“Hell, yeah!” CJ smirked while wincing and reached for the pill bottle. “And I can’t wait to see Carson this morning. He was sooo wasted last night.”

Although not as tired as some of the others, CJ still dreaded sitting through all the hoopla and speeches associated with commencement exercises. His interest, however, was piqued when Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post, took several swipes at President Trump.

“If we in the press fail to do our jobs for fear of retribution by a president―or anyone else―we will betray the very idea that brought us the First Amendment in the first place.

“And when a president vilifies us―calling us, say, ‘enemy of the American people’ or pressures the FBI director to put reporters in jail―we must keep in mind a revered predecessor, James Madison, who championed ‘the right of freely examining public characters and measures’ and who called free expression ‘the only effectual guardian of every other right.’

“Anthony Lewis, the late New York Times columnist and First Amendment scholar, once wrote words we should live by today: ‘The American press has been given extraordinary freedom by the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment. In return, it owes society courage.’

“In short, we in the press need to do our jobs. And we will. Neither words of condemnation nor acts of intimidation will stop us.”

CJ could not believe what he heard, but the smile would not leave his face. The declaration of independence and refusal to bow to presidential bullying seemed incongruous in a school named after one of the most conservative of Supreme Court justices ever. The mention of courage being a requisite for the American press echoed what was said about political courage during the ceremony in Boston at the beginning of the month.

César, Brett, Tom, and JP offered to host a party for the graduates and their families the way they had the year before for the School Without Walls High School group. Owen and Ethan declined―there were plenty of other parties around―and instead, accepted CJ’s offer to host a luncheon for them, their families, and the other Squad members in town. César commented that because of who was organizing the event, Nelson Wheatly would be at Forbes Grill supervising the service even though it was rare for him to work weekends.

“Chalk another one up to CJ and his connections,” Ethan said when Nelson let him and Owen know the latter’s boyfriend was the reason he was working on his day off.

“Shut up and drink your cocktail, Ethan. You keep it up I may have to re-think our friendship.” CJ sat in between the two men with their respective parents on the graduates’ other side. The two lawyers were handed presents throughout the day but CJ waited until dessert was being served to hand Owen his. “Congratulations, Oz. I had this made for you. Hope you like it.”

Everyone’s attention was riveted on the rectangular package he placed in front of his boyfriend. The shape resembled a book and elicited wild guesses from the jokers around the table.

“A bound collection of CJ’s political speeches?”

“An illustrated version of the gay Kama Sutra?”

“A photo album with naked pictures of CJ?”

Chuckling, Owen tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a slim tome bound in blue leather. On the front, it had a large embossed star on the center and Owen’s name in gold leaf on the bottom right.

“I got the idea when I ordered the saddle bags I gave you for Christmas.” CJ smiled when Owen clutched the book against his chest. While his boyfriend ran a finger over the book’s spine, CJ described it to the others. “It’s hand-made, printed on archival paper and bound in leather. I thought a lawyer should have his own copy of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.”

• • •

On their last day in New York City, CJ and Owen sat across from Geoff and Pam Liston in a booth at Lexington Candy Shop. One of the few remaining diners in New York City, the old-fashioned soda fountain occupied the same location at Lexington Avenue and 83rd Street since its founding in 1925.

“Who’s the older gentleman who waved at us when we walked in?” Geoff pointed over his shoulder with a thumb at the white-haired man behind the serving counter.

“Oh, he’s one of the owners. His grandfather started the business and he’s the third generation of the family to run it. His son’s here on Saturdays. No idea where, but we’ve heard he works elsewhere during the week.” CJ did not know the men very well; casual waves and greetings were about the limit of their interactions. If his favorite neighborhood breakfast spot was the bagel shop two blocks away from the apartment, the Lexington diner saw him and Owen stopping in for lunch at least once during most visits to Manhattan.

“Why am I not surprised you know everything about the place and the owner knows you?”

“Actually, Dad, I don’t think either one of them knows us by name. Look around you. You notice the number of older patrons? Some of these people have been coming here for years. CJ and I stop by whenever we’re in the City, but that’s not so often.”

“He still recognized your faces.” Pam twisted herself and glanced at the menu board on the wall behind the counter. “So, what should we order for lunch?”

CJ and Owen both inhaled and grinned; the air was redolent with the smell of grease. “Hamburgers!” The response was simultaneous. “And a milk shake or ice cream float,” CJ added while Owen nodded. “They’re all made by hand.”

The four rode Amtrak’s Acela train the day after Owen’s graduation and had spent the last few days visiting landmarks and museums. They enjoyed a day on Long Island at the invitation of Ethan’s parents and the previous night attended the performance of Hamilton on Broadway. Pam and Geoff were flying back to Sydney in the evening and the two younger men would be catching the train in the morning. This was their last meal together.

Geoff raised his hand when at the end of the meal CJ reached for the check. “I got it, CJ. You and your fathers have been more than generous during our visit. Pam and I would like to take care of this one.”

“Thanks, Geoff.”

“We also want to talk about your wedding which we’ve avoided doing until now.” Pam clasped her hands together and rested them atop the chrome-trimmed Formica surface. “I sure hope you guys come visit before then but if not, I’m guessing we’ll be back in America a year from now?”

“A little over a year, Mum. We’re thinking the end of June.”

“Have you guys considered doing it in Australia? We would throw you the party to end all parties.”

“Sorry, Pam, but not a chance. First, gay marriage isn’t legal in Australia. Yet. We would still have to do it here in the States for it to be recognized.”

“CJ’s right, Mum. And I think it’ll be easier for a few Aussies to travel here instead of the other way around. I have a feeling it’s going to be big. Hell, Michelle Obama threatened us if we don’t invite her and President Obama. If they show up, we’ll have Secret Service agents all over the place and I suspect they may not be the only First Couple in attendance.”

Geoff and Pam exchanged glances before the father picked up the conversation. “Yeah, we figured that was a long shot. But we still want to be part of it. How about we write you a check and we split the costs with César and Brett.” His comment made CJ and Owen chuckle. “What’s so funny?”

“Ummm, my dads aren’t paying for anything. Ozzie and I are covering all the costs ourselves. But I can think of a nice wedding present…”

“Bloody hell, I keep forgetting you have your own money! Okay, what do you guys want?”

“Wine!” Owen’s reply was accompanied by vigorous nodding from CJ. “We’d like to serve Liston wines. Not sure how many cases we’ll need, but we could end up with as many as a hundred guests.”

“Done! We’ll start planning and may even ship some early. Might as well allow the reds time to age a bit longer. The whites I’d like to wait until the next bottling. I think we’re going to have an excellent vintage.”

“That’s awesome, Geoff. Thank you!”

“Our pleasure, CJ. There’s something else Pam and I would like to say before we get out of here. We want you to know both of us―and the rest of the family for that matter―wholeheartedly approve of you. We look forward to you guys getting married. To CJ becoming a member of our family. We think the two of you are perfect for each other. And we think that together, you might just change the world for the better. Now, about your honeymoon…”