Page 21 of Finding Basil
“Very nice, and handsome! Wow, he’s smokin’ hot.”
A giggle of embarrassment came, and it was a lovely sound, one right out of a wind chime on a soft, breezy afternoon. “Is he?”
“He is,” Herb said as he stopped right behind the first tree of the orchard, and he gently took Basil’s arm, turning him so they were facing each other. “Very much so.”
Basil’s eyes were dancing as they stared into Herb’s. The smile he wore spoke of his shyness, but he wasn’t backing away as Herb closed the short distance between them.
His heart was blasting out a symphony, and his hands were shaking a little. Strange reactions, he thought, as he’d never been reticent of kissing a man he was attracted to in the past, but they weren’t Basil.
What was it about the man? Young and full of his own dreams that took him no farther than literally his own backyard. Howwonderful and unique that was, and it fit him. A down to earth, lovely man who wasn’t playing some game on Herb, didn’t have agendas.
When their lips touched, Herb almost cried with the rush of emotions it brought.
Soft lips with a firm press against his, Basil’s hands on his face, his body moving into Herb’s. It felt new and fresh at the same time, and it felt as if Basil had been in his arms all his life.
That was…new for him. A first kiss that wasn’t awkward or nerve-wracking. It was as sweet and delicious as Basil.
It didn’t last long, but it made an impact, regardless. As he pulled back and let his eyes open again, he saw Basil’s smile was wider and his eyes glossed over like he’d had too many of the lime-enhanced beers.
“Well, that was better than I even imagined.”
Herb whispered, “You imagined kissing me?”
“Yeah, of course. A gorgeous guy comes to town, and he’s not only sweet, but he’s also interested in the same things I am? I imagined it the first time I met you. Among other things, but…”
“Stop. I’m not doing anything…likethatwhen your family is right over there.”
“Yeah, probably not a good idea.”
“Probably? You have a lot of siblings and cousins that could really hurt me.”
“Oh, for sure, and they will, so you had just better be very nice to me,” he teased and gave Herb another fast kiss. “In fact, we should get back, or my abuela will come looking. A boyfriend is fine to have, but no funny business. Not on the first date.”
“I’d never do anything to disrespect you or your family. Let’s get back before they think things they shouldn’t.” He took two steps and realized what Basil had said. “Wait…this was a date?”
“Sure. I think it was,” Basil said, laughing. Herb took Basil’s hand, and the little excursion was something out of a chaste,young reader’s romance novel. A walk, a first kiss in the trees as music played not far from them. Holding hands and feeling butterflies flapping around like mad in his guts.
That was the sweetest night of his life, and once they were back at the house, under that pergola, he couldn’t stop smiling. Basil had given him a gift. No groping in the back of a club or hopping into a bed after a meal of sushi and rice wine.
A sweet evening with family and the gentle touch of lips and a hand in his.
It made up for the total disaster he experienced once he arrived home…
Chapter Six
Whenhewalkedinthe back door, he heard water running. Well, that wasn’t quite it. It was gushing. He rushed to the living room to see an enormous hole in the ceiling and water coming through it like Niagara Falls.
“What the hell?”
He ran up the stairs two at a time and his foot came down on a rug with a nasty squish.
Yanking his phone from his back pocket, Herb quickly called Rob Gentry.
“Yello,” Gentry answered. “Gentry Plumbing.”
“This is Herb Buffet and the entire house is flooding! What the hell did you do?”
“Me? I didn’t do a thing! The water shouldn’t be on at all.”
