Page 16 of Finding Basil
“She seems to like you.”
“She didn’t when I was a kid. She’s not too fond of kids. Once I saw she needed a new door and I offered to get one and install it, she took a liking to me. We’ve been friends since. And she’s a good friend to have. For all that she likes to dismiss the town’s people, they all look to her for her opinions on things.”
“She’s worn and wise, as my grandfather would say.”
“That’s exactly her.”
They carried the boxes of fixtures into the house together, and Herb led Basil up to the bathroom. “Rob, how’s it going?” Herb asked as they stood in the doorway.
“Good. This room’s ready for the fixtures, the basement has the new piping, but the in-between all that is still waitin’.”
Basil shook Rob’s hand as he stood and said, “Hey, Rob. We’ve got everything downstairs if you want to come check it out.”
“Sure thing. I’ll have those in lickety-split and then tomorrow, I’ll get some of the rest of this mess fixed.”
They all went downstairs, and Rob went through the boxes as Basil said, “Who is the best tile guy around, Rob?”
“Joe Margino. That guy’s dang good at tile. Can’t build nothin’ to save his life, but lays tile like a pro.”
“Make sure you give Herb his number when you finish up, if you will. I’ll look over some samples with him.”
“You was at the hardware store. Shoulda looked ‘em over there.”
Herb remarked at the patience Basil had with the people he interacted with. “Oh, I know, but they’re pretty limited. I know of a site online that will give him a better idea.”
“Hmph. Online. All you folks and your online stuff,” he said as he took the box with the shower and sink fixtures and went back up the stairs.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to all this.”
Herb’s hand rested on the table, and Basil set his over it. “You will. You aren’t alone, even though it might feel that way.”
With Basil, he didn’t feel alone at all. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
He hated when Basil moved his hand, but that warmth stayed with Herb as Basil started to scroll on his phone. “I’ll send you the link. They have good tile, cheap, and ship it pretty quickly. If you’d like, I’ll get ahold of Joe and have him come and give you an estimate. What’s your number?”
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t offered it before then. “Hand me your phone and I’ll put it in.”
“Here,” he said, and as Basil handed over the phone, his fingers brushed Herb’s, causing Herb to shiver with excitement. The guy made him feel things he didn’t know he could feel. Like the connection was so instant, and so intense, it was scaring him a little, but he loved it as much as it scared him.
He placed his number in Basil’s contacts and handed back the phone. “Call anytime, even if you just want to hang out.”
“I will.”
Their eyes met again, and again they shared a moment that seemed to block out the rest of the world. Basil’s eyes, while dark, had lines of amber radiating from the pupil, like a child’s drawing of the sun.
The light freckles across his nose were a feature not everyone would notice. They were that light, blending in with his soft fawn skin.
As Herb was discovering more about Basil’s beautiful face, he was wrenched from his moment once again, only instead of a shrill voice causing it, it was Gentry.
“Did I let you know you needed a water heater?”
Basil actually jumped when the voice rang out from the staircase, and Herb gritted his teeth as he called, “Yes! You did!”
“Okie dokie, then.”
“Let me show you the cells you’ll be using to start your seeds, and I can start cleaning out the old glass.”
“I can help.”
