Page 13 of Finding Basil (Foggy Basin Season Two)

Chapter Eight

Basil looked across the dance floor to see Herb cutting a rug with his sister, and he smiled all the way to the inside of him. The man was so beautiful, and there was nothing about him that Basil didn’t like.

Sabrina was talking his ear off, and Herb laughed as he listened. Sabrina loved to tell the family follies to people. They were a funny lot, and Basil was sure Herb was enjoying every word.

Juan sat next to him and sighed, “God, that little girl can dance. Her and her little boyfriend are…”

“That’s not her boyfriend. She said she won’t be tied down.”

“Right. All that’s doing to that kid is making him want her more. And what’s worse is she knows it.”

Basil smiled. His niece wouldn’t be won over easily by anyone. Just another thing to be proud of. “Good. Whoever wants to be in her life should have to work for it.”

“Oh, right, like Herb is working so hard. You’re already whipped.”

“Yeah, I am, but he doesn’t have to work hard. He’s not asking for anything, and not pushing for anything, and neither am I, and for once, I think it’s working just fine.”

“I like him. I think he’s a good one, if that counts.”

Valuing his family’s opinion, he said, “It does. He’s…special, and he doesn’t even know it.”

“I noticed. He sure doesn’t come across like he’s conceited, and I’m a ladies’ man, but he’s good looking, I guess. But he’s also not down on himself, so…also rare. Well, not so rare around here. He’s a lot like you.”

Basil confessed, “It’s weird that I liked him so much so fast, but then again, it didn’t feel weird. I felt a connection to him. And it didn’t scare me or worry me. After Steve, I never thought I’d date again without being scared half to death.”

“Can’t blame you there. I know it wasn’t his fault, but God, I hated him. The shit he put you through.”

Basil leaned over to whisper, “He’s out. He checked himself out again, and his mother thinks he went off his meds already. I really think he’s the one that broke into Herb’s house and caused that leak.”

“Mother fucker. Basil, you better not let yourself be alone while he’s running around!”

“Just driving to Herb’s. We’re going to get some things growing this next week as soon as the water line is all set.”

“I’ll drive you.”

Basil sighed, “You have a job and a life. I think I’m okay driving.”

He didn’t seem comforted by that, but it was then that Carla came over to take Basil’s hand and pull him to the dance floor. “Your turn, Uncle B!”

“Oh, no, I can’t dance!”

“You’re my gay uncle. You dance better than all these boring heteros!”

“Stereotyping!”

“Am I wrong?”

He had to admit he was a great dancer. “Just hold on to that overly puffy skirt, missy.”

“Overly puffy. You know you’re jealous.”

As they laughed, they danced to a fast song, and he twirled her around a few times to show off that gown and her own moves, which he’d taught her.

Herb was in the circle and surrounded them as they danced, clapping along with the rest of the crowd and calling out their names when they danced close enough to him.

Carla’s smile was priceless. In that smile on a woman’s face, he saw that little girl that always seemed dirty from playing in mud and eating cherry popsicles in the summer. Two red stains on either side of her pretty smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief, and sugar-hyper.

He saw her tearing off the wrapping of her Christmas presents every Christmas Eve and inevitably finding the most Easter eggs each spring. They were always hidden in the orchard, near the trunks or up on the lower branches.

Tradition, and she was carrying it on well. Basil remembered Sabrina’s quinceanera well, and her pink gown and tiara that their mother had gotten special for her. He’d seen pictures of his mother’s and even his abuela’s, and now it was Carla’s turn to be the princess of the night.

When the song was over and everyone was applauding them, Basil hugged his niece and vowed, “You’re the most beautiful fifteen-year-old that ever lived.”

“Thanks, Uncle B. That means a lot from you.”

“You’re always going to make this family proud. You know that, right?”

“That’s the plan,” she said and gave him a wink as she left his arms and ran to her friends to brag on the dance, he knew.

Herb met him still on the dance floor, and asked for the next dance, which was a nice slow tune. “You were the other belle of the ball there.”

“Yeah? I can dance a little, I guess.”

“Humble too. Well, I’m never going to a club with you. You’ll make me look like a clod with two left feet.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

The purple lights on Herb’s smiling face were perfect. Purple fit him, funny enough. He looked like the charming prince in all the fairy tales he’d ever read as a child, sneaking Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast from his sister’s shelf.

That sandy blond head of shiny hair, those sparkling blue eyes, the quick smile that was just a little crooked, like he was never sure of himself.

Being humble fit him. So was being confident. His hands wrapped around Basil’s waist as they danced, and the smell of his aftershave was perfectly mixed with his flowery shampoo scent. Everything about him was lovely.

“Will you take me on a date this weekend?”

“Sure. Where would you like to go?”

Basil had never been forward with a man that he hadn’t been dating a while. Herb was not that, but he was someone that Basil felt more comfortable with than guys he’d been with for months.

The ease of their connection was so nice to feel that being forward didn’t seem like anything but natural. “To bed.”

Herb’s brows rose as if that was the last answer he expected. “Only if you’re sure.”

“I am. Just don’t disappoint me,” he teased. “You only get one shot at a first impression, you know.”

“Oh. Oh, better bring my A game then, huh?”

“Exactly.”

The flirting was only a little better than the dancing. Moving his body with Herb on that dance floor was why he’d thought of the sex. They were harmonious in their movements, knowing what the other would do before it happened.

Abuela danced close to them with Juan and told them, “You dance perfectly together, like I always have with Abuelo.”

As soon as she was away, Basil told Herb, “They have always danced well together. That’s where they met, at a dance at school. In the fifties, no less.”

“They met and fell in love on a dance floor?”

Basil nodded, knowing the story by heart. “They knew they loved each other before the end of two weeks, and Abuelo was asking her to marry him less than a month after that. She said no twice, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She said she’d know for sure he really wanted to spend his life with her if he asked three times. And, well, he did. That time she said yes.”

“Beautiful story. Is that what we’ll tell our grandchildren too?”

Basil’s head moved slowly as he met Herb’s eyes, just knowing he’d see the proof Herb was teasing him, but his face was dead serious. He was shocked when he knew he shouldn’t be. Herb read him well, and he didn’t exactly hide the fact that he wanted children.

His dream was to live on a farm and raise a ton of kids, playing in the dirt and eating cherry popsicles, leaving stains on their cheeks.

So, instead of expressing his surprise, he instead teased, “hey, I need to see how you are in bed before I commit to a lifetime of your company.”

“Right. Like I said, I’ll bring my A-game.”

“Yeah, I’d suggest that.”

When the cake was served, Herb seemed to be over the moon.

The lavender tiers were ombre, the lightest lavender on the top, the darkest two colors on the bottom layer.

The top layer supported the numbers one and five alongside a cascade of the same flowers that were found on the centerpieces.

A similar, but larger cascade was on the bottom tier, and the middle tier had her name set in lovely lettering, Carla .

All giggles as she cut the first piece, Carla posed cheekily for the pictures. Real cameras flashed along with every phone in the place being held up to grab pictures and videos. Basil clapped and then they went to get a piece of the beautiful cake. “It’s got big wedding vibes.”

“It does. I think maybe it’s because it’s a coming of age, and a woman now with her next big day traditionally will be her wedding day.

We know it’s more likely graduations from school and college, but this is an old tradition.

Back when this started becoming a tradition, women didn’t care about school.

They wanted the husband, the kids, the house, all that.

Or at least society wanted that for them.

“Funniest thing about that is, Carla doesn’t want any of those. Not even the house. She wants to travel, living out of a suitcase.”

“That kind of life has its moments, but the family and kids do too. She may want both, but traveling first, while she has the time and youth for it.”

“I never wanted that life. Traveling, never having roots, missing family…”

“You are hearth and home. I like that, and it’s what I want now, sure, but when I was young, I wouldn’t have considered it.”

“I’m glad I met you now.”

“Me too,” he said, then started to dance a little slower. “If your whole family wasn’t watching, I’d make out with you right here on this dance floor.”

“Yeah, and I’d let you. Only married people can do that.”

That thought ran through his mind, a gathering much like the quinceanea, but a wedding. Their cake tiered, their suits beautiful, Basil’s family around them, happily cheering them on as they danced and kissed.

“You look awfully dreamy right now,” Herb pointed out as his hand tenderly caressed his cheek.

“Hard not to, being around you.”

“Sweet talker. I feel the same, though, just so you know. I love being with you. I just feel so good, even with all the crap happening to my house. None of its bothering me. It’s like…nothing compared to how much I enjoy being around you.”

A blush and shy smile came to Basil’s face; he was sure with the way his face heated and Herb’s eyes moved all over his face, staring at it. “You look good with your face all pink.”

“Stop. I hate that I blush so easily.”

“I don’t. I like it.”

“Probably because it’s as easy as reading my mind.”

Basil saw his sister wink at him, and he blushed more, needing to get out of the hall or suffer getting his best suit sweaty. “Let’s go outside and get some air.”

“Sounds good.”

They got a drink on the way out, the best fruit punch in the world, as it was made by one of his aunts. She used only real fruit in a base of homemade apple cider and lemon juice. Sweet lemons from Sicily. Taking great pride in it, she was more than happy to make it for all the big celebrations.