But maybe he was just delusional. Maybe he was developing feelings for a man who would never want him back, simply because he was protecting himself.
He wanted to believe it, truly. But he didn’t think his mind liked him all that much.
It turned out,the Universe hated him, or at the very least found it amusing to see him struggle. He got his sandwiches from the sweet college kids at the shop who never really thought twice about him using his phone to ask for what he wanted, and there hadn’t been a line at the little parking lot coffee kiosk for Ama’s drink. There was no sign of Derek or his brother when he was done, and he was ready to call it a win.
Then, as he turned the corner and Wallflowers came into view, his shoes came to a skidding halt on the pavement. He panicked for a split second, worried he’d made enough noise to be noticed even this far off since he never really quite understood how far sound could travel. But the two familiar men and the two small children who were busy talking to Amaranth didn’t turn around and look behind them.
It gave Basil the opportunity to duck down the alleyway of the Italian place and watch surreptitiously from behind the exposed brick. He could make out Derek’s profile, the easy way he was smiling at Amaranth and the way he spoke with wide gestures which told Basil he’d probably be a natural signer if he ever tried to pick it up.
The brother, Not-Derek, had the baby in the crook of one arm and Basil noticed with some surprise, both twins were using a few rudimentary signs whenever they could. It was when Not-Derekturned that Basil caught the flash of sunlight off small hearing aids tucked behind the baby’s ear, and he remembered Derek telling him that his boss’ daughter was hard of hearing.
It had to be her, though it didn’t explain the toddler. She had no passing resemblance to the twins at all, though that didn’t rule out relation. Mostly, Basil wanted to focus on anything but the sweet way Derek held the little girl’s hand, or the way he knelt down to her level to encourage her to take the flower Amaranth handed to her. Derek encouraged her to use the sign for thank you, and then almost absently copied, ‘You’re welcome,’ that Ama signed back.
Basil’s heart was thudding in his chest and he pressed himself to the wall as Derek and his brother eventually took the kids and moved along. He didn’t dare move until they turned a corner, and until his sister went back inside. Even then, his steps were at a near-run, and he didn’t breathe easy until he was safely back inside the shop.
‘Should I pretend like I didn’t see you throw yourself into the alley?’ Ama asked as she reached for the paper sandwich bag.
Basil waited until he had her attention to reply. ‘Yes, please.’
She threw her head back in a laugh, and he knew if he’d had a hand to the center of her back, he’d be able to feel how loud and deep the sound was. ‘Nice try. Did you know those guys?’
The problem was, Basil had always been a shit liar. Being a native signer meant that a poker-face didn’t come naturally. His language all-but demanded he give true, intense, honest expression to every word exchanged, and it took real skill to be able to hide that. A skill he never possessed.
So when Ama’s eyes went wide with understanding, he wasn’t surprised. Annoyed, maybe, and even a little irritated, but not surprised. ‘That was the guy. From the ATM.’
Basil rolled his eyes to the ceiling, praying for the patience to deal with his sister’s meddling before he finally looked back at her. ‘Don’t.’
‘What? You think I’m going to chase him down and bring him back here?’ she asked, a coy smile playing on her lips.
His hands curled, then uncurled before he replied. ‘I wouldn’t put it past you, but I’m going to ask you nicely, please don’t. It’s bad enough he works so close.’
‘He said he and his brother work at the shop near the coffee cart,’ she told him.
‘Yeah,’ Basil said, realizing there was no point in hiding it now. ‘I saw them coming out of the shop. Irons and Works,’ he spelled the name, but he was pretty sure she’d seen it before. ‘I hid then, too.’
‘Of course you did.’ She took a long drink from her coffee, her eyes fluttering closed with happiness before she set it back down on the counter. ‘I told them to come back any time, that we’d be happy to do an arrangement or two for the front of the shop. They said they’d talk to their boss about it, but I’m pretty sure they were just trying to be nice.’
He let out a breath and felt something shift in him, though right then he didn’t know if it was relief or disappointment. ‘Just leave me out of it.’
Ama studied him for a long moment, then came around the counter, though she left plenty of space between them as she leaned her hip against the polished wood. ‘I’m not going to meddle. Forcing you to date before you’re ready isn’t going to do anyone any good. But you might want to consider that you’ve been ready for a while and you’re just used to shutting people out.’
Basil dragged a hand down his face, forcing himself to consider her words, mostly because they were probably true. At least, they had some measure of truth to them. ‘You could be right, but I don’t want to date a guy who doesn’t speak my language. And baby signs don’t count,’ he clarified before she could come to Derek’s defense.
‘What if he learns?’ she pointed out.
‘Like I haven’t been through that before,’ he reminded her, though he knew at this point bringing up Chad might have been the tiniest bit of a cop-out. ‘I respect that you’re fine dating in either community, but I’m just…not.’
She looked a little sad then, but her eyes showed anunderstanding and she gave a nod. ‘Okay. So, what about we check out a couple Deaf events in Denver, then? You know they’ll have some shit—single’s night or something equally lame. Bet you could snag a date there. At least let me help you try to get out there again.’
Basil wanted to argue, wanted to point out that she wasn’t dating anyone and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to sort her own romantic life the same way she was with his. Except the truth was, she could have easily been dating someone now and he wouldn’t have known. He loved her, but he never wanted her private life to be his business.
‘Please,’ she begged.
He finally threw up his hands in surrender, then grabbed his sandwich without answering her, but he knew she’d accepted that as a defeat. He didn’t know what the hell was in store for him next, but he supposed it was time to try getting his feet wet again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Something about the flower shop lingered, even long after they’d returned to the studio and Derek had passed May over to Katherine for the rest of the afternoon. He was in his station prepping for his first appointment, but his mind kept drifting over to the open door, to the woman smiling at the kids and signing, and the smell drifting on the breeze that had been so much like Basil.
