by Fifi Flowers
“This better be Pansie that you are snuggling up to, Baz!” A stern but handsome looking older gentleman wrapped a muscular arm around Basil’s shoulders as a younger man walked over and set down amazing looking food in front of us once we had broken apart.
“This is her. My one and my only Pansie,” Basil spoke with such a bright smile that I couldn’t help but beam back at him and the man he introduced as Gus, short for Gustavo.
I extended my hand toward him, but it wasn’t accepted.
“Nonsense!” he exclaimed, nearly pulling me off the stool that I was perched upon as he gave me a big hug. “I have heard about you non-stop for weeks. Beautiful! I’m so happy to finally meet the woman that has captured my Baz’s heart. He’s right to love you. You make sure he treats you right or he’ll answer to me.” Then with a kiss to my cheek and a slap on Basil’s back he disappeared through what I imagined was the kitchen door.
“Love…” I hadn’t meant to say that word out loud and covered it up, I thought, with commenting about my love for ceviche. It was no use even exaggerating my movements by digging in with chips and filling my mouth—he wasn’t dropping my questioning word.
“I’ve never felt so drawn to a woman. I’ve been in a few relationships but nothing serious-serious where I thought I couldn’t live without that person… But, I can’t live without you, Pansie. He’s right, I do love… seafood too.” He laughed grabbing a chip with lime marinated shellfish and avocado before I finished it all. Then he leaned his mouth close to mine and whispered, “I love you.”
How was I supposed to eat after that?
How was I supposed to think?
How was I supposed to function?
I had never heard so many words of love from a man directed at me. And I wasn’t certain how I even felt about him. I definitely liked him a lot. But love? What did love feel like? Maybe what I was feeling was love; clammy hands, rapidly beating heart, difficulty breathing—all present when I saw him or even thought about him. Could I imagine or did I even want to imagine my days and nights without Basil? If he were to walk out of my life at that very moment my heart would definitely break and probably never be whole again. So was that love? If so, I guess I did love him.
“You don’t have to say anything, Pansie. When the time is right, you will know.” He seemed to be reading my mind. “Taste this.” He held out a spoonful of caramelized custard to my lips and I realized that in between his declaration of love and my silent contemplation that we had managed to eat most of the food and were on to the dessert portion.
“Now it’s my turn…” His intense eyes lit up and part of me felt terrible that I wasn’t going to be following up those words with what he hoped to hear. “I’d like to take you to my favorite place.” Thank God he smiled. “We can walk off our delectable sea feast down on the harbor.”
“Sounds great,” he replied with a light kiss to my lips and then helped me down off my stool for our journey down the hillside to the water.
Parking at my apartment building we walked down my street, taking a turn to cut across the hill so we avoided Cafélicious. I knew if we stopped in there we’d never leave and I wanted to keep Basil all to myself. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case as an extremely attractive woman, maybe in her early forties, approached us with her arms opened wide. I didn’t recognize her, but Basil did and quickly dropped my hand to embrace her warmly as she said how much she had missed her Baz.
“Jolie, how are you? I didn’t know you were back from your trip. I was just talking about you earlier.”
Another woman to his mix but it was obvious that there was nothing more between them other than friendship. And if I needed more assurance, it came in the way of a breathtakingly handsome older man with a sexy accent walking up and softly saying, “Olá meu amor… Eu senti a tua falta,” before planting a toe-curling kiss on Jolie’s lips. I wasn’t sure what he had said more than recognizing the word amor—love—but with her response in English “I missed you too,” I got the gist of their exchange before she could break free to introduce him as her Portuguese lover. Yes, she called him her lover. It sounded so grown up… so sexy and it had me wishing that I was old enough and secure enough to call Basil my lover. However, that would mean that he and I had been far more intimate than our fondling session the night before.
Another time that his gift of words and actions had enticed me to share a bed with him. No complaints. I was amazed how smoothly his fingers roamed my body and made every stitch of my clothing disappear, besides my panties, as I heard my parts called words I had never associated with them. For all I knew, he was making up words against my neck, my collarbone, the swell of my breast, my nipples… and back up to my lips that eagerly opened for him, inciting a riot between our mouths as our tongues became entangled. The memory had me wishing for more and I feared that I may have moaned in the presence of the lovers and Basil engaged in a conversation about the shelter.
Quick recovery, I was able to put sentences together that formed words about donating coffee and cookies—and I was thankful that I didn’t mention Marzi’s orgasm cookies since my head was definitely floating toward naughty thoughts. Luckily, the pair wrapped intimately in each other’s arms was ready to say their goodbyes and move on, allowing us to continue our stroll. And once we resumed, Basil’s fingers reached out and entwined with mine causing flutters to my belly and a bit lower as I realized that we were turned around and heading back up the hill, toward my apartment.
“Pansie, my beautiful flower, I’m afraid that if we ventured all the way down to the harbor we might find ourselves arrested for indecent behavior in public.” He hurried along speaking without looking at me. “I can’t even stop and look at you for a second in fear of peeling back your petals and pollinating you right on the sidewalk…”
“Basil, please stop.” I cut him off in a breathy voice. “I can’t handle… Oh, just one more block and elevator ride and you can fertilize my garden, pluck my petals… No more sexy words.”
Walking a little bit faster we walked into my building and made our way to the elevator… the out of order elevator. Seriously?! Was that a sign to slow down or a question of how badly we wanted to reach my private space? Both of us in good shape, we headed for the stairwell to begin our aggressive climb to the eighth floor. Crashing through the fire proof door, we wandered down the hallway a bit out of breath. At my door, I opened my purse and dug for my keys… I shook my purse listening for the sound of keys—no jingle. Was this really happening? I couldn’t help it, I started to laugh mumbling words about getting extra keys. “Can call the building manager. He has a master key. All apartments. If busy. Call Marzi or Saylor.”
Basil joined me laughing, both of us with our backs against the wall, slid to the floor as I pulled out my phone and searched for numbers. Due to the elevator on the fritz the manager informed me that he could get to me in a couple of hours, hopefully. Marzi was gone off somewhere with someone mysteriously according to Saylor who was busy working at the café since Vixen, a server, couldn’t come in to work because her kid was sick. And they were so busy that she had Evie rushing in from her rehearsal for open-mic night to cover. So with no other choice, we slowly stepped down eight flights of stairs and wandered to Cafélicious.
Chapter Eight…
Inside the café things seemed to be running smoothly, everyone was busy. I walked to my office in the back taking Basil with me to keep him from being attacked by Saylor, Evie or even Vin (with his big brother attitude) who had always threatened to find out a man’s intention toward me if I ever brought one into the café. Pent-up and sexually frustrated, my private space was probably not the smartest move for us as I found myself pushed up against the door that Basil closed and locked behind us.
Oh my! His mouth covered mine aggressively and I responded with a gasp that turned to a moan as he pulled me even closer. Aligned bodies, my arms lifted and my fingers dove into the back of his shaggy black hair to keep him from breaking
a kiss that I never wanted to end. Only it did as someone knocked on the door and began turning the knob. Pulling apart, reluctantly, Basil made a demand quietly, stating carefully with meaning, “Keys. Get. Them. Now. Let’s. Go.”
Rounding my desk, I opened the top drawer, grabbed the familiar set, and dangled them in front of him. To my surprise, he snatched them and me, unlocked the door and pulled me right through the café, out the front door. By the time we reached the lobby of my building, I had never been so happy to see a working elevator in my life.
Through my apartment door we crashed after he turned the key in the lock. Door closed and latched, we bounced off the walls as we twisted and turned, pushing back long enough to discard each other’s shirts, quickly to the floor—with only momentary seconds without our mouths connected. When he lifted me up, my legs went right around his waist and my hands crept right back to his head as they had been only minutes ago in my office. There was no way anyone or anything was coming between us as he walked us into my bedroom. Crawling into the middle of my bed with me still attached to him, he melted into me, our velvety tongues slipping together, and there was no turning back. Only moving forward, grasping at buttons, zippers, and clasps until our naked skin commingled. Withering under him, I lost all focus as his mouth abandoned mine in search of my neck, shoulder, collarbone, breast—giving equal attention to both. This time, his journey didn’t stop there but continued as his lips and teeth gently raked over my belly… down, down he crept with his spring-green eyes looking up at me while I watched intently. My hands clutched the loose sheets beneath me as his lips slid along the inside of each thigh, the tip of his tongue adding to the sensation that sent chills rippling over my body and put my nipples on high alert. Teasing and taunting, he licked and nibbled every place but where I expected him to until I whimpered out a “please.”
Submitting to my quiet plea, his mouth moved over my petals and bud as he called them, murmuring against my quivering skin. The rest of the poetic sounding words that flowed over me—over and over—I could barely make out so caught up in the building pulsation he was creating between my legs. But I had to admit that his careful attention mixed with words was sexy as hell and left me dizzy in love. His word… yes, that was one I recognized in his vocabulary as he upped his movements with roaming fingers that added to the moment that was about to erupt. Yes… yes… one more touch to a spot I thought was mythical and I was gone, thrashing my head from side to side, I hadn’t even realized that my hands were gripping his head holding him in place as I lifted up into his mouth.
Loosening my grip, I felt him kiss my tiny bud—that had fully blossomed thanks to his expert tending—one last time. I raised my head to see him smiling up at me with slightly darkened eyes that appeared a bit wild. Grinning back at him, he was quick to move up my body, nudging my legs further apart to fit his hard body. Happy to have him fill me, I opened and then wrapped my smooth legs over his masculine ones.
“I love… love your body…” I was now using his word, just not quite in his way. “…over me… against me.” My words were breathy between kisses to my lips by his as he circled his hips. “Yes… please… pollination… now… please.”
I probably wasn’t making total sense but it was certain that he understood me perfectly when I felt him ease into me a little at a time, allowing me to adjust to his more than generous anatomy. “I don’t want to stop looking at your beautiful face but you feel so good that I can barely keep my eyes open or from rolling back in my head… let alone focused.” I knew what he meant as he moaned with each slip in and almost out of me. “God, I love you, Pansie… I really… really do.” And I really, really felt so close to falling over the edge into complete bliss, tightening around him. “Not yet… together… almost.” I pulsed and tugged on him, and bit my lip to still my want of orgasming. But when his mouth came crashing down on mine and his hips moved more rapidly, that was it, I was gone and hoped that he was ready to join me.
Yes… yes… he was right there with me and then he was slipping from me and heading for the bathroom leaving me puzzled until he returned, saying one word that needed a more poetic word for it; condom. I hadn’t even realized when that handy protection had come into the mix of the moment—at least one of us was thinking logically at some point. “I hope you have more of those with you,” was my only response to which he pulled me in close to him for another round, nodding his head with a sexy as hell grin that would have me dropping my panties if I had any on and it appeared that those were not to be in my wardrobe for the rest of the night. Even when we finally left my bed in search of food from my kitchen clothes were not thrown on. I have to say that I had never been naked while eating but it wasn’t terrible especially looking at Basil’s incredibly toned and tanned body. I do have to say that it was best up against mine, sleeping entwined throughout the night… until at some point it slipped out.
It was the saddest feeling ever; waking up alone in the morning light missing the way he caressed me, held me, spoke poetic words of love to me. In fact, I was so caught up in the moment with his sonnets whispered sweetly in my ear that I may have professed my own words of love. I wasn’t certain but if I had, I believed them to be true. When he was near me or in my thoughts I felt a pleasant pain in my chest and warmth all over my body—it had to be some sort of love.
Realizing that I needed to stop reliving our day together and get myself ready for work—probably where Basil had run off to—I eased out of my bed and headed for the bathroom. Moving through my morning rituals followed by pulling on my jeans and Cafélicious t-shirt, I felt like I was floating on air. Everything was right in the world; the sun was shining brightly, the birds were chirping even though I couldn’t hear them, and the smell of us lingered in my apartment. Things seemed better, even my bowl of cereal tasted better than ever—I couldn’t eat pastry every day of the week. Things around my place looked much better too I realized as I glanced down at my stack of Basil’s napkins on my high kitchen bar. The napkins were arranged and words circled:
Love
Pansie
Water your garden
Tonight
Café
Home
You and Me
Forever
His romantic gesture had me smiling all the way to work and throughout the day until he picked me up to go to his house. Thinking that home meant his, I had packed a bag complete with clothes and toiletries—enough for a few days, just in case. Hell, I would’ve packed boxes and moved everything if he asked. I was gone where he was concerned. If I had any doubts about my feelings, they were confirmed last night. In a matter of weeks, seeing him and chatting briefly almost daily and then spending two days and nights with him I knew that he was it for me. I just needed to be brave enough to tell him how I felt when not in the heat of the moment. Yes, I was going to be ready the next time he said I love you.
“Are you mumbling something about love? Is that what I heard come from your lips?” I was in trouble. I was giggling, smiling, and talking to myself. My behavior was drawing attention and making me a sitting duck for the girls’ badgering ways. Even Vivienne popped in for breakfast to interrogate me.
“So what’s this I hear about you being in la la poetry man land?” La la were two of Vivienne’s favorite words to add to any sentence and sometimes ooh was attached to her la la. They usually had me laughing or shaking my head, often both.
“She got some! I can tell!” Saylor chimed in before I had a chance to say anything. “Puffy lips, whisker burn… bet she’s got it on her thighs too.”
“Fuck, I sure as hell hope she does!” Marzi popped out of the kitchen with a plate of cookies. “Orgasm? Or did you get plenty?”
“I swear to God… you are forever pushing those damn cookies! You better not tell the shelter woman that is what you call those. And since you probably can’t contain that info, those orgasms are banned from the shelters! Period!” I know I’m not in charge of her bakery portion of the café but I
was part of the donation team so I felt I could give my two cents.
“Is Pansie denying orgasms?” Vixen called over her shoulder passing by with an order in her hands, heading out to the patio.
“Were trying to probe her…” Saylor laughed and the others joined her, even I did. “We need the four-one-one on her date that has been going on for two days…”
“And don’t forget about the two ooh la la nights!” Vivienne’s exclamation sounded like a cross between a squeal and a purr.
“You women are worse than any of my male friends. Always wanting details. I don’t understand you. We just say we got some and move on. Everyone knows what that means. Done! Bam!” Vin gave his two cents as he pulled his apron over his backward-baseball-capped-head and strutted to his open-kitchen area of the café.
“Bossy-Pan, are those girls picking on you?” Evie strolled in the door noticing our little grouping.
“Oops, looks like we need to work,” said Saylor moving behind the front counter that had a line forming in front of it. I followed quickly on her heels to help fill orders and Marzi offered free cookies—without mentioning orgasms—to the unhappy faced people who were in need of caffeine fixes.
And just like that Cafélicious was off and running with everyone doing their jobs and catering to our customers the rest of the day until Basil popped in for a coffee and me. Of course, throughout the day I delighted the girls with a few tidbits—I couldn’t leave them completely hanging. Vivienne, before running off to transform her clients, was the first to agree that it was more than lust I was feeling for my poetry man. I never thought of us as a lust filled relationship. Not that it wasn’t filled with sexy heated moments but we had not totally rushed into a full-blown physical relationship but got to know each other first. And I looked forward to learning so much more about him as time rolled on, starting with him swooping in at the end of his day to gather me up in his big, strong arms. I didn’t even mind that it was in front of a pretty full house.
