Hopelessly Devoted {ManxMan} [Book II]

Chapter 4

Z A C H A R Y

Today was my lunch 'date' with Basile. I didn't know where we were going but I was excited. I didn't want to think about this as a date because I didn't even know if he was gay, I mean did anyone? From what I know he had never dated anyone before. But I guess that was why we were having this lunch, to learn more about each other.

I realized soon that I was most likely going to screw something up when I lost track of time and Basile showed up at the cafe and I was still in my uniform.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Crap, um, could we stop by my house so I can change?"

I saw a hint of a smile on his lips and he nodded.

We walked out of the doors and he walked me to a black limo. I gave him a look and he just opened the door for me and motioned me inside.

Once he was inside he asked, "Where do you live?"

I told him my address and he told the driver.

Once there I looked at Basile, "I won't be long."

He nodded and I ran into my apartment and changed into something nicer than my normal attire but not something too nice.

I walked back out and into the car. Once I sat down the driver started driving.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." This time it was clear he was smiling. But I could tell he didn't do it a lot unlike me.

"You don't smile a lot do you?"

He looked at me and shook his head, "No, I never have a reason to."

I felt my smile widened. He was smiling now, so was a one of the chosen ones that could make him smile? I mentally slapped myself for looking too much into it.

About ten minutes later we were at a nice restaurant, too expensive for me to even think about going there.

"Are you sure this is where you want to go? It's very expensive." I said.

"Oh please Zachary, money is no problem and I'm not going to make you pay."

"Thank you." Was all I managed to say before the hostess was taking me to our booth.

I picked up a menu and couldn't read any of it. I tried desperately to see if there was anything I recognized from the sort-of lessons Margret was giving me but it was a fail.

I looked over my menu at Basile who already had his menu folded up, signifying that he knew what he was getting.

I felt so embarrassed and I could feel my cheeks start to heat up.

"What are you getting?" I asked casually.

"You can't read the menu can you?" His smile was back.

"Maybe."

"Do you want me to order for you?" He asked.

"Please."

Just then our waitress showed up and asked what we wanted. She spoke French and I was glad that Margret was giving me those lessons because I wouldn't have understood anything.

Basile spoke our orders in a fluent french accent and sent shivers down my spine.

"So tell me a little bit about yourself." He said.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"What ever your willing to tell me."

"Well I moved to France recently for a change of scenery, I had already been all over the US and had my heart broken many times so I figured it was time to move to a new place. My parents were very accepting of this and helped me move. What about you? Can you tell me something about yourself?" I asked.

"Well what don't you know?"

"Everything."

"That's not true, I know you've heard or read about me from the media."

"Yes but that's just what they think if you, not what you really are." I was feeling brave and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

Deep down I was still trying to fathom how this was happening. My talking to the owner of one of the most successful business owners in the world.

"Well I take it you've heard of or about my family. My mother, Charlotte, my older sister, Violetta, and her husband, Arthur. Celian, my younger brother, who is finally getting married, and my older brother, Jean, and his husband Grayson and their children."

"I remember Grayson's speech at the opening or La Boussière Inc. In LA." I didn't want to mention Basile's father. He was right, I had heard of his family on the media and I knew that his dad died when Basile was young.

"Yeah, that was a pretty amazing speech." Basile smiled at the memory.

"Who do you think your closest to out of all of your siblings?" I asked taking a sip of my drink.

"Probably my older brother, Jean. Do you have any siblings?" He asked.

"Actually yes, my younger sister Aspen. She is actually in the US Army." I said shyly, I never really talked about my sister much.

"That's cool."

Just then our food got there and whatever Basile ordered for me was delicious. We carried on light conversation throughout the meal and I discovered that Basile was actually quite fun to hang around. He wasn't as uptight as the media portrays him to be.

Once we finished our food I thanked him for taking me and paying for me.

Once we were back in the limo I thought about saying that we should do it again some time but I didn't want to scare him away. From what I know he's never done this before. But then again what do I really know? Nothing.

He surprised me by looking at me and smiling, "I actually enjoyed today's lunch. Maybe you's like to do it again sometime."

Just like that he stole the words from my mouth and I smiled wide and said, "Of course."

He dropped me off at my apartment and I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day.