Ben put down his Kindle and sighed, “Another one that I didn’t figure out.”
“Your book? Oh, were you reading a mystery?”
“Yeah, Amanda got me hooked on cozy mysteries a couple of years ago and sometimes I figure it out before the big reveal, sometimes I don’t. Do you read mysteries?” Ben asked.
“I do, actually. I read a lot of different things, but really enjoy mysteries. Especially thriller-types with lots of action. And if I can find one with gay characters, that’s even better. But I do read cozies now and again, too. Which series are you reading?”
“It’s called Cozy Corgi Mysteries by Mildred Abbott. There are quite a few out and it looks like the author doesn’t plan on ending anytime soon.”
“Oh cool. I’ll pick up the first one and see if I like it. Thanks.”
“Sure,” Ben replied. “You mentioned something about the hot tub earlier. Do you feel like soaking a bit?”
“That’s a great idea. I checked it earlier and it should be good to go. Can you grab a couple of towels from the cabinet and put them on that chair, please?”
Rob hit the switch that turned on the hot tub jets and they climbed in. The warm water was like heaven on his skin. Ben moaned and grabbed Rob’s hand.
“This feels amazing. I think I need more hot-tub time in my life.”
“Me too.” Rob agreed. “I’ve been thinking about putting one in at home. I’m definitely gonna find a contractor when I get back. I’ll have to ask Sam if she knows anyone.”
“Oooh, more incentive for me to pay you a visit, huh?”
“You’re welcome to visit me anytime, but if putting in a hot tub gets you there faster, I promise to get it done quickly, although spring is probably the earliest it can be installed. I have a tiered deck in the back of the house; I’ll need to figure out the best place for the tub.”
“Nice. Is it a big house?” Ben asked.
“It’s a good-sized home. Living room, dining room, family room, office, half-bath, and large eat-in kitchen on the first floor. The second floor has a master bedroom suite with a private bath, two guest rooms that share another bathroom, and a laundry room. Oh, and there’s a two-car attached garage.”
“It sounds great. My place in LA isn’t large, but then I don’t spend a lot of time there. It’s a two-bedroom, two-bath, pretty much all I need. And you’re also welcome to visit me anytime.”
“Well then it’s settled, we’ll both visit each other. But now,” Rob continued, looking at his hands, “if we don’t get out of this hot tub, our bodies are gonna prune all over, just like my fingertips are now.”
He laughed and wiggled his fingers at Ben. Sure enough, they were wrinkled, and when Ben checked his own hands, he saw they were in the same condition.
“Okay, but only if we can do this again later. I bet this is amazing in the moonlight.” Ben said with a wink. He grinned widely and Rob was pretty sure Ben was thinking about more than just soaking in the hot tub.
“I’m sure we can make that work. But it’s almost four o’clock, so let’s dry off and go to Neptune’s. And while we drink wine and try some tapas, we can talk about what to do for a late dinner.”
Ben laughed and nodded. “Yes sir!”
* * *
Ben and Rob entered the wine bar and were struck by how beautiful it was. Chairs and sofas upholstered with dark wood and leather gave the space an elegant atmosphere. Black-and-white photos of vineyard landscapes hung on the pale sage walls. Wall sconces and battery-operated tea lights on the tables provided a warm glow throughout the room.
A wood bar with brass rails was off to the right. The wine tender standing behind it looked at them and smiled. “Sit anywhere you’d like, gentlemen.”
“May we sit at the bar?” Ben asked.
“Of course. My name is Paulo and I’m happy to serve you.” They took two seats at the end of the bar and Paulo placed menus in front of them. “Wine, tapas, or both this afternoon?” he asked.
“Both,” Rob replied. He scanned the menu quickly and said, “I think I’d like to try a flight, please.”
Ben agreed, so they decided on two different red flights they could share. As Paulo set glasses in front of them and began to pour their wine, they perused the tapas menu. After a moment, they chose a sampler platter for two that consisted of cheese, olives, bread, and cold cuts, along with some nuts and grilled shrimp.
After pouring three samples of wine for each of them, he presented them with cards that described each of the wines. “Enjoy, gentlemen. I’ll be right back with your tapas.”
Ben and Rob each chose a glass and sipped, checking the notes for their particular wine. Then they switched glasses and sipped again. This continued until they each had tried all six wines.
