...“I’m not a kid. I’m twenty-five. That’s not as old as you, I’m sure. Maybe that’s why you’re calling me ‘kid.’ Trying to act all superior and mature. My name’s Herb.” Herb stuck out his hand.

Stunned at the words pouring out of Herb’s mouth, Chuck shook his hand without saying anything. God, the kid was cute. Sure, Chuck felt like a perv, ogling the younger guy, but thank goodness Herb was older than he looked.

“What’s your name? Holy cow, you’re tall and hot. Are you gay?” Herb winced. “I shouldn’t have said anything like that. Now you’ll probably drag me into an alley and beat the shit out of me for coming on to you. I wasn’t really. I just have a problem keeping things in my head. They tend to spill out as I talk. Don’t get angry with me.”

“Kid, take a breath. I’m gay, so you’re safe there. Thanks for telling me I’m hot. It’s always good to get a compliment, but you really do need to watch what you say or you’re going to get your ass kicked.” Chuck took the phone and stuffed it in his pocket. He’d lose it before he got back to the precinct.

Herb hitched his messenger bag higher up on his shoulder, shoved his hand through his dark curls, and sighed. “I know, but I have so much stuff going on in my head, I just don’t have the energy to censor what I say. I mean, really, why should I have to worry about watching what I say? Others should have to deal with it.”

Chuck took Herb by the elbow and led the shorter man away from the curb while Herb chattered at him. They ended up by a corner hot dog vendor, and Chuck decided he’d get one there instead of from the guy outside the precinct. That guy would yell at him about the crime ruining the streets and shit like that. Chuck heard it enough from his own family; he didn’t need to get it from the guy feeding him.

“You want one?”

Herb wrinkled his nose and gagged. “Are you kidding me? Do you know all the crap they put in hot dogs? None of it’s good for you.”

“Don’t worry, Herb. I have a list of all the nasty stuff printed out and pinned to my bulletin board. Having two doctors in the family ensures I know all the terrible ingredients in all the stuff I love to eat. I bet you know what they put in Twinkies to make sure they’ll survive a nuclear holocaust.”

“Umm…no. Do you?” Herb’s eyes brightened. “That could be a great experiment. I don’t have anything to do this weekend. I might have to set up something to find out. I’d love to know.”

“No, you don’t. It’ll put you off eating them for life.” Chuck took two hot dogs from the vendor, just mustard for dressing.

“I’ve never had a Twinkie,” Herb admitted.

Chuck froze, one hot dog a few inches from his mouth, and stared at Herb. “You haven’t eaten a Twinkie. Were your parents granola lovers or something?”

“What does that have to do with Twinkies? No, I never ate dinner with them. I usually ate with the cook, and Marie always made sure I had healthy food.”

“You never shared one of your friend’s lunches and snacked on Oreos or something like that?”

Herb ducked his head and red tinted his cheeks. “I went to a boarding school. I didn’t have any friends.”

“Hmmm…” Chuck finished both hot dogs and wiped his hands on a napkin. “I suggest you should stop by a grocery store and pick up some sugar snacks. Oreos, Twinkies, Hostess cupcakes. Anything guaranteed to give you the jitters.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“To experience something different.” His phone rang. “Shit.”

He flipped open the phone and punched the button. “Yeah.”

“Davidson, get back here. We caught a body,” his partner, Petrovic, growled in his ear.

“Okay. I’m just a few blocks away, grabbing lunch. I’ll be right there.”

Chuck managed to turn off the phone and stuffed it in his pocket. He’d dump it in the garbage on the way home.

“It was nice to meet you, Herb. I’ll tell you a secret. I think you’re cute, too.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss over Herb’s lips. “Go and get some Oreos and milk, kid. Believe me, you haven’t tasted any thing better in your life.”

He walked away, but something whispered to look back. When he did, Herb was still standing there, fingers pressed to his mouth and a rather stunned expression on his face.