“Would you be willing to have me come in after practices? Like around six? And I’d be more flexible on weekends, unless we have a meet.”
“I think that should be fine, actually. It’s the after-dinner crowd during the week that I need the most help with.”
I cock my head to the side. “I’d like to take the job, if you’re offering.”
After Terry and I get paperwork straightened out, he asks if I can stay so he can give me the rundown on what I’ll be doing—I assume a whole lot of ice cream scooping—and how the cash register works. Then when the girl I’m replacing doesn’t show up, I stay to give my new employer a hand. That’s the sort of thing responsible, trustworthy employees do, right?
That’s how I find myself working the counter at Teri & Terry’s Ice Cream when a whole group of students from Rosehaven walk in later that evening.
The first thing that strikes me when this crowd rolls in is that each person’s individual style comes out when they don’t have to wear uniforms. I’ve found the academy has fairly strict rules about our uniforms, though students do get away with certain things like their choice of footwear or occasionally leaving their ties loose.
The girls enter the shop talking animatedly and laughing. When they see me behind the counter, there is a brief pause that leads to even more laughter, and I roll my eyes, bracing myself. I soon realize I’ve been right to be on guard. Several members of the football team come in right behind the girls. They’re too busy shoving each other and cracking jokes to notice me at first. I take a few seconds to scan the crowd and think I’m in the clear until the bell above the door jingles again. Like a dark storm, Micah, Beau, and Xander blow in, the sight of them practically bowling me over. The other guys seem pretty normal, but those three present a formidable presence, dominating the entire room. I don’t know if it’s their looks, builds, or personalities, but everyone, it would seem, holds them in awe. Like a united front personified, the way these guys command attention is almost scary.
I shake my head, muttering under my breath about how lucky I am they’ve all come in on my first day.
Something fiery and hot snakes its way through my veins. I look up to find Xander watching my every move, a look of amused interest on his face.
Well, it’s not like I was going to be able to hide. I do my best to shrug off the feeling and concentrate on serving customers as they place their orders.
Terry comes out from the back to help me when he hears the commotion, thank goodness. Within about fifteen minutes, the majority of my peers have an ice cream in hand and have either exited the shop to sit on the little benches out front or are hanging out at the tables inside to eat. The noise level has gone up exponentially with their sugar consumption.
With only a few people left to serve, Terry asks, “You okay for me to go in the back? I’ve got some inventory to do.” He raises a brow at me, then glances around the shop full of teenagers.
“Oh. Um, yeah, I’m good. Go ahead. I can always call if I need help, right?”
“Sure thing.”
It’s unfortunate for me that the only people I would really love to not serve on my own are still in line. I want Terry to stay, but I don’t want him to think that I can’t handle myself. Ugh.
Finally, the only remaining customers are Aria, Beau, Micah, and of course, Xander. They step up to the counter, checking out the ice cream freezer. Xander’s gaze connects with mine, and he points at Aria. “I’ve got hers.”
My brow wrinkles, but I nod my understanding. Interesting. I’ve watched their interactions for two full days now and can’t honestly tell what their deal is. With a shrug, I focus on Beau and Micah who hover at the counter, stooping down to look at their options, pointing out flavors to each other as if they were five years old. But hey, big dudes are still allowed to like ice cream. Fortunately, once they’ve decided, theirs are easy orders. Ice cream cones in hand, they move away to go hang out with other friends.
Xander, on the other hand, watches me fidget behind the counter. His gaze lands on the sample spoons that sit in a container. “Can I have a sample of the coconut?”
I press my lips together and, without a word, take one of the little pink spoons and scrape out a bite of the coconut for him. I hand it across the counter and wait patiently.
He takes his time, savoring the ice cream on that tiny spoon, rolling his tongue over it to lick it clean. He pretends to ponder for a second before he asks, “How about the chocolate vanilla caramel?”
“Sure.” I repeat the process and wait again, my gloved hands clasped together. The way he moves his mouth should be illegal. My eyes are glued to it.
Aria rolls her eyes and shoves him. “I’ll just have the vanilla bean. In a small cup, please.”
I scoop it for her, stick a spoon in it, and she moves away, rejoining her fellow cheerleaders.
That leaves me with Xander, who’s finished his second sample. He puts the spoons in the little trash can on the counter. “I want a sample of the chocolate marshmallow creme.”
I raise one brow, skeptical that he actually wants to sample all of these. He’s totally fucking with me at this point, but what am I supposed to do? Call him on it? Make a scene on my first day here? It’s the same damn reason I hadn’t said anything about him touching me in Precalculus or gone home and spilled about the scene in the bathroom. I don’t want the extra attention, don’t want anything to happen that will get back to my aunt and uncle and give them more of a headache than I’ve already imposed on them. If he gets off on messing with me, so be it. Dick.
I sigh deeply as I watch him consider another option.
“What? You have somewhere else to be, Red?”
“Nope. Take your time. I’m at your service.”
“You’re finally beginning to get how this works.”
I nod my head and wet my lips, my eyes casting down until he speaks again.
“I’ll take a regular cone of that last one I tried.” He winks at me. Dickhead.
I scoop it out for him and hand it over, strip off my gloves, and ring up his cone and Aria’s cup of ice cream. “A regular cone for you, a small cup for your girl.”
He chuckles.
I have no idea what that means, but he doesn’t deny what I’ve said, so I can only assume it’s the truth. I hand him his change, and he dumps it in the tip jar, then reaches into his pocket and adds a twenty-dollar bill. My eyes widen in shock and slowly drift up to meet his.
I blink a few times and stare at him. Finally, my brain starts working again, and I murmur, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He winks at me again. While my eyes are still scanning his face and I’m wondering what on earth he’s thinking, his tongue slowly comes out for a lick. He watches me over the mound of ice cream, and I swear he devours it in the most sensual way I’ve ever seen. He’s making me think about things I definitely shouldn’t. But I can’t tear my eyes away. As I continue to watch, my lips part, and the visual he’s providing becomes even more crude. The things he’s doing with that tongue of his, oh my God.
Xander flashes a wolfish grin. “Are you jealous of my ice cream cone, Red? Your cheeks are turning the most amazing shade of pink. Like I said in class today—must be that pale-as-fuck skin of yours.”