The waitress serving us approaches our table. “Dessert?”
Perfect timing.
I swing my gaze to the bubbly blonde sitting across from me. “Harley?”
“I’ll never say no to dessert. What do you recommend?”
I glance up at the waitress. “Creamy Heaven is working on a few new flavors. Why don’t you bring us samplers of each one. And two scoops of coffee ice cream for the lady. Also, please pack a couple pints in a cooler bag to go.”
“Got it,” the waitress says.
“Ooohhhh. Coffee ice cream?” Harley places both hands over her chest. “Be still my beating heart.”
Allow me to up the ante.“Throw in a few glazed donuts so we can make donut ice cream sandwiches.”
The waitress nods. “Glazed donuts, an assortment of samplers from Creamy Heaven, two scoops of Harley’s Java Jolt for immediate enjoyment, and two pints of Harley’s Java Jolt for the road.”
Shit.
Harley tilts her head to the side. “Harley’s Java Jolt?”
“Yes,” the waitress says. “That’s the name of our coffee ice cream. The boss came up with the name. It’s one of our best sellers. It’s because we don’t use subpar coffee. Nope. The boss wouldn’t have it.” She covers her mouth and tilts her head in Harley’s direction. “He’s a stickler when it comes to quality. Which is why Harley’s Java Jolt is made with an in-house brewed coffee that’s a modern interpretation of a classic Italian espresso produced by a family-owned specialty coffee roaster, made with hand-picked beans from high-altitude Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Latin America. Creamy Heaven’s customers love knowing that about the Harley Java Jolt.”
She sounds like she’s making a presentation to board members.
In slow motion, Harley shifts her attention to me. “Harley’s Java Jolt? You named an ice cream after me?”
My obsession with this woman since meeting her after finding my cheater-ex fucking another man in my cottage wasn’t supposed to come out this way.
I shift in my seat. “You didn’t hide your love of coffee ice cream in the Hamptons. That, combined with your energy…”and effervescence.I attempt to loosen the collar of my shirt. “It made for a catchy name for an ice cream flavor.”
Harley’s jaw drops.
“You’re Harley?” The waitress arches a brow.
Harley glances up at her and nods.
“You’re the lucky girl. We’ve all been wondering who the mysterious Harley was. And today, I get to meet her in the flesh.”
I scrub my forehead with my hand.
No, this isn’t embarrassing.
“I don’t know what you did to bewitch the boss, but the coffee ice cream is the only name that wasn’t up for a vote by committee. All the other ice cream flavors were.”
“Thank you, Katie,” I say.
“What?” She furrows her brows. “I think she should know.”
Too much information.
“I’m a romance girly,” Katie says, “and I’ve never read that kind of display of?—”
“Oh, wow, look at the time.” I make a show of checking my watch. “It would be great if you went and grabbed our order.”
“Okay, okay. I know when I’m being dismissed.”
She rushes off.
