That got a reaction.
Clove’s eyes went wide.“Shut up.”
“I’m serious.”
“With who?”Alice asked, interest sharpening.
Lark grinned.“Some new guy in town.Been coming in for two weeks.Orders the same thing every time.Finally asked her out.”
“Vanilla cone guy?”Bay asked.
“That’s the one,” Lark said.
Clove leaned forward, elbows on the counter.“Tell me everything.”
“There’s not much to tell,” Lark said.“Guy’s been sniffing around for a while.Tonight was his big move.”
Alice smiled, something approving in it.“Good for her.”
“Right?”Lark said.“About time.”
I stood a little off to the side, listening without really meaning to.
Ever on a date?
It should have felt like just information.People went on dates all the time.She could go out with whoever she wanted.Didn’t have anything to do with me.
Fox nudged my shoulder lightly.“You zoning out already?”
I shook it off.“No.”
“You getting something or just standing there?”
“I’m getting something,” I said, stepping up to the counter.
Lark looked at me.“What’ll it be?”
“Chocolate shake.”
She smirked.“Do you ever get something different?”
“Not really.”
She gave a humph under her breath and grabbed the cup.
Clove rattled off her order next, then Alice, then the rest of them.
I leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, watching it all play out in front of me.
“Here,” Lark said, sliding the shake across the counter to me.
I grabbed it, nodding.“Thanks.”
We took everything to one of the tables near the windows, chairs scraping lightly against the floor as we sat.Clove was already halfway through her ice cream before Ender even got settled.
“You inhale that?”he asked.
“You hesitate, you lose,” she shot back.
