"I can't decide."Hertonguedarts out to lick the corner of her lips while she contemplates the choices."Can I do a scoop of each in a cup?"
"Of course, hon,"Marnie says. She turns to me."Can I get you something?"
"Soft serve triple twist on a sugar cone, please. And we're together."Atouchof color blooms in Palmer's cheeks.
"Thanks, but you don't have to–"
"I want to,"I assure her, tapping my card against the reader.
We take our orders and go outside to claim an empty table. It's warm out, but still a school night, so the place isn't too busy. In a few more weeks, we'll be lucky to be in and out intwentyminutes, letalonefive. We sit across from one another, which is for the best. I'm still trying to be on my best behavior.
Except I can't help staring as she scoops a spoonful oficecream and sucks it off the spoon."So good,"she repeats in between tiny whimpers of pleasure. She looks up from her cup and pauses, gesturing at me with her spoon.
"You're dripping."
My mouth dries."I'm what?"
"Dripping."She points at my cone."Youricecream is melting all over your hand."
Sure enough. While I was enraptured by her thorough tasting of theicecream, my cone melted over the edge of the cone and onto my hand."Fuck."
I sweep mytonguealong the rim of the cone, catching the melting treat before it makes more of a mess. I lick up the sides and suck thetopof the cone. Once I tame it into submission with mytongue, I steal a look atPalmer. She's staring back at me, her bright Caribbean eyes darkening to adeepblue.
"Charlie,"she starts, setting the cup down."I have to ask you something, and I need you to let me get it out before you say anything, or I'll lose my nerve."
"Ohh—kay,"I say, dragging the word out. Curiosity mixes with concern."What's up?"
Shestaresdown at her cup oficecream, then rolls hershouldersback, takes adeepbreath, and meets mygaze.
“SeeingBrennanengaged has caused me to question my approach to love. I get too invested, too fast, and what I need—I think—is to try my hand at a no-strings-attached fling. What I'm asking is if you'd do it."
I shake my head, trying to understand if she's asking what I think she's asking."I'm sorry. Do what?"
"Me,Charlie."She leans across the table, giving me a sweet view of her swells."I'm asking you to do me."
Six
Charlie
The cone fallsfrom my hand onto the sidewalk and is immediately claimed by a pair of pigeons. But I don'tcare.PalmerYork, the object of my crush for three years, the woman who'd friend-zoned me the moment we met, is asking me todateher?
No, notdateher. Do her. Sleep with her.Fuckher. I'm impossibly hard at the moment, but manage to refrain from picking her up and taking her against the brick wall of the shop. The side of the shop that isn't lit and is mainly covered by bushes.
"I'm sorry, can you–"I wave my hand in the air.
She turns her palms out, like she's holding me back. Probably a good idea."Let me explain. Because we're friends and I want to be able to stay friends, I need you to understand why I'm asking. I don't want you to think I just want to use you or that I'm a whore–"
"I'd never think that."I'm vehement in my protest, riled she'd ever think I would."Never."
She smiles."I appreciate it. But I still need you to know why I'm asking."
She draws in adeepbreath. "Brennanand I were together for three years. Things moved pretty fast for us, and we were living together in a matter of months after meeting. I thought we were moving forward.
"But the past year or so, it's been...different. Hewasn'thappy for me to continueplaying. Like my parents, he thought this was a whim. I majored in business with the idea to work for my father's company eventually, but honestly, I love lacrosse. I'm part of something bigger than myself, setting an example for little girls everywhere. Blazing a path for future generations of athletes."
"And you're damn good at it,"I interject. She lights up the night with her beaming smile and I promise myself to make her smile like that more often.
"It's my true love."She lifts one shoulder and lets itdrop."Anyway, my family doesn't support me, andBrennan, well, he's like they are. I think he had the impression I'd be discouraged enough to quit if they kept me on the bench. Maybe I would have, except for how great everyone was to me when I first arrived. They've all become another family to me. You know, you were a big reason why I didn't give up."
