Page 77 of Nuts

I pumped my fist. “Yes!”

We rode the rollercoaster until sunset, catching bits and pieces of the orange sky as we were able. After a dozen rides, the colorful horizon melted into the sea of blue beneath.

And then, when it grew dark, we got off what would be our last ride of the night.

“Jesus fuck,” Percy said. “I’ve never had so much fucking fun in my life.”

“Me neither,” I said.

With his hands pressed to his knees, he heaved to catch his breath. “That was fun.”

“The most fun, ever.”

“Do you like ice cream?”

I scrunched my nose. “Who doesn’t like ice cream? Heck yes, I like ice cream.”

He peered toward the shops that lined the boardwalk. “Come on.”

With my arm wrapped around his, we walked side by side to a building with the name Sweet Shoppe carved into a wooden sign.

“This must be the place,” he said.

I gazed through the glass at the display of candies, fudge, and ice cream. “Ever been here before?”

“Nope.”

“Ice cream virgin, too. Huh?”

“I’ve had it before,” he said with a laugh. “Just been a long time.”

I tried to think of the last time I had ice cream, and came up with nothing. “Yeah. A long time for me, too.”

We each ordered a two-scoop cone, and when they came, we gasped. The waffle cones were monstrous, and the dips of ice cream were so big I doubted we could ever finish them.

“Holy cow,” I said when he handed me mine. “That’s massive.”

He chose mint chocolate chip and chocolate, and I picked butter pecan and pralines and cream. I took my first bite as we walked outside.

It was unlike anything I’d eaten. Ever.

“Holy crap.” I held my cone at arm’s length. “You’ve got to taste this.”

He took a step back and smiled. “Are you offering me your ice cream?”

I giggled. “It’s really good.”

He took a bite and then smiled. Ice cream covered his lips, but instead of licking them, he kissed me.

That moment was like a dream come true. Truthfully, the date was like a dream come true. At least so far. I’d always wanted to have a relationship with someone who was able to accept me for who I was. Percy did that, and in doing so, he wasn’t afraid to act like himself, either.

He may have been a big badass biker, but at that moment, he was nothing more than a man covered in ice cream, giving his date a kiss.

He held out his cone. “Here. Try this.”

I reached for it, pulled the entire scoop of mint off the top, and took a bite out of the chocolate scoop that was beneath it.

As he stared at me with an open mouth, I plopped the scoop of mint back on top and licked my lips. “I don’t like mint ice cream. That chocolate is good as heck, though.”