Sweeter Than Summer

12 | passion fruit cheesecake

"I'm not going to lie, I'm very skeptical." As if to prove this, Rosa poked the ice cream hesitantly with her plastic spoon, grimacing.

"I like it," I said, "but I have very evolved taste buds."

She laughed. "You are like an ice cream connoisseur."

"Thank you." I broke out into a grin. "That's my favorite compliment."

"I know." She barely scooped anything onto her spoon, then held it at eye level. Rosa wasn't the best at trying new things, and passion fruit cheesecake ice cream definitely fit that criteria. "And it's true."

"You don't have to try it if you don't want to."

"I will," she said earnestly, "just give me a minute. I need to brace myself first."

"I think you'll like it."

"The very small, adventurous part of my brain thinks that too." She finally lowered the spoon. "I just need to think of Neville. Neville is brave. He would try passion fruit flavored ice cream."

"Passion fruit cheesecake flavored ice cream," I corrected.

"The cheesecake isn't the part I'm afraid of."

Rosa, seated on the counter in the back room, crossed and uncrossed her ankles several times as I finished putting away leftover ingredients, still holding her cup hesitantly in her lap. Finally, when I walked over to lean against the fridge, she raised the spoon to her lips, taking the tiniest possible bite.

"So? What do you think?"

"I couldn't taste anything."

"Rosa."

"January."

"The rest of this ice cream is sitting here, melting, while I wait for you to actually try this."

"So is mine." As if to prove this, she tilted the cup in my direction. Just like she said, it was slowly turning to liquid in Rosa's hands. "Can I have a new cup? I think the texture will be off now. And you're always talking about how 'texture is an important component of the –'"

"No."

"Why not?" She reached out to poke my knee with her foot. "You made a ton."

"I can stick that one in the freezer for a few minutes."

Rosa swirled her spoon in the puddle of ice cream, still grimacing. "I just need to try it. I do. It's like the Nike slogan. Just do it."

I laughed. "You can do it."

"You're way nicer than Carter," she said. "He's always making me try weird pizzas. Sardines and bacon? Hawaiian? Meat lovers? I just want to stick to classic pepperoni."

"We just want you to –"

"Expand my horizons, I know."

"January?" Veronica's voice was flat and sharp and loud. Without even waiting for my response, she called out again, "uh, January?"

"Coming!" I called out brightly. To Rosa, I added, less enthusiastically, "could you put the rest of the passion fruit cheesecake in the freezer?"

"Alright."

"January!"

"Coming!"

I practically marched out of the back room, just so Veronica could stop shrieking my name. Her voice always had an unpleasant nasal quality that was only enhanced when she increased her volume. But, as soon as I stepped through the doorway, I regretted it – Jackson Marcus was leaning against the counter, smiling.