Under The Midnight Sky

CHAPTER TWELVE: Gates, Green Goop, and Wizened Old Men

Now I know.

The establishment was refurbished and renovated that's why it has a old-timey yet new feel.

But inside? It was a different story.

It has old architecture with lots of polished wood. Though they have new implements like the large refrigerated display case, and pendant lights, the soul of the place was old.

I don't know why I knew it, since I was not in any way familiar with architecture and its jargon, but yeah.

There's that. The old man behind the retro-looking cash register yawned. He looks tired but happy to see Carter.

"So... what will it be, young man?" The old man's eyes went to me and recognition dawned on him.

"Good... evening young lady, though I must say morning, because you know... it's early morning and all." He chuckled and it was a nice sound.

"Good morning too, Sir." I said courteously. I smiled and the old man smiled back. Brightly.

His face was full of wrinkles, but all of them were laughter lines. This old man was as generous as Carter in giving smiles to everyone.

Judging from what I see now, the old man was a looker in his youth. A remnant of your beauty will always remain no matter how old you get. And this old man do still have some of his charm.

"I am really sorry to wake you up in such a... an early hour." I glared at Carter but he just shrugged.

"Detail?" The old man asked, referring to Mr. Malcolm. He perked up at that, suddenly scrutinizing the old man. Mr. Malcolm was efficient in his work.

"Nope. More like chaperon. Keep me out of trouble." I answered him, which settled Mr. Malcolm and made the old man crack up.

"Oh yes, yes. I do remember doing lots of trouble when I was young." The old man smiled wistfully. I knew sometimes he misses his youth, but he was a content man.

"I'll have Vanilla-Pistachio, Zed." Carter spoke as he leaned on the display case.

"Seriously?" I looked at Carter with an extreme measure of incredulity?

Pistachio? Eew! It's like green goop turned into ice cream! With... NUTS!

"Uhm, yeah? That's my favorite." Carter shrugged. The old man-Zed, laughed.

"Carter, the lady here doesn't like Pistachios." I looked at the old man, gauging if he can, in fact, read minds.

"Please don't make me change, Grace. Pistachios and I... We have a relationship, you see... I cannot part with it... even for you. And that's saying a lot because I like you a lot." Carter's eyes crinkled with a smile. A carefree smile that he didn't have any idea what did to me.

I froze at the admission. It was thrown so casually. So... familiarly. Like we already had years of history. I looked at Carter and a slow creep of color overcame his complexion. I think he babbled and didn't think before speaking. I took it in stride. I could take a little Freudian Slip.

"You and Pistachios, huh? How can I compete?" I smiled and... Was it possible to flush even redder? Carter sure was able to.

Zed laughed so hard he was crying. I also heard Mr. Malcolm chuckling at the back.

"Young love... I lived seventy-five years, yet it never ceases to amaze me." Zed began to scoop the horrifying mix into a...

"Is that Fanta?"