Two Scoops of Summer Love

2. Chocolate

"They're putting a new place in where Hal's used to be." Camille was eager to drop the news to somebody who didn't already know. "They practically had to tear the place down before they could start fixing it up."

"But Hal's was right across the street from the Creamery!" I felt my plan for the summer melting in my hands. My head rested in my hands, task forgotten.

"Well, at least you won't have as bad of a rush with another shop across the street?" Camille suggested halfheartedly as she took over closing the till. I spent the rest of Camille's shift pouting as she ignored my moodiness.

~~~

Walking home with Camille, we checked out the new shop. I wish I could say that I felt secure in my own job, but the new store was a lot nicer. While the Creamery had nice white walls and a practical freezer, the new place had patterned wallpaper and fun retro seating. I could see the appeal for new tourists to go to the new shop, it was fun and exciting. Mind you, I was making these judgments based on what I had seen by pressing my face against the window in the setting sunlight.

It wasn't much later when Camille and I said our goodbyes and separated to the two cottages on either side of the road. Warm light was flooding out of the front windows of my cottage, and I could smell that Mum had cooked up one of my summer favourites; burgers and corn on the cob. I took the stairs two at a time and rushed inside to the dinner table. I told Mum of the new ice cream shop, and in her typical fashion, she just said to me that it wasn't my issue to worry about.

As per tradition, we sat down together on the couch and watched a cheesy chick flick before bed. I checked my room for hidden spiders, turned off the light, and went to bed so I could be fresh for my first day of work.

~~~

It was a hot one when I woke up. I peeled the covers off of my sweaty body and immediately went to shower a bit of the heat away. I was thankful that there wasn't much to what I wasn't allowed to wear to work, so I picked a cute t-shirt and some jean shorts to keep cool. It was the hot weather that was typical for late July and August that make me thankful for working in a place with air conditioning.

I ate a quick bowl of cereal before speeding downtown to get to work. I waved at Camille's father as I went past the store and strolled into the Creamery five minutes before my shift.

My boss, Frank, is a friend of my father's from high school. They lost touch in post-secondary when my dad became a mechanic and my boss majored in business but reconnected years ago when Camille and I went to the camp Frank's wife ran. Frank's son went off to college this year, so he had an opening position that he offered me. I felt a little awkward; it felt like this job came too easily to me, but the majority of kids around here worked for somebody they knew.

Frank had said that he wasn't going to make it in for a couple days, so I walked in having no clue who my manager was. A guy dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a graphic tee was standing behind the counter counting cash at the register. He glanced up when the bell hung above the door rang, but quickly went back to what he was doing.

"Sorry, we don't open for a half hour yet." His tone was polite, but his body language said he was thinking otherwise. If I had felt awkward before, I felt like an elephant in a flea circus now. I contemplated turning around and coming back when he said before I steeled my nerve.

"Um, hi. I'm Ana," I felt like a deer in headlights when he stared at me with a dry look. "Uh, so I know, um, that you don't know me, but I think I need to be here because my shift starts in five minutes." The guy smirked and shook his head leaving me confused. Was I wrong in thinking my shift starts today?

"I'm Bryan. Wear this apron, and I'll teach you training as we go through the day." Bryan tossed a light blue half apron at me and went back to counting the money in the cash register.

As the day went by, I wasn't sure what to think of Bryan. He seemed like a good worker, just not the sociable type. I learned a lot about how to run cash and protocol, but I have to scoop ice cream, so it isn't rocket science. When Bryan went on break, I busied myself by cleaning the glass and spying on the new shop across the street. They were bringing tables and booths inside today, which was an interesting choice considering the Creamery was a stop and go type of place. Eventually, Bryan came back and I scooped a couple cones for the odd local stopping by to see what was going on across the street. I had just hung my apron up to go home when Bryan stopped me.

"Good work today, but just wait until summer really comes." Ominous sounding and anxiety-inducing words coming from an intimidating guy were not something that made me feel at ease with my new place of work, so I just gave him a grim smile before heading out the door. I looked up and saw that while I had been busy, the sign for the new place had gone up and an opening date had been announced. A week from today, Sweet Thing would open for business.