The sound of silverware hitting crockery rang out as Kelsey reached for her half drunk glass of lemonade. Tears were welling up as she tried to focus anywhere other than on the man sat in front of her. Her lips clamped shut she held in the laughter that was bubbling upwards. Lifting a finger to halt their conversation she took in a few gentle sips, being careful not to send herself spluttering the drink across the table in another fit of giggles.
Gathering herself she placed her glass down, folded her arms neatly on the tabletop and met her eyes with the glistening blue ones of Sean.
"I'm sorry." She composed herself. "Just wasn't expecting that from you!" Another small laugh left her lips which she quickly used her hand to hide her ever-growing grin behind.
"It was a choice." Seans voice was unsure, a laugh following. "I don't blame you for that reaction."
He leant back in his chair. The street lamps now illuminating the promenade beneath them, their dusky orange light matching the illuminations from the candles now lit in the centre of their table.
"There wasn't many summer jobs going that year and the mascot for Seaside Scoops ice cream shop was what I landed." He laughed again, the ridiculous sounding sentence setting him off. Kelsey lost her composure, her shoulders shaking as the laugh burst out of her. Reaching for a napkin she dabbed at the corner of her eyes.
"I used to visit that shop all the time." She managed to get out. "And all this time, that could've been you-" Another laugh came out of her, her eyes scrunching shut as she grabbed at her stomach, folding in her chair as the silent gasps for air continued.
"-I mean, I just can't believe it, that was you in those pink tights and ice-cream costume! Oh and those shoes!" Kelsey lost it again, her hands holding on to the table for stability. Sean watched the woman before him, his eyes watering at the sight. Her cheeks flushed pink in amusement and smile spread joyously across her face, she looked stunning.
"Woah now, let's not go spreading any false information." Sean joked sitting upright in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "They weren't pink tights, they were salmon running leggings."
"Oh I'm sorry." Kelsey collected herself looking back up at Sean, a smile still on her face and a devilish glint in her eyes. "Am I offending your fragile masculinity?"
"My masculinity is not fragile." Sean retorted, his teeth grazing his lower lip as he stared back at Kelsey. "Not every male could pull of the role of Mr. Scoops."
"Please stop. You're going to kill me."
"And my legs looked good."
"Sean! Seriously."
"Just be thankful that the cone part of the costume covered from the thigh up. Because those leggings left little to the imagination."
"Oh my days. Sean!"
"What?" Sean answered innocently, his gaze taking in every little detail in front of him. Kelsey stared up at him behind the slender fingers of her hands. Her lips parted naturally into a smile. His heart thudded rhythmically against his chest.
"It was an honest job."
"I can imagine it was sweltering in that costume." Kelsey said, finally able to get her laughter under control. Sean sat back in his seat eyes wide and nodding.
"Ridiculously so. Visibility wasn't the best either. Definitely knocked ice creams out of peoples hands more than is deemed to be considered an accident."
Kelsey looked at him in awe, her chin now resting gently in her palm as she hung on to every word.
"I just can't believe it." She said. "We must've crossed paths there at some point."
Sean felt a lump forming in the back of his throat, an unspoken truth that he hasn't told anyone about. Well, anyone but Jake.
"It was the summer of 2017." Sean started, looking down at the empty plate before him. "Seaside Scoops is where you met my brother?" Kelsey nodded in response. Sean slouched forward, his finger tracing the hem of the table cloth as he thought how to word the next sentence.
"I'd been telling him about this attractive redhead that always came in for a raspberry swirl every Saturday afternoon." Sean looked back to Kelsey, his smile pulling lightly on the corners of his mouth but his voice strained. Kelsey still held his eyes in hers with her smile wavering ever so slightly.
"I'd let it slip that I was going to slide her my number on my next Saturday shift. You know, just ask if she was free after my shift and actually get to exchange in actual conversation rather than muffled greetings and exaggerated physical humour to get her to laugh." Sean rolled his eyes dramatically, nervously running his hand through his now dishevelled hair.
"Jake being Jake however, turned up to the shop that day and got talking to her. They swapped numbers and the rest is history."
Kelsey stared wide eyed.
"No. Tell me that's some twisted story." She spoke, her voice timid. "Tell me that's a joke."
"I'm sorry, Kelsey." Sean said. "That's the truth."
"So I only met Jake because he knew that you were interested?"
"Well-"
"What. A. Prick!" Kelsey's loud words caught the attention of the waiter, his head jutting up from looking at the glass he was cleaning.
"I called him a lot worse than that when I got home that night." Sean said, reaching for his glass and downing the liquid. A huge weight now lifted from his shoulders. Placing the empty glass down Sean felt the smooth grasp of Kelsey's hand holding his own, gently squeezing it.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was strong yet her words caressed him gently. A genuine apology, Sean could feel the affliction of truth. He went to avert the conversation but her face held him speechless. The way her brow furrowed, her eyes open wide and full of empathy.
"That must've been awful. To stand silently and just watch that unfold before you."
"Definitely up there with one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life" Sean said, his free hand reaching and encasing hers on top of his other. "But here we are, all those years later and I got to go on a date with that pretty redhead from the ice cream shop."
Kelsey wanted to freeze this moment. Her hand in his, his eyes gazing at her in a way that made her feel like the most important person in the room. How'd this all happen? How on earth did she get this lucky?
Sean rubbed the back of her hand slowly, gently pulling back he shot her one of his signature mischievous grins.
"All this talk of ice cream has got me craving one. Fancy going for a stroll along the sea front to find one?"
With the intense revelation now cleared from the air, Kelsey returned to the bliss of her new found reality in the comfort of Sean's words.
"If you can find a place open at this time then I'll take a raspberry swirl!"
................................................................................................
The night air nipped at Kelsey's bare shoulders, goose-bumps raising along her exposed skin as they walked away from the lights of the restaurant.
Heavy silken fabric graced her shoulders as the lapels of Seans blazer brushed across her cheeks.
"Thank you." Kelsey said, pulling the jacket close across her body. Sean walked alongside her, keeping in time with her delicate steps along the cobbled path.
"You sure you're warm enough for ice cream, Owens?" Sean asked, his hands tucking into the pockets of his suit trousers. They past by seafront stalls, most were bordered up or abandoned, their windows smashed and graffiti sprawled across their brickwork. A couple shops still shone bright, their lights casting a glow upon the pebbled beach front opposite them.
"I'm always warm enough for ice cream, Mr. Scoops." Kelsey laughed through chattering teeth. She felt Sean cringe beside her, a defeated laugh escaping to the sea breeze.
"Should've never told you about that."
"Oh but I do have a thing for a guy in uniform."
"Most wouldn't count that."
"I was sold on the description of those tights."
Defeated, Sean just shook his head. Kelsey bumped her hip against him, grabbing his attention she gave him a dramatic wink. He laughed sheepishly, taking one hand out of his pocket and wrapping it over Kelsey shoulders, pulling her closer to him.
"You are something special, Kels."
Walking further down the street they approached a still lit ice cream parlour, the worker half asleep behind the counter, her red and white striped hat slipping slightly over her eyes. Seeing the two figures approach her she adjusted her hat and sat upright, rubbing her eyes and blinking rapidly.
"Hey there." She greeted. "What can I get you two?"
Kelsey stared at the display, the vast range of ice cream spread out before her, a dazzling display of colour standing out against the faded whites and reds of the shops decor.
"One Raspberry swirl and a Lemon sorbet, please." Sean answered, his hand automatically reaching for his phone whilst the server tapped in his order.
"Uh-uh, Henderson. This one's fully on me." Kelsey said placing a hand on his arm as she reached into her bag. "You've already done so much for me."
Taking their cones in their hands they stepped once more into the cool spring air.
"Where to now?" Kelsey asked excitedly, the taste of tangy raspberry dancing on her tongue. Sean looked up and down the street, his free hand stroking his chin as if his was contemplating a complex equation.
"Fancy a walk down the pier?" He smiled holding out his arm.
"Ooh how fancy. Old school courtship, have you been watching Bridgerton?" Kelsey teased, linking her arm with his. Turning left they proceeded down the path towards the lit entrance to the old wooden pier.
"You know, I grew up with my mum reading those books. If it wasn't for that show I would've never known the contents of what she spent many an evening consuming." Sean shivered.
"Martha! Didn't think that'd be her cup of tea."
"Scandalous." Sean laughed leaning into Kelsey.
The moon shone bright in the evening sky, it's white light reflecting in the waves rolling onto the pebbled beach. The noise soothing against the otherwise silent atmosphere.
Sean held out his hand, taking Kelsey's safely in his as he helped her up the wooden steps of the town Pier. Each wooden board creaked with their footsteps. Taking another lick of her ice cream Kelsey looked back on her hometown behind her, it's twinkling lights golden against the darkness. Her view was beginning to shift on this place. Sean had changed her perspective in more ways than one.
Kelsey's ankle twisted beneath her causing her to careen forward. Strong hands grabbed her waistline, stopping her momentum.
"You have a real habit of this." Sean spoke low in her ear, a tinge of amusement lacing his words. Standing back upright, Kelsey hid her embarrassment behind her hair as she struggled to dislodge her heel from the crack in the floorboard.
"It's not my fault. It's my shoe, the heel got-" With a last wiggle and tug her shoe came free "-stuck!" Regaining her stature she faced Sean with a triumphant smirk. He looked down at her, mischief glinting behind his eyes.
"Hold this." He ordered, handing her his cone. Confused Kelsey took it.
"Why are you-"
In a sudden movement Sean swept Kelsey up in his arms. A small squeak escaping Kelsey's mouth as he did so.
"This'll be easier. Less chance for an injury." Sean winked as he began to stride down the pier.
"You could've warned me! I nearly dropped our dessert down myself." Kelsey laughed as she adjusted herself in Sean's arms. "Though now you've handed me yours..."
Sean's eyes snapped down to Kelsey.
"Don't you dare!"
Kelsey slowly, albeit awkwardly, raised the Lemon sorbet to her lips. Without breaking eye contact she slowly licked upwards. The sharp flavour filling her mouth.
"You little minx." Sean smiled, his eyes aflame with hunger.
"Hmmm. This is amazing." She teased going in for seconds. Sean continued forward, his attention focused on the pier's end than the constant teasing from the woman he held in his arms.
A few feet further Sean came to a stop. Placing Kelsey gently back her feet, she handed him back his ice cream cone. The waves crashed in a symphony far below their feet.
"Think this'll do." He said, walking up to the railing and leaning against it, staring back at the town now far off in the distance. Kelsey joined him, leaning back against the railing, eyes closed and breathing in the salty sea air. She felt peace, for the first time in a very long while. She was genuinely happy.
Raising her ice cream to her lips she felt it suddenly jolt out of her hands. Snapping her eyes open with her mouth agape, Sean smirked down at her. Lifting her cone to his mouth tantalisingly slowly.
"No! Come on!"
"It's only fair, Kels!"
She reached up for it laughing, Sean now holding it far above his head.
"Uh-uh." He laughed standing taller, making it an impossible feat for Kelsey to achieve.
Standing on her tip-toes, Kelsey placed one hand on Sean's shoulder, using it as leverage as she attempted to jump for the cone.
"It's no good, Kels." Sean rasped between laughs. His face now a mere inch or so from hers as she stood balanced. "You have to ask for it nicely."
Kelsey stared at him, his words racing around her head. His frame towered over her, the smell of lemons interwoven with the scent of his cologne. Blonde waves of hair rustled in the breeze, brushing across his forehead as he leant a bit closer to her.
"Please." He whispered.
Kelsey was unsure if he was still playing along with his game by giving an example, or if he was asking her for something instead. Her heart was pounding against him, her hands now both resting lightly on his shoulders. Tilting her head upwards she tested the waters, her lips brushing against his waiting for conformation. Sean closed the gap between them, his lips meeting hers with an anticipated passion. Thoughts of ice cream and teasing where gone. Both cones crashing down onto the weathered flooring as his arms pulled Kelsey closer to him. His hands snaking up her back causing his blazer to fall to the floor by Kelsey's feet. Goose-bumps returned to Kelsey's skin but for reasons other than the temperature. Her fingers combed through soft tufts of hair as Sean deepened the kiss, his hand gently squeezing her hip as the other held the side of Kelsey's head, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. Flavours of lemon and raspberry filling both their senses.