“That’s not my favorite,” I say, “but I know how you Americans love root beer. Let’s get some.”
As we head to the frozen section, Avery turns to me and asks, “You don’t like root beer?”
My nose wrinkles. “I’d drink it if it were to save my life, but other than that, I’ll drink just about anything else.”
“Have you had the good kind though?” Avery asks, a hint of a smile on her lips.
I raise an eyebrow. “You define them as good and bad kinds?”
Laughing, Avery says, “There are some brands that are better than others. But if you’re a staunch no root beer fan, it might be a lost cause.”
“Now I’m curious.”
“We’ll have a taste-testing contest another time. Then you can decide once and for all if it’s something you hate.”
I laugh. “Done. I look forward to this.”
Aiden loads five gallons of vanilla ice cream into the cart along with a few other flavors.
“Do you want us to split the check?” Avery asks hesitantly.
It’s only then that I notice the nervousness on her face. She’s still trying to keep her business afloat, and every dollar matters right now.
“No, we’ve got it. Then again, we’ll make Aiden get all of it,” I add with a grin.
He frowns at me. “Really, man?”
“Think about it,” I say. “You’re helping your favorite town celebrate together. What could be better than that?”
We walk toward the register, then he pulls out his card while the women stare in shock.
“That was a lot,” Talia says. “You just have money to drop on stuff like this?”
Aiden suddenly looks nervous. “Um, yeah. Well, I figured I could help, so…might as well. Where are we supposed to go?”
He changes the subject so fast it’s almost impressive.
“I think it’s down by the marina,” Lila says, pointing at the pamphlet.
Avery and I stare at the carts of goods. “How are we going to get all of this to the marina?” I ask.
“Just borrow the carts,” Talia says. “It might be bumpy, but at least it’ll save our fingers from destruction.”
“That’s a little more description than I would’ve used, but I get it,” Avery says.
We head that direction, and I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying the evening.
“I know you haven’t, but has Aiden been here before?” Avery asks.
“Yeah, he came out here a lot in the summers growing up. He loves this place.”
She processes it for a moment and says, “Wait, is he your boss?”
I wasn’t expecting that question, and while it would be easy to say yes, I don’t want to dig a deeper hole for myself. More and more I want to get to know Avery, to tell her everything about me, but I worry she’ll push me away because of the deception.
“No, just a good friend I’ve known since college.”
She looks like she accepts that answer, at least for now.
