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“I think I need a little alcohol to numb the pain before fueling the desire to move on from that piece of trash,” she answered.
At least she still had a bit of that fire I loved about her lingering. “You’ve got it, Em.”
“You have to join me in moving on, though. We’re both on a mission tomorrow night,” she declared.
“What?”
“It’s been far too long since you got serious with anyone. If I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to pick myself up from this disaster, just days after it happened, you can do the same eight months after taking out your trash of a guy, Tristan.”
At the mere mention of my ex’s name, I felt a wave of anger wash over me. And it was just what I needed to hear. I didn’t need to allow what happened with Tristan to ruin my desire to have something meaningful and special with someone else. While I couldn’t say that it was one man who’d had that kind of power over me, he was the biggest reason recently that I’d been left feeling less than trusting of others.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a good time, especially if it meant being there for my friend who’d just been through something so unbelievable. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be this weekend,” I promised.
“Alright. We’ll plan to grab dinner somewhere first, so I can give you all the horrible details about what he did and how I found out,” she returned.
“Sounds great to me. I’ll give you a call tomorrow after I close the shop,” I told her.
“Perfect. Thanks, Rhea.”
I smiled at the sound of genuine appreciation in her tone. “Anything you need, Em. You know that.”
We said goodbye and disconnected our call.
I might have taken the next few minutes to try to work out all the possible scenarios regarding what happened with Emily and how she figured out the man she’d been dating for half a year was already married with children, but a customer walked in.
“Hi. How can I help you?”
“Hello. Are you Rhea?” the woman asked.
“I am.”
“I’m Melody. We spoke on the phone earlier in the week. I placed the order for pickup for today,” she revealed.
I hopped down from the stool. “Oh, it’s wonderful to meet you, Melody. I’ve got your order ready for you. Let me grab it from the freezer, and I’ll be right back.”
After receiving a nod from her, I scurried to the back of the shop, where I had another couple of freezers for situations like this. While the majority of those who came to The Sweet Landing did it for a simple treat, there were occasions when I’d get bulk orders for parties or from a handful of regulars who simply liked having my ice cream on hand in their homes.
I grabbed the first two tubs of ice cream from the freezer and carried them out to the front. It was then I noticed a man had entered the shop, so I said, “I’ll be right with you, sir.”
He dipped his chin. “Take your time.”
Turning my attention to Melody, I said, “I’ve got two more back there for you.”
“Okay.”
Once I’d retrieved the second pair of ice cream tubs, I returned to the counter, where Melody paid for her order.
“Are you able to grab those two?” I asked, jerking my head toward the tubs on the counter.
“Yep, I’ve got them,” she replied.
“Perfect. I’ll carry these two out to your car for you.”
I began moving around the counter, and as I made my way to the door, I returned my attention to the man who’d entered when I was in the back. “I’ll be just another minute, sir.”
“No problem. Would you like some help?” he asked.
I smiled at the kind gesture but shook my head. “I think we’ve got it. But I appreciate your offer. Thank you.”
