Page 17 of Scoop Me Up
I laughed as I poured a splash of maple syrup into a pint jar to mix it with the sweet cream base I’d started with, along with the other ingredients. “You’re right. Now that this dream is starting to take shape, I do need to come up with some flavor ideas. Try this.” I passed him a spoonful of the ice cream combination.
Cooper hummed his approval. “I like it. What’s in it?”
“Maple, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.”
“Nice choice. I’m going to write this one down. Now all you need is a name.”
“Can’t we just call it Maple Cinnamon Pecan? Something straightforward?”
He looked at me, eyebrows raised. “You’re not serious.”
“Why not?”
“Honestly. You cannot have boring names. Give them some pizazz.”
“Fine. What’s this one called then?”
He smirked. “Daddy Issues.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Why not? You clearly have the hots for the single dad.”
I wadded up a paper towel and threw it at him. “Try again.”
“Maple You’ll Love Me.”
“Okay, that’s a cute name. I admit it.”
His smirk grew. “The tagline will be it’s a Vermont classic with a dash of wishful thinking.”
“Coop!”
“Next flavor, please.”
I rubbed my temples and mixed the next flavor combo. “Here. A spicy hot cocoa flavor.”
Cooper nodded as he tasted it, jotting something down on his paper. “Hot for Teacher. Because Gabe’s clearly got the hots for you. What’s next?”
I sighed deeply. “Is this how it’s going to be?”
“Absolutely yes.”
As we went along, he continued to name my ice cream flavors with suggestive names. He came up with S’more Than Friends—what he hoped Gabe and I would turn into, he said—Accidentally Flirty Almond, Slow Burn Cinnamon Crunch, Not-So-Platonic Pistachio and his favorite, the rich vanilla option he named Straight-ish Vanilla. It was better than his alternative—Vanilla, But Make It Gay. We came up with about fifteen different flavors, each with a more… inventive name than the one beforeit. I had to admit, some of them were good. Mint to Be was one winner. Cherry Poppin’ Delight was decidedly not.
“So, which one are you bringing tomorrow night?”
Heat flared in my chest. “I don’t know. Which was your favorite?”
“Name? Flustered Fudge Swirl, maybe. Or Oops! All Crushes.” When I glared at him, he cleared his throat. “Alright, alright. I vote for the Maple You’ll Love Me. Or…”
“Or?”
He grinned, and I could tell he was going to say something mildly annoying. “Bring two flavors, and call it the Bi-Curious kit. For those who are questioning their flavor preferences.”
I fought the urge to flip him off. “If you’re not going to be helpful, get out of my house.”
Cooper cackled, hopped off his stool, and headed toward my bedroom. As he walked away, he called to me over his shoulder. “What are you going to wear?”
