Page 59 of Ice Ice Maybe
Me:Round two?
Zena:You brave, foolish man. I’m in.
This time, I barely made it out of my room before Mr. Dalton appeared in the hallway again, like a ghost in a budget horror movie. I froze mid-step, one foot hovering in the air, as if staying perfectly still might somehow make me invisible. This was turning into some sort of bizarre sitcom. All we needed now was a laugh track and a catchy theme song.
“Did you forget something?” Mr. Dalton said, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Nope—we left the light on downstairs,” I stammered.
“I don’t think we did,” Mr. Dalton said.
“No?” I shrugged, trying to come up with something else. “Well, better safe than sorry, right? Saving electricity is important. Like taxes.”
Like taxes? Where did I even get that from?
Mr. Dalton’s eyebrows furrowed. “Right …”
In a moment of either bravery or complete idiocy, I asked, “What about you? Why are you up again?”
“I left my reading glasses downstairs,” he simply said. “If the light is on, I’ll turn it off.”
“Good. Great. Perfect.” I nodded. “Teamwork—that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Who would know better than you?”
I sounded like a rambling idiot.
We stood there, two grown men in our underwear, staring at each other in the dim hallway.
Mr. Dalton cleared his throat. “Okay—good night.”
Nodding again a few times, I said, “Yup. Goodnight.”
I entered my room again and flopped back onto my bed, grabbing my phone to update Zena on the latest development in our ice cream saga.
Me:Mission aborted. Again. ??
Zena:I heard! This is ridiculous.
Me:What should we do? Give up?
Zena:No way! Let me go down there first. I’ll text you from the kitchen when there’s no clear and present danger.
Me:Waiting for your orders, Captain!
I stood by the door, my phone in hand, waiting for another text from Zena. The anticipation was killing me, but I didn’t understand why we were acting like teenagers trying to sneak around. We were grown adults who wanted to enjoy some late-night ice cream! There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. I glanced down, remembering I was only wearing underwear.
Oh, that’s right.
Finally, my phone vibrated.
Zena:Get your butt to the kitchen! Here’s a sneak preview of what is waiting for you. ??
What came next almost sent me into cardiac arrest. Zena had shared a selfie of herself in her red nightgown, holding the carton of chocolate ice cream with the biggest smile on her face. I swallowed hard, wondering the last time I had seen something so beautiful. I cursed myself for taking so long to leave the room.
Me:On my way! ??
I tossed the phone on the bed and headed back out with lightning speed, no tip-toeing, crossing my fingers I wouldn’t fall off the spiral staircase on the way down. I entered the kitchen just as Zena was licking the spoon with a smile, and I almost lost it on the spot. I loved the way she looked at me in her sexy lingerie, the neckline dipping dangerously low and the hemline riding high, leaving tantalizing glimpses of her silky skin.
“You are … wow,” I said, walking over to her.
