Page 42 of Flame it Up

They both finished their meal and chatted for a moment while digesting everything. Mazie gazed outside at the sunset while sipping on her water. The sky burst into shades of pink before it went dark.

They left, and upon stepping outside, Mazie shivered. He pulled his jacket off, wrapping it over her shoulders. She blushed at him. "Thank you."

He chuckled. "You sure you want ice cream? It's going to be freezing in the ice cream parlor."

Mazie laughed. "Ice cream is so worth freezing to death for." She reached out, grabbing his hand, and wrapping her fingers around his. "Besides, I have you to keep me warm."

"You have the room for it?" he joked, poking at her side. "I don't know. After that meal, you're probably full."

"There is always room for ice cream." She laughed, glancing around the street. The area was quiet, with a few other couples roaming the area as well. But the ice cream shop would still be packed. It always was when he was there.

They arrived at the two-story shop a block away from the restaurant. Mazie's eyes grew wide as they stepped inside.

The shop was covered with white walls, and the wordsice creamwere written over a hundred times. There were photos of people that had eaten at the place on the opposite wall. Toward the back, there was a list of over two hundred ice creams to choose from.

Mazie's eyes locked at the list, and she was stunned. "Wow, I … I don't even know what to say. God, that's a lot to pick from."

He nodded. "There are tons of options. It seems to grow every year too."

"Which ones have you tried? You've come here before. What's the best?"

He froze. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her that he'd not tried any ones besides the one he always got. How was she going to react to finding he came to this shop and bought the same order every time?

Her eyes narrowed on him, and she raised an eyebrow. "That's rather quiet for someone that likes ice cream. Come on, Pyrus, tell me your favorite. There are too many for me to look through. Give me a handful of options."

He scratched his neck and whispered low. "Vanilla. I always get vanilla."

Her eyes widened, and she was stunned. "Pyrus, did you really just say vanilla? Out of all the options?" She threw her hands up. "You choose vanilla? You come to an ice cream parlor that has over two hundred options, and you pick vanilla?"

"What?" He pointed at the sign. "It's never a bad idea. Vanilla is wonderful."

"Wonderfully bland," she snorted, shaking her head. "Come on, you have to have something else. You can't go to an ice cream shop and just pick the same one you can buy from a store. You have to try something new."

He watched her eyes scan the list. "What about nuttery butter? Or peanut waffle? They have a blizzard pecan or an Oreo mint. You could try a sundae or a shake, even."

He looked at the list, not liking any of the options she was looking at. His eyes did land on one that he had heard all about. Everyone always seemed to talk about it.

"Fine, I have one." He crossed his arms, turning to her.

"Great." She smiled. "What is it?"

"Peanut butter and jelly."

Her eyes widened. "Really? That's the one you're going to go with? From vanilla to peanut butter and jelly?"

"You said I had to try something new, and that is. What are you going to get?"

She scanned the list once more before she decided. "I'll get a scoop of nuttery butter."

After they got their ice cream, they found a spot outside in the back. It was a little warmer than inside the parlor, so Mazie would not turn into an icicle. They sat under the lights, and he watched Mazie dig into her ice cream. He stared at his.

"You can't taste it without eating it." She laughed as she watched him. "Give it a try."

He swallowed, knowing he needed to at least try it. The look of it wasn't wonderful, though. The jelly was swirled in with the peanut butter. It honestly looked disgusting, but he was bound to prove a point. He could try new things.

He took a bite of it and was surprised. He liked it. He could see why the kids always picked it and why people were always stunned when they tried it.

"Is it good?" she asked, taking another bite of her own.

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