Let Love Win

Chapter 8 - Zeek

I walked into the café at 3:00 on Monday to pick up Hadley for our date. To be honest, I was slightly surprised that she agreed to come out with me in the first place. I thought with someone like her, I would have to work for her to say yes, perform some kind of stupid stunt to give her a laugh. But all it took was some bullshit sob story and she was putty in my hands.

At first, I didn't think it was going to be a big deal, but as I was getting ready to leave, I found myself getting gradually more excited to take her out today. It was only going to be the two of us, like it was at the party. Well, at the end of the party, except not as naked and not in a bedroom and a hell of a lot less drunk. I could get to know her and see for myself if I even wanted to take her out again, whether she liked it or not.

As much as I'd like to think that I'll be the one to say that I'd rather not go out with her again, I can't see that happening. There was a certain way that she carried herself that impressed me to an extent. I found it more attractive that she couldn't give a care in the world what people thought of her. Even just seeing her standing at the cash in the café talking and laughing with Austin, she looked care-free. She looked how I wanted to feel.

She glanced around the care after laughing at something Austin said and caught sight of me standing there waiting for her. Her joyful smile was replaced with a smirk and she gave a small wave. She then turned back to Austin and left to go and get changed for our day at the ice cream parlour. I walked over to the section of the counter that served as the employee entrance to the back of the café and waited for Hadley to emerge.

Not long after she disappeared, she came out of the girls change room dressed in a pair of black leggings and a cut off pink top. her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a stud belly ring that shone and sparkled when the light hit it at the right angle. On her feet, she had on a pair of dark brown combat boots and her purse hung from her left shoulder.

"Hey," I said as she walked out. I stood up from where I had been leaning on the counter while waiting for her to come out.

"Hi," she said back. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are."

"So I'm going to take my car, and you can follow in yours if you want."

"Why don't we both go in the same car?" I suggested.

"What if I can't stand you and need a quick getaway?" she shot back with a smirk.

She led the way out of the café and I saw a small tattoo of a skull with a halo over it's head on her lower back. Now if that wasn't a turn on. "That's true. But maybe I don't trust you to take me to get ice cream. How do I know you're not taking me somewhere to kill me."

"Damn, you figured it out. Look, I wasn't the one who asked you out on a date."

I chuckled and matched my step with hers. "I have a bad feeling you're going to hold that over me all day."

She looked over her shoulder and winked at me as she continued to lead the way. "All kidding aside though, I hate the sight of blood, so you don't have to worry too much about me killing anyone." I thought about it for a second, taken back by how someone so hard core could be scared of a little blood. My shock however was short lived as I followed her over to a white sports car and she unlocked the doors to get in.

"Are you sure we can't just take your car?" I asked in envy.

"What's the matter? Are you jealous?"

"Maybe a little."

"Tell you what; if I decide I like you enough to go out with you again, we'll take my car on our next date."

I nodded eagerly. Looks like I'll actually have to try and impress her today, the stakes just got that much bigger. I walked down a couple of cars to my black Enzo and climbed in. She pulled out of her parking space and I could heat the bass of whatever song she was listening to through my windows. I backed out and followed her out of the parking lot of the main campus and we made our way to our destination.

I followed every move she made through the streets and we eventually came to a compact little ice cream shop. I pulled in next to her an cut the engine of my car. No matter how much I wanted to believe that she was bringing me here to test the waters, I couldn't bring myself past the look of excitement on her face when I looked over at her.

"So this is it?" I asked as we both got out of our rides.

"This is it," she gushed.

"You look like you really love this place."

"I come here all the time. Since I was a little girl, this has been like my hang out. At least once a week I come here."

"Must be pretty good then."

"You haven't actually stayed in this part of California if you haven't had ice cream here. Hell, you haven't had ice cream in general if you haven't stopped at this place at least once. Come on, I'll show you what I mean."

She smiled hugely and walked out to the door of the parlour. Her excitement for the place was contagious and the anticipation for ice cream built up deep inside me and I felt like a kid again. I followed her into the little building and was in awe of the authenticity. It was typical in a not-so-typical way. It had the basic interior design of a 1950's diner, but was a comfortable cool and smelled of bubble gum and vanilla.

The walls were all white with a black and white checkered band around the room. There was a strip of red on the time and bottom of the band and had the parlour logo in a big neon sign behind the case of ice cream flavours and main cash. There were red booths set up along the walls and 2 tables on either side of the door. The floor has a black and white tile pattern. There was modern pop music playing in the background and instead of having a doorbell when you walked in, it played the tune of an ice cream truck coming down the street.

Hadley looked around the place with a wide smile on her face and when her eyes met mine, they held a certain spark in that that I hadn't seen since the day I met her. She really did have a special spot in her heart for this place.

"Hadley, is that you?" a woman's voice came from behind the counter.

"Hey Trish," Hadley answered happily.

An older looking woman stood up and her eyes filled with utter happiness. Obviously she knew Hadley well because my grandmother wasn't even that happy whenever I went to visit her. "I was wondering when you were going to show your beautiful face around here again."

"I came around last week."

"You know me and my memory. It's going you know."

"I know Trish, you told me the last time I was here."

Trish laughed wholly. "Oh whatever."

"Trish, this is my friend Zeek. He moved here recently and wanted to know where to go to get some ice cream on a hot ay, so I brought him here. I hope that's ok."

"Of course darling!" Trish squealed. She then turned to me. "Any friend of Hadley's is a friend of ours. Isn't that right Chase?"

A young looking guy stepped out of the back doors and looked over at us. "Sure, as long as he's not an asshole," he commented looking directly at me. "Hey Hadley."

Hadley smiled at him in acknowledgement. "Oh stop now! So what will it be for you guys today? On the house. Chase start up the machines please, I know that Hadley likes her order fresh," Trish stated, pulling out a pad of paper from her apron pocket. Only when she said that did I notice all the old fashion ice cream machines in the back. No wonder Hadley likes the ice cream here so much, its all freshly churned.

"The usual for me, and Zeek will have whatever the special is today," Hadley answered for me.

I looked down at her and she waved me off. "Alright, you kids go and pick a seat and I'll have Chase being it right out to you."

Hadley turned briskly and bolted right for the back booth by the front window. I followed her and sat across from her. Time to get the show on the road.