Ice Cream Man (7 page)

She shook her head. “Nope. I usually just sew, but that is always negotiable.”

“My apartment is not conducive to studying. My roommates are in a band and always playing their instruments and working on their music. Peace of mind doesn’t happen there. I need quiet to study and I may need some assistance. So, with that in mind, would you be willing to help me with my lines?”

“Of course.” She smiled.

“Thank you.” He rolled his eyes. “I have to memorize all of them tonight. That’s a lot of pressure. Sure hope I can do it. We could perform some run-throughs of the scene together afterwards.” He put up a hand. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

“I’d love to help you.”

“Next question, my audition is physically closer to you than to me. Am I out of line to request a sleep-over?” His eyes twinkled. “Is it too soon?”

“Hmm.” Janice thought for a moment. Although they didn’t know each other very well, she wanted to see Antonio more. Was she taking a risk letting someone she didn’t know stay all night with her so quickly? She looked into his eyes. They were warm and comforting. She glanced at his arms. They were strong and inviting. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend the entire evening and then the night with him?

His eyebrows rose. “Well? An answer is required.”

She smiled. The decision was made. “Why not?”

He laughed. “Wonderful. Then I’ll be taking that rain check from yesterday. After work, I’ll go to my apartment and bring back an overnight bag. I’ll just head to the audition from here.”

“We can go to one of my favorite restaurants down the street to have a bite to eat for dinner.” She tilted her head. “Ethiopian, of course. Then you can study the rest of the night.”

He smiled and looked her over. “Well…maybe we won’t be working all night. It would be nice for us to have a little fun and relaxation.”

Her eyes widened. “Like yesterday?”

“Yes, like yesterday. There is still a Popsicle left in your freezer.” He raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, then. We know what dessert will be.” She nodded. “What about your job driving the ice cream truck tomorrow?”

He ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lip. “I don’t like to do it, but I’ll have to call in sick. There’s no other way. This is obviously too important and I can’t possibly miss it. The ice cream company wouldn’t let me off so soon. I know that. I just started yesterday.” He flinched. “This could even get me fired.”

Janice shook her head. “There is nothing else you can do but call in.”

Two women walked up to the ice cream truck, lagging slightly back from Janice and Antonio. Janice could see them whisper to each other. She was sure it was because Antonio was one hunky ice cream man. That’s what she would have said if one of them were she. Should she be possessive towards him? She couldn’t help but grin. Why the hell not? When had she ever had the chance to do something like this before?

“Give me one more kiss and I’ll see you later.” She jutted her lips out for him.

Antonio leaned down and obliged her, then squeezed her tightly. “I have customers right behind you.” He moved a hand down lower and smacked her butt. “Get out of the way.”

“Ouch!” she cried out, feigning pain. She grinned. “See you tonight.”

As she turned around, she couldn’t help but glance at the women and give a sly smile. She was sure they were thinking how lucky she was. It was true. Besides being a handsome devil in a white uniform, Antonio was sweet, sexy and smart. And to make matters even better, things were going pretty well for the two of them. If it wasn’t for that nagging issue of his age that kept coming back to haunt her and the fact that they had only met twenty-four hours ago, she’d be feeling pretty satisfied right about now. More satisfied in her love life than she had ever felt before.

Janice felt a burst of energy for the rest of the day. When she closed her shop for a lunch break, she ran upstairs and cleaned her apartment. She changed the sheets on her bed, washed the dishes in her sink and checked to see that the Popsicle was still in the freezer. She grinned. Of course it was still in the freezer. Where else could it have gone?

Although she only had two customers all afternoon, it didn’t matter. She was too excited for the day to end. Janice even called up her best friend Marcy to tell her about Antonio. Marcy was ecstatic at how well things were going for Janice and wanted to meet Antonio before she moved back to Michigan.

When Antonio came into her shop at six, she was more than ready for him. It was nice seeing him in something besides that uniform of white pants and T-shirt. He looked pretty damn good in jeans and pullover sweater. Good enough to eat.

And she was sure she would do that later.

Her lined three-button jacket of earlier in the business day had been replaced by a low-cut, purple T-shirt that accentuated her breasts. Antonio had spent a lot of time with her breasts the night before and, obviously, liked them. Classic trousers were exchanged for tight-fitting blue jeans that highlighted her rounded butt. The zebra heels she had worn during the day still looked good with her outfit so she left them on. Since Antonio was tall, Janice could wear any height of shoes that she wanted, a bonus. Quite unlike her boyfriend of last summer who was almost her same height.

Antonio couldn’t have been happier when he saw her. As they bent their heads to kiss each other, their contentment together was already apparent. It was amazing at how comfortable they were together so soon.

They left Janice’s shop and walked down St. Mark’s Place to the small Ethiopian restaurant located in the basement of a building close to First Avenue. They were alone except for one other couple. As they sat down at the cozy, wooden table, a waiter came over immediately with two cups, a pitcher of water, and menus held underneath his arm. He set down the refreshments.

Janice looked up. “Dahnay, how are you this evening?”

Dahnay nodded to her, with a smile of recognition. “Very well, thank you, Ms. Freeman. Your menus.” He handed them to Janice and Antonio. “What may I get you to drink?”

“House red,” said Janice.

“I’ll take the same.” Antonio glanced over menu. “Hmm. I have no idea what anything listed is. You’ll have to help me.”

Janice grinned. “I’m partial to the
dorowat
. It is chicken simmered in
niter kebbe
butter,
berbere
sauce and onions.

“Okay.” Antonio raised his eyebrows. “Whatever that is.”

“No worries.
Berbere
sauce is a dark, rich, tangy barbeque sauce. You’ll love it. Most people do once they’ve tried it.
Niter kebbe
butter is butter that is boiled with more than ten different herbs. The fat is removed and what remains is a purified and flavorful low-fat product.”

Antonio nodded. “So it sounds like Ethiopian food is low in fat and good for you.”

“Exactly.”

“So how long have you lived here in New York City?” Antonio asked.

Dahnay brought the wine to the table and sat it down.

“About thirteen years.” She took a sip of her wine trying to decide how much to tell him, some of the basics probably. Time for the first bombshell, “I moved here after my divorce.”

He raised his eyebrows. “How long were you married?”

“Just a few years
—
neither one of us was ready for that type of commitment. It was a mistake from the beginning.”

“I’m sorry.”

“After we divorced, I decided I wanted to see if I could make it as a designer.” She smiled. “I had my degree in fashion merchandizing and worked as a buyer for a major department store in Michigan. But I wanted more. New York City was the ultimate to me. Always had been, every time I came here as a buyer for my company. Once I made up my mind to live here, it didn’t take me long to move. I already had a few connections in the Garment District that helped me out.”

“So the shop and everything came easy after that?”

“Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I paid my dues.” Janice raised her eyebrows. “I’m still paying my dues.” She watched as he sipped the wine. He didn’t seem upset that she had been divorced. Time for the next shock. “I just turned forty.”

Antonio looked up at her, but didn’t flinch. Instead his eyes locked onto hers. “When?”

“Last week.”

“Our birthdays are only a week apart.” He smiled. “Too bad we didn’t know each other then. We could have celebrated together. Want to hear my story now?”

“Sure.” Janice’s heart was pounding. Antonio didn’t act like he cared that there were thirteen years between them. It was a non-issue. Multiple points for Antonio again.

“I’ve already told you I’m from Houston. Got my degree there, then moved down to Los Angeles when I was twenty-four. Had a few modeling jobs.” He shook his head. “I didn’t like it there at all. You really need a car in LA. I think that was part of the problem for me. I wanted to live in a place where public transportation and walking were the main modes of getting around. I don’t really care about having a car.” He grinned. “Plus, I wasn’t having any luck getting regular work, so I moved here.”

“I understand the car thing.” She chuckled. “I don’t miss having one at all.”

“I’ve had a variety of jobs for these last three years. I already told you that. None of them were very exciting.” He let out a breath. “I’ve lived here a year longer than LA but the outcome has been the same. No significant acting work.”

“But that might all be changing now.” Janice took another sip of her wine. “You might catch a break tomorrow.”

“I hope so.” He cleared his throat. “There’s another thing I’d like to tell you.”

“Yes?”

“I send my mother money every month. She’s retired and needs it.”

“Hmm. That’s commendable. What a good son you are.” As she stared up into his eyes, she saw something there that she hadn’t even seen in her own lately.

Hope.

He had grown up in Houston and she came from a suburb outside of Detroit, but they had found each other. New York City had called to them for different reasons but their paths had crossed. They decided it was fate that they had met yesterday on his very first day of being an ice cream man.

When Antonio grabbed her hand from underneath the table, Janice felt like a schoolgirl. Just yesterday morning she had been old, poor and lonely. Today it was just the opposite. There was a new woman in East Village and Janice Freeman was ready to take on the City like never before.

By the time they entered her apartment, mouths and hands were going everywhere. Good thing they had left the street and were alone now. They were unable to keep off of each other any longer.

His fingers slid to her breasts. “I want this shirt off.”

Janice pulled the shirt up and over her head and threw it over the kitchen chair.

He turned her around and unhooked the yellow gingham bra. His head bent to slowly kiss her shoulders. He ran his lips from one side of them to the other. “You’re so soft,” he breathed out. “I missed you today while I was working,
Bella
.”

She closed her eyes and breathed out. It felt so wonderful for someone to say that to her. No one had ever said they had missed her before. She let the straps of her bra fall down her arms and pulled it off. Her body twirled to see him.

His curly hair had spilled over one side of his face. His chestnut-colored eyes appeared almost black. They were lustful, for her. She had never been aroused so easily before just looking at someone. He leaned down and ran his lips across her breasts. It felt glorious.

She cradled his head in her hands against her. “Pull off your clothes.”

Antonio leaned back and unbuttoned his shirt, then let his jeans and briefs drop to the floor. Janice did the same with her jeans. She stared at his well-built chest as he pulled off his shirt, and admired the beauty of his sturdy, masculine legs. Looking at his swollen cock made her weak in the knees. She couldn’t wait to hold it tightly against her as he plunged it into her body once again. When he turned around, his firm butt greeted her eyes. What a man she had here. She went over to the dresser and pulled a condom out of the box.

He looked admiring at the yellow gingham thong that matched her bra. “You’re always a perfect match.”

“It’s my job, “she whispered. “Now go over to the bed and lie down on your stomach.”

Janice watched his cock bob as he walked to her bed. His size was impressive. What a bonus for her. Grabbing the cherry Popsicle from the freezer, she decided she was going to give him shivers of delight with it. He’d be begging for her to finish him.

She went to the bed, pulling the wrapper from the Popsicle as she moved. As she sat down next to him, she touched the sensitive skin of Antonio’s back with the Popsicle making little circles from his neck down his spine.

“Feels good.” He shuddered. “But it’s really cold.”

“Quiet.” She raised her eyebrows. “You didn’t seem to care when I complained yesterday. I’m in charge today and you have no say in the matter.”

“Oh.” He grinned.

“Just relax and enjoy the sensation.”