Ashley blushed then. Wondering what on earth had gotten into her. She cleared her throat.
“Come on,” Jin responded, smiling sweetly at her. “Let’s get you some Blueberry Cheesecake ice cream.”
Her eyes brightened then.
“Do you have another favorite flavor?”
“Lime.” She glanced up at him suspiciously. “Why?”
“It’s your birthday. You need a double scoop.”
Her eyes widened in delight. Then she furrowed her brow. “Blueberry Cheesecake and Lime together?”
“Sounds delicious to me.”
She chuckled. “Is there anything you don’t like?”
“Hmm. Mint chocolate chip.”
“Right.” She laughed. “Toothpaste!”
“Exactly.”
She simply shook her head. And led him out the front door.
—
A few minutes later, the server handed Ashley a double decker cone. Blueberry Cheesecake on the bottom. Lime on the top. The boy turned towards Jin after scooping a large Chocolate Fudge Swirl ball onto a cone. He handed him his ice cream before collecting his money.
Jin pivoted towards Ashley and eyed her tall cone as she took her first lick of it. “So…how is lime with blueberry cheesecake?”
“Surprisingly good.”
Jin smiled. Right before a mischievous glint lit his eye. He bent, swooping down to lick the side of her ice cream. His tongue swiped a taste of both flavors. Then he straightened and seemed to savor her ice cream while he swirled it around in his mouth. Considering her bold flavor choice.
Ashley simply stared up at him. Jin had just eaten her ice cream!
“That is delicious!” he remarked before taking a big bite of his own chocolate ice cream. “But it doesn’t beat good old-fashioned chocolate.”
“That isn’t old-fashioned chocolate. You bought the fancy kind. Fudge Swirl.”
“Oh, Fudge Swirl is definitely old-fashioned. It’s been around for-ev-er,” Jin drew out the last three syllables. Right before he took another lick of his cone. “And it’s the best.”
“Nope. Nothing beats Blueberry Cheesecake. Or Lime.”
“They’re a good second and third choice,” Jin admitted.
But Ashley simply shook her head.
“Shall I walk you back to your house while we eat our ice cream?”
“Sure.” She smiled at him.
They wandered slowly down the street as they each savored their sweet treats. Jin’s face brightened as he noticed a flower stall near the next intersection. A dark-haired woman stood behind it, great bouquets of colorful tulips displayed before her.
“Let’s go look at the flowers,” he suggested as he drew Ashley towards the stand. A few moments later, he was smiling down at a bunch of yellow-tipped orange beauties. “These remind me of a sunrise,” he breathed.
She smiled. “They are pretty, but I prefer the pink ones.”
She reached out to run the tip of her finger along one waxy petal. The particular bouquet she’d chosen abounded in flashes of color. Varying shades of pink and white made each tulip unique. Some were pale pink, others a brighter hue. A ruffled variegated variety dotted the outside of the bouquet. The edges of its pink petals were tinged a pristine white. Ashley gazed down at them as she fancifully compared them with little tutu skirts. Still other blooms nearer the center were mostly white. Only their tips held a rosy glow. Ashley found each blossom to be beautiful.
“Those are beautiful,” Jin whispered, echoing her thoughts. “Each holds its own special quality. Rather like people, each tulip is intriguing in its own way. A little pink here, a stroke of white there. Some ruffled, others smooth.” He too slid a fingertip down the edge of one bloom. Then he glanced up at the proprietor of the stand. “We’ll take this bunch.”
Her face lit up. But not as much as Ashley’s eyes did as Jin lifted the bouquet and handed it to her. “Happy Birthday,” he murmured sweetly before reaching into his pocket to withdraw his wallet.
“Thank you,” whispered Ashley as she stared at him in delighted dismay.
Slowly, her eyes traveled back to the bouquet. As it turned out, she didn’t need that fork after all. She could simply dry these flowers. She’d have a keepsake from Jin. Forever.
Jin smiled down at her as the owner of the flower stand attempted to give him his change. He glanced back up at the lady. “Oh, no. Keep it. Have a nice day.” He turned back towards Ashley then. “Shall we head back?”
She nodded dumbly. But a moment later, she realized that her ice cream had begun to melt down the sides of her cone. She bent over and began to lick it furiously. But the mess persisted.
“Allow me,” Jin offered. He reached out to snag her cone. Then he twirled it around in front of his face while his tongue rescued all its drips. A few moments later, he handed Ashley a perfectly neat cone.
She blinked. Jin had just licked every inch of her ice cream! And its cone!
“Aren’t you going to eat it?” he asked after she’d stared at her ice cream cone for several seconds without moving.
“Oh. Yes.” She promptly demolished the remainder of her sweet treat. Smiling to herself as she stared at her bouquet of tulips. “Thanks, Jin. For…everything. This has been the best birthday ever.”
“Really?” he asked, genuinely surprised. “Why?”
“Because I got to spend it with you.” She beamed at him.
She’d gotten to share his fries. He’d held her hand. Then he’d kissed her cheek. He’d bought her not one but both of her favorite ice cream flavors. And now this gorgeous bouquet of pink tulips. And she’d spent nearly two hours in his wonderful company. What could possibly make this day any better?
