The Dairy Queen

Getting to Know You, the Sequel

We say goodbye to our other coworkers. There are a few snickers and snide remarks, "use protection you two!"

I hear Angela say to Noah as we turn to leave, "and another one bites the dust..."

We laugh it off and start the 2 mile walk to my house. We decide to walk on the beach for as long as we can.

"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"Exactly how many Daddy's Dairy Bar employees have you slept with?"

He stops walking and a pained expression comes over his face as he starts counting on his figures and doing some mental math.

"Are you fucking serious?! How many?!" I punch is shoulder.

He starts laughing, "I'm kidding!! One, I slept with one coworker and we were dating."

"Are you lying to me, because I've hear things." I say crossing my arms.

"Look," he stops laughing and grows a bit more serious. "I have a reputation. I know that. But a lot of it is bullshit. Yeah, I guess I don't help it, I can't stay away from pretty girls. But it's harmless flirting. I swear."

"Hm. I kinda don't believe you."

"Kim doesn't like me. She was good friends with the Lexi, the girl I dated that also worked with us. I cheated on her and Kim's never forgiven me for hurting Lexi. I get it, I deserve it. I'm not a fucking good boyfriend. But, I promise you, I'm not sleeping with every girl that walks into that damn ice cream shop. Besides, I have my eyes on only one." He winks at me and grabs my hand and runs, half dragging me behind him to the water.

"Damon! Damon, stop!" I laugh and yell after him.

He gets to the water's edge and picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder. "Ready for a swim, Violet?"

"Damon I swear to fucking God, if you throw me in this water I will actually drown you!"

He laughs hard, "Say you believe me then!"

"Believe you?"

"Yes, believe that I'm not some man-whore."

"Okay, okay. I believe you."

He lowers me down and my toes touch the wet sand. His arms still wrapped around my waist. Once again I find myself entirely too close to his face. He releases me of one of his arms, his other still holding me firmly against him. His free hand comes up and brushes the hair from my face. Our breathing is heavy. And I want him to kiss me. I want him to kiss me with everything he has.

But he doesn't. He lets me go and turns to start walking again.

What the fuck was that? I think to myself and then start following him again.

"Comedy or horror movies, Violet?"

"Horror." And apparently we're back to the random questions.

"Mashed or baked potatoes?"

"Mashed, always."

We carry on this weird game of 'getting to know you' questions until we reach my street. I learn his favorite color is red, he played ice hockey growing up, his mom's name is Patricia, he has an older brother, and that he's been working at the ice cream shop since his junior year of high school.

"Why did you leave college?" I ask.

He almost seems a bit defensive when he responds. "Why is that really important to you?"

"Oh, I mean no, I was just wondering. Sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up if it's a sore subject."

He sits down on my front steps and runs a hand through his full head of perfectly disheveled, dark hair. "My mom got sick. Umm breast cancer. My brother is out in Utah and my dad left when I was about 2. So I had to take care of her."