Ice Cream Man (2 page)

“Guess not.” She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

He grinned back. “You don’t have any gloves I can borrow, do you? East Village will be part of my regular route. I will return them to you as soon as I can pick up some of my own.” He crossed two long, slim fingers. “Promise.”

Those fingers hadn’t gone unnoticed by Janice. She could almost feel them sliding up her channel as he plunged them back and forth. A moan escaped her mouth.
Oh, Janice. Quit being a bad girl.
What kind of ideas was he giving her? Sexual ideas, that’s what kind.

Time to focus on the problem at hand. Janice definitely wanted to help him. She thought for a moment if she had any gloves in her shop.
Damn.
There would be nothing in her shop she could give him. She carried no men’s clothing, only women’s. One of the shops down the street had to have gloves. She froze. What the hell was she thinking? Lots of shops down the street had gloves. Gloves were everywhere on St. Mark’s Place.

She sighed. He’d just have to go down there and buy some. She was feeling sadder by the moment because she didn’t want him to leave. Wait a minute. A lower file in her brain just found its way to the top and opened up. “I might have some thermal gloves left here by a man who worked on the front of my shop over the winter. They’re not brand new, though.”

He shrugged. “Sounds great to me, I’ll take anything. All I need to do is use them to organize the boxes so I know where everything is.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll have to look for them.”

“I can just take a break then.” He glanced from side to side on the street. “No customers right now. I’m in a parking space. Mind if I come inside?”

“No, not at all.” She grinned. “As long as you don’t forget about my Fudgsicle when we’re finished.”

As he walked to the front door of the ice cream truck, Janice watched and waited. A whole body shot was on its way. He opened the driver’s door and hopped down the two steps from his truck to the ground, all six feet of him. Looking up at the handsome, cut man in front of her, she tried not to let him see her sigh. She swallowed hard.

Janice pushed her hair over her ears. She motioned him toward her shop. “Come on inside.”

They walked to her shop’s entrance and Janice was surprised when he grabbed the door and held it open for her.

“Thank you,” she said. Not only did he have first-class looks, but manners too. A gentleman. He impressed her more by the minute.

“Nice place.” He looked around him. “A women’s clothing store. Is this your shop?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “I’ve made almost everything for sale in here.”

Janice proudly peered around her store at her spring line. The jackets, the dresses, the gowns, the slacks. She even had an African section. The two mannequins in the display window of her shop were covered from head to toe in Janice Freeman. The only things she hadn’t made were the accessories and shoes she sold.

He glanced down at her. For the first time, his rich chestnut eyes scrutinized her face. Sweeping from her forehead, to her eyes, past her nose and lingering at her mouth. She wanted to lick her lips in nervousness. She definitely felt a little queasy with his close inspection.

“What’s your name?” he quietly asked her.

She could feel herself blushing as he eyes glanced past her face to her sweater. His eyes roamed quickly over her full breasts then down to her skirt. It was times like these she hated being a little hippy, but he didn’t seem to mind. His face looked pleased with what he saw. Those eyes were twinkling and the corners of his mouth upturned just a little. He was definitely younger than her, late twenties maybe? “Janice. You?”

“Antonio Rodriguez.” He grinned, then shook his head. “Sorry. I’m so used to saying my complete name when I meet someone new. You know, for networking purposes. It’s not only my real name but my professional name.”

“Professional?” She was intrigued. “What else do you do besides being a spanking new ice cream man?”

Antonio cocked an eyebrow. “Spanking?” He grinned. “I’m an actor, currently an out-of-work actor.”

That explained everything. He would definitely look good in the movies or on television. Antonio would probably look good anywhere, on billboards, in magazines or better yet in her bed. Janice smiled. “At least you have some kind of day job to make money.”

He shrugged, as he got serious. “Not making much, I’ll tell you that. I’ve had plenty of jobs since moving here, waiter, dog walker, salesman, and modeling.” He squinted an eye, “There have been more that don’t come to mind right now.”

“What did you model?”

“I was in the background for a couple of magazine ads. One of them I was even in my underwear.” He raised his eyebrows. “I can’t get any regular modeling jobs, though. Some agencies already say I’m too old.”

“Old?” Janice couldn’t believe someone would consider Antonio old. “How old are you?”

“I turned twenty-seven a couple of weeks ago.” He let out a breath.

Janice shook her head. He was right. The modeling world catered to the young, it seemed. She looked over his face, certainly not a bad looking twenty-seven-year-old for a not so bad looking forty-year-old. He’d definitely do in a pinch. She tried not to grin. She’d love to get pinched by him, anytime, anywhere.

“I’m about ready to leave New York City though. It’s back to Houston for me, if I don’t get a paying acting job soon. I just can’t afford to live here anymore and don’t know if I even want to try. Wherever you go, New York City is too expensive. Brooklyn, Queens. It doesn’t matter.” He looked down. “The rent just keeps going up every year. I could never even consider living here in Manhattan, although Manhattan would be my choice if I ever had one. I love it over here.”

“I know how costly it is to live anywhere in New York City. You wouldn’t believe how much this shop and my tiny apartment upstairs costs every month.” She shook her head. “How long have you been here, Antonio?”

“Three years. I have a BA degree in drama that I haven’t been able to do much with. I really thought it would help me more than it did. I’ve never had a paid acting job yet. Not a one. The only acting I’ve done has been for free to enhance my resume. You know, things like Community Theater, which I love, but it doesn’t pay my rent.” Antonio raised his eyebrows. “It’s finally beating me down. My lease is up next month and it might just be
hasta luego
New York City if nothing happens by then.”

“Aw. It must be tough.” With all the good-looking men in this city, how was one single man supposed to get noticed? Antonio did have enough sex appeal to hold just about any crowd’s attention, but that didn’t pay the bills.

“My roommate is a writer. He just got his MFA in Creative Writing here in the city. He’s just like me working a variety of jobs. What is he supposed to do with that degree?”

She shrugged. “Get a job in a publishing house?”

Antonio grinned. “But he wants to write literary fiction.” He picked up a price tag pinned to a blouse. “Two-hundred thirty-five?”

Janice smiled proudly. “That is an elegant sleeveless shell in silk charmeuse. It features a crew neckline, ruffle trim, and back-zip closure. I only use the highest quality fabrics and everything is an original that I make right here in my shop.”

“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows as he glanced around the store. His eyes settled on the African section. “Have you ever been there?”

“To Africa?” She nodded. “Made my first visit last year. I’m enamored with it now, especially Ethiopia.”

He glanced back at her. “Are you Ethiopian?”

“I’m not sure where my ancestors are from. My roots are just a mystery lost through time.” She smiled. “I’ve made Ethiopia my special project, though. It’s still one of the poorest countries in the world, with half of the country illiterate. A portion of all the sales from my African clothing line go to a place there called Kololo. They just received their first school and the children need help. Since I never had children of my own, I’ve adopted them from afar.”

His eyes widened. “That’s a very noble cause. I’m sure anything you can do to help is much appreciated.”

“I truly care about those children…” Janice’s voice trailed off. She had to stop herself from talking further. She didn’t know him. It certainly wasn’t a good idea to get into her emotional baggage about missing her child timetable to get pregnant. She had always wanted to be a mother and thought it would happen sometime during her life, but it never did. Not during the time she was married, not even the second time she had been in a serious relationship. Maybe she couldn’t even get pregnant. Once she decided to concentrate on her career, becoming pregnant was put on a back burner. It was too late now and she tried not to think about it.

He grinned. “More people need to care. We might have fewer problems.”

Janice couldn’t believe what a sweetheart Antonio seemed to be. Everything he said sounded genuine, too. She wanted to show him her photo album from Ethiopia, but thought better. He probably wouldn’t care to see pictures of all the beautiful children. He was just making polite conversation. It was time to move on. She held up a finger. “Let me look in the closet in the back for the gloves. I think that’s where they might be.”

She hurried to the small back area of the store where her sewing machine and bolts of fabric cluttered the room. There was barely space to move around here
—it was filled with
shelves, garment racks, mannequins, boxes of thread and zippers, easels with designs sitting on them. No one would imagine that the beautiful items in the front of the store were made in this messy room. Sometimes Janice couldn’t believe it herself.

The back closet was where she had last seen the gloves. Rummaging through the top shelf, she found them behind a box full of scarves. They were cowhide leather with thermal insulation. Large. Just like the look of his hands. They would fully protect him against the freezer conditions. She walked back to the front of her shop and held them up triumphantly.

Antonio grinned. “Perfect. Thanks.” He took them from her and tried them on. “They fit.”

Janice tilted her head, then crossed her arms. “I’ll take my ice cream now, if you please.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I’ll bring it right back for you. Free of charge, of course.”

She watched through the front window as Antonio went back outside to the truck with his new gloves. Hopping up the two steps, he disappeared from sight. It only took a few moments before Janice could see him on his way back with something in his hand. Her Fudgsicle. Mission accomplished. The shop phone started ringing.

“Janice Freeman’s,” she said into it.

“Hey Janice,” said Marcy.

Janice’s mouth dropped open. “Marcy, you wouldn’t believe the hunk that I’ve been talking to the last few minutes.”

“Hunk?” Marcy questioned. “Where from?”

Janice laughed. “He’s the new ice cream man for East Village. Lucky me!”

“Wow. The only hunks I’ve seen lately have been in my dreams.”

“He’s an out-of-work actor, too.” Janice looked up toward the door. “I’m telling you, he’s gorgeous and polite and he’ll be in my shop again any second. I’ll call you back.”

“Janice,” interrupted Marcy, “I’m living through you right now. You better take advantage of this.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t know how I could possibly take advantage of this.” Janice bit her lip as she looked up. Take advantage? Of Antonio? He was making his way back inside her shop, six feet of luscious man, and he seemed nice.

He walked up to her and removed the wrapper off the Fudgsicle. Waving it in front of her face, she could already feel the coldness permeating the air.

“Gotta go, Marcy.” Janice smiled, as she put down her phone. She felt strong, sure of herself. Her time with Antonio was fleeting. “I know it must be tough for you trying to make ends meet in New York City.”

Antonio raised his eyebrows, and moved the Fudgsicle right in front of her mouth. “It is, but you’re taking my mind off of it for now.” He focused on her lips.

Her mouth suddenly felt dry and couldn’t help but lick her lips.

He smiled as he touched the Fudgsicle to her mouth. She shivered at the coldness of it.

“Open,” he murmured

She looked into the deep chestnut eyes and saw playfulness there. He wanted her to start eating it.
Why not?
Antonio was already a lot more fun on this beautiful spring day than anything else that had happened so far.
Hello Antonio. Glad to meet you.
Her lips parted as the top of the Fudgsicle was pushed into her mouth. She took her tongue and swirled it around the frozen chocolate.

Antonio smiled as he watched. “Take a bite.”

As she bit down, a larger piece than she had hoped for fell into her mouth, causing her to make a face. It was way too cold. She moved the ice cream around and around in her mouth until it melted. Now shivering, she took a hand and pushed his arm away from her face. “Stop,” she whispered, but couldn’t help but smile.

He wasn’t taking that as a no. His smile grew wider. The Fudgsicle was back at her mouth as he tried to trace her lips with it this time.