The ice cream parlour was in the centre of town. It was a popular choice with college students who after a difficult exam or essay would chose to cheer themselves up by gorging on a wide variety of ice cream. During my first year this was my favourite place, but I soon stopped coming here after I went up an entire dress size over my first exam period.
Going back into the parlour brought back bitter sweet memories of celebrating the completion of monster essays with a banana split sundae, and consoling myself with chocolate fudge sundae after a terrible exam. When Duke and I walked into the parlour the young waitress behind the counter immediately recognised Duke and straightened herself up before rushing over to our table. She beamed familiarly at Duke and asked, “Would you like your usual?”
Duke smiled politely back and said, “I would indeed. Thank you Cherry.”
The young waitress then glanced at me for my order, and I proceeded to ask for a small bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The waitress scribbled down our order and left us.
“You can eat whatever you want- vampires do not put on weight,” Duke said leaning back in his seat.
“I don’t feel like eating much,” I replied, “In fact I am more interested in how you came to be so familiar with the staff of this establishment.”
Duke smiled, “I have a sweet tooth, or sweet fang, and this is the best ice cream parlour in the county. It even out shine Miss Tilly’s ice cream store in Port Cress.”
“I have never heard of that store or that town,” I said, which wasn’t surprising considering I was not a native of this area.
“No human has ever heard of that town. Port Cressida is a vampire city, if not the vampire city. It is the biggest vampire city in all of the Americas,” Duke said excitedly.
“There is a vampire city?” I asked.
“Yeah, and you’ll see it one day when you have become accustomed to the vampire way of life. Your future home, the Vampire Court is only three miles south-east of the city,” Duke said.
The waitress Cherry suddenly appeared with a large plastic bib for Duke. He thanked the young waitress and clipped the bib around his neck. Moments later the Cherry returned with a small modest bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and then disappeared only to return ten seconds later carrying what I can only describe as a bucket of ice cream for Duke. Cherry heaved the ice cream on to the table with a grunt and left us.
Duke stared down at the ice cream and said, “Eight different flavours, covered in whip cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallows, sprinkles and nuts- heaven.”
“How often do you come here?” I asked astonished.
“Twice a week,” Duke said digging his spoon into the vat of ice cream.
“And that is what you normally have?” I said.
“Stop judging me- I told you I had a sweet fang,” Duke snapped, and changed the subject,
“So,” He said smoothly, “How are things going with the Prince of Darkness?”
“Just peachy,” I replied taking a bite of my ice cream.
Duke paused and said, “Then why do I get the feeling you are lying to me?”
I shrugged and placed another scoop of ice cream in my mouth. There was no way I was pouring my heart out to Duke so he could go and filter everything I had said back to Caspar. This made me determined to put up a stone wall of distant civility between us. So as Duke continued to ask probing questions into the nature of my feelings towards Caspar, I casually brushed each question off with cool indifference.
“We barely know each other, so it is hard to tell how I feel about someone who is a virtual stranger,” I told Duke.
“But he is your mate Hazel, you must feel some kind of chemistry,” Duke said.
“Maybe,” I replied.
The bell above the ice cream parlour door rang as someone entered the store. Duke immediately straightened up, and I turned to see who had entered. Gliding gracefully across the store floor Henrietta walked towards us with a pleasant smile.
“Hello Hazel. Hello Duke,” She said acknowledging each of us individually.
Duke stood up on ceremony until she slid into the chair next to me and continued talking, “I was out for a stroll with my guards when I saw you in the window, and I thought to myself I could not possible walk past without saying hello.”
Duke seemed unimpressed by Henrietta’s appearance but politely asked her if she would like to order some ice cream from the menu. Henrietta shook her head and replied, “Thank you but I have never developed a palate for human food.”
Silence fell across the table. Henrietta sat next to me up right and eager, while Duke had suddenly become off and withdrawn. I quickly stumbled for something to say and came out with, “Duke was telling me about Port Cress, the city. He said it was the largest in the Americas.”
Henrietta smile widened even further and I was practically blinded by the whiteness of her smile, “Port Cressida is a wonderful city and I cannot wait for us to be able to go shopping together. The malls there are fabulous and the city itself is breathe taking” She said.
“I cannot wait to go,” I replied.
“Well Duke could always take you,” Henrietta suggested.
Duke shook his head, “No way, Caspar would kill me.”
“Only if he found out,” Henrietta smiled.
“Which he would because Caspar is a telepath. Hazel has not developed the skills to keep him out of her head,” Duke said.
Suddenly my interest was piqued and I looked at both of them and said, “Wait, I can keep Caspar out of my head?”
Henrietta nodded, “There are ways to put up mental barriers to stop telepaths from rummaging about in our minds.”
“I want to learn how I can block him out,” I said.