Conquering Alexandria(19)

"Doubt it."

"This woman is going to be a handful, isn't she?" I jokingly asked her mother.

"Oh yeah, she is nothing but trouble."

"I need to go change and get comfortable. I have papers to grade." She sounded enthusiastic—yeah right.

"That enjoyable, huh?" I asked teasingly

"Too much. I gave an assignment about the Renaissance." We laughed, knowing it was more than likely going to be a bunch of boring papers that are a regurgitation of the textbooks.

"Yes, that’s the kind of night I am looking forward to. Have fun, you two. And playboy, if you hurt my girl, you won't have to worry about her father." She left the room, and I knew who ruled this house.

“So, babe, let’s go for a walk.”

We had walked out in the summer air, hand in hand, and there were people all up and down the street enjoying the late afternoon sun.

“Are there always this many people out?”

“Sometimes. If the weather is good, then yes.” She waved to everyone we passed by.

I tried not to get jealous with all the young guys around who seemed to know my girl. I wondered if any of these guys had been exes, but I would have to turn in my man card if I asked such a petty fucking question. I was really curious how many lovers she’d had. None of her boyfriends lasted a long time, but it didn’t take long to jump into bed with someone. Fuck it! Grow some balls, man, I thought to myself.

"What is that sound?" I heard that circus music.

"It's the ice cream truck!" she squealed.

"Really? Do you want some, babe?" She was practically jumping up and down.

"I left my purse in the house. We will have to walk back." She tried to drag me back to the house by my hand. I stopped her and shook my head at her.

"Seriously, woman, don't be ridiculous. From this moment on, there isn't a thing I expect you to pay for." I turned her around and started walking to the truck, which stopped far behind us. I lived in downtown Dallas or at the Ranch in River Bend; there were no ice cream trucks.

"What do you want?" I was curious what her favorite ice cream was. I needed to know these things. I know my dad had every one of my mother's favorites memorized. Then again, they had been married for thirty plus years. I looked at all the kids that gathered toward the truck that pulled to the curb. It was a hot evening, even with the sun about to set.

"I prefer a banana split, although it’s hard to eat it all."

"Do you finish all of it?"

"You are going to think I am a fatty, but I do. I think if I didn't exercise, I would be well over two hundred pounds. I love food."

"I don't think that at all. Actually, I find your appetite refreshing. I love to eat too. I try to be refined when I am out, but babe, get used to me eating second helpings at home."

We waited in line behind a tall, skinny man carrying a small child in his arms and one that reached his waist. The baby turned to me with a smile, and all of the sudden, the thought of having my own baby in my arms while I had Alexandria by my side sounded amazing. The baby smiled at me with a toothless grin.

"Daddy, can I have the chocolate and vanilla mix?"

The man bent down to the little boy while carrying the baby. "Sure, son, just make sure you don't spill it on your shirt. You don't want Mama to find out I gave you ice cream two days in a row."

"Oh I won't tell her." He smiled up. I couldn’t wait for a son.

"Who are you not going to tell?" Uh-oh. The mom showed up and laughed.

"Um, Daddy said not to tell you he is getting me ice cream again."

"Eli, it's okay as long as you give me a bite, okay?"

"Okay, Mama."

"Babe, you want one?" the man asked his wife.

"No, I don't. Let me take him for you." She took the baby while the man paid. Then he gave her a sweet kiss, and they walked their little family back across the street. I was off in my own world of how I wanted a loving relationship like that when Alexandria asked me what I wanted.

"Sorry, babe. I just want a chocolate cone, please." I paid for our ice cream, and I understood why she couldn't finish it—it was big.

"Does your mom want anything?"

"No, she doesn't like ice cream from the truck. She always tells me that we could make that at home, plus she is a fan of the strawberry shortcakes that they don't have here."

"Okay." We walked back to the front of her house and sat on the front stoop.

"So tell me, were you one of those kids that chased down the ice cream truck like they show in the movies?"

"Sometimes. It would take a long time to get my money out of my piggy bank." She took a bite of the split, making sure to get a variety of the flavors on the spoon. I have to say it looked really good. I must have been staring at it too long because she held up a spoonful for me to taste. I took the offering, savoring the flavor, then I bent in a little further and stole a kiss.