I took the ice cream from Aubrey. "Do you think they'll have chocolate syrup here?"

She had headed over to the bananas hooked to a tripod near the cash register. She picked two and then swiped a card she retrieved out of a pocket, then with a smile, she motioned for me to come behind the counter.

Those mischievous blue eyes were so lovely. I felt better instantly.

A few people were in the back preparing food. Cleaning. They looked up. None of them even batted an eye at Aubrey's sudden intrusion. I wondered if they all knew her, and if they did, why they didn't acknowledge her with a wave or a smile. Instead they mostly ignored her. That is until we got to the third cooler. Aubrey swung around a corner and there was met with a pretty, young dark haired woman wearing jeans and a red long sleeved t-shirt, her hair swinging in a ponytail, and her apron smudged with flour and other ingredients. She blocked Aubrey's way, giving me the evil eye. And there wasn't anything cute or funny about her stance.

"What are you doing back here?" She glared at us, literally barring the way. She kept staring at me--- apparently aware of my identity. But perhaps she was used to spoilt celebrities trying to take liberties in her kitchen.

"We're making banana splits. I'm staying out at Kell and Maille's, and I didn't want to go all the way up to the big house for toppings. Do you have stuff back here?" Aubrey's pretty little dimples shone, her eyes sparkled, and her fingers did this cute nervous fluttery thing.

"Goodness gracious, Miss Aubrey!" Suddenly the rigid arm was lowered and Aubrey was clasped quite firmly against the woman's skimpy chest. I guessed she was either Latina or Italian. Her temper was in full attendance. Thank goodness she recognized Aubrey. "What the heck you doing with dat guy?"

She really said it that way too--- dat guy--- and she pointed her blood red fingernail at me. I tried to blink appreciatively--- harmlessly--- it seemed my reputation had preceded me. If she remembered me from five years ago--- I did not recall her-- at all. Even a little.

"He's my boyfriend."

"Get out! He not your boyfriend! Dat guy shameless! He makes rude porno videos, and plays indecent parts on TV." She pulled Aubrey away from me, and this time I had no desire to pull her back, or twist any taekwondo moves--- I tried to look sheepish. She looked me up and down with that cool glare, and I was pretty sure I'd been judged completely lacking. "He outrageous, and not good enough for you. This girl is a straight A college trained doctor, you--- "

She searched for the right derogatory adjective and my eyebrows rose in innocent surrender.

She finally settled on Sex Fiend, and I had to admit, if your entire experience of me was prior to five years ago, then yeah--- I could be interpreted that way.

"Macy, come on. Do you think I would call him my boyfriend if he was really a sex fiend? Me?" Aubrey's tone was placating and slightly wheedling, her eyes flashed at me in apology and amusement.

I gave her a comical expression. I was still reveling in the fact that she'd once again claimed me.

Macy grabbed a knife off the counter and shoved it close to my chest. "You give her any grief, young man, and I gut you like a fish, you get me?"

"I get you!" I stepped back, slightly alarmed, holding up my hands in mock surrender.

"Your daddy know you're out here with this scandalous creep?"

"He's not a creep, Mace--- really!" Aubrey winked at me, looking a bit uncomfortable now. "And of course daddy knows. He knows everything, doesn't he?"

"And Kell? He knows too?" She was still determined to be skeptical. Aubrey was facing me now, and her eyes were laughing. But I wasn't so sure of this cook's gentility.

Aubrey nodded, and I was impressed that Richard and Kell were the number one family watch dogs. It said a lot about this family. "I've only got the best of intentions." I assured her.

"You--- keep your trap shut." She pointed the knife at me. "She too good for you."

I nodded, smiling tolerantly, still holding my hands out. Now she dropped the knife and grabbed my hand, she literally lost all the bull dog readiness and pulled my palm up to her face, squinting at it. She rubbed her long pink and tan finger along mine and then brought the whole hand up once more. "You have long life--- only one love--- you will love her forever." She dropped my hand and squinted into my eyes. Hers were dark, pools of black, with imaginary golden highlights. I felt like she could have had on a gypsy turban and huge gold rings in her ears. I tried to think guileless thoughts. Then her whip corded hand snatched out and grabbed me by the back of my neck, she rubbed her thumb into the muscle there-- it actually felt pretty good--- she was very strong-- and she smelt my breath. Okay that was weird. Then she went back to my eyes. "You have a nice neck." She pulled the back of my hoodie and t-shirt down and clucked at the ink. For once I felt a stab of remorse for marking myself this way. But then I squared up. Nobody was going to make me feel bad about my artwork. "Hm..." She clucked again. "You not a Mormon?" Mormons don't get tattoos. Mormons don't date guys like me...

"I am a Mormon, as a matter of fact."

"You falling for Aubrey? You better take good care of her. She is like a fresh water fish-- she is like a lily pad on a glacier fed pond in the spring. She is our jewel. You take good care of her. Remember." She stabbed a long nail at me.

I noticed she'd made two analogies to fish in as many minutes.

I swallowed. So, it went from Richard to Kell to---- Macy--- the cook.

I nodded.

"Good. You follow me." Now she turned and stalked quickly back to the rear of the room where a regular refrigerator stood and she opened it, pulling out a couple of syrup bottles, and Aubrey got a brown paper bag. She handed it to me with a very amused expression and then loaded it with things including more ice cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and some other kind of berry I wasn't as familiar with. She put in a couple of syrups- and a half eaten bottle of caramel. Then she squeezed Aubrey, tweaked her ponytail--- gave me a glare and then walked close with a flashy wicked grin before she slapped my butt, and gave that a squeeze too. I jumped about a foot and twisted around in sudden startlement.

"He okay, Aubrey. He not used to be butt slapped." Then she twirled away from us and Aubrey pushed me out the kitchen door with a wave for Macy.

******

Author's note:

I love character's like Macy. You can just picture her. I'm glad that someone is keeping these two in check.... lol