It's Friday: date night for me and Aurelia. We went to see a film at the cinema--a new sci-fi horror about a missing spaceship that's reappeared twenty-five years after falling into a black hole, I quite liked it, Aurelia didn't--and now we've come to Momma's Milkshakes, an ice-cream parlour. I'd have rather gone somewhere more... classy, but Aurelia insisted. And as usual, Aurelia always gets her way. Momma's is a 50s-style diner, except everything's pink, and I mean everything. The walls, the floors, the counter, the leather booths, hell, even the fucking sugar packets and salt and pepper shakers are pink. Feels like it's been designed by a nine-year-old girl.
The menu is on a screen behind the counter, listing dozens of different flavours of ice creams and milkshakes. You've got your normal stuff, your strawberry and chocolate and the like, but then you've also got something called SPACEROCK... what the fuck kinda flavour is that?
'So,' I say, 'what do you want?'
Aurelia doesn't reply. I glance down. She's staring at her phone, lost in a world of cute animal pictures and stupid memes.
'Aurelia.'
She looks up, looks at me. 'Huh?'
'I asked you a question. What do you want?'
'Oh, I... uh,' She looks up at the menu, her pretty lips pouting as she thinks. 'I will have a large chocolate milkshake and... a Momma's Mega Sundae.'
I open my mouth, about to say something like: You always get that and you can never finish it so why don't you get something smaller... and cheaper. But I don't, she'll just get all grumpy and complain and I'll give in and she'll get her own way in the end anyway. I sigh, 'Sure thing. Go find us a seat and I'll bring it over.'
She smiles, adorably, and I remember why I put up with her. She reaches up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. 'Thank you, daddy,' she says, loudly, so the whole fucking cafΓ© can hear.
I blush in embarrassment. The woman taking orders behind the register looks at us, her confused face telling me all I need to know. She's trying to figure out what Aurelia is to me. I'm obviously too young to be her father and the way she kissed me was definitely not daughterly, but still, the way she called me daddy was cute and laced with genuine affection. As I go to order I assume that the cashier has got us chalked down as just a kinky couple. Which I guess is what we are. Though, girlfriend doesn't feel like the right way to describe Aurelia. And I sure as hell don't feel like her boyfriend. But we're more than fuckbuddies or friends with benefits. I mean, there is an affection between us, a real fucking strong affection.
I order a strawberry milkshake for myself and a chocolate milkshake for Aurelia. 'And I get one of your Momma's Mega Sundaes as well, please,' I say. The woman behind the counter pushes a card machine in my direction and I pay using the contactless app on my phone. I don't even look at the price of the Sundae, I really don't wanna know. She disappears and returns a minute later holding a tray with our order on it. 'Thanks,' I say, and take the tray from her. The milkshakes look good, the sundae looks--and feels--heavy. Like something a bodybuilder would devour after deadlifting a mid-sized coupe.
Aurelia's chosen a booth by the window. She's back staring at her phone. When she's lost in a world of her own like this, she does this little thing where she bites her bottom lip. I don't think she knows she's doing it, but she looks adorable.
I put the tray down on the table. 'You're not gonna be able to eat all that,' I say, placing the sundae in front of her. It's bigger than her head. Her eyes widen and she licks her lips, a hungry grin forming. She looks like a kid on Christmas morning.
'Fuck you, I bet I can,' she says, grabbing a spoon and instantly digging in.
I sit down across from her. 'What did you just say?' I ask, firmly.
She frowns, ice cream covering her mouth. Not taking the spoon from her mouth, she says, 'Sorry, daddy.'
I smirk. 'It's fine.'
She grins, then goes back to shoving spoonfuls of chocolate sauce-covered ice cream into her mouth.
I take a sip of my strawberry milkshake. It's so sweet and sugary I probably won't sleep for a week. 'So, you weren't keen on the film?'
'Uh-uh. Too spooky for me.'
'I did try to tell you that before we went in.'
'Yeah, but I didn't think it would be that scary. Like, there were so many jump scares...'
'I told you there would be.'
'I know, but--'
'But you didn't listen,' I say.
'Yeah, but--'
'You didn't listen,' I say, using the tone of voice I use when I want her to know I'm not gonna have an argument with her.
She huffs and goes back to eating. The mountain of ice cream doesn't seem to have gone down whatsoever.
I try another sip of my milkshake. Its ridiculous sweetness is growing me. I watch Aurelia eat. She's wearing a blue sundress with a yellow flower pattern on it. I bought it for her when we went to the mall last week--it was overpriced, but she does look good in it. And I know she's not wearing anything underneath it. I made sure of it. That was the deal: I'll buy it for her, but she's not allowed to wear panties or a bra under it. Aurelia didn't seem to care.
'So, what we doing tomorrow?' I ask.
'I dunno. Hey, look at this.' She turns her phone to me. She's showing me a picture of a raccoon wearing a flannel shirt. 'Isn't it the best picture you've ever seen?'
I'll admit, it is cute. 'Yeah, the best,' I say, then repeat, 'What are we doing tomorrow?'
'I dunno,' she says again. 'Up to you, daddy.'
'What would you like to do?'
'Let's go shopping.' Her face lights up.
'Again? We went to the mall last week.'
'Yeah, but there was so much I didn't buy.'
'You mean, I didn't buy.'
She huffs, 'That's not fair, daddy. You may've paid for my clothes, but I think I repaid you that night, didn't I?'
'Yeah, I guess.' I think back to that night after we got home from the mall--her naked body, the leather collar around her neck, her tight asshole stretching as I push myself into her.
'Fine. We'll go to the mall. Again.'
'Yay,' she says, then shovels another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She sips on her milkshake, drinking nearly half in one go.
'Slow down, pumpkin. You're gonna make yourself sick.'
'Nah, I'm fine.' She turns her attention back to the sundae.
I watch her tackle the ice cream monolith for a few minutes. She stops, probably less than a third eaten. I don't say anything, though I could easily say told you so.
She reaches over and slides my strawberry milkshake closer. 'I wanna try yours.'
'Aurelia, if you wanted strawberry, you should've ordered strawberry.'