Author's Note: This was written for a Short Story Competition so it had to be 1,000 words or fewer. All characters are over the age of 18.
*****
"Dad, can I have five dollars?"
"Sure, Monica, my wallet is in the beach bag over by the cooler."
Mr. Geller watched his daughter walk toward the cooler, proud at how well she had grown up. "Bring me another beer, as long as you're there, and one for Mr. Bing too."
Monica returned with the two cold cans of Corona. "I love you, daddy." She kissed the top of his head and ran off toward the boardwalk.
"What happened to the little girl with the water wings?" Mr. Bing asked rhetorically, as the two men reloaded their foam koozies.
*****
Monica stood in the short line in front of the Italian Ice cart that was set up in the same place as yesterday. She watched the older boy scoop the frozen confection into small plastic cups, the muscles in his sun-baked arms rippling as he reached into the refrigerated cart. She nervously rolled the bill while she patiently waited her turn.
"Hi!," greeted the boy as she stepped up to the cart, "Lemon...same as yesterday, right?"
Monica felt the butterflies flutter in her tummy at his warm greeting and couldn't believe he remembered her. "No, Rainbow please," she replied with a giggle, "I'm in the mood to spice things up today."
"Rainbow it is!" he emphatically replied as he reached into the cart.
"Don't they bother you...ummm...Joey," she asked, reading the name tag on his faded Gunther's Treats tank top, emblazoned with the same logo as the side of the cart.