Tourist season at Lake Wallenpaupack means a break in the monotony of Alexi’s life. They’ve been secretly advertising the ice cream parlor they work at through the Foodspotting app, hoping that will bring even more customers. One such customer is Eli, a recent addition to the area with a bright and open disposition that Alexi is drawn to immediately. And since Eli is demisexual, Alexi welcomes him into their friend group of other queer twenty-somethings.<br><br>The more Alexi gets to know Eli, the more smitten they are. If only they didn’t have crippling self-esteem issues, problems at home with their dad, and enough emotional baggage to fill a freight train. They’re desperate to get out of that rut so they can have space in their heart for someone like Eli. After years of playing a passive role, making the first steps towards change might prove too much for them.

#IceCreamSundae

Eli’s face lit up when Alexi presented the sundae. “Oh wow! That looks like something out of a stock photo!”


Alexi smiled and tried not to look too prideful about it. “Thank you,” they said. “Like the sign says, we’ve been serving quality-crafted ice cream since 1954.”


“I’m definitely coming back here!” Eli said. They secured themself as Alexi’s favorite customer of the week when they dropped a five-dollar bill in the tip jar on their way to sit down. Alexi hoped they would make good on their promise. The shop needed more customers like that.


Furthermore, Alexi was so pleased their Foodspotting posts were working. It wasn’t exactly a well-known app like Instagram or Vine, but they’d hoped that at least a few vacationers would be using it. Perhaps some had come in already and just hadn’t mentioned where they had heard about Duckworth’s, but seeing a customer be so enthusiastic about the place after seeing their posts made Alexi smile for the rest of the day.  3


Chapter 6