Page 11 of Honey Sugar
“Shit, I’m sorry, Ivy. Did I scare you?” I asked, tucking my fingers under her chin. She still had a slight dimple there. I ran the tip of my thumb over it and she smiled a little.
“I have this thing where I get startled when I hear men raise their voice even a little bit. I’m sorry for being such a spaz.”
“What are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault Uncle Beau gave you fucking PTSD by being an abusive dick. Yo, where is he anyway?”
“He left. He said he didn’t want to be here when you got here.”
“Figures,” I muttered. I never saw eye to eye with my uncle. I couldn’t get behind a man that put his hands on women. He was a coward and he didn’t have my respect. Since he couldn’t manipulate and scare me like he could with Aunt Liv and Ivy, he ignored me and blew up on me whenever I said something he didn’t like.
Fuck Uncle Beau.
“Come on, I’m ten minutes behind. I should be pulling up to Honey Sugar by now.” Ivy motioned for me to follow her, so I did. Wasn’t like I had shit else to do.
I rode with her to the sweet shop and the moment I stepped inside the smell of honey hit me. Ivy moved through the main storefront to the back where the big kitchen was. Everything was exactly how I remembered it. A long hallway stretched from the kitchen to the metal back door that opened up into an alleyway. A door sat to the left of the long hallway that led up to the small studio apartment above Honey Sugar.
Without a word, Ivy tied an apron around her body, put on gloves and started mixing honey and sugar in a pot on the stove. “Damn, you’re like a machine,” I joked, pulling up a stool to the stainless steel island in the middle of the space. She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled a little. “What can I do to help?”
“You can get the chocolates from the fridge and start drizzling them. For some reason, the customers like things a little sticky.” I still knew where everything was so I took the chocolates out and set them on the counter. I stole a glance at Ivy and wondered if she knew how much she grew up too. It wasn’t just me.
I drizzled all the chocolates and looked into a pair of big olive green eyes watching me like a hawk. “Gotta work on the way you do that,” she said, sliding her lips to the side.
“You don’t like the way I drizzle?” I laughed.
“You move too fast. It’s all in the wrist.”
“Not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon. You can teach me later. It’ll give you an excuse to stay away from the house for a little while. I know you hate hearing Uncle Beau yell at your mom.”
“I do. I’m usually asleep before that happens though. I’ve trained myself.” She pulled the big heavy pot from the heat and laid out rows of metal molds. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed, Titan. It’s like you’re a whole new person.”
“You keep talking about how much I’ve changed but you’ve changed too, Ivy.”
“Me?” She squeaked and laughed a little. I couldn’t shake the image of my little cousin with two huge curly puffs on top of her head, ripping and running through Honey Sugar while I chased her making monster noises.
She was always so intrigued by the way I stood up to her father even when we were little. Her big green eyes would light up when I told her I’d keep her safe long as I was in the house. When we got a little older, she’d try her best to stay up all night and hang with me but she wasn’t a night owl like I was. She was an early riser.
Little Ivy was quiet and curious with eyes that sparkled like green glass on the beach. She was always baby girl to me. Now, Ivy wasn’t little. She was taller and she traded her skinny, knock-kneed body for a thicker one with curves. Her smile was still the same though. I was going to have to chase motherfuckers away from her all the time. I already felt it in my bones.
“Yeah. You. You’re not the same little cousin I remember from when we were twelve,” I said.
“I guess we have to deal with how much we’ve changed, huh?” She poured syrup into the metal molds with a steady hand and careful eye. She was good.
“I guess so.”
“Okay, on one condition,” she said, planting her fist on her curvy hip.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Take the golds out.” She pointed to my mouth and I laughed.
“They pop out. It’s not a big deal.” I took them out and grabbed a clean towel to wrap them in. “Better?” I smiled at her and she nodded. She turned her head quickly then tapped the bubbles out of the syrup.
“Titan, do you remember how you used to love the hard candies?” Ivy moved to put the candy in the chiller then pulled her gloves off.
“Oh yeah. Nothing like honey candy from Honey Sugar.”
“Wanna taste something?” Her eyes got big and excitement danced in her irises. I gave her a short nod and she pulled out a handful of dark amber colored candies wrapped in translucent plastic that crinkled when they were opened.
I didn’t even ask her what I was eating before I popped one into my mouth. Ivy nibbled on her bottom lip while her green eyes watched me intently. The distinctive taste of whiskey melted on my tongue making my brows furl together. Next, the smooth taste of honey joined in and the two flavors mingled in my mouth.
