"Next please!" River called and she brushed the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand and gave a tired small at her colleague Amy.
"Please can I have an ninety-nine?" A small boy asked who looked like he was bout six years old, only wearing swimming trunks and flip-flops. He peered over the edge of the till, a shiny pound coin clenched in his sweaty hand tightly.
She gave him a friendly smile. "Sure sweetie," She quickly grabbed a tawny coloured ice-cream cone and went to the machine that held all the cold ice-cream in. "Any sauce on?" She shouted over her shoulder.
"No thanks." The child replied and River hurriedly put in a chocolate flake before walking over to the child, handing it to him.
"£1.00 please," The boy grinned and began licking it hungrily before giving her the coin and ran of to greet his grand-parents. Feeling very pleased with himself.
River put the coin in the cash machine and sighed before leaning back against the counter again before she heard Amy giggle behind her hand. She turned to face her and raised an eyebrow at her friend's sudden behaviour.
"Your beau is here." She gave River a wicked grin and River merely rolled her eyes.
"Oh shush. He is not my beau." However, she did turn her head towards the entrance only to find that her 'beau' was indeed here-wearing his usual tweed jacket, bow-tie and braces. River couldn't believe it! It was twenty-three degrees outside and he was wearing that outfit! Yet, she was wearing her workout so she couldn't complain. She smiled fondly at him. "Hello Doctor."
The Doctor was one of her most popular customers. He comes in during all sorts of weather-even when it is thundering and lightening and is always ordering a different type of ice-cream. He clapped his hands excitedly. "Ah! My two favourite people!"
River blushed at the comment. "How are you today?"
The Doctor's eyes suddenly darkened, as though he had remembered something awful and wished to forget about it before he looked up at them both brightly as though it was nothing. "I'm fantastic!" He cried. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that Amy had also noticed the sudden mood swing but neither of them pressed him."And you?"
She gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh you know sweetie, working hard all day and getting more sweatier by the minute! My armpits are beginning to stink like pigs!" She joked. Amy pulled a face before giggling and the Doctor rolled his eyes.
"Doesn't look like you're doing much now though does it?" He pointed out.
"That's because you're distracting me." She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
At that moment, Amy walked up to them and leaned against the counter, her bright red hair shining brilliantly in the sun. "You're both flirting like an old married couple! Go and get a room the pair of you!" She blurted out and River playfully swatted her over the head.
"Your the one to talk! Every time Rory comes in you snog his face of."
"Whose Rory?" The Doctor asked, confused.
"My fiancé." Amy replied, proudly showing of her engagement ring.
"Congratulations. When's the wedding?"
"December, we wanted a christmas wedding. You're more than welcome to come,"
The Doctor looked surprised. "But I'm just a random stranger."
Amy snorted and flickered a stray of hair out of her way. "C'mon, you've been coming here nearly over a year and you flirt with River shamelessly." River couldn't help but laugh as she saw the Doctor blush.
"Oh, all right then! I'll come," Amy squealed with delight and bounced up and down on the balls of her heels. "But I'll only come for the dancing!"
Amy shared a knowing smile with River and she knew that Amy was up to something as usual and it probably involved something to do with her and the Doctor.
"Anyway, I would like to order my ice-cream right now. I've had such a busy day!" He gave them a cocky grin. "Mint and chocolate chip and vanilla please,"
"Two this time? That's a first," River asked as she began serving him.
"Well one for me obviously and if you're not busy right now, you can have the other and come for a stroll along the beach with me."
"Well I-"
Amy slammed her palms on the counter and grinned. "Of course! After all, it's a brilliant day and a day like this cannot be wasted." Amy finished of making the ice-creams as River was too busy staring at her, speechless. "That's £2.06," She handed them over to them and the Doctor gave Amy the money as well as a tip. That's another reason why Amy and River like the Doctor. He always left them a tip even though it's unnecessary. "Now shoo! Time I had this place to myself." She joked and River rolled her eyes before they both left and headed down to the beach.
The beach itself was quite busy-surfers were making feeble attempts to surf along the small waves and excited toddlers were running up and down everywhere.
"Thank you for taking me out," She began as she licked her own ice-cream. "Think I needed this,"
"Not the only one." The Doctor agreed.
"Busy day for you too?"
"More like busy week. Caught my 'wife' Rose cheating with my best friend John Smith last month. Just finished the final divorce papers today." He sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were married."
"Never worn my wedding ring with the job I am doing. Too dangerous."
"What do you do?"
"I travel," He replied and he bit into the cone before swallowing it down after two bites. "To dangerous places mostly but each place I go to is beautiful in it's own right."
River sighed almost wistfully. "You're lucky. I always dreamt of travelling." They stopped at the edge of the sea. The waves were crashing down loudly next to them and the cold sea swept in lazily before rolling back out again.
"You could come with me," He suggested and she looked surprised. "I don't have anybody else to travel with and travelling alone for a long time sometimes...does things to you."
"I would honestly love to sweetie, but I have my business to look after. Although, I suppose Amy could take control of it for a while."' She replied, thoughtfully. "She did always wanted to see what it would be like to run your own business and I do trust her."
"How did you two meet?" The Doctor asked.
"High-school. Been best friends since year 7." She admitted before wiping around her mouth with a handkerchief to get rid of the mess the ice-cream has made. "Doctor, what is your name? I've never asked,"
|"Doctor. Just the doctor. However, my old friends used to nickname me Theta back in primary school so I guess you can call me that,"
She stopped and turned to face him, smiling. "You're a very unusual man."
"I am aren't I? People do tend to say that though most people call me queer," He scoffed at the thought.
"Queer is good sweetie." She grinned mischievously at him and as another wave was about to come up she playfully pushed him into the wave, making him soaked to the skin.
"River you daring person!" He exclaimed in mock outrage before splashing her back. She laughed and for a few hours, they had a water fight in the waves. Both being very wet and River's hair because flat and stuck out oddly in places, but neither of them cared.
They both laughed as they headed back to her work place. "I feel like a five-year old again." The Doctor said.
"That's because you are," River replied cheekily. "But a mature one at that sweetie,"
They both leaned over the railings, the sun drying of their wet clothes and hair.
"I can't believe you ruined my bow-tie," He muttered, shaking his head slightly. "Bow-ties are cool."
She giggled and fondly messed up his hair. Not that it was already messed up. "I'll buy you another one in St. Helier to make it up with you. How about that?"
He turned sideways to face her. "Or you can make it up to me by my way..." He trailed off, a wicked gleam in his eye.
"And what would that be?"
"This." He leaned in and rested his hand underneath the back of her shoulder gently and kissed her longingly on the lips. River was caught by surprise and she never gets caught off guard but she wasn't complaining as she was soon returning the kiss. The sun was shining down on them and River felt like she was in one of those romantic movies.
They both parted for some air and she felt her cheeks flush.
"I should ruin your bow-ties more often,"
He snorted. "Oh you cheeky thing. I rather like my bow-ties thank you very much but I think I wouldn't mind this way of you making it up to me."
From then on, River knew that there was going to be a lot more than just ruining his bow-ties and kissing in the future.