Glinda loved her job so much.
Glinda had a thing for making people happy. She'd long outgrown her popular girl demeanor, and now she was here, owning an ice cream shop with her best friend from Shiz (the fabulous Fiyero), making her own ice cream and making people happy. There was something about the face of any person buying ice cream when you handed their order to them. They always had such a happy little glint in their eyes, most licked their lips with anticipation at her wonderfully tasty recipe. And once you tasted her ice cream, you always came back for more.
Fiyero was in the back room, churning away at a vat of Lemon Delight (Glinda believed in manually stirring, it made the flavour better, more natural) as she stood at the display, examining her names. There was no one in the shop at that moment, but there would be someone. The shop was never empty for longer than five minutes…
The bell tinkled and a woman wearing nothing but black walked in, a scarf covering her face and a hat hiding most of her face. Glinda raised an eyebrow. It was hellfire out there, how could this woman stand being covered head to toe?!
"May I help you?" Glinda asked, smiling at her. The woman looked around the shop before answering.
"May I…take off my scarf and hat?"
Glinda nodded, confused at the strange request, but then understood why immediately as the hat and the scarf came off the woman's head, revealing a totally green face.
"You're…"
"Yes, I know," the woman replied, shrugging. "I'd just like some ice cream please, to cool off. This scarf and hat is killing me."
"Abso-positively!" Glinda grinned, trying her best to hide her surprise, and grabbing the scooper. "What would you like?"
"Uh…I don't know. I haven't had ice cream in so long…"
Glinda felt sorry for this poor woman, and she gave her her best smile and shrugged. "Well, how about I make you something special? Take a seat."
The woman raised her eyebrows but didn't reject the idea. She sat down at a small table and waited patiently as Glinda scooped up three different flavours into a large bowl, sprinkling it with nuts and whipped cream and a bit of chocolate sauce on the side, rushing it over to the woman with a large grin on her face.
"My name is Glinda."
"Elphaba," the woman answered back uncertainly, taking the spoon from her and looking down at the bowl rather sadly.
"I don't think I can afford this."
"Oh no, poor thing, don't worry about the money. Just enjoy, alright?"
"Uh…alright."
And Glinda sat with her and watched her eat, making small talk and asking her where she was going. Elphaba didn't really respond to that, though, so Glinda resorted to talking about the business instead. She talked until Elphaba's bowl was empty and she was putting her scarf and hat back on.
"Oh, you're leaving?"
"I have to continue on. But it was lovely to meet you, Glinda."
"Please look after yourself, Elphaba."
She smiled at her before she wrapped the scarf around her face again, and walked out of the door.
Glinda was glad she had made at least one person happy that day.