Under My Umbrella

A Child's Innocence

→Reno's POV←

I stood in the bathroom mirror examining the black eye I had received from the street fight I was in last night. I've got to stop gettin so drunk and fightin before I end up in prison again. I shuddered at the thought. It had been a week since my last try at Ivanna, but I wasn't givin up yo. I just needed a little more time to formulate a new plan.

Just the other day I caught up with an old buddy, well old enemy named Barrett. We hit it off pretty well and even laughed about our old conflicts. He had the cutest little girl with him named Marlene. As soon as I saw her an idea popped into my head. No one can resist cute kids! Maybe if I take Marlene in for ice cream Ivanna will see what a great guy I am and give me a chance.

Though completely degrading, I held my head up with pride as I took a q-tip and dabbed some foundation make up over the black eye. This would definitely not say much about me. She'd either think I'm a pussy for lettin someone beat my ass, or too much of a tough guy gettin into fights all the time. No wonder it takes girls so long to get ready, you've got to layer this shit on if you want it to cover anything, but man did it work magic. I winked and shot my finger like a gun at myself in the mirror. How can she resist this? I wore a black T-shirt with Rude's favorite band on it and blue jeans.

My favorite escort, Rude, took me by Barrett's where I picked up Marlene. I noticed right away that this little girl aint the slightest bit shy.

"Where are we going?" she asked looking up at me with her big round eyes. I smirked.

"Ice cream yo. Don't you love….."

"Yay!! Can I get any kind I want?" she clapped her hands together and started gettin excited. I grinned as I nodded at her. I was going broke, but hey….you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

"Can I get like three scoops?!!?!" She hopped up in the seat. I patted her head.

"Of course little mama. You can get whatever you want, and however much you want just as long as you are really sweet to the lady that works there."

"Oh…yeah I will!" She giggled and looked out the window. "Are we there…are we there?!"

Rude gave me a look through the rear view mirror. He had never been a kid kinda guy, so I put money on him being annoyed right about now. Once we finally pulled up to the ice cream shop, Rude let us out and sped off before we were a foot away from the car. Marlene then ran up to the door almost knockin the shit out of me. I ran behind here and stumbled into the ice cream shop. When I looked over into her gorgeous eyes, I remembered just how much this was gonna be worth it.

→Ivanna's POV←

I was in the kitchen washing the scoops and the waffle cone molder when I heard a bunch of commotion in the ice cream shop. I walked through the doorway to see who else, but Reno there. What now?!

"Hi miss! You're pretty!" a little voice said. I stood on my tip toes and leaned over the ice cream coolers to see the cutest little girl giving me a warm smile. I smiled back at her.

"Well thank you, what can I get for you?"

"Can I have one scoop of every kind on a cone? Will it fit?" she asked me. I looked up and saw all the color drain from Reno's face. He then laughed nervously.

"Uh…Marlene uh…do you think you could eat that much? I think you'll be full on three scoops." He bend down so he was eye level with the child.

"You said I could get as much as I wanted!" she crossed her arms and pouted into his face. I stifled back a laugh by putting my hand over my mouth. Reno looked up at me as if asking for help.

"How about you start with three scoops and if you still want more, we'll get you more." I said smiling at the little girl. She sighed then piped up again.

"Ok!"

I laughed softly. "Which ones?"

"Chocolate, cotton candy, and uh…..strawberry!" I piled three scoops into a waffle cone and handed it to the young girl. Reno grinned at me. Once the little girl ran off to a table with her ice cream, I told Reno the cost and he paid.

"Is she yours?" I definitely never would have pictured this man as a father.

"Oh no!" he shook his head and waved his hands. "Someday I do want a family, love kids, but no she's not mine."

"Hmmm you didn't seem like the kind of guy who was fond of children." I smiled at the girl again.

"Reno! Aren't you gonna eat some ice cream too?" she asked him. Reno grinned at her.

"I'm on a diet yo." He smirked at me. The little girl burst out into a giggling fit. Reno laughed a bit with her then walked around the counters so he was near the cash register with me.

"Get out of here!" I whispered harshly. "If my boss sees you I'm done!" He grinned that stupid cocky grin and those blue-green eyes had that same mischief in them. I noticed his left eye seemed a bit odd.

He caught me staring at it and quickly turned away. "Uh…yeah maybe I'll have an ice cream. Just one small scoop of strawberry on a regular cone." Hmmm well what is Mr. Cocky womanizer trying to hide? I got him his ice cream without asking any question. Whatever it was it wasn't my business and I couldn't care any less anyway. He paid for his ice cream and sat down with the little girl. After about fifteen minutes I decided to be friendly and try to have a conversation with my customers.

I started with the bold little girl, Reno brought. "So what is your name?"

"Marlene!" she grinned and took a big lick of her ice cream. A stream of pink ice cream ran down the cone and onto her hand. She licked it off. Reno grabbed some napkins from the dispenser and tossed them at her.

"Your gettin messy chick." He said laughing at her. I glared at him, this was no way to tend to a child. I picked up the napkin and gently wiped the ice cream off her face and arm.

"Thank you." She said sweetly. I then wrapped some napkins around the cone and handed her the ice cream. All the while being stared at by Reno. This time he showed me a soft smile, rather than that cocky one that made me want to slap him. I looked down and turned away.

→Reno's POV←

Ah ha she does have a soft spot for children. I watched the back of her as she walked away. I wonder what she looks like dressed in normal clothes or her party clothes or nothing. My smile widened as that thought crossed my mine and many other more dirty thoughts entered my head.

"Hey!" Marlene said breakin me out of my daze. "Is she your girlfriend?" Ivanna stopped in her tracks and spun around, giving me a look.

"Not yet." I grinned at her and she only glared harder. I thought I heard her mumble the words "Not ever" as she returned to her work. We'll see dear Ivanna, we will see.

Marlene was for sure full before she even finished her three scoops and ended up throwin that shit I paid for away. I didn't even really get anywhere with Ivanna today. As Marlene skipped towards the except, I approached the counter again and smiled at Ivanna. I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and wrote my number on it then put it in her tip box. I winked at her and she smirked.

"I'll be seein ya." I pointed at her once I had gotten up to the door. She rolled her eyes and turned away pretending to look busy. "Call me. If not I'll show up at your doorstep."

"I'll call the police."

"Oh please don't, babe. They've had enough of me." I grinned at her before I finally left the shop. I sent Rude a very small text that read "Yo". He knew what that meant. Within about six minutes he pulled up to the curb to pick us up. Now all I had to do was wait. I almost hoped she wouldn't call because that would give me reason to show up at her apartment.