Charlie thought that the ice cream parlor was a rather cute establishment. Located on a boardwalk, the outside was painted cream, pink, and yellow, and there was a window display where you could see all the ice cream and other sweets being made. Inside was even cuter. The interior design was based on the charming Victorian era and it was filled with refrigerated cabinets of countless ice cream flavors, along with compartments and shelves containing candies, sodas, and all kinds of goodies. Charlie thought it was so precious.
Ice cream and candy was much too sweet for Alastor's liking but he gave credit to the parlor's 1830's theme and the craftsmanship of the devices and furniture. He also appreciated how much work the employees put into making old fashioned ice cream and that they chose to make a huge variety of flavors, including vintage ones like Beth's favorite, peppermint.
She could still remember the first time she had tried peppermint ice cream. She was six years old, and she and Alastor had been invited to join Angel and his siblings on their Summer trip to their grandmother's lake house. Angel's grandmother or Nonna as she was called, loved to make old fashioned Italian food which included gelato. She had her own gelato maker machine and everything, and one especially hot day during the visit, she made three flavors that she had enjoyed in her childhood. Strawberry-banana, peach, and peppermint. The very moment little Beth's tongue touched the pink colored gelato, she knew that she had found the dessert love of her life.
Unfortunately peppermint ice cream which had once been a most popular flavor in earlier times along with many others, were now sold less and less due to new flavors getting invented left and right. It was nearly impossible to find any peppermint or any other vintage ice cream flavors. Nearly impossible. This parlor was among the very few ice cream shops in America that sold such types of frozen confections. And Beth couldn't have been more grateful for them.
She ordered a cup of peppermint ice cream and requested that it be topped with hot fudge and rainbow sprinkles. Alastor of course asked for only a black ice coffee and Charlie decided to try a chocolate dipped, vanilla cone. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted. It was cold, creamy, and so sweet.
"This is incredible!" She said. "Oh I'm sure if my father tasted some of this he'd be much more open minded to change."
"Your father has a sweet tooth?" Alastor deduced.
"Mmm-hmm. He won't admit it, but he loves the confections that outsiders make. Caramel apples being his favorite."
"How did the recluse end up trying something like that?"
"Oh well my father was out swimming one day and something like a boat but much larger was passing by. On board was some sort of party. The air was filled with music and sweet smells, people were dancing and doing the most strange but fun-looking activities."
"You mean a cruise?"
"Is that what they're called? Anyway a child had just procured a caramel apple and he accidentally dropped his treat overboard and my father caught it. Once he realized it was food, he took a bite and discovered he liked it very much. But he tries to keep it a secret."
"How did you find out?"
"Mother was with him and she told us. He'll deny it to his watery grave though."
"Watery grave?"
Beth immediately shook her head, informing Charlie that wasn't a very normal thing to say. She quickly thought of a way to explain why she made such a comment without revealing her secret.
"My father's wishes to be buried at sea when he dies. He's always been very fond of the ocean."
"Oh that makes sense." Alastor said.
For the next ten minutes the three of them just chatted while the girls ate their frozen treat, and when they were finished, they started back to the house.
Meanwhile at the very same boardwalk, Vaggie was reluctantly going to meet Angel. She was positive that this wasn't going to end well. That she was making a big mistake. That this was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done. Well the second stupidest thing she had ever done. The first being when she agreed to work for Valentino. But she felt that if she didn't give this odd fellow one night out, he'd never leave her alone.
"Best to get this whole thing over with." She told herself.
She found him standing by the boardwalk's entrance with Fat Nuggets at his side.
"You came." He said, genuinely surprised that she showed up. "You look nice."
"Thanks, but why did you bring the pig?"
"Hey I said that I was never going to leave him alone at that circus again."
"Valentino won't be too happy if he finds out you've been sneaking his animals out."
"Well Valentino can kiss my ass. Besides, he never wanted Fat Nuggets to begin with. In fact he wanted to have him butchered because he was the runt of the litter. He only kept him alive because I promised him half my paycheck. Anyway, you don't mind if he tags along, do ya?"
"No. Honestly I find the company of pig much more enjoyable than what I'm used to."
"I hear ya toots. So have you been to the boardwalk since you arrived here?"
"No."
"Then allow me to give you the grand tour. I know this entire town like the back of my hand."
He then proceeded to escort her around the boardwalk, showing her all the attractions, shops, and stands that were set up.
"And over here we have a stand that sells exotic and fresh fruit that is imported from other countries." Angel said directing her over to the fruit stand. "Let's see now, we've got figs, persimmons, durians, dates, and speaking of dates-"
"This is not one." Vaggie warned him. "I already told you I'm not looking for a relationship. I'm very career driven right now."
"Well if you have to focus on a career, I suggest you find a different one. Working as one of Valentino's supposed freaks can't be pleasant."
"It's not but it's too late for me to seek employment anywhere else."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not important. So what exactly do I have to do in order for your debt to me to be repaid?"
"Let me buy you dinner?"
"Can you afford to?"
"Sure. I'm not that broke."
"Well I don't think there's any restaurants around here that will permit pigs to enter." She said referring to Fat Nuggets.
"Don't worry, I'll smuggle him as a baby. The waiters will never know the difference. So what do you feel like eating?"
"I don't know. I normally eat-"
"Lombardi! Is that you?!"
The conversation over what tonight's meal would be was interrupted when a harsh voice called out to Angel. Recognizing the voice, he briefly grew stiff with fear and then slowly turned around to see two nasty looking men heading straight for him. One was so frightfully scrawny that you could see his rib cage and the other was so hideously fat that you could mistake him for a young rhinoceros.
"So you are still alive!" The scrawny one called. "And here we thought you had overdosed yourself to an early grave."
"And if you're alive then that means you can finally pay us back!" The fat one added.
"Oh shit, not the Scoleri Brothers. I thought they were on death row." Angel said.
When they came closer, Angel quickly kicked over a stand of melons which came rolling down and knock over the two ugly men. He then picked up Fat Nuggets, grabbed Vaggie by the hand, and bolted.
"You're not getting away from us this time Lombardi!" The scrawny brother cried angrily. "We want our money!"
As soon as the Scoleri brothers were back on their feet, they chased after Angel and Vaggie, their bodies fueled with anger and greed.
"What the hell is going on here?" Vaggie panted as she ran.
"Well funny thing. Those two are Alphonse and Benito Scoleri, my pop and theirs were partners in the mafia business and for awhile we were friends. But then I borrowed some money from them and unfortunately I don't have the one-thousand dollars that I owe them and once they find that out they're probably going to cut off my head and mail it to my sister."
"Oh well isn't that just wonderful." Vaggie said with sarcastic annoyance. "Not only are you in the mafia but you owe money to criminals!"
"First of all I never said that I was in the mafia! I said that I descended from the mafia! I have absolutely nothing to do with my family business!"
"Oh really? Then why did you borrow money from them?"
Angel made a look of embarrassment before answering.
"I wanted to buy drugs."
Vaggie looked at him horrified.
"You're an addict?!"
"I'm an ex addict. I've been clean for a year and a half. Although I have yet to repay a few debts from my druggie days."
"A year and a half and you still owe them money?!
"Hey I was in rehab and nobody pays you to go through that! Also by the time I chose to go clean they had been arrested for trying to wack the governor of New York. I thought they had been given the chair!"
"Oh God why did I come here? I knew this was a mistake! I knew that I was just asking for trouble by coming here! Why didn't I listen to myself?"
"Now don't panic! I'll get us out of this! This isn't my first time dodging loan sharks, you know. I've had plenty experience from when my old man couldn't pay his debts. Just follow my lead."
Angel and Vaggie wove their way through the crowds of tourists that started forming on the boardwalk. It was a tight squeeze but they both were gifted in gymnastics and acrobatics so they were able to climb, jump, and flip their way out of whatever small corner or dead end they came upon. Fat Nuggets did his part by grabbing and throwing items they passed in order to slow down the pursuers.
"Where they'd go?" The fat Alphonse asked. "I can't see em anywhere!"
"Don't give up! He's got to be around here somewhere!" Said the scrawny Benito.
The brothers proceeded with their search, unaware that their targets were hiding just above their heads, in the open window of a tackle shop. Eventually the two gangsters left that spot and decided to go looking into down by the shore.
"Leap in the open window. Works every time." Angel chuckled. "Why they never think to look any place with an opening is a mystery to me. But if something works, keep it."