“Meltdown specials! Meltdown specials for everyone!” Ever announced.

  Taylor looked at her colleague incredulously. “What the hell are you going on about?” She asked, smiling through gritted teeth.

  Even he had no idea where the idea came from; maybe it was the heat getting to him. All that he knew was that the spontaneity felt right - and he was going to roll with it.

  “Buy one scoop, get a second scoop free, it all must go!” Ever continued.

  “Are you insane?” Taylor hissed. “We’re going to lose money.”

  “How much money will we lose if we can’t sell the ice cream because it’s all melted?” Ever replied calmly. Taylor’s eyes widened in realization.

  People started clamouring, anxious to verify what they heard was right. Taylor nodded at Ever, went out from behind the serving area and took up the battle cry. “Meltdown specials, two scoops for the price of one.” She hesitated. “If you pay with cash, get another scoop for free!”

  Ever poked his head out from behind the serving area, perplexed. She grinned at him, face bright. “If the power’s down, maybe our EFTPOS terminals won’t work either.”

  She followed the queue, informing all the customers. Some left, but most stayed, rummaging through their wallets and handbags for notes and coins. Moments later, she was back behind the serving area with Ever.

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  “Alright,” she said, wiping her brow. “Let’s do this.”

  —--

  Taylor flipped the sign from “OPEN” to “CLOSED”. She turned back and looked at Ever, who was slouched over in a chair, spacing out. It looked like a tornado had blown through their little ice cream store: serviettes, bits of wafer and smears of ice cream were everywhere.

  “I can’t believe we actually nearly sold out all of our stock,” Taylor said.

  Ever grunted. The non-stop scooping madness had caught up to him. He just wanted to sit there and exist.

  Taylor walked up to him and put her hands on his shoulders. Ever looked up at her face. Her expression was unreadable, or maybe it was, he was too tired to know.

  “Where did you come up with the idea of a ‘meltdown special?’” She asked.

  Ever heard the question but he wasn’t processing it. Also, her mouth seemed to be moving out of sync.

  “You know what, while you think on that…” she slipped away, ducking behind the serving area where they put their bags. “Close your eyes.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it.”

  Ever hesitantly obeyed.

  PSSSSSHHHH!

  The familiar smell of floral deodorant enveloped Ever as Taylor sprayed him like a giant cockroach.

  Taylor giggled as Ever coughed, trying to blink the fragrant mist away.

  “You know sometimes your weird calm can actually be useful. Just… warn me the next time you pull a stunt like that, OK?”