Cookies & Cream Ch. 15

"Strawberry Swirl"

And so, May has passed that night, and June was here at Camp Hattawata. Charles unlocked his store as a red produce truck parked in front of the diner. The sun broke the twilight sky as the driver stepped out of the truck. His thick brows covered his Gator cap as he walked to the co-owner to shake his hand. "Charles, you old Corgi! How are you?"

"Fred! You are a sight of sore eyes!" Charles shook the big farmer's hand. This man, Fred, was a hard-working man with graying hair and a few whiskers on his chin. Being a man in his fifties, he still had a youthful body. His farming background gave his skin a brown tone. His eyes were still sharp and deep gray steel. His voice had a Savannah slur when he talked. "We haven't seen you for a long while, Fred."

"Yeah...I didn't have the pleasure of working as much since Aggie passed a few months back." Fred Tucker's wife of over twenty-five years passed away from Lyme disease. She took pharmaceutical creams and medicine to clear her skin. It turned out to be a misdiagnosis. It worsened by winter and before St. Valentine's Day, she left the world in his home. Fred was heartbroken when she came home to God. Eleanor informed me this later that day during lunch.

"Aggie was a good woman, Fred." Charles sighed, looking back at the last time she was there on February. She was in good spirits still and on her two feet. She and her husband were a team of produce farmers on a farm fourteen miles north of the camp. They took their hard work everywhere in the state of Florida. That included Camp Hattawata. "You are always in our prayers, Fred. You and Aggie."

"Much obliged, Charles," the farmer wiped his tears from his brown cheeks with his red bandana. "Much obliged indeed. Anyway, there is a reason why I called you last night, other than delivering your goods."

"And that is?" Charles asked, looking surprised. Fred grinned and cheered, giving his longtime friend a big hug. "I heard the news! Pastor Samuel told me! You're gonna have a chain! Congrats!"

At this point, Ingrid, Tony and Raymond walked to the front of the diner. Their eyes widened over Fred's huge muscles that held Charles's slender body. Tony ran to the farmer and tried to shoo him away. "Hey, you can't choke Mr. Mersfield like that! Get away from him!"

"It's all right! It's all right!" Charles choked, letting go of the hug, sighing. "This is my old friend Farmer Fred. He works at the farm and is kind enough to deliver his best produce to us. Fred, this is Tony, one of our new employees. You remember Ingrid and Raymond, don't you?"

"Sure do, Charles," Fred said as he stared at the latter. His gray eyes grew irritated when he saw Raymond's smooth face. "Raymond, my daughter has turned nineteen a week ago and wants to be part of your crew. You're not going to woo her as well as the other girls working with you, are ya?"

Raymond stared at the huge farmer with surprised. He put his arms around his back like an innocent school boy, his eyes focusing on the gray eyes. "Rest assured, Mr. Tucker, your daughter is safe. I wouldn't even touch her."

"Good boy, Raymond. I'm warning you right now, she's the only baby I have that is living in my house. With my wife gone and the boys so far away, Abigail is the only part of the family taking care of the farm alongside with me. I need her to stay with me if I could. That means no trouble from you. Do you understand, Miami Kid?"

Raymond gulped with Ingrid stared at him. "Of course, Mr. Tucker. I always think of Abigail as a friend and nothing more than that. Abigail thinks of me as the same."

The farmer nodded once, expanding his chest. "All righty. That's what I want to hear."

"Aye, Fred, let's see what you have in your bed of that truck!" Charles cried as he looked at the crates of fresh fruits and vegetables. Tony tugged Ingrid's shirt, looking so confused. "Ingrid, who is that guy?"

"Oh, that's Fred Tucker, our local farmer in Lake county. He is our bread maker for our diner."

"Oh! I see! Funny, I don't see him when I first got here."

Ingrid bowed her head. "Yeah, back then, he was still mourning for his wife when you came here. He's still doing that, but less now since his kids are still with him. He has three kids, two are abroad."

"Okay, I guess it makes sense." Tony went to the truck's side and carried the first crate to the diner's steps. Ingrid began to carry a crate of apple and Ray took a crate of strawberries as Tony's started his next trip. "So, this Abigail...what does she look like?"

"Abigail? Well, she took after her mom. She has...strawberry blonde hair, light blue eyes, slender body, she is like her mom by her appearance. Yet, she takes her father's smarts and strong will. She is a very clever girl as far as I know. She's also very...um..."

"Very what?" asked Tony. Ingrid sighed. "She is also very gullible. I know her heart is in the right place, but sometimes it got her into trouble. Like she gave a homeless man twenty dollars so he could buy some food on his own. An hour later, she found the same man in small casino, playing the slot machine. She was angry at herself after her dad yelled at her."

"Wow, that's harsh. I hope she doesn't beat herself all the time."

"Oi! Come on, kids!" Charles yelled, unlocking the doors. "We have to take care of these produce before the first breakfast crowds comes in for a bite! Raymond, you can wash the strawberries. Emma is going to need them. Hop to it!"

The others arrived and saw their co-workers stacking the crates on the counter. Knowing where they should go, they took the goods to each shelf on the storage fridge. There were four new employees after Tony. Each of them were fast learners and were keen in the kitchen culture. Tony found them rather attractive. Well, I know them...in fact I told you about them earlier.

Hannah, Lauren, Nikki and Pam volunteered to work at the diner for their own reasons. I wouldn't mention the reasons until later, but Pam's reason was to raise money for the cabin restoration. Her heart was dead set on restoring in, even if the repulsive skunks infected it. For her to have that dream recreation cabin, she would do her very best to be peppy.

"Anything I can do, Mr. Mersfield?" Pam asked, showing her huge cleavage in front of the co-owner. He noticed the girl's smile and her pink eyes sparkled on the gray sky. "Oh yeah, Pam, you can start peeling the vegetables on the green counter. You know, I'm glad you girls want to help us yesterday afternoon. It was very nice of you."

Pam blushed as she looked at the other girls carrying the crates to the storage room. They wanted to borrow a jumbo can of tomato sauce to clean the possible stench. Emma couldn't smell the stench at all. She also told the girls that tomato sauce wouldn't work anyway. By the time she told them about the recipe for skunk spray, Charles came out with a few slips of paper. He needed a few hands since the other employees took the rest of the day off. The girls then found themselves as Cookies & Cream's new hands.

"Well," Pam blushed as she took a few carrots and used a peeler to peel them. "I'm more than happy to oblige until your regular employees come back."

"Oh yes, that would include my son."

The other girls looked up when the owner mentioned it. Nikki raised her hand as she stored away the apples. "Your son?"

"Yeah. His name is Nathanial. He is from my previous marriage. Ah, he is a good kid. He wants to take up after his old man. He wants to have this place and by gum! I'll give it to him at the end of the summer. Now, we have breakfast customers coming in a half an hour. We need to make those eggs. Hannah, be a good girl and-"

"I'm already mixing the eggs, Mr. Mersfield!" Hannah said, using a whisk to mix the eggs in a clear bowl. "These babies are set for the omelet pan."

"I'll take them." Tony remarked, grabbing the bowl to put them in the pan and lit it settle. He stepped back and then tipped over an empty crate. He made a yell before he fell and landed on Lauren's cleavage. Charles made a disgruntled face as the routine started as an upstart. "Oh boy, I hope this won't go on like this."

Meanwhile, in Raymond's cabin, Rudy took his morning to clean the place. He wore a maid's outfit and used a swifter duster to wipe the dust off the wooden furniture. He hummed his favorite song as he finished dusting the coffee table when a door knocked. He turned off his radio and lowered his skirt as he walked to the door, opening it. There was a man in tight jean shorts with fluffy short hair, amethyst eyes and peach skin at the front.

"Bestie!" He cried, hugging the guy maid. Rudy made a soft moan as he hugged his friend back. "Hello, Skylar! How are you today, and what brings you here?"

"Oh! I'm good! I'm dropping in to say hello."

Rudy looked at his old friend with a suspicious expression. "I know you all too well, Skylar. You always come here with a purpose. Last time you came here, you were trying to seduce one of the Sorority girls from Gamma Xi Omega."

"Ah-ha!" Skylar said as he put down his huge duffle bag. "That was only one girl, my friend. This year, I'm old enough to apply."

"Apply??" Rudy said with a blank face. "Apply for what??" The youth found out Skylar's scheme when he unzipped his red duffle bag and put on a wavy red wig. "Ya-hoo! You see?? I'm going to apply for the Rho Beta Mu sorority!" From that statement, Rudy fell over himself. He could tell Skylar's plan would not be a success. He pushed his friend inside the cabin and shut the door before anyone could notice.

"Skylar...do you know how we tried to enter the Fraternity? I mean do you remember how you and I have to go through these tasks and earned our place in our Frat?"

"I checked out their site, Rudy! Their sorority is so beautiful! I just...want to be the first boy to be in there!"

"Yes, but you have a different idea what a sorority has in mind for newcomers. Please, you want to be in their cabin for a possible score."

Skylar pouted from Rudy's harmful remark. "Rudy, how long have you known me?"

"Too long is how long I've known you." Rudy hitched up his skirt and walked to his bedroom. "Come on, friend, let's head to my room. I assume you wanted to see me because I have women's clothes."

"Well," Skylar replied with a cute, sly face, "with all due respect, you're the only guy I know who has a lot of them."

In Rudy's walk-in closet, there was over twenty dresses and small outfits on the hangers. There were also some small drawers with jeans and shorts within it. At the bottom drawer were his silk and satin nighties with matching panties and bras. He pulled out his favorite red thong and sighed. Skylar became amazed at the nighties his friend had.

"I doubt you want formal wear going to the summer cabin." Rudy began as he slid some of the velvet hangers to the side. He pulled out a yellow tank top with a big strawberry at the center. "You are most likely to wear something like this. Hmmm..." He stared at Skylar's chest. "Oh dear. I have a feeling the girls are going to find out you're a boy immediately. You don't have any..." He put his hands six inches away from him and hooked his fingers, indicating breasts.

Skylar laughed and took off his shirt. He had a bandage roll all over his chest. "I've been meaning to tell you this. For an occasion like this, I am prepared." He then untied his bandage and unrolled it, revealing to his best friend his new small round breasts. "See? I've been taking natural hormone tablets for the past two months. I want boobs big enough to convince the girls I'm one of them."

"Wow!" Rudy gasped, looking at his friend's new boobs. "Um...may I have a feel?"

"You're a perv, Rudy," Skylar retorted, rubbing his breasts with his slender hands. Rudy grinned and put his hands on Skylar's breasts. "Man, your chest is soft." Skylar gave him a raspberry before his friend let go. "Well, do you think my disguise would work??"

"Well, we should stress test this." Rudy looked at him with a wink, taking out a light pink tank top. Twenty-five minutes later, the two "girls" entered the diner with cute outfits. Rudy had his striped tank top and his skirt with a short-sleeved jacket and a handbag. Skylar wore a wavy red wig on his scalp, a pink tank top with a fish in the front and a pair of shorts on his hips. His boobs bounced in his tank. Some of the guys glanced at the pair and whistled at them. Skylar chuckled in his mind. So far, his façade was working.

"Well, good morning, Rudy!" Emma said with a wide smile on her ebony face, giving the boys their menus. "You have a guest with you. Who is this cutie pie?"

Rudy looked at his friend who giggled and twirled his curl in his hair. "Oh, her? This is my pen pal from Austria. Her name is Olga. Say hi to Mrs. Mersfield, Olga." Skylar waved to the woman saying in a froggy voice, "Hallo..." he coughed and went to a higher voice. "H-hallo!"

Emma made a surprised face with her hand on her heart. Her brown turned to calm and turned to Rudy. "Is she okay, honey? She doesn't have a hay fever, does she?"

"Oh no...a bit of a sore throat from snoring. She...told me life in Austria is a tad dull now. So, she decided to come here for the summer and stay with Raymond and me."

Emma became concerned. "You...and Raymond? Are you sure that's a good idea? She might see you in a different light after a few nights."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Emma leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "How do you feel about Raymond right now?"

"Oh, he's wonderful! I like him a lot. I have such a respect for him. He is ...the right roommate."

"So...you haven't any...cravings for him right now?"

Rudy blushed and turned to "Olga". He inhaled and bit his lip. "Oh...that's quite a situation you made, Mrs. Mersfield."

"Mhmm, and I'm sorry for doing that to you. It's that every time Raymond is on your mind, you want to buy chocolate ice cream to put him in the mood."

Skylar eyed on his friend, realized Rudy's little secret. Olga laughed in a cute voice, rubbing Rudy's side. "Oh my, he would fit right in with my country! Oh jah! Many people there love to blow horns in Mt. Matterhorn every weekend!"

Rudy groaned at his friend's teasing as he eyed on a girl who stepped in the diner. Her long, brown hair stunned him as it bounced on her shorts. She had heart patterned tank top and her breasts bounced inside as she walked to the counter. "Buenos días, Mrs. Mersfield!"

"Well, good morning to you, Miel." Emma said to the girl as she sat down on the counter. "Would you like your usual, Honey?"

"You know how much I love a melon bowl. Could you please add extra cantaloupe on the bowl? I'm going to swim in the lake after breakfast."

"You're going to be alone again, sweetie? Aren't your friends coming with you?"

"Oh no, the twins are going to join me. You remember Yolanda and Zeta, don't you?"

"Yes! Those are the adorable Korean-American twins that was part of your groups last year. Now, who joined you this year?"

"There are five, M'am. Last year's leading sister was very picky. We need to up our sorority a tad to get up to forty girls.

Skylar heard this as Rudy stared at Miel for a while longer. "Oh, excuse me, are you looking for girls right now in your sorority?"

Miel turned her head to the red head who is twisting her hair. She smiled. "Well, our recruitment won't take place until the fall term, the beginning of October in fact. But Lisa is our new leader of the sorority and she would be willing to give you a chance as a Rho Beta Mu potential. If you fit right in during the summer, we would recommend you."

Skylar grinned and puffed his chest. "I'm so happy! Rudy! Do you hear that? They would recommend me to the place!" Rudy woke up and looked around, going back to Miel. She blushed and felt something dripping from her nose. He blushed back and turned back to the menu, trying not to distract himself. "I'll have some Belgian waffles please?"

"Can I see your cabin please?" Skylar asked the girl with so much glee. Miel giggled and still had some red on her face, taking the boy's hand. "Oh yes! Certainly! I'll take you to the cabin right now! Right...after my fruit bowl has arrived."

Emma came back and handed Miel her fruit bowl in a plastic bowl. She took it, said her see you later and took Skylar's hand, exiting the diner. Rudy, set his eyes on the counter, sighing on the red panel. Emma cleaned the area next to him, chuckling. "So, you know that girl?"

"Yes, but she doesn't know me...well, most of me." He leaned over to her, making sure no one else overheard his discussion. "I've met her online in a chat room."

"You did? You saw her face?"

"Yes! She looked exactly like she did in her pictures! Her username is HoneybeeBooboo618."

"Make sense. Meil's name means 'Honey' and she likes bees. The Booboo must be after a cartoon she adored when she was a kid. Six eighteen...She was born on June eighteenth! There we are, the meaning behind her username accomplished. I'm surprised you didn't send her your pictures. I mean, it's dangerous and it'll be good to take your time. Just...well..."

"I did send in my picture..." Rudy confessed his face redder. "I...gave her a picture of my butt."

Charles was behind Emma when he heard the boy saying it in a soft tone. He laughed and slammed his face on the counter. "You sent that girl a picture of your booty! Of all the girls in that sorority, you had to give your arse to the sweet one!"

"Charles! Please!" Emma cried, shooing her husband away. "The boy is sensitive about that!"

"So what? There are only a couple of people in here, and they wouldn't judge! Come on, Dove, what's the worst that could happen?"

"You remember what Tony claimed when he came back from his last delivery last night?" Emma murmured to her hubby, putting her finger in front of him. She pointed her finger right at the customers and looked at Charles sternly. "One of those might be the Flasher if Rudy ever shows his peaches in public."

"You're insane, Dove! He said this flasher would only emerge when somebody is...making advanced moves."

"Flasher?" Rudy asked the couple. He turned to the left and the stool beside him was empty. "Uh...Olga?"

"Your friend left with Miel." Emma told him. "They went to the cabin while you were daydreaming in the Belgian waffles you ordered."

"Shit!"

"Hey! No strong language in this facility, young man!"

"Wait, Ems, I swear all the time." Charles told his steaming wife. She eyed her husband and grunted. "You're an exception. You swore with a British accent, and I like it."

"Oh..." he grinned and put his hand on her lower back. "It's the night time exercise we've been doing. It's coming to you in doses. Soon, you'll be begging for my accent to make you out of control."

"Dammit, Charles!" Emma yelled, slapping Charles's shoulder. "You're out of order! Rudy, don't listen to him! He was...Rudy?" Like that, Rudy disappeared. All that remained was a half-eaten dish of waffles and a ten-dollar bill on the counter. "Well, I'll be! He left!"

"He doesn't like my British accent in all probability." Charles huffed and turned back to the kitchen, slapping Emma's bubble butt in the process. Emma blush and opened her mouth, looking around the diner to see if anyone else watched that. She then followed Charles back to the kitchen, yelling at him for humiliating the diner.

Outside, Rudy ran to the map, trying to look for a particular cabin as a sorority cabin. Kenji jogged his way to the diner as he saw Rudy in front of the map. "Hey! Rudy!" He cried, stopping at the post, panting and wiping the sweat off his forehead. "How are you today, good friend?"