In 2019, we are telling the story of a romance over the course of 9 months and 13 chapters. Each chapter will feature some combination of art, ice cream, cocktails, baked goods, and music. Each participant has been tasked with creating an element of the story inspired by the corresponding chapter. Thank you for checking out chapter two. Click here for chapter one and here for chapter two. The participants this month are: Madeline Lee, Jordan Persson, @animated_stevie, @ryanfreasedesign, @liz_sux, @ninapolicano, @jordanmccuskerr, @jennpeig, sbfbakes
They both knew. Even before either of them said anything, they both knew there was something between them. Before either of them said anything, Jennifer found herself waking up counting down the hours until she could reasonably go in for coffee at Spilt Milk during work. Neither of them could tolerate the weekend. She’d stopped scheduling meetings from 2-3 and then from 1:30-3:30. For his part, Nick had suddenly become far more efficient than he'd been. That is to say he became efficient for the first time in his life, making tomorrow’s bases while spinning today’s ice cream instead of waiting until the spinning was done. He wanted to make sure he didn’t have anything on the stove when Jennifer came in. (Early on, Nick had lost track of time while listening to her talk about books or movies or music or anything and had burned some fudge, resulting in the introduction of a flavor he called Smoky Chocolate. (It sold.))
The tension between them was delicious, but it was also agony and exhausting. Finally, one Friday afternoon, Jennifer left the shop in a hurry after only 10 minutes. Nick watched her stand in front of the shop for a minute. Then he watched her start to walk away, turn around to walk back in the door, stop, turn around again to walk away, before finally walking back into the shop, telling Nick about a new restaurant she’d heard about and ask if he wanted to go with her sometime. She left again as soon as Nick said yes and then when she came back on Monday she pretended nothing had happened on Friday.
It was another week and a half before Nick realized he was expected to make reservations and ask her out and another week before he did. When they finally went out, three weeks later, it was frigid, but Nick had added a winter beach walk to the agenda before dinner. They’d already talked so much about everything before their first date they hardly said a word as they listened to the wind scream and the waves shatter. It was really not a beach day. Nick remembered Jennifer saying something about sometimes feeling like a bag of tea in the ocean. Jennifer remembered Nick trying to hide his chattering teeth. Afterward they walked to the restaurant Jennifer had wanted to try, the food was good, the service pretentious, and their toes didn’t warm up until the entrees arrived. They both fell asleep that night, in separate apartments, thinking it had been wonderful.
Madeline Lee, Somerville, MA, https://madelinelee.myportfolio.com, @MadelineLee28
"They both fell asleep that night, in separate apartments, thinking it had been wonderful."
Stevie Matthews, New York, www.mynameissteviematthews.com, Insta @animated_stevie
Ryan Frease, Holliston, MA, RyanFrease.com, Instagram: @ryanfreasedesign
Nina Policano, New York, New York, Ninapolicano.com, IG: @ninapolicano
Jordan Persson, Boston, MA, www.breakstuffstealthings.com / www.jordanpersson.com, TW @JordanPersson, IG stereostar.pop
Jordan McCusker, Somerville, MA, Proof, www.proofsomerville.com, @jordanmccuskerr
In a shaker, mix 1.5 oz gin, .75 oz ginger simple syrup, .5oz lemon juice, .5 oz Montenegro Amaro, 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters. Shake, strain, garnish with a flamed lemon peel.
Jennifer Peig, Chicago, IL, jenniferpeig.com, IG @jennpeig, TW @jennpeig
SBF, Somerville, MA, @sbfbakes
Cherry Chocolate Thumbprints. Click here for recipe.
Gracie’s Ice Cream, Somerville, MA. Whiskey + Fig (Newton)