The plump vixen manning the beach-side ice cream shop handed Evan a huge paper cup filled with the chocolate milkshake he had ordered. Even though he was bad a guessing measurements, he ventured that there was easily a half gallons worth of the treat. "Are you sure this is mine?" he asked. "I only ordered a medium."
"That is a medium," she said dismissively. The vixen glanced over Evan's shoulder and addressed the fur standing behind him. "And what will you get, sir?"
Evan stepped aside. Approaching the counter was another lion much like himself, with a creamy white furred chest and abdomen, and greyish brown for covering the rest of his body. A thick mane of the same dark fur surrounded his head. The other lion was thin, like Evan. But rather than being scrawny, this guy was svelte with defined six-pack abs, cut biceps and quads, and the rock-hard rear characteristic of someone who spent much of their time in the water. The small black speedo he wore left little to the imagination as it hugged his body tightly. His long tail hung down lazily.
"Umm, can I get a scoop of cookie dough?" he asked. The vixen didn't bother responding back to him, instead waddling over to the ice cream cooler to dish up his order.
Normally, Evan wouldn't have hung around. But something about this other lion reminded him of someone. He glanced at his handsome face, trying to figure out where he had seen him before.
"Excuse me, are you...Jake McCarthy?" Evan asked the lion. "That famous swimmer guy?"
"Heh, yep! That's me! Famous swimmer guy!" He stuck out his paw and Evan shook it. Jake McCarthy, even for a fur like Evan who never really cared about athletics, was a name anybody would recognize, especially after having captured four gold metals at the previous Olympics. "Are you a fan?"
"Eh, not really. Sports aren't my thing," Evan replied. "I asked because I wasn't sure if I recognized you from somewhere."
"Well, you're the only one who has recognized me," Jake replied. "I've been here nearly a week and not one has said anything."
"Are you here on vacation?"
"Nah. Rehabilitation." He turned towards Evan, showing him one of his muscular thighs. Even under his dark fur, Evan could make out a healed though still fresh scar. "I tore a muscle bad a few months back. I needed to take some time off to let it heal from surgery and my manager said he knew a guy who knew a guy who had a place I could rent for a few months. Are you on vacation here?"
"Nope. I actually just moved here. Last night, in fact. Had to drive for several days to get here all the way from Bastion."
A smile appeared on Jake's face. "You're from Bastion? I used to live there way back when! I moved away when I was 10, but I loved that place. Hey, did you go to Little Learners Elementary Sch-"
"Here you go, sir." The vixen returned. She plopped onto the counter a bowl with a single scoop of cookie dough ice cream in it. However, the scoop was the size of a small basketball. Jake's eyes bugged out upon seeing the mass. "Is that a single scoop?"
"Yeah. Next customer, pleased."
Evan held up his gigantic milkshake. "Time for a cheat day?"
Jake chuckled. "Heh, I guess so!"