Ice cream

— God, this is so boring, — she drawled, staring out the window, lazily leaning on the car door. Her long hair was blown by the wind, and her dress gently hugged her new figure. Damn, she hadn’t even thought this morning that she’d ever have to wear this... dress.

— Enough, dude! You literally turned into a chick just this morning, and you’re already acting like a typical... — Nick got stuck on the word, his face twisting in a mix of irritation and confusion, — you know what I mean! Like those... Insta girls.

Sasha slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes, which not long ago had been familiar and rough, now seemed full of some strange, quiet confidence. She smirked and looked back out the window as if nothing unusual was happening. Nick nervously drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

— How did you... how did you come to terms with all of this so quickly? — He couldn’t hide his frustration. — We were both... we were both normal guys! And now you’re lounging around like this is no big deal! What the hell?

— And what was I supposed to do, Nick? Cry? — She leaned forward slightly, and his eyes involuntarily dropped to her chest, now peeking from the neckline. From this angle, everything looked way too... provocative. In the rearview mirror, he saw her sly smile, as if she knew exactly how it affected him.

— Have you even looked at yourself? — Nick muttered, trying to distract himself, but his eyes kept darting back to the reflection. — You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?

— Oh, you noticed? — Her voice took on a playful tone. — Nick, you’ve never stared at me like this before. So, what, you like my girls? — She giggled, casually playing with her hair, tucking it behind her ear in a way that looked so deliberately feminine that Nick grimaced.

— Stop it, Sasha, this is all just... messed up. — He looked away, but his hands on the wheel still trembled from tension. — We can’t go on like this. We need to fix this. I’m not going to sit by and watch you turn into some kind of... sex toy, — Nick’s voice trembled with strain, and he gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He turned away, trying not to look at her, but the tension inside him only grew.

Sasha’s smile vanished the moment Nick spoke again in his irritated, nearly hysterical tone. She slowly leaned back into her seat, her eyes once again fixed on the window, but now they held something new — either boredom or cold disappointment.

— There you go again... — she said quietly, restrained, but without the previous playfulness.

— We need to do something. This morning... when it all happened, you were panicking, acting like a normal guy! And now... — Nick shot a quick glance at her tired, pensive face, which now, despite the new appearance, felt foreign to him. She looked as if none of this concerned her anymore. — Now you’re sitting there like this is some sort of vacation photo shoot! Do you even remember that this morning you were crying? Screaming that you couldn’t live like this, that you wanted everything back?

Sasha just sighed, and without taking her eyes off the distant horizon where the hills met the sky, she slowly replied:

— Yes, Nick, I remember. So what? That was this morning. — She glanced at him indifferently, as if those emotions belonged to someone else. — People cry when they lose something important. Stop whining already, you’re acting like a girl, — she said and burst out laughing, throwing her head back. Her laugh was unexpectedly loud, almost mocking, as if she was intentionally trying to get a rise out of Nick.

Nick froze. 'Like a girl?! She... he’s messing with me, right?!' flashed through his mind. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel so hard his hands shook. His face turned pale from the tension.

— We were guys! Both of us! What are we going to tell the boss? Other people? Hell, what about your family?! Your wife, kids, parents?! — Nick was starting to choke on his own anger. — Why the hell does this bother me more than it bothers you?!

Sasha exhaled slowly, her face remaining calm, as if Nick’s questions held no meaning for her.

— Nick, I already told you, — her voice was quiet but firm, — just drive me home, and I’ll handle it myself.

Nick stared at her, shocked, trying to process what she had just said.

— Handle it yourself? — His voice shook with barely contained fury. — You seriously think you can just go home and act like nothing happened? How do you imagine that? You’re gonna tell your wife, “Hey honey, by the way, I’m a woman now”? Or your kids?

Sasha slowly turned her head toward him, her face emotionless, but a shadow of disappointment flickered in her eyes.

— Nick, — her voice softened, almost sympathetic. — I’ll handle it. My family, and everyone else. That’s my business, not yours.

— Not mine?! — Nick nearly roared in outrage. — We went through this together, for crying out loud! Are you serious?! Everyone’s going to be asking where Sasha went, and I was with you, well, with him! The police—

— Nick, calm down, calm down, — Sasha gently, but firmly placed her hand on his shoulder, as if trying to soothe his anger with a single touch. Her voice was unexpectedly calm, as though she had long since accepted what Nick still couldn’t grasp.

— How about you just buy me some ice cream, — Sasha suddenly said with a playful smile, as if she could erase the weight of their heavy conversation with a single suggestion. Her tone was so carefree that Nick froze in place, not believing what he was hearing. She had just been talking about her life, her family, how everything had changed, and now she was suddenly talking about ice cream like it was any normal day.

— Ice cream? — Nick repeated, exhaling nervously, trying to wrap his head around her reaction. He looked at Sasha, her face lit up with a broad smile, and her eyes sparkled, as if she was genuinely enjoying the moment. She nodded eagerly, like a child who had just come up with the best idea ever.

— Yeah, ice cream, Nick, — her voice was unexpectedly light, as if they hadn’t just been discussing her drastic changes. — Isn’t it great to treat a beautiful girl to some ice cream, sit, chat about nothing? And don’t even argue with me, — Sasha grinned, her eyes gleaming with mischief, — I know these things better than anyone.

Nick sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel, his shoulders slumping as if he had finally given up. The whole situation seemed too absurd to him, and the only choice he had left was to go along with it, at least for now.

— Fine, — he finally said, his voice quiet and full of exhaustion. — Let’s go get some ice cream.

Sasha patted him approvingly on the shoulder like she used to, and for a moment Nick thought things might go back to normal, but then he heard the loud clapping as Sasha started to cheer, like a kid excited about the simplest thing. Nick flinched at the sound, which tore through the silence in the car. He turned his head, looking at her, both stunned and drained.

— Great! — Sasha exclaimed excitedly, her face glowing with pure enthusiasm, as if they had just made the most important decision of their lives. — Let’s go get ice cream! All you need to do is relax and enjoy, Nick. You’re thinking too much.

Her carefree words sounded almost like a taunt, but there was no malice in her eyes. She was genuinely enjoying the moment. Everything seemed simple to her, unlike Nick. He didn’t say a word, just opened the navigation app and started looking for the nearest café.