by Ruby Loren
I’d told him I thought the right dog wouldn’t mind travelling, and he’d said he might just have to consider it.
We rounded the corner past the meerkats and continued along until we reached the emus.
Jordan ground to a halt.
“Is that a turkey? Wait… is it the turkey?”
“It’s Bernard,” I confirmed. “He really did try to take on two peacocks at once. I got in the middle of it.” I showed him the still-healing cuts on my hands.
“You know, you paint the peacocks as the bad guys, but so far in the comics, they’ve been attacked by both Lucky and a turkey. Are you sure they’re not the victims?” he said.
I snorted and then blushed, pushing my sparkly gold glasses higher up my nose to recover. “You’re free to make your mind up. If we’re unlucky enough to meet one of them, I think you’ll change your mind.”
We made it all the way around the zoo. Jordan was able to observe the peacocks chasing people waiting in the queue for the Winter Wonderland.
“I suppose that’s one way to keep everyone waiting entertained,” he remarked.
I sighed. “There’ll be complaints, and then one of the keepers will have to come and pretend to know how to control the birds. They don’t care as much about food as they do chasing people, so you can’t tempt them away. The best method is to wind them up, so they’ll chase you far enough away that they forget to go back. It’s also the worst method,” I said. I’d always wondered how many hilarious videos of Avery zookeepers being chased by peacocks had ended up on YouTube so far. At least it gave people something to laugh about.
My attention was snagged by the sound of giggles. A large group of office and shop girls sat outside their new makeshift offices on a couple of picnic benches. They were all looking in our direction, or more specifically, Jordan’s direction. It only served to remind me that my literary agent had got a heavy helping when it came to good looks.
“There’ll be gossip starting in no time,” I said, mostly to myself.
“Oh?” Jordan raised a dark blonde eyebrow at me.
“You know what women can be like, I’m sure,” I said to the attractive agent. “You know… when there’s a nice looking man around, who’s new to the zoo. They probably think you’re going to be working here,” I said, feeling more embarrassed by the second.
“Let’s give them something to talk about,” Jordan said with a glint in his eye. “Thanks for showing me around the zoo,” he said and I was relieved when he simply opened his arms for a hug. I gladly accepted, but before pulling away, he kissed me on the cheek.
“There,” he said with a grin.
“Thanks so much. I bet that will boost my street cred no end,” I said, sarcastically.
He kept smiling and I returned the look, but inside, I was worried. Word did get around the zoo fast, and often things were even exaggerated. I was going to have to make sure Auryn knew that Jordan was my agent and nothing more. But that would mean talking to Auryn, and perhaps even admitting that I thought doing anything that might be perceived as romantic with another man might be wrong.
“Come on, how about we go for that coffee and finish talking about the publishers, where it won’t immediately become gossip?” I said, planning to take him into town and away from the zoo.
I happened to look back over at the Winter Wonderland and saw Barnaby standing there. He didn’t raise his hand in a greeting, but kept looking over.
I mentally shrugged. He was probably on his best behaviour if his boss was turning up today.
Jordan and I walked back through reception. The breeze suddenly shifted and a stale puff of acrid smoke was carried our way.
“Is something burning?” he asked, pulling a face.
“No, but it was…” I explained about the fire in the office and how I’d gone in to get Lawrence out.
“You went into a burning building?” Jordan said, shocked. He shook his head. “You really are action woman, aren’t you?”
I wasn’t too sure he meant it as a compliment.
“Have none of your friends told you to try to avoid doing such dangerous things? One day you could be really badly hurt, or worse!” He looked genuinely distressed.
“I just do what my conscience tells me to. Bad things happen all the time. If I can do something to make it better, I think I should,” I said, simply.
“As admirable as that is, I’d quite like it if you did stay in one piece. I like you better that way,” he said with a beautiful smile.
The second time Tiff called me, I knew I had to pick up. I’d told her that Jordan was coming this morning and had initially thought she’d forgotten when she’d called during our business talk over coffee. Now she was calling again, I knew it was urgent.
“Sorry, I’d better take this,” I said to Jordan, who waved me away with a smile. I privately thought he probably needed a moment or two to get over how easily I’d managed to put away a giant slice of homemade fudge cake and the largest hot chocolate, flake, and whipped cream concoction the independently run coffee shop could do.
It was a big one.
I wasn’t sure whether Jordan would think treating me to coffee as a little perk was such a good idea after today.
“Tiff, what’s up?” I said, immediately worried something had happened at the zoo.
“It’s Auryn.” She sounded pretty miserable. “He came for a chat with me and he was really nice about it but… I don’t think we’re meant to be after all.”
I felt my stomach drop a couple of feet. Which in my case meant it felt like it hit the floor. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Tiff. You are such an amazing person. I know you’ll find Mr Right!”
“Thanks, Madi! I think I need a couple of girly film nights, and I’ll be okay again. Would you mind that?”
“The popcorn is practically already in the popcorn maker,” I told her with a forced smile. I hoped she wouldn’t hear that it was forced. The knowledge of what I’d done behind her back was wearing me down. Could I really carry on like this, always knowing I hadn’t told her the truth?
I took a deep breath, finally seeing which decision was the right one.
It just wasn’t a pleasant one.
“Tiff, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s something I am not proud of and I wish I could take back, but it happened, and because you’re my best friend, I need to tell you.”
“Go on…” Tiff said sounding suspicious.
I bit my lip for a moment, wondering if I was about to ruin the best friendship I’d ever had, before I launched into an only slightly edited version of what had happened between me and Auryn.
When I finished there was silence on the other end of the line.
“I’m so sorry, Tiff. I never meant for it to happen,” I repeated, feeling terrible. But then I was terrible, wasn’t I?
“I need some time to think,” she said and hung up.
I lowered my phone and shut my eyes. Well, that was that! My best friend now hated me, and I absolutely deserved it.
I heard the shop’s bell tinkle and looked round to discover Jordan had come outside.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I was forced to look away, worried that I might start crying any second. I clenched my jaw. I wasn’t going to do that in front of him, or anyone. They would be tears of self pity, anyway.
“It’s complicated,” I told him.
He nodded and leant against the exterior stone wall. “It always is. I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to help?”
“Not unless you’re secretly a time traveller,” I told him, the ghost of a smile flickering across my face.
“Everyone makes mistakes. It’s what you do to learn from them that matters,” he said, sounding like the fountain of all wisdom.
“The thing is… I’m not so sure that it was a mistake, and that’s the worst thing of all,” I confessed.
Jordan looked curious, but he didn’t pursue it, and for that, I was grateful. After a
couple of moments, I was able to leave my wallowing firmly at the door and suggest we go back inside to finish our business discussion.
“I’ll buy you another slice of cake. That will make it better,” Jordan said, sympathetically. I hadn’t told him what had happened, but I thought he had a shrewd idea of the kind of trouble I was in.
“Thanks,” I told him, reflecting that the agent already knew me far too well. Cake would definitely always make things better.
It was only when I got home that night that I realised - horror of horrors - it was the arts and crafts day tomorrow! I’d been looking forward to the event for ages, mostly because I would get to hang out with Tiff for the whole day, as we had our seminars and were both judges.
Now it was going to be like torture.
I slumped down on my bed, too depressed to bother with a comic tonight. Reluctantly, I grabbed my phone and sent Auryn a text, letting him know I’d told Tiff what happened. I’d managed to explain to her that Auryn hadn’t known she felt so strongly for him, but I thought it had probably only made things worse, because it then became all too clear that the reason he’d spoken to her earlier in the day was because of me and my big mouth. I was well and truly in the dog house, and I didn’t think I’d be getting out any time soon.
My phone buzzed as a text came back. My stomach did a somersault, and I prayed it wasn’t Tiff saying she never wanted to speak to me again.
It was Auryn.
If you want to come over to talk, or anything. You’re always welcome at the house. Xx
I smiled sadly at the text. It was sweet of Auryn to offer, but I still didn’t know how to behave around him, and until I’d made a decision that I thought was the right one, spending any more time alone with him was an unnecessary risk. In my head, I was putting our dalliance together down to the post-funeral itch. After a funeral, there was a tendency to seize on the fact you were alive and, well… make decisions you ended up regretting later.
I shut my eyes and tried to focus on something else.
When I’d returned to the zoo in the afternoon, I’d met Barnaby’s boss. Sara was a svelte woman with perfect ash blonde hair, cut so sharply I thought the bottom edge must have been done with a razor, rather than scissors. She’d been wearing one of the most expensive business suits I’d ever seen.
Barnaby had seen me walking past and had roped me in to talk to Sara about the animal welfare suggestions I’d put forward, and why the enclosures were structured the way they were. I’d been pleased when she’d listened and hadn’t said anything against it. She was hardly dripping the praise onto us, but when I’d finished my spiel, Barnaby had given me a smile and a nod, which I assumed was a good sign.
I couldn’t see how anyone could fault what the team had done so far. I’d been one of the biggest doubters around when I’d found out what Auryn had done, but I’d been proved wrong. The number of visitors to the zoo was a clear sign of their success and things were only getting busier as we approached Christmas. I’d only heard whispers of the numbers who’d booked in advance for tomorrow’s arts and crafts event, and there were more expected to just turn up on the day, too. If those whispers were to be believed, it would be the busiest day that Avery Zoo had experienced… perhaps ever!
I sighed into my pillow. It was too bad that I didn’t want to go.
14
Bad Decisions
I’d known that the arts and crafts day was going to be an exceedingly busy day at the zoo, so it should have been obvious that someone would do something to try to ruin it.
Diane had picked this particular day to make a comeback and was standing just beyond reception, shouting that people should be paying her for the privilege of visiting the zoo. On my way to intercept her, I heard a couple of older ladies mutter to one another that they thought it was performance art, and were the judges expecting modern paintings?
As one of the judges myself, I knew I wouldn’t be judging anything that didn’t exhibit artistic ability very highly. Far too much reliance was put on big ideas, executed with a few careless scraps of paint and no real skill. I would be looking for work by people who had honed their craft and had captured the animals they’d chosen to paint, draw, craft, or sculpt, in a way that showed off their spirits, or said something to me that spoke of beauty. Abstract art seldom did that, although I was willing to keep an open mind. My pick was going to be something skilful, that much I knew. I wondered what the other judges would think and was reminded all over again that Tiff was one of them. What a mess!
As a result of that, I wasn't in the best frame of mind to talk to Diane. She was reminded of the zoo’s lenience when they’d chosen not to prosecute her for damaging property and freeing the penguins, and now she was causing a public nuisance. My frayed temper must have shown through, as she was even a little apologetic when I steered her off down a side corridor towards the staffroom.
“Have you considered the DNA test?” I said, hoping that this could all be sorted out before Diane became a permanent ‘performance art’ feature of the zoo.
“I can’t afford it,” she said.
“You don’t need to pay! Auryn will get a kit and pay for the test. You just have to say you’ll do it, and he’ll get it. You rub the swab in your cheek, or something, and then it’s done and you’ll have your proof.” One way, or another, I thought.
“I don’t trust him,” she said.
I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes. “How about if Auryn gets the test, does his part, and then passes it on to you, so you can do yours, and you get to send it off yourself?” I tried.
She thought about it for a moment. “Maybe that.”
“Great!” I said, trying not to dance around on the spot and punch the air. We were getting somewhere at last!
I bid Diane a farewell and sent a text to Auryn about what had just happened. He hadn’t said anything about getting a DNA test, but I didn’t see why he’d mind. After all, if she really was a relative, I’m sure he wouldn't begrudge her anything she was due. It wasn’t going to be half the zoo as expected, but there would no doubt be support payments, or something like that. I shook my head. I was out of my depth there. Hopefully Claudia was a decent financial advisor and would have a better idea than I did.
One crisis dealt with, I walked out into the bright sunshine and followed the crowd of easel holding, wool carrying, and pencil twiddling artists, ready to immortalise the zoo’s animals.
“This is brilliant!” Barnaby said, coming up behind me.
“It’s better than I ever expected,” I confessed.
“I probably shouldn’t admit it, but this is the most successful Christmas event that the company’s ever run. Not that Sara will ever stop picking holes in things,” he said with a rueful smile.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be talking to a proper audience in half an hour’s time,” I said, feeling a ball of nerves start rolling around inside of me.
“You’ll do brilliantly. I did some research into what you do, and your comics are brilliant. Auryn was right to suggest having you and Tiffany speak.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I’m amazed you’re both still working here.”
“We love our jobs,” I said, automatically pairing myself with Tiff.
“I don’t mean to pry, but who was the man that was here yesterday? A lot of people are wondering…” He tilted his stylishly grey and dark head at me, and I tried not to feel too scrutinised.
“What are they saying?” I said, dryly. I thought I already had an idea or two.
“People seem to think that you’ve found a really nice man. Well done,” he said.
I giggled before I could help myself. What he really meant was that people were saying they couldn’t believe I’d managed to snag someone as gorgeous as Jordan.
“I hate to spoil the illusion, but Jordan is my literary agent,” I told Barnaby.
His dark eyebrows shot up. “You’re signed? Your comics are being published… I mean… in a book way?”
> “Sort of. I’ve signed with Jordan’s agency, but no decision has been made on the books yet. Auryn said he’d hint about a deal being on the table if anyone pushed to know what makes me qualified to lead the seminar, but I don’t think he had to. People seem to be most interested in my audience building and crowd funding.” I bit my lip. Even though I’d done my best to do everything I could to prepare a ‘how to’ just the way I’d done everything, I was worried that people would think it was useless information. I still felt like an imposter occasionally, and today was definitely one of those days.
“You should add that in to your speech. People will love it,” he reassured me.
“I suppose I’ll finish with it,” I said, sounding as uncertain as I felt about the wisdom of signing a traditional deal and probably losing my webcomic.
“You are going to have to sound more enthusiastic about it than that, though,” Barnaby told me with a sideways smile.
“What will you do after all of this is finished?” I said, gesturing to the Winter Wonderland.
“I usually take a holiday and then, would you believe, we get started recruiting clients for the next year. Every year, we try to do things bigger and better, and every year we move up, as far as clients go.” He suddenly looked worried. “Not that Avery Zoo isn’t a wonderful place!”
I smiled and waved a hand. “Avery Zoo is not exactly a huge attraction on the map, we all know that.”
“Shouldn’t you be prepping for your presentation?” Sara said by way of greeting.
I opened my mouth to say ‘should I?’ and then closed it again.
“I should probably go…” I said, turning towards the play barn, which had once more been taken over for an event. Not only did I have the regular nerves to cope with, I also had a best friend who probably hated me, and the ghost of Jenna’s unsolved murder hovering over my shoulder. That was the real reason I’d intended to leave the setting up until the very last minute. I hadn’t wanted to hang around in the barn and have to look at the place where I’d last seen Jenna, lying on the platform with foam around her mouth and clothing strewn everywhere.