Page 19 of Ghosted AF
After taking a couple of deep breaths to settle my nerves, I started the shower to let the water warm while I brushed my teeth. Focusing on the familiar rhythm of routine helped clear my mind, and by the time I exited the bathroom, most of the jitters had faded.
Dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a navy-blue tee, I checked my reflection in the mirror, satisfied that my hair hadn’t decided to do anything weird. I smiled, ensuring it looked relaxed and natural, then pulled on my favorite sneakers before going to find Caius.
Since Lucius had already left, I busied myself with straightening the living room and wiping down the kitchen while I waited for my mate to shower and change. When he emerged a few minutes later, we checked that we hadn’t forgotten anything, said goodbye to Mykal, and headed down the stairs to the parking lot.
Once inside his pickup, my anxiety returned, but Caius kept the conversation flowing, asking me questions about my favorite animals. The more we talked, the calmer I felt, and when the zoo entrance finally appeared, I found my nerves replaced by a mounting sense of excitement.
Colorful banners fluttered in the morning breeze, and a digital sign reminded visitors of the new summer hours for the park. Following a white sedan into the parking lot, Caius found anempty space near the front, and I exited the pickup before he had even killed the engine.
Hand in hand, we followed the winding stone path to the front gates where Caius paid our entrance fee while I studied the complementary map.
“Where to first?” he asked as we stepped into the park.
We could skip the bug house becauseeww,and the petting zoo didn’t open for another hour. “This way.” I pointed to a path that branched to the right. “We’ll start with the savannah.”
The animals seemed to be enjoying the milder temperatures now that the heatwave that had gripped Circle City for the past week had finally moved on. The zebras grazed with the gazelles, and a pair of lions lounged in the sun atop a giant boulder.
We queued in line to feed the giraffes, which was fun, but twenty bucks for three leaves of lettuce felt like robbery. I supposed it all went to a good cause, though.
After watching the first cheetah run of the day—a sleek female named Zola—we finally reached the exhibit I had been most anticipating. And it didn’t disappoint.
“Oh, my goodness.” My lips stretched into a wide smile, and my eyes watered with cuteness overload. “Look at her!”
“It should be illegal for anything to be that adorable,” Caius agreed, mirroring my smile.
“She looks like a giant battle puppy.”
Only a couple of months old, the baby rhino had a lot of energy, but she still seemed to be figuring out how her own feet worked. She tripped over them a lot, then got mad at the dirt. Honestly, I probably could have stood there for the rest of the day watching her, and I would have considered it money well spent.
Caius didn’t get annoyed or try to rush me. When more people gathered around the enclosure, all jostling for a better a look, he didn’t suggest we move on to another exhibit. He simplypositioned himself behind me and rested his hands on the fence, creating a barrier between me and the crowd.
“Just one more minute,” I promised, laughing when the baby flopped onto her side in the mud.
“I’m in no hurry. We can stay for as long as you want.”
I leaned back, resting against his broad chest, feeling happier than I probably had in my entire life. My “one more minute” turned into another five, but Caius never complained.
Even when we finally walked away, I kept sneaking glances over my shoulder until we rounded the curve in the path.
I also spent longer than strictly necessary at the red panda enclosure, but it really wasn’t my fault. “How are their butts just as cute as their faces?”
“Meh,” Caius responded.
“What?” I demanded as I glanced over my shoulder. “How can you say that?”
His gaze lingered on my ass before traveling up my back, and when our eyes finally met, he cocked his head to the side and smirked. “I’ve seen better.”
My pulse stuttered, and I jerked back around as heat spread up my neck and into my cheeks. Of course, the reaction didn’t go unnoticed, but Caius’ laughter sounded more indulgent than mocking, and eventually, I found myself smiling as well.
I didn’t have a lot of experience with flirting, but I liked it. Hopefully, with time, I’d get better at it, or at the very least, not want to spontaneously combust every time he said something even mildly suggestive.
The rest of the day passed in a sunlit blur of cute animals and casual banter. We took a break from the afternoon heat to eat lunch in one of the zoo’s restaurants. As a bonus, the place abutted the gorilla enclosure, and a thick glass wall gave us a clear view of their antics while we enjoyed a couple of pizza slices.
We stopped by the petting zoo on the way out, and I thought I would have to stop my mate from fighting an alpaca when the animal spit at him. Eventually, he calmed down enough to help me brush a couple of goats, and he took pictures of me petting a very lazy potbellied pig.
We made our way to the exit just fifteen minutes before closing, and I deposited the paper map into the recycling bin. Exhausted after a long day, I lumbered along beside my mate, my legs heavy but my heart lighter than it had been in ages.
“Did you have fun?” Caius asked as we crossed the bridge to the parking lot.
