Page 75 of Plight
Iwas falling for Elliot, fast, and I couldn’t stop my downward spiral no matter how hard I tried. The weird thing was it didn’t feel as if I were plunging into murky waters. I’d been in murky waters before, literally, and this felt the complete opposite. This felt safe, challenging, but safe. When I was with him, my body buzzed with an excitement I’d only ever known in his presence – a mixture of home and the unknown. And that was because Elliot always kept me on my feet. There was never a dull moment with him.
Not one.
Not even at the zoo.
“How big is an elephant’s dong?” I asked, tilting my head to get a better look between the mammoth beast’s legs. “I take it you know the answer considering your extensive knowledge in the field.”
He choked. “I do have extensive knowledge in the field of big dongs. Thank you.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“And yeah, it’s big,” he replied, licking his ice cream, all smug-like. “So big that, sometimes, they use it as a fifth leg.”
I crossed my arms. “They do not.”
“Do.”
Elliot was so matter of fact about ridiculous things. It was equally hot and infuriating, as was his constant tongue lapping. Fuck. All. The. Shits. I couldn’t take my eyes off his mouth.
“Want some?” He pointed the ice cream my way.
I shook my head. “Uh ah.”
“You sure? You look you do.” Oh, Lots, you have no idea.
I turned to face the elephants instead. “So where’s its fifth leg?”
“Sheathed. Either that, or you’re looking at a female.”
“Oh, how do you tell?”
“Considering they’re Asian elephants, I’d say tusks. The females don’t normally have them.”
I raised my hand and shielded the sun from my eyes, spotting a male tossing water over its back with its trunk. “Over there. He has tusks.” I squinted and counted his legs. “I’m not seeing a fifth leg though.”
Elliot draped his arm over my shoulder and hugged me to him. “Come on, you perve, we’re done.”
“Oh no we’re not!” I dug my heels into the ground to stop him from pulling me in the wrong direction. “We haven’t been in the butterfly house yet.”
“It’s closed.”
“What? Who says?” My heart dropped; it was my favourite exhibit.
“There was a sign at the entry gate that said it was under maintenance. Didn’t you see it?”
“No.” Narrowing my eyes at him, I spotted his eye twitch. “You’re lying!”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. If memory serves me correctly, you were never the biggest fan of butterflies.”
“Do you blame me? They taste with their feet. What sane creature tastes with its fucking feet? That’s just disgusting.”
“Oh please. We’re going to the butterfly house. You’re going to the butterfly house.”
“Fine. But I’ll wait outside while you go in.”
“No, you won’t. I went into the reptile enclosure and pretended to blow a kiss to a hideous python for your photographic amusement, so, you, my dear friend, are going to see the pretty, harmless, butterflies with me.”
