He pauses for a moment, turning to face me as if he’s contemplating his words. Then, he shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. Just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Oh,” I say with a nod. However, his words don’t quite land right because he was totally fine during our workout session this morning.
For the next few minutes, we continue walking in silence—both of us lost in thought, it seems. I barely even notice the otter enclosure as we walk on by.
I don’t know what happened while I was sudsing it up in his shower earlier, but I’m determined to bring back the easygoing guy I’ve come to know.
“So, Adam,” I begin, mustering up a playful tone as we pass a group of otters tumbling over one another, “ever think about what animal you’d be? I’m guessing something majestic like an eagle or maybe a bear?”
He turns to face me, giving me the ghost of a smile. “A bear, huh? I can see that. Strong, a bit solitary, but protective.”
The way he says that last word makes me pause. It’s like there’s a hidden meaning there, but I’m not sure I’m privy to the extent of it.
So, instead, I nod enthusiastically. “Exactly—and you get to hibernate, which is basically an extended nap. Win-win! Am I right?”
He laughs, deep and throaty, and the sound is music to my ears. “You do have a point there.”
“I typically do. Granted, it’s often buried in hyperbole …” I chuckle.
We continue meandering through my favorite parts of the zoo, and I try to keep the conversation light and whimsical, since it seems to help. When we reach the primate exhibit, I strike a pose, imitating a monkey.
“Check out my primate impression. Do you think they’ll accept me as one of their own?” I ask, blowing up my cheeks and crossing my eyes. With anyone else, I’d be mortified. But with him—it’s like I can be my total goofy self.
Adam chuckles, shaking his head. “I think they might. You’ve got the playful spirit down for sure.”
My cheeks heat and I drop my arms and uncross my eyes. “If my writing career doesn’t pan out, I’ve always got a fallback as a primate impersonator. I’m sure there’s a huge demand for that, right?”
His laughter grows more genuine, and I can tell he’s starting to relax a bit.
Thank the lords and stars above.
As we continue to wander from exhibit to exhibit, I can’t resist sharing a bit more about myself in the hopes of elevating his mood a bit more. Each stop seems to pull another quirky story from me, and I’m eager to see Adam’s reactions.
“So, I have this thing for cheesy horror movies. I think I told you a little before, but they’re bordering on an obsession at this point,” I confess as we pause in front of the reptile house, watching a snake lazily coil around a branch. “I’m talking the kind where you can almost see the zipper on the monster costume. Seriously, they’re so bad, they’regood.”
Adam grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Yeah, I remember you saying something about that. I have to agree, though. There’s something charming about those old-school effects. Makes the whole thing more ... human, I guess?”
“Exactly!” I exclaim, happy he understands. “It’s like a time capsule of creativity before CGI took over. By the way, I watched Nosferatu, like you suggested.Hilarious.” I grin at him. “Granted, I was making up all the dialogue on my own, but I definitely see what you were talking about.”
The creases of his eyes crinkle. “Isn’t it great? We should watch it together sometime.”
“Oh my gosh, that could be dangerous. Sit me down with a bottle of wine and we’ll make up the funniest dialogue for the film. I swear, we’ll laugh the night away,” I chuckle, bumping him with my shoulder.
“That sounds …” he huffs a laugh, despite himself, “interesting. We’ll have to make it happen.”
I beam back at him. “Good. I look forward to it.”
We move to the next exhibit, and I spot a group of colorful parrots. Their vibrant feathers remind me of a faded memory.
“You know, I once tried to learn the guitar. Wanted to be a pop star or something,” I chuckle, remembering back to that time.
Adam raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Really? How did that go?”
I laugh, a bit self-consciously. “Let’s just say my musical talents are … nonexistent. The guitar is now an art piece on my wall. Holds books and a couple of plants. I’ll show you the next time you’re over.”
He laughs, a warm, rich sound. “I’d like that.”
I shake my head and take a seat on one of the benches. “On the upside, I know a little bit about it, so it makes writing rockstar romances feel more authentic.”