“Oh yeah, because you don’t want to take her to the zoo. You’re so put out. Poor you.”
They bicker like siblings, and I find myself smiling as it continues while Jen makes sure Piper has her shoes on and gives Rory a bag loaded up with the things she might need throughout the day. She doesn’t have to lecture him about the things Piper likes or needs because he already knows. Even though he and Jen aren’t together, he’s such an active part of his kid’s life, instead of just being a dad who shows up every other weekend to take her somewhere and then bring her back without actually caring.
“Have fun,” Jen says, seeing us out the door. “Mercy, don’t let them run you ragged.”
“They’re welcome to try,” I say with a smile. I hold Piper’s hand while Rory gets her car seat situated, and then we pile into the car and head off to the zoo.
I haven’t been to the Fairview Heights Zoo probably since I was in middle school and we went on a class field trip or something. It’s bigger than I remember it, and full of people out enjoying the nice day.
Rory holds Piper's hand, and she drags us from exhibit to exhibit, demanding to be picked up so she can see the animals better. I can’t help but smile as Rory does so each time, answering her questions as best he can, sometimes with help from the information cards by the enclosures.
It’s actually really nice. It’s more fun and relaxing than I expected it to be, and I can feel some of the tension bleeding out of me the more we walk around. Ever since my dad died, it’s been all scheming and mourning in secret, and feeling fucked up all the time. It’s nice to take a break from that and have something else to focus on.
Piper's excitement about everything from the red pandas to the hot dog Rory buys her is pretty infectious, and it’s hard to be locked in my own head when I’m following
them around, laughing as he tries to keep up with his daughter.
We make our way around to the penguin exhibit just in time for the presentation they have running every hour or so. Piper’s eyes light up, and a worker in khaki shorts and a green shirt comes over to bend down to her height.
“Do you want to sit up front with the other kids?” she asks Piper. “I just know the penguins would love to meet you.”
Piper looks up at Rory with wide eyes. “Can I?” she breathes.
He laughs. “Go on. Follow the nice lady.”
The employee takes Piper and settles her at the front where three rows of low benches have been set up, right at the edge of the enclosure. The parents and babysitters of the other kids are all gathered at the back, so Rory and I step over, finding a spot for ourselves a little behind the rest of them.
A man dressed in the same zoo uniform comes out, wearing a mic and holding a bucket, and he waves to all the kids. “Hey, good afternoon! Who wants to learn about penguins?”
The kids clamor their excitement, and he launches into a spiel about penguins and their habitats.
I sort of expect Rory to have his eyes glued to Piper or be paying more attention to the presentation than anything else, but not more than two minutes in, I feel arms wrap around me from behind. I jump, a little surprised, but his warmth is familiar at my back, so I don’t pull away.
Instead, I lean into it, taking comfort in how close he is and how that makes me feel. The employee goes on, talking about what penguins eat and how they choose mates, and then another employee comes out, bringing three penguins with her, waddling across the icy ground of the habitat. The kids go nuts for the animals, cheering and trying to get closer to the glass wall so they can see better.
Rory’s hands start to move a bit, and the fingers of one hand find the hem of my shirt, slipping under it to splay across my stomach. The other hand dips a little into my pants. Not enough that he’s groping me or anything, but definitely not zoo appropriate as his pinky strokes along the strip of skin between my stomach and my crotch.
He’s not touching me like he wants something, exactly, but more just because he can. There’s something almost possessive in it as he pulls me closer against him, and I don’t fight it. I could easily shake him loose, tell him not to do this kind of thing in public or whatever, but I don’t.
I don’t stop him at all, and I can feel my heart pounding and my clit throbbing with need. His fingers are close, but not close enough, and even though I know it would be a really bad idea to get into something right here at the zoo, I can’t deny I want him.
I lick my lips and finally give in, turning my head and capturing his lips with my own in a heated kiss. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it, and he kisses me back, echoing the same heat I feel.
As kisses go, it’s not a long one. We’re still in public, and we break apart before it gets too carried away. But there’s something about the feel of his mouth on mine while he’s holding me the way he is, something about how natural it feels, and how much I want to lean into it.
My heart is racing even faster now, slamming against my ribs, and when I pull back, I catch the same look of surprise and wonder on Rory’s face. That kiss wasn’t like the ones we usually share. There was no teasing, no banter, no feeling of trying to one-up each other. It was more loaded with feeling. More…
Just more.
Much, much harder to write off as something we’re just playing at.
Rory keeps his arms around me for the rest of the presentation, and once it’s over, the group starts to scatter. He lets me go then, and I try not to read too much into the feeling of loss that comes with it. Maybe it’s just me wanting affection after everything that’s happened. Maybe it’s as simple as that. I try to convince myself it’s that easy, but I think I know better.
Piper comes back over, eyes bright and a smile stretching her face, and Rory takes her hand immediately, listening to her chatter about the presentation and nodding along.
I fall into step with them, trying to clear my head.
We go from the penguins to the reptile house, and Piper is charmed by everything from the little baby lizards to the giant python.