Page 7 of Crocodile Tears
She peeked up from her phone just long enough to laugh. "Cool,” was all she said and wandered away.
As she sauntered off in an odd combination of work khakis and Ugg boots, I realized I knew her. That wasIvy Blanc—an up-and-coming actress and two-timeSports Illustratedswimsuit cover model. She wore the same style of khakis as mine, except without the porcupine logo—though her body lookeddecidedlydifferent in them than mine did. She was easily 5’10” with big boobs, a tiny waist, and a perfectly sculpted ass—which I wasdefinitely notchecking out.
As she walked off, I noticed the back of her shirt was held tight with clips to give her even more of an hourglass figure. The Ugg boots I couldn’t explain, apart from maybe they were only shooting her from the waist up? If she was trying to look like a zookeeper, maybe someone should tell her that the footwear was entirely impractical.
I frowned down at the white splash of bird poop on my work boots. Great, the hottest woman in the world just saw my shit-stained shoes. I pinched my leg, wondering if I’d accidentally fallen asleep in Finch’s office and this was all some insanedream. I’d just bumped into Ivy Blanc at my family zoo and she was dressed like me . . . well, like when hot girls dressed up in Halloween costumes version of me, but still . . .
"What the hell?" I finally said aloud, reality catching up with me.
I grabbed my radio and pushed the button, waiting for the beep. "Uh, is anyone going to tell me why I just ran into Ivy Blanc and why she’s walking around the zoo in our work uniform?"
"You got to talk to Ivy Blanc?" Crane replied right away, all too eager.
"What does she smell like?" Heron jumped in over him. “Did you smell her?”
Hawk instantly cut in, "Don't answer that." He let out a long breath over the radio—something he always scolded us for. "They modeled her uniform after ours so that if we walk into the background shots of any enclosures, the footage is still usable. It’s why you had to sign that release form.”
What release form had I signed? In the mountain of Mom’s paperwork that had landed across her desk, had I accidentally agreed to be a background extra in a freaking movie? Had I been so caught up in avoiding anything about Deacon that I’d missed the memo entirely?
I stared down at my boots as if the answers might be scrawled across them before bringing the radio to my mouth again. “Andwhydoes she need a zookeeper uniform?"
"Did you not read the safety briefing I sent through last week?" Hawk asked, his voice already perturbed, as if he knew the answer.
"Busted." Crane snickered.
Now that he mentioned it, Ihadseen the subject of a few emails that had included Deacon's name and had admittedly decided to move them directly into the trash.
"They're filming a rom-com set in a zoo, Dove," Heron said. "She's playing a zookeeper."
I choked on my own breath, spluttering and coughing.Howhad I not gathered that from the few phone exchanges I’d had with Deacon? When I’d contacted him about using the zoo as a filming location, he’d said he was producing and starring in a new film, but I would’ve remembered if he’d said the movie was about an actual zookeeper! Why hadn't he told me that when he’d sent me the original contracts?
"Right, yeah," I muttered into the radio. "I was just surprised to see her behind the scenes. Isn't that a hazard?"
"We've designated the parking lot behind the composter as a smoking zone for the crew," Mom said.
"Did none of you read my report?" Hawk grumbled.
"He spent a lot of time on it, guys,” Hannah chimed in. “Not cool.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'll reread it tonight," I acquiesced.
"There will be a quiz at dinner," Hawk scolded. “Got it?”
I rolled my eyes. “Roger."
I kept walking, storming faster now. I didn't know why it made me so angry that Deacon hadn’t told me he was filming a zookeeper movie. That was so out of character for him. I thought they were just going to use the exotic animals and bamboo hedges for aRamboreboot or something. Deacon’s brand was action hero, not gushy romantic comedy.Whywas he producing a project that was so out of character for him? Was this his way of getting payback at me for ignoring him?I wouldn't put it past him.Maybe he’d changed the film to be about a zoo just to spite me.
Yep.I decided the piece of shit was doing this specifically to torture me, mocking my job, my home, with his stupid movie and his handsome face as some sadistic game.
I balled my hands into fists as I spied the gaggle of girls waiting at the gates.
"Agh!" Something in me snapped and I stormed down the hill toward them. "What is wrong with you?" I yelled, unleashing my frustration on them from the other side of the chain-link. They all just smiled and kept looking past me as if I didn’t even exist.
They didn’t even seem upset that I was raging at them. They were like zombies, so desperate for a glimpse that they would let a hurricane roll right overhead if it meant catching a peek. They held their phones to the fence, staring, unblinking, desperation in their tight gazes.
"Deacon Harrow is a vile piece of crap who doesn't do any good in the world. He's just a hot guy who does unwatchable action himbo movies.” I erupted, waving my hands in front of their cameras to try to get their attention. “He has all the money and fame in the world and doesnothingwith it. He is the face of a company that has made the Almadran skinks goextinctand he hasn’t even issued an apology! He could be doing so much good with his platform, but he doesn’t care. All he wants are these sick parasocial relationships that you’re all feeding into. This is a cult, and he is your leader. Wake up! You all need to find someone better to worship than that worthless waste of space. He?—”
"Vet Team to birds," Finch's voice echoed from the radio at my hip.
