Page 19 of Crocodile Tears
Calvin rolls up his sleeves, revealing the distinctive orange-black patterning of Gila monster coloration along his own forearms.“I have my own embarrassing shift story if it makes you feel better.”
“Oh, this should be good.”
“I was doing a corporate security assessment for a major pharmaceutical company.I was conducting a threat evaluation meeting with their executive board in a very serious, very professional environment.”His expression suggests this is a painful memory.“I was explaining potential vulnerabilities in their facility when I started shedding.Not dramatically, just small patches of skin flaking off onto their mahogany conference table, but…”
“Oh no.”
“It gets worse.By the end of the meeting, enough shed skin was scattered around that the CEO asked if I’d brought some kind of biological sample to demonstrate security risks.I spent twenty minutes explaining to very confused executives that their conference room hadn’t been contaminated.I was just molting.”
I start laughing at the mental image.“Did you get the contract?”
“Actually, yes.Turns out the client was a bear shifter, who appreciated my dedication to completing the presentation despite obvious biological distraction.”
“That’s oddly encouraging.”
He half-shrugs.“The point is, we both have professional lives that occasionally intersect with our shifter biology in awkward ways.It’s not a character flaw.It’s just part of who we are.”
The casual acceptance in his voice is something I’ve never experienced from a romantic prospect.Every other man I’ve dated has treated my shifting as either a fascinating novelty or a problem to be managed.Calvin treats it as simply another aspect of my personality, no more remarkable than my career or my taste in wine.
As we leave the restaurant, Calvin insists on walking me back toward my car, which is parked a few blocks away in the closest parking space I could find in my mad dash not to be even later.The evening air is cool but not uncomfortable, perfect for the kind of leisurely stroll that extends a good evening.
“I need to check on an experiment.I know it’s probably weird to end a date by going to the lab, but I have cultures that need monitoring.”
“Not weird at all.Dedication to your work is one of the things I find most attractive about you.”
The simple honesty of his statement stops me in my tracks.“Really?”
“Rebecca, you’re brilliant, passionate about something that matters, and completely committed to excellence in everything you do.”Calvin’s voice carries the kind of sincerity that’s impossible to fake.“Why would I find that anything other than attractive?”
As we resume walking, I realize this is the first date where I haven’t once had to apologize for my crocodile nature, my scientific obsessions, or my tendency to prioritize research over social conventions.
For the first time in my dating history, I’m with someone who appreciates exactly who I am rather than who I might become if I changed enough to suit their preferences.
It’s the most hopeful I’ve felt about romance in years.
Chapter 6
Cal
Thewalkfromtherestaurant starts perfectly.Rebecca tells me about her favorite disaster movies, laughing as she describes the scientific impossibilities in films where tornadoes somehow develop consciousness and volcanoes erupt with mathematical precision.
“The worst part is when they use scientific jargon that sounds impressive but means absolutely nothing.”She steps around a crack in the sidewalk with the unconscious grace of someone comfortable in her own body.“Like, ‘We need to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow.’What does that even mean?”
“About as much as ‘We need to enhance the tactical advantage of the strategic positioning.’”The comparison makes her laugh, and I relax in a way I haven’t in months.“Military consultants watch those movies and wonder if the writers have ever seen actual humans interact.”
Rebecca waves her hand dismissively.“Oh, that’s nothing.Last week, I watched a movie where the scientist character saved the world by ‘recalibrating the DNA sequencer to emit healing frequencies.’I nearly threw my remote at the screen.”
I pause mid-step.“Healing frequencies?”
“Apparently, DNA sequencers are now magical healing devices that emit sonic waves.”She shakes her head in mock despair and then brightens slightly.“The actress delivered the line with complete conviction too.I almost felt bad for her.”
“Speaking of scientific accuracy, what did you think of that disaster movie where they had to inject sharks with super-soldier serum to fight off the alien invasion?”
Rebecca’s face lights up with delighted recognition.“Super Shark Squadron?That movie was a masterpiece of terrible science.”She grins and gestures enthusiastically.“I have to admit, the scene where the lead shark gives a motivational speech to the other sharks was surprisingly well-acted.”
I nod solemnly.“I thought it was a documentary about Tuesday.”
She stops walking entirely and stares at me, her expression shifting from amusement to concern.“Calvin, please tell me you didn’t actually fight alien sharks.”
