Page 27 of Someone Like You
She was definitely hoping today would be better.
Her first assignment that day was at the kangaroo enclosure. Visitors were allowed to take their time crossing the exhibit along a meandering path. Maddie would answer questions and have access to a bin of kangaroo kibble. Food was the best way to encourage kangaroos to stay off the walkway.
She was working with Ms. Barber today, learning the sometimes unpredictable nature of a contact exhibit. They’d been at it for an hour and already the zoo was busy. With sunshine and seventies in the forecast and school out, the exhibit would be crowded till closing.
During a lull in the action, Maddie’s boss stood next to her, arms crossed. “I noticed the diamond on your left hand.” She looked at Maddie’s ring. “You engaged?”
“I am.” Maddie smiled. Maybe she and Ms. Barber would be friends one day. “Getting married next summer.”
“Well … good for you.” The woman rolled her eyes again. “Not me. I’m single. Gonna stay that way.” She released a long breath. “Of course … I thought about getting married when I was in my twenties. Just like you.” She shook her head. Her sarcasm was abrasive. “Thought I’d found Prince Charming.”
Maddie wasn’t sure what to say. “It … didn’t work?”
“You could say that.” She cocked her head. “More like I finally woke up. Decided I didn’t need a man telling me what to do and sharing my bathroom sink.” A smile tugged at her lips. “I’m happier by myself. Do what I want, when I want.” She nodded. “Very happy.”
Maddie stared at her boss. She did look genuinely joyful.
A pair of small kangaroos eased onto the cement a few feet away. Maddie was glad for the distraction. Enough of Ms. Barber’s views on marriage.
But her boss continued. “My only advice is this: Take your time.” She shrugged. “Marriage is for life, right? Why the rush?”
Maddie wasn’t sure what to say. How was she getting marital advice from her zoo boss? Also, with a full year engagement, Maddie didn’t feel like she and Connor were rushing anything. The whole conversation was making Maddie feel a little sick.
“I mean … have you really thought this over?” Her boss wasn’t giving up. “Forever’s a long time.” She took kibble from the can and used it to bribe the kangaroos back onto the grass. Ms. Barber turned to Maddie again. “Two years at least. That’s how long I’d wait. That’s nothing.”
A family with four small children entered the exhibit. Maddie felt like she could breathe again. She made a mental note not to talk wedding plans with Ms. Barber. Not ever. Maddie approached the family. “Welcome!”
“Thanks.” The mom was pretty with red hair and green eyes. “Is it safe? Bringing the kids in?”
“Absolutely.” Maddie had memorized the answer to every question. She’d also read everything she could about the red kangaroo, the type in this exhibit. In the distance she saw Ms. Barber watching. Maddie moved closer to the mother. “These kangaroos are docile and friendly. We do ask that you stay on the path, though.”
Two of the family’s children had questions about the kangaroos’ diet and sleep behavior. “Where are their beds?”the boy asked. He was maybe six or seven.
Maddie smiled. “Kangaroos sleep on the grass. They do have favorite spots, though.” She pointed out a few of the areas where the animals most liked to bed down.
Before the family left, two more groups entered. Ms. Barber stepped in to help and two hours went by until they had another lull.
Ms. Barber looked at her phone. “I have a meeting in the administrative office for the next half hour. You’re doing fine.” She saluted Maddie. “I’ll be back around one.”
Her approval made Maddie stand a little straighter. That had to be a good sign, being left alone in the exhibit. She counted the kangaroos in the space. Of the fourteen, all were small except two males, and they mostly stayed in separate areas.
Suddenly a low roar filled the air around them. Maddie walked toward the front of the kangaroo enclosure. Across the path were the lions. Something must’ve stirred up the big cats because the male was pacing along the front of his area, as close as he could get to the deep moat and stem wall separating him from the public.
The roar was getting louder, the lion clearly more irritated. Drawn by the sound, people hurried closer from all directions. Maddie glanced over her shoulder. All was still well in her area. But when she looked back toward the lion, something caught her eye.
To the left of the lions were the giraffes. And just in front of the rock wall of that exhibit stood a guy.
A guy looking straight at her.
As soon as they made eye contact he looked away. He held a notepad or sketchbook and he wore a hiker’s-style backpack. Without glancing at her again, he walked towardthe crowd. Lions didn’t roar like this very often. The sound was loud enough that everyone at the zoo had to have heard it by now.
Maddie kept her eyes on the man. He wasn’t trying to get a front-row view like everyone else. He took a seat on a bench a dozen yards back and watched from there. Then he opened his book and started to write. Or maybe he was drawing the lion.
That had to be it. She studied him. He must be an artist, searching for inspiration. Which was why he was probably looking toward the kangaroo exhibit. Hoping for something to sketch.
The lion was calming down, and the crowd began to break up. Three families walked toward the kangaroos and Maddie moved back to the center of the space.
When Ms. Barber finally returned, Maddie had almost forgotten about the artist—or whatever he was—until she had the strangest feeling.
