Page 15 of Midnightsong
“Sorry, lost track of time after class,” Angie said with a shrug.
“Alright. Well, go get yourself ready. You have a tour group coming in about fifteen minutes.” Grayson tapped his watch. “Oh, before I forget, can you work in the tank for the first week of February? Jace is going on vacation.”
“Okay. I’ll remember to bring my diving gear.” Angie nodded quickly.
She made for the locker rooms across the building, changing out of her fitted T-shirt and joggers. As fast as her hands could work, she threw on her aquarium staff uniform, a navy-blue polo shirt and pressed black slacks.
With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she stepped out to the tour group meeting space, which thankfully, still stood empty.
She had given presentations in front of her class over her school years, but still, standing in front of a room full of people watching her made her feel as if she were standing under a microscope. Her palms would sweat, and her mouth went dry, every single time.
Even more so when, in college, she learned her Mama had passed away, and she’d spent the night before her final marine organism anatomy and physiology presentation drinking her sorrows away.
She failed that presentation and barely scraped by the class with a passing grade.
Shaking the memory away, she faced the tropical fish tank behind her.
The fish swam in circles, round and round, up and down, darting in and out of their rock and artificial coral hiding places. They seemed content. Angie furrowed her brow, folding her arms across her chest. Or had they merely resigned themselves that this tank would be their home for the rest of their lives?
Tian, she missed Kaden.
A flash of color flitted past.
A mer tail? Was there a mer in this—
No, it was a large parrotfish, and it stopped to wiggle its tail and pucker its beak-like mouth before meandering to the other side of the tank.
A group of people shuffled into the room for their tour.
Angie dropped her shoulders and greeted them, easing into her tour guide role.
Thirty minutes later, she led her group back to where they began. “The ocean is a beautiful place with a whole world under the waves. If you were in awe of what you saw today, as I am each time I go diving, then please, consider doing your part to reduce ocean pollution.” Angie looked at each of the ten people in her group, all who listened with rapt attention. Even the three children in the group were listening attentively, their eyes wide.
Angie shifted weight to her right leg. “And that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you all for coming! I’ll be around for another hour if you think of any questions.”
“How about mermaids? Mama told me they’re real.” A little girl approached her, her parents following close behind.
Angie smiled, the girl reminding her so much of her niece, Rosie. “They are, but sometimes they hide from us, and you’ll have to wait for them to show themselves. Maybe you’ll see one soon.”
“I hope so!” The little girl turned to face her parents who led her out of the room.
The last of her group waved to her before departing, leaving Angie alone in the atrium once more.
Angie let her body slump forward, relaxing her previously stiff posture. Today’s group seemed receptive to her spiel on ocean pollution. She estimated about half the groups touring with her were, even though Grayson gave her permission to give her short closing spiel.
One more tour on her schedule, after which she could return home, spend time with Lulu and get a good night’s sleep.
Angie paced the carpeted floor, from one end of the room to the next, and turned her attention back to the fish in the tank behind her.
She couldn’t help but think of Kaden again. If she didn’t hear from him by tomorrow, she needed to give him a call for an update.
Six
Angie
Lulu was yowling when Angie steppedthrough her apartment door that evening, her tail held stiff, back arched and ears flat against her head.
Kneeling, Angie’s brow furrowed with concern. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?” She had never heard her cat like this. Before Angie could try to settle her down, Lulu bolted for her room, stopping at the doorway, her yowl turning into a hiss.
