Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
He doesn’t get that I didn’t want people to see us together, not because I was worried about how he would make me look, but because I know the rumors that will spread. The things they’ll say about him. That he’s my next piece of meat. Just another daddy for Derek. I have a reputation at Metropolis, and not the good kind. So the idea that—before he even starts getting to know people around town—they’ll all have this impression of him as being one of my usual skeezy tricks, just irritates the crap out of me.
I’m lucky we ran into my friends, who handled it really well and made Jackson feel like he was welcome in the group.
Of course, I know Travis is making fun of me right now because I’m actually going on a date. I’ve been seen with plenty of guys as I go in and out of the building, but since they’re one-night stands, I don’t give a shit. Even if they’re a regular booty call, I don’t care if people make judgments about us. It doesn’t mean shit. But my friends could tell that wasn’t the case with Jackson, and I’m sure they’re laughing it up about the idea of me getting all datey right now.
As we make our way through the zoo, stopping by the rhino exhibit I say, “You should see a rhino dick when it gets hard.”
Jackson glances around like he’s making sure there aren’t any children within earshot.
“During the mating ritual between the male rhino and his mate, his love sausage will expand and—”
He laughs. “Love sausage?”
“Well, honestly, I don’t know how it can be love when the thing’s that big. I mean, I like big, but that thing would tear right through all my little boy parts.”
“I can imagine.”
“It’s definitely bigger than a rabbit’s. I messed around with a guy about that size once.” I raise my pinky finger and wiggle it. “This would be a generous representation.”
“You’re so full of it.”
“That was me being totally serious. But back to the rhinos. Evidently, what happens is they mate and then stay together for a bit until the female rhino goes off and has the baby by herself. Female rhinos will stick together, but the males prefer to be on their own.”
“So the dads don’t have any part in raising their kids?”
“Of course, that’s what you would pick up on,” I say, laughing, but I guess it’s not much of a surprise. “Yeah. There are some shitty daddies in the animal kingdom. Daddy grizzly bears are known to eat their cubs just for going into their father’s territory. That is a very bad daddy.”
“Holy shit. How do you know all this?”
“I’ve read a lot about animals over the years. Watched far too many specials on National Geographic, Animal Planet, and YouTube. It’s something that’s always fascinated me. When I was a kid, we had all these books in the house about animals. I was the youngest and my brothers and sisters always picked on me when I played with them, so I kept to myself and read my books.”
“You didn’t play with your brothers and sisters? And your parents let their kids behave like that?”
“Not everyone was looking to win Father of the Year. And it isn’t like I was scarred for life over it. I’m fine now. Don’t twist it into something all dark and sad. I wasn’t miserable. I survived. I didn’t walk into the den while Dad was watching TV and get eaten.”
“But you still have all these daddy issues anyway,” he says with a cheeky grin.
“Right now, it looks like I have the good kind of daddy issues. Now come on. Let’s go see the penguins!”
I lead him to their exhibit, a large glass-enclosed space with a deep tank of water for them to swim in. About thirty penguins lounge about, being particularly lazy today. As we approach, I see the signage that displays some fun facts about them.
“Look at this crap,” I say. He studies it. It’s going to take him like ten minutes to read the whole thing, so I point to the bold lettering where it says, “Magellanic penguins mate for life.”
“Why is that crap?” he asks.
“It’s not true. Or at least, we’ve been wildly misled about this mating-for-life bullshit. Everyone thinks they just get together with their one true penguin love, but it’s a little skewed, I think. Or at least that’s the way it’s always shown in the movies. I got into YouTube clips for a while with these little guys. In one of them, a male penguin came home to his wife in the nest with another penguin.” I make an overdramatic gasp and cover my mouth. “So what do you think happens?”
“He beats up the other one and chases him out of the nest.”