Page 25 of Just for the Cameras
My eyes roam over the details of what we are doing at the zoo, each of us helping bring awareness to individual animals, cameras in the facilities, needing to learn about the animals before the production crew arrives, galas and fundraisers and all that bullshit.
But the thing she emphasizes at the bottom is growing trust with our zookeepers because they will be helping us with our public image the most.
I roll my eyes and toss my phone to the side because it’s the same bullshit that they’ve said before. Not sure how this is going to help us in any way, but whatever. I’ll fucking do my time and be done with it. Not like they can fire me if they don’t like how I perform off the field.
Some of my teammates have done way worse…and hell, they get bonuses. I’m the best defensive end in the league, headed for the Hall of Fame, and no one can take that away from me.
Not a flamingo zookeeper.
Not Gretchen Michaels.
Not Coach Keenan.
And not his best friend…the asshole I despise most in this world, my dad.
CHAPTER 6
MAPLE
It’s going to be agood day today.
I’m wearing pants that hit my shoes.
I’m sporting my favorite navy blue polo because it’s actually fit for a woman, not a man. My hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail on the top of my head, my hair curled on the ends, and I made sure to spray a touch of my favorite perfume before I came into work.
And I know what you must be thinking…but, no, it’s not for the benefit of Graydon St. John.
For all I care, he can rot.
It’s for me.
It’s for my confidence.
It’s so when that brick wall with a scowl akin to Geralt of Rivia’s appears—God, Henry Cavill is so hot—I will be poised and ready to take him on.
“Changed out the water,” Harriot says as she comes into the flamingo building. “When does the football guy get here?”
I glance up at the clock. “Five minutes. I should probably go meet him.”
“What are you going to have him do today?” Harriot asks while she takes a seat at the bistro table.
“Not sure yet. Guess I’ll have to see what kind of attitude he walks in with.”
“Good luck,” she calls out as I head toward the exit.
Yeah, I’m going to need it.
I make my way toward the back lot of Gate B, picking up a few pieces of trash on my way and depositing them in the garbage cans. You would think being at a zoo would stop people from littering, because you know, we should keep animals safe from plastics and all, but that’s so not the case. I’m always picking up trash as I walk around—it’s infuriating.Do they not know how many animals die each year due to human trash traveling out to sea?
When I reach Gate B, Travis and Callie are already waiting.
Travis offers me a nod, his neck so long that it makes me giggle. They sometimes say that zookeepers take on the characteristics of the animals they care for, and Travis is no exception.
“Ready for today?” he asks.
“Ready as ever,” I answer as I remove the top on my water bottle and take a sip.
“I hope OC doesn’t sit in giraffe shit today.” Travis shakes his head. “That was not a fun cleanup.”
