Page 103 of Just for the Cameras
“Shit,” OC mumbles. “This is not good. I think we need to assemble the Gladdy Daddies.”
I turn to him and nearly reach out to choke him. “We are not calling ourselves that.”
“But you want to call us something…” He smiles brightly as Bennett cuts in, turning me around.
“From the way you reacted to seeing them together, I’m going to guess you’ve started to realize that you might have feelings for her.”
I adjust the hat on my head, huffing out in frustration. “I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking. I just know I don’t like what’s happening between them. He’s such a fucking weasel. Like, way to be a stalker and find a job in the same zoo as her. Get a fucking life.”
“Could not agree more.” OC nods. “Screams pervert.”
“Exactly. The zoo just hired a fucking pervert. How are we supposed to support a zoo that hires a pervert?” I gesture to where Maple and Slutty Little Glasses walked away.
“It’s a great point,” OC says, feeding into my anger. “I say we bring it to their attention and demand they fire him, right here on the spot, for being a pervert in slutty little glasses.”
“Yeah, we should,” I say, looking around to find someone official.
“You know, as much as I feel like Slutty Little Glasses should be fired,I don’t think we have the evidence for him to be fired for being a pervert,” Bennett says.
“Yeah, we do. Just look at his face,” I say irrationally. “Pervert.”
“Could not agree more,” OC says, making me like him more and more.
“Although justified, I don’t think it will stand. And the last thing you want is word to get around that you’re crying out ‘pervert’ without substantial evidence. None of us need that kind of press.”
“Who needs evidence when we can smell it on him?” OC asks, wafting his hand toward his face. “Smells like retch with perv juice.”
Okay, now he’s going a little far.
“You didn’t even get close to him,” Bennett counters.
“Close enough to recognize the vibes he has going on. I demand he’s fired.”
“Okay, lower your voice,” I say, my anger knotting together as people around us start paying attention to our conversation. “We shouldn’t talk about this here.”
“No, we need to reconvene the Gladdy—” OC stops himself as I glare at him. “I mean, we need to reconvene later. Charge your phones, boys, because we have some work to do.”
“You done for the day?” I ask as I push off the wall of the flamingo building, catching Maple walking out with her bag and water bottle.
“I am. How was your media day?”
“Shit,” I answer as I take her bag from her and hoist it over my shoulder. She smiles softly up at me, and I have the distinct urge to take her hand in mine, but I hold back, because Jesus, man. Not going there.
“Hey, Maple,” Slutty Little Glasses calls out, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. “You forgot this.”
She turns, and he hands her a piece of paper. “Oh, thanks.”
He keeps his eyes on her as he asks, “Do you need a ride home?”
“I got it,” I cut in before she can even answer.
Slutty Little Glasses looks up at me. “Are you sure? I’m not that far from where she lives.”
How the fuck does he know where she lives?
“I’m four blocks,” I say.
“Really?” Maple asks. “I didn’t know that.”
