Come To Me | Jerrie

Chapter 21

"Come on, babe. Let's go inside." Her voice wraps around my heart, warming me from the inside out.

Our fingers lace together as we enter through the brick archway. I pull her around the zoo, looking at all the animals and laughing with her throughout our miniature safari in the city. We walk and catch each other up on the days we were both swamped and couldn't talk. Jade informs me about her upcoming trip to Virginia in the next few weeks. I tell her about Leigh-Anne's newest fling. When we approach my favorite animals, I'm practically bouncing up and down.

"I love the camels!" I shout, pulling her to the fence. "They're the most underrated animals."

Jade's laughter peals through my cooing at the camel in the back. "You're kidding. This is your favorite animal?"

"Whatever! I think they're cute. They have the humps and they're strong." I stare through as the one I'm wooing comes closer.

"I like to hump and I'm strong. I'm sensing a pattern." Her brow lifts.

My brain blanks out as I envision Jade doing a variety of things in the bedroom. I need to move off this topic quickly before my thoughts go further in the wrong direction.

"Anyway. They're my favorite." I smile.

"I seriously can't believe this is what you wanted to see. I mean, how 'bout a lion? Monkey? Something cool," she says with humor and a trace of incredulity.

I shake my head at her indifference toward this beautiful creature.

"They're cool. They even have a song about them." I raise my brows.

"What song?" she asks, laughing and clearly confused.

"You know, 'Sally the Camel has Five Humps,'" I say in a singsong way. Back in college I babysat a child whose favorite show played that counting song all the time. It was annoying and repetitious and would inevitably get stuck in your head and drive you crazy. If she thinks I'm going to sing it to her, she's lost her damn mind.

"I have no clue what you're talking about, but by all means feel free to sing it." Jade's smile lights up her face.

"No, I don't think that would be enjoyable for either of us." I laugh, returning my gaze to the animals. "If I lived on a farm, I'd own one."

"They're gross and they smell. Plus, I've ridden them plenty during deployments. I promise there is nothing special about a camel. Now, you want to talk about a tiger, I'm all for it." She grins, enjoying her teasing.

The camel walks over to the fence and a young boy lifts his hand up, feeding it from his palm. I giggle, but Jade looks like she's disgusted.

"See. You couldn't feed a lion from your hand." I tilt my head, toying with her. The machine to get food for the camel is a few feet away. I dig through my purse for the quarter I need as Jade scoffs.

"No, but-" Before she can finish her sentence, the camel spits and it lands not even an inch in front of her.

I bust out laughing. Tears stream from my eyes as she stands there looking like she wants to climb the fence and teach it a lesson, which only makes me laugh harder. Jade stares at me before her own grin and chuckle break free. "Oh my ... She showed you!" I barely get out.

"So not funny." She rushes toward me and grips my hand, pulling me away from the animal, which clearly does not like her. "Fucking thing almost got me."

"If only my beautiful Jessica had better aim." I giggle and wrap my arms around her torso, trying to control myself.

"You named the camel that tried to spit on me?" Jade asks, sounding wounded.