Incidental Fate Book 1

56

Gavin opened the passenger door, grabbing my arm and helping me out, carefully avoiding the splint.

"I'll get our tickets," I insisted. It was the least I could do but he scoffed, already handing the cashier his card.

"You can pay after you win the lottery," he chuckled, leading me towards the turnstiles.

We passed through, facing the crowds in front of us and I suddenly felt very out of place. My life revolved around the hospital and my house, with small errands in between. This was far outside of my normal routine and the last time Gavin and I did something like this it ended badly. "Have you been here before?" I asked, hoping he'd be able to guide the way.

"Nope."

"Have you been to any zoo before?"

"Central Park a few times when I was a kid." He looked lost in thought, staring blankly around the park entrance. "Aha, I see our first exhibit."

I followed his eyes to a cute thatch roofed bar. "Beer at the zoo?" Zoos had come a long way since I had taken Grant. Most of the visitors here were older and the line for booze was longer than the line for souvenirs.

"And margaritas too," he chuckled, pointing up to the menu.

"Well in that case..."

Gavin bought our drinks and we took off, wandering aimlessly down one of the trails. He finally pulled to a stop, looking up at the signs around us. "I think we need a map. I'll be right back."

He dropped my hand and I leaned back against an exhibit railing, sipping the surprisingly strong margarita as I watched him walk away. Every women he passed shot him a quick glance, sometimes even a double take. He could have any of these women, why he was with me I'd never know.

He walked back, flashing me his mischievous grin. "You already finished it?"

"What?" I reached for his arm, pulling him against me.

"Your drink, shit baby did you eat anything this morning?"

"No, but I'm hungry now," I purred- like a leopard, wrapping my arms around his back, hoping those ogling women were watching.

"Oh god," he chuckled. "Let's get you some food." He opened the map, looking between it and wherever we were. "This way."

He led us up another path, stopping at an exhibit, huffing in frustration. "This place is fucking confusing!"

"Maybe you should stop monkeying around then," I giggled, watching him furrow his brows in confusion before he looked next to him, to the bronze monkey statue.

"Funny..." He charged towards me, arms swinging around my back, pushing me up against the glass. "I guess getting lost isn't so bad. There's no one else around baby." His teeth scraped across my jaw, up to my lips, sending chills down my spine, but then he pulled back slightly. "Baby," he muttered, but I ignored him, clawing at his shirt, trying to pull him back against me. "Sadie."

His hand forcefully twisted my face towards the glass where two small monkeys sat staring at us and I looked back at Gavin, then back at those big monkey eyes. I started cracking up, unable to control the laughing or the tears from the laughing fit. What the hell were we doing at a zoo.

He took my hand in his, leading me down yet another trail through the heavy brush, this time the crowds were growing thicker. Then the trail narrowed in front of us, leading up to a giant pedestrian bridge.

"Whoa, no." I stopped, examining the bridge in front of us, suspended above a giant valley between the hills. Planes were one thing, but sky high pieces of metal supporting all these people was another and there was no way in hell I was crossing that thing. Especially after an earthquake. "No. I've been scared enough this week! I'm not doing a bridge."

He looked at me with a half smile. "Are you being serious right now?"

I rolled my eyes in return and he drug me over to a bench. "Step up," he demanded.

"Why?"

"I'll carry you over."

"What, no! That's ridiculous." There was no way I was climbing on his back with all these people around. I wasn't a child.

"What if you close your eyes? I could just guide you quickly across," he suggested, but it was too late for that. I knew what was under me. Even with my eyes closed I would still know. There were only a few things that gave me anxiety like this and bridges were one of them. "Dammit Sadie, get on the bench."

I protested but stepped up while he turned around, bending slightly. "Climb on baby."

I couldn't believe I was doing this. I threw my arms around his neck, then he gripped under my thighs and hoisted me up. "I feel ridiculous," I whispered into his ear, squeezing my legs tighter around his waist.

"You're about to feel something else if you keep squeezing your thighs like that."

I tried to keep my focus on him. Taking deep breaths, focusing on his strong arms gripping my legs, holding me up. I ran my fingers over his muscular biceps. These same arms held me up in the shower, against the wall, across a casino. I could feel the friction already building between my legs, rubbing against his back as he carried me.

"There!"

Oh yeah... right there... Ohh... suddenly I was being dropped back to the ground.

"We made it to the other side." He bent down, smacking a kiss to my forehead.

Oh.. over so soon. "Thanks."

"I'd move fucking mountains for you baby."