3 Daddies To Go, page 18
part #3 of To Go Series
“Have you started packing?” I ask Tanner.
He laughs. “Fuck no. I might just leave everything here so I don’t have to bother.”
“That’d be a dick move.”
“I’m sure the next person will love the new wardrobe. I’m doing them a favor.”
I roll my eyes.
“You’ll pack your stuff. Stop lying.”
“Yeah, but I won’t do it until the last minute.”
That sounds like Tanner. It sounds like all three of us, if I’m being honest.
“Have you packed yet, Tag?”
“Of course not,” he says. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have started by now.”
He has a point, but we’ve had other things to do. I’d rather go to the zoo with Kendall than pack my suitcases.
“Anyway, now that we’ve wasted time talking about packing, can we get down to the lobby? Kendall will be here any minute.”
We follow him to the elevator. We’ve been looking forward to our date with Kendall all morning. Even when I napped, I had a dream about hanging out with a zebra.
We hang out in the lobby for a few minutes, and the taxi shows up, just as Kendall arrives.
“Sorry I’m late!” she apologizes. “I had to take care of something.”
I open the cab door for her.
“Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” she responds quickly. Her smile is wide. “Everything’s great. How are you guys?”
We climb into the taxi behind her.
“We’ve been bored without you.”
She giggles.
“I’m sorry! I’m here now, at least.”
I direct the driver to take us to the zoo. I start to give him the address, but he knows exactly where it is. I suppose when you’re the only taxi driver in Boone, you get to know the area pretty well.
We get to the zoo fifteen minutes later. Kendall’s eyes light up when she sees the entrance. We buy our tickets and enter, and right inside, there’s a huge sculpture of an elephant.
Kendall gasps.
“This wasn’t here last time I came!” she practically yells. “Can you take my picture? I love elephants!”
She runs over to pose in front of the life-size replica while I take a few pictures on her phone. She looks adorable in her knee-length floral dress. Her sunglasses take up most of her face. Kendall looks completely at home here. I love seeing her so happy.
“Do you want to head for the elephants first?” Tag asks after the impromptu photoshoot.
Kendall shakes her head.
“We should start with the zebras and go from there. I want to see everything.”
“Sounds good!”
That is a fitting first stop after my dream. In it, we were petting and riding the zebras. Unfortunately, in real life, we have to stay outside the fence. They’re still cool to look at, though.
“Did you know scientists are still trying to figure out why zebras have stripes?”
“I thought it was for camouflage?”
“Apparently not,” Kendall tells us. “They think they have to do with keeping them cool or keeping bugs away, but no one is completely sure why they have stripes. And the debate about whether they’re white with black stripes or black with white stripes is always ongoing, of course.”
“I’d say white with black stripes,” I say. “They have white bellies.”
Kendall shrugs. “You might be right, you might not be. That’s the beauty of it. There really isn’t an answer.”
I pull Kendall against me and kiss her lips. She’s startled by the movement, but quickly melts into the contact.
“What was that for?” she asks, a slight blush forming on her cheeks.
I shrug.
“Just because I felt like it.”
We continue our walk through the zoo, visiting all the animals. About halfway through, we come to a small petting zoo.
“Goats!” Kendall cries, practically running towards them. “Oh my god, I love goats!”
She pets their scratchy heads, and they open their mouths for food, but Kendall doesn’t have any. Tag, Tanner, and I hightail it over to the booth selling animal food and get a few small buckets. Kendall smiles even wider when we hand her one so she can feed the goats.
Now that she has pellets, even more animals make their way over to her.
“Easy, now,” Kendall giggles. “There’s plenty to go around!”
I fill my palm with some pellets and hold them out to a llama. He doesn’t spit on me, which is a relief. His lips feel prickly against my skin.
We walk around feeding the animals until our buckets are empty. After washing our hands, we continue our tour of the zoo, making our way towards the Australia exhibits.
“I need the bathroom,” Tag says. It’s hot, so while he’s using the restroom we take a momentary reprieve in the shade from the building.
“Are you having fun?” Tanner asks Kendall.
She nods, her back against the wood wall of the bathroom. “Are you?”
He smiles, bending down his head to kiss her instead of answering. She wraps her hands around the back of his neck to bring him closer. They make out until Tag walks out.
“You guys can’t have all the fun without me,” he says with a smirk. Tanner moves to the side to give Tag a chance to taste Kendall’s lips. I know from experience that they’re a little salty and a little sweet, a mix of sweat and her strawberry lip gloss. I want another taste, so when Tag is finished, I give her a quick peck.
Someone behind us gasps. I turn to find a woman around our age with her hand over her mouth, shaking her head. She doesn’t seem to approve. I shrug. Our lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it works for us. I bet if she had three huge poles at her disposal, she’d change her mind.
Kendall doesn’t notice the glare from the woman. She’s all smiles as she leads us towards a gate. Inside, we’re walking among wallabies just wandering free. They don’t get too close to the walkway, but it’s still awesome. Australia is the only continent I have yet to visit.
We stop at a turn where three wallabies stand a few feet away, studying us.
“What do you think they’re thinking?” Kendall asks. She pulls out her phone to snap a few pictures.
“They’re probably wondering what you’re thinking.”
Kendall laughs.
“Well, little wallabies, I’m thinking about how much fun I’m having.”
“That’s probably what they’re thinking too. Or they’re thinking about food. These guys aren’t carnivores, right?”
Kendall shrugs.
“I have no idea.”
As we leave, the plaque informs us that wallabies are herbivores. “Good, I really didn’t want to be someone else’s dinner tonight,” Kendall says.
I wink at her. She’s going to be our dinner if things go well. She blushes and hurries along to the next stop.
After we’ve walked around the entire zoo, including a long visit with Kendall’s elephants, we spot the small train station.
“What’s that?” I ask Kendall.
“You can take a ride around the perimeter of the zoo! It’s really fun. They tell you about all the animals.”
I take one of her hands, and Tag takes the other.
“Let’s do it!”
Tanner agrees, following behind us.
The train conductor is a young woman with long, dark hair. Her smile looks genuine when she sees us.
“Welcome aboard!” she burbles. “Are you ready for a ride?”
We nod. I sit beside Kendall with Tanner and Tag in front of us.
“My name is Sally, and I’ll be your conductor today. Please don’t get out of the train, and keep your hands and feet inside. Otherwise, have a great time! I’ll be telling you about the animals, and if you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them for you.”
Sally climbs into the front of the train and toots the horn a few times, making sure we’re clear to go. She gets the train going, and we start our slow trip around the outside of the park.
“Coming up on the left, you’ll see our koi pond,” Sally says. “If you look at the little island in the middle, you’ll notice a tall bird standing watch. That’s our resident heron. He wasn’t brought into the zoo; he flew here on his own and decided to stay. We’re happy to have him, though.”
“That’s so cool!” Kendall says. “He found his home here.”
We chat a bit more as we make our way around the zoo. Sally keeps us informed with facts about the animals, but most of the time we’re free to look and talk as much as we want.
“You guys know my favorite is the elephant,” Kendall says. “What are your favorite animals?”
I shrug.
“I never really thought about it. Those wallabies were pretty cool.”
“I liked the zebras,” Tag says. “It’s cool that they’re mysterious.”
Tanner thinks for a few seconds before adding that he likes the giraffes. “No animal should be that tall,” is his reasoning.
“Why do you like the elephants?” I ask Kendall.
She laughs.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I always have. I guess I just think they’re really cute. Have you ever seen a baby elephant running around? It’s the most adorable thing.”
We’re passing by a group of flamingos when Tag says, “Hey, look, it’s Trudy! Her hair looked like that at the wedding.”
Tanner and I laugh. A crowned crane sits alone in an exhibit. His gold feathers on his head look a lot like Trudy’s mess of hair on her wedding day. Her hairdresser should be fired.
“Hey, that’s not nice,” Kendall says, pouting. “My hair looked like that too.”
I kiss the top of her head.
“Well, it looked good on you. Besides, you’re not crazy.”
Kendall pulls away from me.
“Trudy is not crazy.”
“Come on, Kendall. She’s a little crazy. She’s high-maintenance and ridiculous.”
“Being high-maintenance doesn’t make her crazy!”
Tag turns around to look at her.
“Trudy makes impossible demands and throws a hissy fit when she doesn’t get her way. She walks all over people. She’s terrible for Herbie. I can’t believe they got married.”
“How dare you say that!” Kendall whisper-yells. “Herbie is lucky to have found an amazing woman like Trudy. He’s a great guy, and they’re perfect for each other.”
“You’re biased because she’s your best friend.”
“And you’re not biased? Herbie is your best friend.”
She does have a point. We’re being judgmental of Trudy because we’re protective of our friend. Kendall is protective of her friend too.
Kendall sighs. “When she’s stressed, Trudy can come off as a little much, but she’s a great person. Please just give her a chance.”
I take her hand in mine. “We will.”
“I think you’ll really like her if you get to know her.”
If Kendall likes her, she must have some redeeming qualities. We agree to be nicer to Trudy and finish the tour, continuing to chat about the animals and other things. When we get off the train, we’re all exhausted.
I kiss Kendall. “What do you say we head back to the hotel, order room service, and not leave until tomorrow.”
She grins. “That sounds great,” she says. “But can we make a pit stop first?”
“Where?”
“You’ll see when we get there,” Kendall says.
Before we can answer, she’s leading us back to the front entrance and calling a cab. As much as I’d love to get Kendall to our hotel so we can have our way with her, she seems really happy. I’d do anything she asked me to do right now. We all would.
That’s how I know we’re in deep.
26
Tag
I keep glancing over at Kendall who sits behind me in the cab. We shouldn’t have been so harsh about Trudy. Yeah, she doesn’t seem all that great, but maybe Kendall is right. Maybe we haven’t been giving her a chance.
Kendall doesn’t seem mad anymore, but she won’t tell us where she’s taking us. She whispered our destination into the cab driver’s ear and climbed into the back seat.
I hope she actually got over us being jerks and isn’t just pretending. Maybe she’s taking us back to our hotel and then leaving for good? I don’t want to lose her.
The other guys are just as tense as I am. Kendall seems to be in good spirits, but we’ve gotten to know her this week. She can be a firecracker when she needs to be. Working at the Sunshine Program has made her strong. She would probably be a great teacher if she decided not to give the non-profit thing a chance.
“You’re not taking us somewhere to murder us, are you?”
Kendall laughs. Behind the partition, the cab driver shoots me a look. He runs his hands nervously over the steering wheel.
“No murder in my cab,” the driver says. “At least wait until you get to your destination.”
She laughs again. “I promise I’m not going to murder anyone. You guys don’t do well with surprises, do you?”
We shake our heads. We hate surprises. All three of us like to be in charge. Having someone else take the reins is uncomfortable.
“Well, I’ll never try to surprise you again.”
“Does that mean you’ll tell us where we’re going?” I ask hopefully. I don’t know why I’m so uncomfortable with this trip. It must be the control thing. Being in charge is what I do best. I’m never out of the loop. Ever decision at work goes through me, even things as miniscule as buying a new brand of toilet paper.
Kendall bites her lip.
“I’ll never try to surprise you again after today. How is that?”
Since it’s all we’re going to get, I nod. At least she’s probably not going to murder us.
The cab starts to slow in front of an old school building. It reminds me of where I went to elementary school. It’s a single-story brick structure that sprawls out across the land. There’s a sign on the side, but it’s too small for me to make it out.
Kendall jumps out and offers the cab driver some cash.
“Thanks, Jerry!” she chirps.
He tips his cap to her.
“Don’t murder these boys. I can’t be an accessory to murder.” He drives off, and Kendall takes a deep breath. She clenches her fists nervously.
“You okay?”
Kendall nods. “I’m just kind of worried about showing you this place. It means the world to me.”
We take a few steps closer, and I can finally make out the sign in front of us. It’s the Sunshine Program. “Why’d you take us here?” I ask.
“I want you to see this part of my life,” Kendall says. “This place means more to me than anything else. I love the kids and the location and the other volunteers. It’s stressful and awful sometimes, but it’s rewarding and important work.”
We all nod. Every time we’ve been together, Kendall has mentioned the Sunshine Program. She talks about it with such pride that we have no doubt she loves the place more than anything else in the world. If she had to choose between her best friend and the program, we all know she’d pick the program. Considering she just defended Trudy when we called her crazy, that’s saying a lot.
“We don’t have to stay,” Kendall says when we’re silent for too long. “We’re less than a mile from the hotel. It doesn’t seem like it, since we’re surrounded by woods, but the town is just on the other side of that tree line.”
I look over at the forest across the street. Over the tops of the trees, I can just barely make out a few buildings. I wouldn’t have thought this existed looking at it from the other side of the trees. The secluded area probably makes it perfect for a school, which I’m guessing this building used to be. They don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors with screams or anything.
I put my hand on Kendall’s shoulder, caressing her a bit.
“We’re honored that you brought us here.”
“Yeah, Kendall. This seems incredible. I didn’t realize how much space there was.”
She beams.
“The town was generous and gave the program the land and the school building. It was going to be demolished anyway, so why not use it to do some good?”
“That’s incredible,” I say. This land could have been developed into housing or shops. Instead, the town focused on the needs of the people already living in town. That doesn’t happen often, and it’s impressive to see. “Can we see what it looks like on the inside, or is that not allowed?”
“The rules aren’t as strict as with like a regular school. You just need to sign in at the main office, and you have to be with a volunteer to walk around. Luckily, you have me!”
We follow Kendall towards the main office. It feels weird to be in a school office when I’m not getting in trouble.
“Bringing back memories, boys?” I whisper to the guys.
They both laugh.
“We spent more time in the principal’s office than our classroom.”
Kendall smiles.
“You were delinquents. And look how you turned out! We should use you as examples. Or maybe not. It might encourage kids to be terrible if they think they’ll turn out okay in the end no matter what.”
“Hey, Delia,” Kendall says when we approach the receptionist. “Can I get three visitor tags for my friends?”
The young woman nods.
“I thought you were off for the day, Kendall? What brought you back?”
“Tag, Tanner, and Trace are from out of town. I wanted them to see what we do here at the Sunshine Program. Maybe they can get one started up in New York City.”
Delia smiles.
“That would be great! I bet Sandra would love to expand into a bigger city. Imagine how many kids there are in New York who could use our help!”
I have no doubt we could use the Sunshine Program in New York City. The guys and I share a look. I could find the land, Tanner could find the funding, and Trace could work on the website.
