Reggie unpacked her tablet and water bottle on the bench next to her and looked around in contentment. She’d taken the bus from her house to the park and was now seated in front of the library she’d admired prior. Now she knew Kit’s wife was head librarian which made her want to venture in all the more.
Spring was in full bloom and although her allergies were threatening to force her to dig her eyeballs out of her head so she could scratch all the way at the back, the park was glorious. She had a weekday off and was determined to spend as much of it outside as possible. Ava had to work, which made hiking less appealing, but sitting in the park felt luxurious and she was going to make it productive.
With a deep breath, she unlocked her tablet and opened a search tab. She typed in “teacher credentials.” She tapped around a few of the search results before realizing she needed to narrow down. She redid her search to only show credentialing requirements and teacher training programs nearby.
The more she read, the more she was aware of a strange feeling deep in her belly. It was so foreign she had trouble recognizing it at first. After a while it was impossible to mistake for anything but the bone deep thrill of finding your way after wandering lost for eons.
“Making a career change?”
Reggie nearly swung her tablet around to vanquish the invader. Instead she took a breath, stood, and gave herself a pace of space.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Zoo. What are you doing sneaking up on me like that? What are you doing here?”
“This is my territory. Perhaps I should inquire after your presence here, but it’s a beautiful day and the park draws all quarters of our city. You are always fondly welcomed on my stomping grounds.” The Zookeeper came around the bench and sat down. She picked up the tablet and examined the page Reggie had been reading. “You would make a fine teacher, Reggie. Corrections never suited you.”
Reggie hesitated then returned to her seat on the bench. She left as much room as she could between herself and the Zookeeper. “How do you know I’m not doing research for a friend?”
“Psychologists, barbers, bartenders, and drug dealers are good at reading people. We’re good listeners and we understand how and why people tick. Plenty of people have and will say things that make me particularly unscrupulous given my profession and willingness to manipulate for profit, but I try to do good where I can, perhaps especially after my own brush with complete vulnerability, first to substances and then in your care. Whether you see it or not, I have my own moral code.” The Zookeeper handed the tablet back.
“Your flock?”
“A relevant example, yes. No one associated with Parrot or myself preys on the weak. Commerce is commerce, but there are red lines and those cannot be crossed. Even when I was under your watchful eye, my flock was protected.” The Zookeeper pointed around the park. “I’m always watching out for them.”
“I asked you this once before and you said we could dig deeper another time. So I’ll ask again, couldn’t you have done more for them as a lawyer?”
“I thought so, as my admittance to the bar attested.” The Zookeeper looked far off in the distance, her face losing its usual hard edges. “But as a lawyer you’re constrained by the rule of law and someone else’s moral code. I found it frequently didn’t line up well with my own. I could have, within that rule of law, done a great many things that would’ve left me sleeping uneasily at night.”
“I don’t buy it. You could’ve been a public defender. Or an immigration lawyer. Gotten child predators off the streets. Certainly, your moral code points in the same direction as the men and women working to help domestic violence victims and vulnerable children.”
Reggie didn’t know why it mattered to her what the Zookeeper did for a living, what business of it was hers? Maybe at the end of the day she wasn’t comfortable being the kind of person who was friends with a drug dealer. Would she consider the Zookeeper a friend? Colleague? Coworker? Was there a label that fit the Zookeeper?
“Why do you think I protect my flock? I abhor violence against the innocent and the vulnerable. But I assure you, I can do far more out here than in any courtroom. Being overworked and underpaid in the service of as many as I could cram into my schedule was never a sustainable career path for me.”
Reggie stared at the Zookeeper and shook her head slowly. “I don’t understand you, Zoo.”
The Zookeeper stood and patted Reggie on the shoulder. “That’s okay, you don’t have to. The important thing is I know myself. Time under your watchful eye allowed for a deeper inner gaze for which I’m grateful. You know the real reason I couldn’t be a public defender?”
Reggie shielded her eyes from the sun as she waited for the Zookeeper to enlighten her.
“I love my man and I love money. I would’ve had to give up both to embrace the law. That wasn’t my true love. I can’t change who I am, but I can still fight for the things that are important to me, out here.” The Zookeeper gestured around the park. “On my own terms, without having to answer to anyone or work around any red tape. I tip the scales of justice in the direction it should lean. Out here, I’m able to sweep away the debris that clutters up the legal system.”
Reggie stood and followed the Zookeeper’s sweeping motion with her gaze. “I’m worried you’re talking about due process. I still don’t know what to make of you.”
“Few do. Before I leave you to your reading, a word of advice. Your father may have you walking a path similar to my law degree. You chose a divergent path to his, whether your heart was in it or not. I had Parrot as a beacon to a better path forward, in a manner of speaking. I wonder, if you looked around, whether there might be someone to help you achieve that clarity? It seems as if you’re looking.” She pointed at Reggie’s tablet.
Reggie looked at her shoes as her cheeks heated. “Sophia?” She looked up but the Zookeeper was loping across the park away from her. “Do you mean Sophia?” Reggie called out, but the spring breeze seemed to fling the words back in her face.
She sat back on the bench and picked up her tablet. She looked down at the teacher degree program she’d been reading about, then at the Zookeeper’s retreating form. Did she know something Reggie didn’t?
Reggie nearly jumped out of her seat, for the second time that morning, when her phone alerted her to a new text message.
It was from Sophia. What are you up to?
Getting philosophy lessons from the Zookeeper and rethinking my life.
The typing bubble displayed on Reggie’s screen for so long she thought Sophia might never write back. Finally, her phone rang.
“If you tell me you’re running away with the Zookeeper to become a drug kingpin I will swear under oath I never knew you. And I’ll be a little jealous.”
The sound of Sophia’s voice made Reggie feel like someone had whispered on the back of her neck. “You’d rather be the one running away with the Zookeeper?”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
There was silence on the line as Reggie waited for Sophia to take it back, but she didn’t. “I’m not sure a rogue like me deserves dinner with a lady like you, but I accept before you rethink your offer. Where are you taking me?” Reggie pumped her first silently and spun around in glee. A pissed off pigeon squawked at her.
More silence on the line.
“My invitation was impulsive. I hadn’t thought past the asking.” Sophia sounded unsure.
“You took me somewhere important to you when we went to Fatima’s restaurant. Can I do the same this time?” Reggie could sense Sophia’s hesitation, but it didn’t drag on long.
“Thirty seconds after asking you out and I’ve already lost control of the date. Sweep me off my feet and take me to your favorite restaurant. You already know where I live. You can do things properly and come pick me up.”
After she hung up, Reggie packed up her things and strutted her way out of the park. She had a date with Sophia. Not a working date, but an honest to God, datey date.
She hadn’t been on a date in so long she couldn’t remember how long it’d been. Dating meant putting yourself out there and being emotionally vulnerable. Her stomach tightened and her chest squeezed. It felt like the park air called for allergen reinforcements to invade her nose and eyes. Why was it so hard to breathe?
Reggie pulled her phone out and checked the time. Ava should be getting off work. She dialed.
Ava answered on the second ring.
“I need help.”
“What’s wrong? Where are you? Are you hurt?” Ava sounded close to panic.
“I have a date.” Reggie took some deep breaths that everyone said were supposed to help but were making her throat itch.
Ava hung up on her.
Thirty seconds later, she called back. “You scared the ever-loving shit out of me because you’re freaking out about a date?”
“Are you going to help me?”
“Of course I am, but next time say hello first and let me know you’re not dying. Did she ask you or did you grow a pair and ask her?”
Reggie moved the phone away from her ear so as not to blow an eardrum from Ava’s exuberance. “How do you know who the date’s with? Maybe I met someone at the park today.”
“Did you meet someone at the park today?”
“Only the Zookeeper.”
“I’m hanging up and not calling back if you tell me you’re having dinner with the Zookeeper. Otherwise I’ll meet you at your house in an hour.”
Reggie could hear Ava unlocking her car and tossing her work bag into the passenger seat.
“Sophia asked me on the date, but I’m picking the place. I’m thinking of getting food from Carmen’s, but I don’t want her to think I’m weird. Come over and talk me out of my own head on this.” Reggie had been walking briskly enough to be breathing hard although she’d probably be hyperventilating breathing in clear mountain air. She slowed down and ran her hand through her hair. She’d met Sophia plenty of times for the design team, there was no need to get so worked up. The rest of the way home she vacillated between excitement and nerves. Maybe Ava could remind her she still had access to the full range of human emotions and it was worth taking them out for a spin.
Once she got home, Ava was waiting for her and made short work of getting her ready and staving off her self-sabotaging thoughts. Sophia was a politician, so what? Reggie was used to keeping her thoughts and feelings locked up tight at work, but she could turn that off, right? It was surface reassurance at best, but for the moment it was enough.
Reggie checked the mirror one last time before she headed out the door. She gave Ava a hug. “I’m trying to talk myself into feeling more freaked out, but I’m mostly happy. Thank you for giving me that.”
“I think that beautiful woman waiting for you is probably the reason for that goofy grin, Romeo, but I’m glad I’m here to see it. Off you go before Carmen runs out of food.” Ava shoved her out the door and pulled out her own key to Reggie’s place and locked up.
Reggie took the front steps at record pace and leapt into her truck. She tapped the steering wheel impatiently at a red light and drove a bit faster than she probably should have on her way to Sophia’s place. As she parked, the nerves returned, but they didn’t feel overwhelming this time. They were the pleasant jitters when something exciting and meaningful was about to happen. They increased as she approached the door and knocked.
When Sophia answered the door, the nerves disappeared. Everything disappeared except Sophia.
“You look…I’m at a loss for words. You are so beautiful.”
Sophia looked down at her shoes and clasped her hands together. Reggie stroked Sophia’s cheek and gently lifted her chin.
“If there are any mirrors in that house, you know I’m telling the truth.” Reggie took Sophia’s hand and led her to the truck. “I can take you to any restaurant in the city if you’d prefer, but if you’re up for a bit of an adventure, I’d like to take you somewhere a bit different.”
“You can take me to a restaurant next time. I love adventures.” Sophia accepted Reggie’s help into the truck and held onto her hand longer than was necessary after she was settled.
Reggie raced around to the driver’s side and tried to steal a glance at Sophia without her noticing. Sophia busted her right away. They both laughed.
“Why do I feel like a teenage boy on his way to prom with the hottest girl at school?” Reggie started the truck and pulled away from the curb.
“You’d be a terrible prom date. You have no tux, I have no corsage, no tiara.” Sophia scooted as close as her seat belt would allow, her hand within touching distance of Reggie’s thigh.
“I wasn’t a very good date in high school either. I’ll see if I can do better tonight.”
“So far, so good.”
Reggie pulled over in front of a row of attached storefronts whose best days were behind them.
Sophia gave her a questioning look. “Are you lost?” She looked up at a street sign.
“Not lost, hungry.” Reggie pulled her closer. “Still up for an adventure?”
“Depends on what you’re going to say next.”
“Picnic with the Zookeeper. Frisbee golf. Drag queen bingo. Anything sparking an interest for you?”
She ticked answers off on her fingers. “Absolutely not, what the hell is that, that’s always fun, but I know for a fact it’s not bingo night.” Sophia unbuckled and put her hand on Reggie’s knee. “Try again or I’ll be forced to hitch my wagon to another caravan and hope to find my way home.”
“There is a very good Italian restaurant right through that door.” Reggie pointed to a sketchy looking storefront that looked like anything but an Italian restaurant. “I’m planning on buying you dinner.” She wasn’t nearly as interested in dinner now that Sophia’s hand was on her leg, but they couldn’t sit in the truck all night like this.
“Last chance, Reggie, to call this off before you’re seen out on a date with a politician.”
“I would never do anything like that. I’m going on a date with a brilliant, captivating, and very beautiful woman.”
“Who happens to be a politician.”
“Technicality. Tonight, anyway.”
“Let’s go before someone sees you and it ruins your reputation. You promised me carbs smothered in cheese and red sauce. Lead the way.”
Reggie opened the truck door for Sophia and stopped in front of the middle door of the three motley, dark storefronts. “Do you trust me?”
“You know that’s a weird thing to ask someone right after you promise them dinner, right?”
Reggie laughed. “Come on, you won’t regret it.”
She opened the door and held it for Sophia. As soon as they were inside, the smell of garlic and comfort filled Reggie’s soul. She saw Sophia breathe deeply and then relax and knew she sensed the magic of this place too.
“We have to go back to the kitchen.” Reggie walked across the empty room they’d entered and waved Sophia to follow. “No table service.”
“It’s not much to look at, but it does smell amazing in here.”
“The food is better than anything you’ll find in the state, no matter what their ratings say. Thank you for giving it a chance.”
At the end of the hall, Reggie rang a bell on the wall and waited. A couple of minutes later, Carmen, looking as frazzled as always, dressed in her ever-present chef’s hat and apron covered in food stains, bustled over. The moment she saw Reggie her entire body took on the animated exuberance of a bachelorette party finally hearing their favorite song.
“Reggie! Why haven’t you been by? When you’re gone for so long I start to take it personally. No matter how swamped I am, what good is it if I never see you?” Carmen slapped Reggie’s shoulder playfully.
As she bopped Reggie, she noticed Sophia. Her eyes grew wide and she looked from Reggie to Sophia.
She slapped Reggie’s shoulder again. “I can tell already she’s too good for you. You were right to bring her here to try to convince her you’re up to standard. I’ll fix you both something special.”
Before either of them could say another word, she was gone.
“Carmen, wait.” Reggie cupped her hand around her mouth as she called out. “It’s not what you think.”
Sophia leaned over Reggie’s shoulder and spoke close to her ear. “Which part, specifically? The part where we’re on a date or the part where I’m too good for you?”
Reggie jumped, then shivered. “I guess it’s exactly what Carmen said. I’ll introduce you when she comes back.”
Sophia put her head on Reggie’s shoulder. Reggie shivered again. Damn, if it didn’t feel good to have Sophia pressed against her.
It wasn’t long before Carmen returned with her arms full of to-go containers. Reggie’s mouth watered to the point she worried she was going to embarrass herself by drooling on her shoes. She knew the feast contained in those boxes.
“Here you go, Reggie. She looks like a keeper. I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to you.” Carmen handed Reggie the boxes of food and then gave Reggie a pointed look.
“Jesus, Carmen, she’s standing right here. Carmen De Luca, Sophia Lamont. Carmen’s the best chef you’ll ever meet, even if she hides in this dump of a building.”
“Nice to meet you, Sophia.” Carmen waved off Reggie’s praise. “Don’t let her give you any trouble, you hear? Even when I was locked up, I didn’t let her get away with too much. But I wouldn’t have this place if it wasn’t for her, so there’s a good heart in there even if she’s stubborn as a mule and sometimes dumb as a box of rocks.”
“Hey, I can hear you.” Reggie’s protests were weak. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea after all.
“The food smells wonderful, thank you.” Sophia, looking a little bemused, took the boxes while Reggie paid Carmen.
The sun had set while they’d been inside and it was nearing dark. Reggie loved this time of night when the light was settling down for bed and even the daytime noises seemed to understand it was time to quiet for the dusk.
“Did you meet Carmen at work?”
Reggie shifted the to-go containers so she could get back in the truck. “Yes, she was one of my charges for a while. She spent every hour she could in the library learning how to open a business. She peppered me with questions and asked for help finding the answers, so I did what I could to help her get the documents and books she needed. I told her if she opened her restaurant, I’d be sure to come by. She got out and opened her business about five years ago.”
“That’s impressive. Why an empty storefront?”
“She’s never told me, no matter how much I tease her about it, but I will tell you, enough food moves out of that kitchen every night to feed most of the state. Her business hasn’t suffered by being under the radar.”
Sophia scooped one of the boxes from Reggie before it toppled off the pile and set it on the seat between them. “Maybe she doesn’t like doing dishes. I certainly hate them. Where are we going to eat all this, if you don’t mind my asking? You do have a plan, right?”
“Of course I have a plan, but you’ll have to wait for it.”
Sophia stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. “I could threaten to raise your taxes or petition for a traffic light right outside your house, you know.”
Reggie shrugged. “I work for the state. Raising my taxes won’t do you much good, and a stoplight would be great. Maybe it’ll slow down the toddler who speeds around the neighborhood on her tricycle.”
“Very funny.” Sophia steadied the food boxes as Reggie pulled back into traffic. “Do you like your job? Did you always see yourself in corrections?”
Reggie spared a look at Sophia at the question. “You’re the second person to ask me that recently.” She paused a long time to collect her thoughts before answering. Sophia gave her the time to think without fidgeting or seemingly becoming uncomfortable with the silence. “Let’s get set up and then I’ll answer whatever you want. We missed the sunset, but the river’s still beautiful, even at night. Can I interest you in a truck bed dinner date?”
“It’s hard to argue with an offer like that. I should have known you’d be a romantic.”
Reggie parked at the riverside, got out, and lowered the tailgate on her truck and then grabbed two blankets from the cab while Sophia waited, her arms full of containers.
“I’m afraid to ask why you have blankets handily stowed in your truck. Do you have picnics under the stars often?”
“Nope. Went snowshoeing after our last big snow and I tossed them in since I had to drive a while in some bad weather. Didn’t unpack them and now I’m glad for my oversight.”
Sophia took Reggie’s hand for assistance into the bed of the truck. “Now I am as well.”
They laid out one of the blankets to sit on. The other they wrapped around themselves to ward off the chill of the evening, which also meant they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. Reggie felt like she might be in danger of tachycardia when Sophia practically sat in her lap and tucked the blanket tightly around them.
“So, you promised to answer anything I asked, which sounds like a dangerous promise for you to make.” Sophia looked thoughtful. “I’ll let you off easy to start. Answer the question about your job.”
Reggie bit her lip. “If I’m being honest, I don’t like my job. I ended up in corrections a bit by accident. I always thought I’d join the military, but I couldn’t take off to wherever the military would have sent me. My mom was sick and needed me to stay. A friend of a friend knew there was a new correction officer recruit class starting up and handed me an application. The money was good and I got the option of working nights so I could take my mom to appointments during the day. I never thought about or cared what was needed to do the actual job.”
“Was the military the career you planned?”
“No. Not long term, but it seemed like a good way out. Far away from everything I knew and the burden of my last name, once everything happened around that. Really, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, but that ship sailed, I think.” Reggie worked at opening take-out containers and didn’t look at Sophia. Weird, how opening up about wanting a different direction in life could make her feel like she had her underwear on her head and was wearing neon pink assless chaps.
“That’s ridiculous. There’s this thing called a career change. You should look it up. People do it all the time.” Sophia gently turned Reggie’s chin until she was looking at her. “You’d be a great teacher.”
Reggie nodded and looked away. She didn’t mention the internet searching she’d done in the park earlier in the day. Admitting her desire to be a teacher was a big enough step. “What about you? You said you were born for politics?”
Sophia’s stomach growled loudly as she dished up Carmen’s food. She laughed. “Afraid so. I snuck my parents’ laptop into my room at night so I could watch videos of famous political oration. I’d write my own inauguration speeches and then practice them in the mirror.”
“I’ve never thought of a politician as something you could want to be when you grow up just like a doctor or an artist.”
“Why not?”
Reggie shrugged. “It always felt like an adult decision, not something for the innocence of childhood. Big societal decisions and what you have to do to make them seem to be something you become aware of with age, not as you ride your bike down the street.”
“You know, one of these days, you’re going to have to talk to me about why you think so poorly of public servants.” Sophia took Reggie’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“You know who my father is, right?”
Sophia nodded.
“Then you must know his reputation and what he’s been convicted of. Ask around, do some reading, then trust me when I say, it was much worse than anything you can find out there. And he was far from the only one. Politicians came day and night to work out deals that couldn’t be made in an open room with other people watching.” Reggie tossed her napkin aside with a growl. “But it seems like you’ve accomplished your goal. Even I know you’re a political rock star. The governor asks you for favors. You must feel on top of the world.” She hoped the judgment behind the remark didn’t make it into her tone.
“If only that were true. Terrified, more like it.” Sophia clapped her hand over her mouth and rolled her eyes. “I did not mean to say that out loud.”
“Why are you terrified? If I were to allow the possibility that not all politicians are horrible, you’d be at the top of the nice list.” Reggie lifted Sophia’s hand and kissed the back with a flourish.
“I’m flattered. I think.” Sophia sighed. “Do you know how much pressure comes with being labeled the next big thing, not to mention the first Black woman elected state rep? How much pressure I’ve put on myself? I’ve never lost an election I’ve run in and I love the political gamesmanship, but this time feels different. What if I fail? That wasn’t an acceptable outcome in my family growing up.”
Reggie pushed her plate of food aside and wrapped her arms around Sophia. She was distracted by how easily Sophia fit in her embrace. How right it felt.
“I can’t see you failing at anything you put your mind to, but what worries you most? You’ve had a lot of expectations and hopes and dreams heaped on your shoulders. Perhaps we can think through some of your worries together. Especially if it relates to the design team. And if, in the unlikely event you do fail? Well, that means you’re human after all, which makes you all the more wonderful. “
Sophia looked shocked when she leaned in and kissed Reggie’s cheek. “You’re a prince.”
Reggie felt aflame from the kiss. How was Sophia able to do that with one quick, innocent brush of her lips?
“You’re going to have to listen to political machinations. Will your heart take the strain?”
Reggie put her hand on her wrist as if taking her pulse. “I think I’ll survive.”
Sophia explained the demands of the Speaker of the House and majority leader as well as the governor’s request and how she couldn’t please them both. She told Reggie about her own campaign promises to deliver practical solutions and work with anyone willing to do the same and Valencia’s offer to collaborate.
“Everyone wants a piece of you.” Reggie kept Sophia in her protective embrace. Their legs were pressed together from knee to ankle and Sophia rested her head on Reggie’s chest. Reggie wished this bed reclined so she could more easily hold Sophia while they talked. “The design team seems like it’s going to be your problem. Our group has some ideas I know you’re not comfortable with, and we don’t know yet what the other groups are working on. Plus the politics are going to get in the way of what is supposed to be an advisory group providing recommendations and nothing more. Since you’re able to create legislation, that’s what’s expected of you, even though that’s not your role on the team. Am I right?”
Sophia turned and frowned at Reggie. “Are you sure you’re not a politician? You’re pretty astute.”
“How could you say something so hurtful?” Reggie feigned offense. “We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”
“I appreciate it, but it’s not your problem to deal with. Dealing with the politics of situations is part of my job.” Sophia leaned back into Reggie.
“Hey, in this case, I’m sticking my nose right in the middle. We’re a design team team. Besides, I can’t have a politician messing up all my hard work.”
Sophia sat up and gave Reggie a playful push. “You’re impossible.”
“Hey, come back. No more politician digs, I promise. It felt for a minute like we were the only two in the world and things didn’t have to be complicated.” Reggie opened her arms.
“Things are always complicated, Reggie.”
Reggie wondered if that was a rule or only Sophia’s experience. Then again, it was her experience too.
“Maybe, but this doesn’t feel it. Maybe your political problems don’t have to be either.”
“I thought you understood some things about politics. It’s always complicated, even when it doesn’t have to be.” Sophia pulled the blanket tighter.
“So we’ll uncomplicate it.”
Sophia laughed but there was no humor to the sound. “You make that sound as if it’s an easy thing to do.”
“Oh no, not at all. I’m not a politician, but I’m not an idiot either and I’ve had my fill of how it all works. But at the end of the day, you have to feel good about what you’re fighting for. You can’t change the situation, but maybe you can write rules that work for you. How about a rule that you’re just a regular member of the design team with no ability to write laws? You can be Representative Lamont at the statehouse and deal with the politics there.”
As they lay there looking at the stars, snuggled together, content, Reggie thought about Sophia, the design team, and the difficult situation Sophia was in. Wasn’t this kind of no-win political scenario exactly why Reggie didn’t like politics? Sophia needed the courage to fight for what she believed in, even if it cost her politically, otherwise, what good was she to the people who elected her? But what about when the fight turned ugly? In Reggie’s experience it always did. She’d already seen Sophia bargaining with the governor. What else would she be willing to do? And could Reggie live within Sophia’s comfort zone?
Reggie thought about what she was willing to fight for. She looked at Sophia curled in her arms. Was she willing to fight for a chance at another date with a woman who excited her? Sophia asked her out tonight, but what about when the smudge of her father’s reputation started to stick to Sophia? Reggie’s chest felt heavy thinking Sophia might regret this night. She didn’t want to leave it to fate. Maybe it was time to give fate a nudge in the right direction.