Full Circle Page 9

  “Cute, aren’t they?”

  “Hey, you!” Mikaela mentally cringed at her overly enthusiastic greeting. It wasn’t as if Sara needed to know how glad she was to see her. How much she’d been thinking of her, both with clothes and without.

  Seeing Sara’s rosy face, her form-hugging, long-sleeved T-shirt damp with sweat, Mikaela was taken back to their night together. Sara had been rosy with sweat then too.

  Don’t go there, she told herself sternly. Going there led to danger.

  “What is with you catching me off guard? You stalking me?” she demanded playfully, her hands on her hips.

  Sara raised her right eyebrow. “How do I know you aren’t stalking me? Lying in wait until you know I have to acknowledge your presence.”

  “No way to know, is there?” Before she could help herself, her hand was on Sara’s arm. Mortified, she quickly dropped her hand. “I’m flattered you stopped your run to say hi. How far you going?”

  “I was, uh, almost finished with my five-mile loop. What about you?”

  “I was doing a loop around the park. Walking, not running. You usually run at this time? Not that I would know, because hey, usually lolling in bed at this hour. And maybe I should let you answer, huh?” She flashed a smile, her best—she hoped.

  “I’m more of a treadmill runner. Today I was up early and…well, I needed to get out, get away.” Sara pushed a wispy strand of hair off her forehead.

  She took a closer look at Sara’s face and thought she saw more than tiredness about her eyes. It made Sara seem vulnerable and her heart gave a little pang. “Great morning for a run. You live around here?”

  “A couple of blocks east on Ormewood.”

  “That is close. So, uh, good that you didn’t have far to go the other night.”

  Sara nodded.

  Not a talker, Mikaela thought. Great. “Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”

  “Wait.” Sara held out her arm. “Are you…” She paused, breathed in. “Do you like the zoo by any chance?”

  “Zoo? Can’t say I’ve ever been. Which is kind of shameful, considering it’s so close. You?”

  “Yeah. I enjoy watching the animals.” Sara once again swiped at her hair. “Any chance you wanna go? Later, I mean.”

  Who was this delightfully shy woman? “Sure. I should warn you that I love taking pictures.” She didn’t have to admit that the majority of them would be of Sara. “I’m talking a lot.”

  “That’s cool.” Sara’s smile made it to her eyes. “I do a little sketching, so I know what you mean. We can take our time.”

  “Works for me. When?”

  “Eleven? Maybe grab some wings across the street after?”

  The scale—along with the word diet—was instantly forgotten. Time with Sara plus hot wings—there must be a heaven, she decided. But to be on the safe side, she’d skip the fries, make do with celery sticks. “Why don’t I meet you near the entrance?”

  “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you then.”

  “Then.” Mikaela walked away, floating on air. This had to be a reward for getting up early, for exercising. If only she had known this before.

  Casey was spread out on the sofa in her PJs when she arrived home. “Hey, you. Didn’t realize you were up already.”

  “Your fault, Atoms. You had to get that fancy new scale.” She put her hands on her hips and peered at her roommate suspiciously. “Were you trying to tell me something? Leaving a message in the bottle?”

  Casey covered her face. “Casey’s not here right now. Leave a message at the beep and she’ll get back to you the first of never.”

  “Ha-ha. Whatever your Machiavellian plan, it worked, damn you. I got on the damn thing and let me tell you, I screamed. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me. Are you laughing? I think I hear laughter. Put down your hands,” she demanded, stomping her foot.

  “Hell yes, I’m laughing. Laughing at the crazy woman I live with.”

  “My grandma always said skinny bitches are mean.” She sat on the side of the recliner and pouted for half a second. “Lucky for you I ran into Sara when I was out on my walk. The walk you forced me to take because of that damn shiny scale. Why does a skinny bitch like you need a scale anyway? I mean, come on, look at you. You don’t need to worry about your weight.”

  “Hey, back up.” Casey sat up. “What’s this about Sara?”

  “I ran into her. More like she ran into me ’cause she was the one doing the actual running. But that’s not important.” She put a hand to her heart. “She asked me out. Well, sort of. We’re going to the zoo and then maybe grab wings after. So it’s not really a date. More a thing than anything else, you know?”

  “Maybe. But somebody swore up and down you guys were a one-time deal. What happened to that?”

  Mikaela tsked. “This is not about sex. Truth? I think she’s having a rough time and needs company.”

  “And you, being the kind person that you are, agreed,” Casey said dryly.

  “Okay, so yeah, she looked yummy. Even in her ratty and sweaty running gear. But this is no biggie. Just something to do. Like I said, a thing.”

  “Can I remind you of that later?”

  “Hell no! And Casey? A true friend wouldn’t have to ask.”

  Chapter Eight

  At ten to eleven Sara was stationed near the entrance to Zoo Atlanta, searching the faces in the crowd for Mikaela. After changing several times, she’d settled on a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. This wasn’t a date, and she wanted to make sure Mikaela understood that. They were simply going to take in the animals, have some lunch and help her forget about…She firmed her lips. She would not think about that now. She was here to have fun, spend some time with another human being, then later have a cold one. Boom, boom, boom. The end.

  She blinked and refocused her thoughts on the people entering the zoo. The sun, defying the weatherman’s prediction, was bright and had warmed the day to a pleasant sixty degrees, no doubt contributing to the size of the crowd in the park. Many of those entering the zoo were families with young children who were spazzing to get at the animals. Sara couldn’t blame them. Zoos had always held a fascination for her. Although Aunt Liddy had never been the type to visit a place like this, Sara spent plenty of time at the Oklahoma City Zoo courtesy of school outings.

  All thoughts of zoos flew from her head when she spotted her “un-date.” Mikaela was wearing hip-hugging jeans and a long-sleeved red shirt that showed off a chest her hands and mouth remembered. Her hair flowed around her shoulders, making Sara’s fingers itch to run through it. An unbidden memory of their night together surfaced and she stuffed her hands into her front pockets.

  Mikaela stopped a few feet away and raised her camera. “Say ‘cheeseburger.’”

  “Bacon cheeseburger.” Sara smiled and let Mikaela get in four or five shots. “You weren’t kidding about the camera.”

  “Nope. The camera loves you, by the way. Not a bad side anywhere. Not that I expected there to be. I mean, I have…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “I’m not late, am I?”

  Wouldn’t have mattered to Sara. As she was discovering, Mikaela was worth the wait. “No. I got here early. It’s a fault.”

  “Better than me. I’m always running behind. Then I have to rush, go out not fully put together. Like for example my hair.”

  To Sara’s regret Mikaela pulled out a hair band and tamed her glorious mane.

  “You ready to rumble?”

  “Does my hair look okay? Wouldn’t want the animals to mistake me for one of them.”

  “Looked great before,” Sara said before she could censor herself. “Uh, yeah, it’s good.”

  “Thanks. Maybe I’ll take it down later.”

  She shrugged as if she hadn’t been hoping for just that and removed her membership card along with an extra ticket from her wallet.

  “You have a membership?”

  “I like the animals and it’s, you know, close.” Sara held out the extra ticket. “To
me that makes membership a must.”

  “God, I hope you don’t think I’m belittling you. I mean, I think it’s great that you’re a zoo supporter and all. Shutting up now. Sorry. I talk a lot when I’m nervous,” Mikaela admitted as they passed through the turnstiles. “You’re the expert. Where to first?”

  “I like to start with the flamingoes and work my way around clockwise.”

  “Sounds good.” Mikaela held up her camera and took more shots. “Let me know if I get too obnoxious with this thing. It was a surprise—I mean huge surprise—Christmas present from, well, I’ll call him Father for clarity’s sake. We’re still in the honeymoon phase. The camera and I, that is.”

  “Shoot away.”

  Sara soon found that watching the animals with Mikaela was a new experience. Mikaela wasn’t afraid to let out her inner child and voice her enthusiasm for the warthog babies or her displeasure at the smell and size of elephant dung. She made Sara laugh by sharing her opinion of what the animals were thinking. And to Sara’s relief, she was able to set aside her problems and join Mikaela’s game.

  “My camera and I had the best time,” Mikaela said as they exited the zoo. “Thanks for the invite.”

  “Anytime. You up for wings?” Sara wasn’t ready for their outing to finish, and it wasn’t only because she didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts.

  “Lead the way. All that walking has given me plenty of room.”

  Sara started up the road leading to Cherokee Avenue, truth to be told, a little dazzled by Mikaela’s smile.

  “So what was your favorite exhibit?” Mikaela asked.

  “I’ve always been partial to chimpanzees, but I like gorillas too.”

  “I have to go with the pandas. But I also like the warthogs. They’re so ugly they’re cute.”

  “And like you said, they reminded you of The Lion King. Or should I say, like you sang?”

  “So I’m loud. You would be too if you’d grown up around my extended family where, I’ll have you know, I’m known as the quiet one.”

  Sara’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re the quiet one? Does anyone wear earplugs to family reunions?”

  “If I ever had someone I wanted to take, I’d be sure to have a pair available.” Mikaela scrunched up her nose. “We generally talk over and around each other. Jumping from this conversation to that conversation without missing a beat. Somehow it works for us. As a courtesy, we tone it down for company. That’s without alcohol, of course.”

  “Sounds…interesting. How often do you go back?”

  “Twice a year now that my grandmother’s gone. Just enough to keep my play mom happy. Out of all the kids—and let me tell you there are many—only two of us have moved away, and she and the rest of the family never let me forget it.”

  “Play mom? What’s that?”

  “Not really a mom, but sort of acts like one. I think it’s something we black people made up ’cause I don’t think I’ve heard of a white person having one. Tell me you don’t have a play mom by another name.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Good. I won’t have to change my thinking there. Anyway, in my case my play mom is my father’s ex-wife. The one he was technically married to when I was born.” Mikaela laughed. “If you could see your face. Yeah. Weird, I know. He’s never been much of a father to any of his kids, so I don’t usually use that word to describe him.”

  “She must be a really nice person.” Sara was thinking saint. As for fathers, she hadn’t had hers for long, but the time they did have had been great. Maybe she got the better part of the deal.

  “She’s a step above that. I owe her a lot for never holding his actions against me, going so far as to make sure I got to know my brothers. Everyone in the neighborhood knows they can count on Miss Janey.” Her affection for her play mom came through loud and clear.

  “Why did you move away? From your family.”

  “To go to Spellman College. I dropped out after two years when my money ran out and I started working full time. The plan was to save money, then go back. But a year turned into another and…” She shrugged.

  “I know how that is. You never quite get back to what you meant to do.”

  “Exactly. But I started back part time a few years ago, and I’ll get a degree in business this spring. Not the first kid in my family to get one like I intended, but still…”

  “At least you’ll finish. Will you look for another job?”

  “Hoping to use the degree to give me a boost where I am.”

  “You must like it there.”

  “I do. I really like my boss, and I like the way management is going about changing the way we work. Plus it looks like there’s a chance for a promotion soon. What about you? You like your job?”

  “It pays the bills.”

  “So, uh, any plans for tomorrow?” Mikaela asked after a moment’s silence.

  “I let my boss talk me into helping out at his grandkid’s school. You?”

  “Along with a bunch of my coworkers, I’ll be sprucing up the activity room at a community center. I’m psyched because it’s the first time we’ve done it as a company.”

  “They make you do it?” Sara asked.

  “No, not at all. We’re owned by a new company and they’re into this kind of thing. I think it’s great. They even put up money for food and drinks afterward.”

  “You do a lot of that? Volunteering, I mean.”

  “Not as much as I’d like between work and school, so tomorrow’s a win-win.”

  “Cool.” Sara pushed the walk button as Cherokee Avenue was a steady stream of cars. “I uh, want to thank you for doing this at the last minute. You, well, you’re helping me get through a tough time.”

  “No prob. I got a day at the zoo and a chance to talk your ear off. Another win-win for me.”

  Mikaela’s smile seemed forced to Sara, and she wondered how much to say. “Thanks anyway. This…this time of year is…around the time my parents died, so it’s kind of, you know.”

  Mikaela put a hand on Sara’s arm. “I’m so sorry. How old were you?”

  “Seven.”

  “That must be hard losing your parents so young.”

  More than you know, she thought, and nodded around the lump in her throat. “Uh, we should, you know, cross while we got the light.”

  The rest of the trip was completed in silence.

  Wings and Such was packed. They had a forty-minute wait for a table and decided to grab a couple of seats at the bar in the back.

  “Looks like we can order most everything right here,” Mikaela said, looking through the menu the bartender had passed their way.

  “Sounds better than waiting. I recommend the wings and beer.”

  “I’m leaning toward the extra hot with extra sauce.”

  “Brave.”

  “That’s me.”

  They gave their orders to a thin bartender with a bushy beard that was wider than him.

  “I hope I didn’t upset you earlier,” Mikaela said, “asking questions about your parents.”

  “No.” Sara shook her head. “You were right about it being hard. This year seems worse because, well, it happened here in Atlanta and this is the first time I’ve been back.” She picked up the glass of beer as soon as the bartender placed it in front of her and took a long pull. “After, I moved in with my mom’s cousin and her kids in Oklahoma City.”

  “That had to be a shock, coming on top of the other.”

  “To tell you the truth, I didn’t remember much about that time.” She wished she could say that was still true. “And the subject never came up. I guess that was a good thing.”

  “That would never happen in my family,” Mikaela said, then winced. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t be talking about family to you. I tend to suffer from ‘foot-in-mouth’ disease.”

  “It’s okay. You talking about your family doesn’t keep me from mine.”

  “Okay. Question, then. Why chimpanzees?”

  “That�
�s easy. I was always drawing animals all over my notebooks, so my sixth-grade teacher made me read a book about chimpanzees in the wild as punishment.” Sara smiled at the memory. “Best punishment I ever received.”

  “Was it by the woman who’s lived with them for like forever?”

  “Jane Goodall.”

  “Yeah, her. I used her as a reference for a report I did for a biology class.”

  “Reports. I don’t miss those days at all. If I have pen and paper, I’d rather draw.”

  “You’ll have to show me your etchings sometime.”

  Before she could formulate a response, the bartender dropped off their meals.

  “Ah, food.” Mikaela snagged a fry. “You know, I should probably confess that one of my great uncles kind of looks like a chimpanzee. Really,” she added when Sara looked at her. “Of course, he doesn’t act like one. More’s the pity. Uncle Willy’s my grandmother’s oldest brother and may be the oldest person to appear on one of those reality shows about cops. He was walking drunk and decided he could outrun the police. They caught him when he stopped to chat with a hooker.”

  “No way!”

  Mikaela threw back her head and laughed. “Way. Like I said, we don’t keep things to ourselves in my family and he loves to tell that story. How he got off when he convinced the cops he stopped because he thought she was lost. Of course he was younger then. Seventy, I think. Maybe older.”

  “You have such interesting…characters in your family.”

  “Characters. I like that.” Mikaela grinned. “My neighborhood was full of characters. Stereotypes get started for a reason. Not that everyone likes that, mind you, but…” She shrugged, then spent the rest of the meal entertaining Sara with stories about neighborhood characters.

  “You up for dessert?” Sara pushed away her empty plate and reached for her second beer. Maybe she’d finally done something right. Mikaela was keeping her from drowning in sorrow, and she couldn’t ask for more.

  “None for me, but you go ahead.”