“It’s mostly thanks to our resident shark shifter. And some mermaids we have on retainer. They do good work.”
The mention of mermaids makes my smile fall. I bet my brother and sister-in-law, the two merfolk in my life, are roaming about the sea, doing whatever they please. Meanwhile, I’m a mediocre dad-figure who forgets to pick up Aisen.
“I’d love to be deep underwater and get all these amazing vantage shots. Karlo gets all the cool images because his boyfriend is a maritime monster, taking him all the way down.”
I could go down for you…or on you.
I push away that naughty thought. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m in no shape to be anyone’s boyfriend. Yet, lately, with the way things are going with Skyler…
He clears his throat and approaches me. “You know, I did a bunch of photos on display on this floor.”
“Really? Show me.”
“Are you sure it’s not too boring?”
“Anything you do sounds amazing.” Okay, I’m laying it on a little thick there. Still, the slight blush on Skyler’s cheeks makes it all worth it.
We walk down several yards where he shows me photos of dolphins, pelicans, sea turtles, and various other animals. The pictures appear to be both in the wild and inside the facility. The evidence is on the wall: Skyler is talented at getting active shots. He has such a passion for both photography and marine wildlife.
And passion is fucking sexy.
I try not to drool as he tells me about how he got the best lighting for a photo of a sea lion. In the corner of my eye, something oddly shaped distracts me. “What’s all that?”
We stroll a few steps toward what resembles a big indoor playground. There are ball pits and monkey bars, all with aquatic creature theming and ocean fun facts listed on the plastic walls.
“A playground?”
“Yup. It was my idea. The kids need a way to let out their energy during field trips sometimes.” He grins and runs up the stairs, and, like autopilot, I go along with him. “You seem shocked. What, you think you’re too good for our Maritime Monsters play area?”
I laugh. “I haven’t been on these in thirty years.”
“When you were negative one year old?”
With a snicker, I reply, “Try six years old.”
“Yes, well, I just turned thirty-one. So I bet I could beat you at a monkey bars race, old man.”
“Oh, so I’m old now? I thought I was your new friend.” I shake out my shoulders, ready for a challenge.
“You are my newest friend, the older, daddy-type who can’t beat me in racing.” He shoots me a challenging smirk, and I try not to swoon over the way he called me daddy.
“Bring it on, Skyler.”
“Alright, but if I win, I get something from you.”
Huh?
Before I can ask, he jumps up, and I do the same. We’re both laughing and hollering, side-by-side as we move across the metal bars. When we get to the end, he lets go and falls into the ball pit. I follow him seconds later, landing in a sea of plastic, laughing along the way.
I haven’t had that much physical fun in ages.
Skyler and I are catching our breaths, sitting in the waist-deep pit of plastic balls, trying to calm ourselves.
“I haven’t played in a playground in so long,” I say.
“You didn’t do so bad.”
Looking around, I notice we’re the only ones on this floor. My thoughts go back to Aisen, and I wonder how he’s doing.
