Cage the Dead

Chapter 1

The taste of a French vanilla cappuccino was fresh on Gaia’s lips as she peered out the window of the café, whipped cream on her nose and a smile on her face.  She squinted against the sun despite the sunglasses on her face. It was November and not the slightest chill was in the air. That alone was the reason she moved to this clime many years ago, to enjoy the year-round sun. And she didn’t mind seeing the hard bodies that accompanied the sunny weather—both men and women alike. She admitted on more than one occasion, and to Adam’s delight, that the female body was slightly more appealing to observe, what with its curves and soft edges. She wasn’t a prude, she would often say to him and he would flash her that beautiful smile that she fell in love with those many years ago.

She and Adam had just arrived to share a cup of coffee and enjoy an hour of comfort before his job took her away from him again for four consecutive days. She did not enjoy the shift work that he did, but the three-day weekends were certainly nice, even if they were Monday through Wednesday, especially in the summer months when she had coverage at the zoo and they could enjoy the beach that was less than an hour away.

In addition, she had the flexibility of seeing him at her job, where she performed her main function there as a primate specialist, and where she was pretty much left alone to do her thing, not having to report to anyone, especially on the weekends. The zoo had one or two supervisors there on Saturdays, and she and Adam would often share a romantic lunch in the reptile house since he didn’t particularly relish the smells of the primate enclosure. Or they might visit Sal’s Safari to see what specials he was running, and since the zoo wasn’t always busy those days, they did have some free time to enjoy. Gaia’s employer, Kristen, was very understanding of the visits and never gave her any grief about them. The zoo was where they spent most of their time, other than their apartment whenever they were both off, which was a rarity.

As she caught her reflection in the mirror, she brushed a hand through her short blonde locks and grimaced, believing she wasn’t at her best today, but Adam never voiced any such concerns from the time they had first started dating until now.

And neither did the animals.

She sat in silent appreciation of the wonderful animals that she had come to know these past few years. There was Rocky, the seven hundred pound grizzly; a pair of male tigers, Theo and Buster, whom she was just getting to know; Luna the Jaguar and a recent mother to a litter of three. But what made her smile most, was Molly, her mama gorilla and her babies whom they had yet to name, despite the passing of five months; and Solomon, the huge silverback papa with which she’d developed a special bond. And there was always her best girlfriend, Maye, a white-headed capuchin monkey.

The zoo was a bit on the small side, but that was the way she liked it. She had a natural affinity toward animals, which far surpassed by comparison, her comfort level when dealing with her own species.

You know where you stand with an animal, she often said to Adam, who would shake his head knowingly. Humans were less predictable and quick to disappoint.

This was her experience, being a woman of twenty-four years and never married. Adam was the last in a short line of people that understood her, through and through, and that took some time.

She sipped her hot drink and gave thought to that notion until Adam returned from the restrooms, wiping his hands on his jeans. “No paper towels in there…again,” he said with a smile. It was an ongoing joke that they shared, Gaia poking fun that they lived in a one horse town, and they would often tease Maria, the owner of the café, about just such things.

“Though the coffee is excellent,” Gaia countered. Adam pulled her in close and kissed her deeply, her eyes closing, enjoying the taste of his lips on hers.