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‘You’re very sweet,’ he said softly, his eyes locking on to hers.
Minnie’s stomach flipped.
‘I don’t think I want to be sweet,’ she said, turning away and looking back at the penguins. She rested her hands against the glass to anchor herself.
‘Oh look, what’s that one doing?’ Minnie said, pointing to a penguin shuffling something between his feet.
‘He’s bringing a stone to his mate as a gift,’ said a deep, gravelly voice beside her. Minnie turned to see an elderly man with white hair and a large nose speckled with liver spots. He had a hunched back and a cane in his hand. He pointed a wavering finger at the penguin. ‘They give gifts to each other like humans do. That one there is trying to win her affections. She’s a tough cookie, though, she is,’ the old man laughed. ‘There aren’t enough rocks in the enclosure to please her.’
‘You know a lot about penguins,’ Minnie said to the man.
‘Come here most days. My wife and I used to come together,’ said the man, tapping his cane twice against the floor. They stood quietly beside each other, watching the penguins until the old man spoke again. ‘They mate for life, you know.’
‘Maybe our lives would be easier if we were more penguin-y,’ said Minnie.
‘Not easy for all of them,’ said the old man, shaking his head. ‘There was a Humboldt penguin like this in Tokyo Zoo; Grape-kun was his name. They put a cardboard cut-out of a little anime girl in his enclosure – advert for something, Ithink. Anyway, Grape-kun fell in love with that cardboard girl. Stood staring at her every day, wouldn’t move to get food, just stared mournfully. Unrequited love.’
‘What happened to him?’ Quinn asked from behind Minnie.
‘He died,’ sighed the man, ‘some say of a broken heart. He’d spent years of his life staring at that cardboard girl, willing her to love him, but she could not love him back. I always think of that story when I see penguins. I think it was cruel for the zoo to keep the cardboard girl there. Brought in the tourists, though, didn’t it? Everyone wanted to see the love-struck penguin.’
‘That’s a sad story,’ said Minnie with a sigh, turning her attention back to the enclosure. ‘Quinn, I think you should adopt that one,’ she said, pointing at the penguin shuffling around with the pebble between his flippers.
‘He’s called Coco,’ said the old man.
‘Maybe he’ll get an extra ration of fish or something – might make his poor little love-struck day.’
Quinn and Minnie spent hours strolling around the rest of the zoo. Minnie was intent on reading all the information about every animal. She bought them ice creams as they walked. Quinn bought a headband with giraffe ears on for her and a hat with elephant ears on for himself. They chatted so easily about everything and nothing, veering effortlessly between silly and serious in the space of a sentence. Minnie liked this version of Quinn; she liked his manner, his humour, the ease he had with his own body. Minnie liked this version of herself, too; she liked the person she was around him. Nowshe didn’t have her defences up, she felt fun, optimistic, interesting. She hardly recognised herself and yet, somehow, this person felt like the truest reflection of who she really was.
When they’d finally seen all the animals, they stood near the exit and turned to face each other.
‘Well, thank you for that,’ Minnie said, biting her lip. ‘I’ve had a lovely time. Plus, now I finally know what a giraffe looks like.’
‘You’re welcome,’ said Quinn with a little bow. ‘Thank you for helping me choose a penguin.’
‘I can’t take you seriously with those elephant ears on,’ Minnie laughed.
Quinn pulled the hat from his head and looked back at her.
‘That’s better,’ said Minnie, reaching up to tap his nose with a forefinger. ‘You don’t have a big enough nose to pull off the elephant look.’
Quinn reached up to intercept her hand, to stop her from tapping his nose, but he held on a beat too long before letting her go.
‘I don’t know if you really get to adopt a specific penguin,’ Quinn said, his gaze following the hand he had let go.
‘That’s why I smuggled Coco out under my coat,’ Minnie whispered as she leant in towards him.
He reached out for her coat collar, gently pulling her towards him, pretending to look beneath her coat for the stowaway.
‘You’re full of surprises, Minnie Cooper,’ he said in a deep, soft drawl.
She looked up into his eyes, her face so close to his. He was going to kiss her; Minnie felt her heart in her throat, every part of her alive with anticipation. Then something flashed across his face. Doubt? Fear? He pinched his lips shut and turned their physical proximity into an awkward hug. He patted her back then extracted himself and turned briskly towards the exit.
What the hell was that? Minnie blanched. She hugged her arms around herself, wounded by the indignity of being patted like a dog. She’d been sure he was about to kiss her. Was she so deluded that she’d entirely misread this chemistry between them?
‘OK, well, this is where I … ’ he said as they stood next to each other in Regent’s Park. ‘I really should get to the office.’ He nodded his head to the right.
‘And I’m getting the bus up there,’ Minnie said, nodding to the left. ‘See you, I guess.’
