Like Sheep
Chapter One
"What's her name?"
"Amber, I think."
"You think?"
"No one calls her that here."
"What do they call her?"
A smile slowly spread across his face. "Elefanti."
"Ele-what?"
"Elefanti. It's a nickname."
"But-why?"
He shrugged. "She's really good with elephants. It's like she speaks their language or something."
She crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Elephants don't have a language, Nathaniel."
Nathaniel chuckled and slipped an arm around Christine's waist, pulling her closer. They stood
beneath the opening in the big top's entrance, facing the ring where all the acts took place. The
circus was empty, since it was Sunday in Gotham City. The workers then mingled around on
their many breaks, some leading animals toward their prospective cages.
Christine turned away from Nathaniel and headed away from the tent. "I don't know how I feel
about this Amber girl," she sniffed. "I don't like you being so interested in her."
Nathaniel smiled, and silently thanked his stars that he had had so much experience with
women: figuring out how to make this one happy would be a piece of cake.
"She's just a coworker; nothing special," he shrugged and draped his arm over Christine's
shoulders. She relaxed slightly, but still gave him a disbelieving glare.
"Is she pretty?" she demanded.
"Is she-huh?" Nathaniel asked, confused. He hadn't been expecting that question. Something
more along the lines of 'Well I guess so…' as she, hopefully, backed off. Apparently she had no
plans to do so.
"I said 'Is she pretty?'," Christine asked again.
Nathaniel had to think for a minute. He could tell that was not the response his date wanted,
but he truly had to consider it. He hadn't thought of Elefanti that way. But she was pretty, he
figured. She had light blonde hair and gentle blue eyes. And she was good with the animals. It
made him wonder why on earth she had chosen to come work for Petrofsky's Wonder Circus. It
was one of the worst circuses Nathaniel had ever seen, having worked in a circus for most of his
life, and the animals were often mistreated. The workers too, who then turned around and
abused the animals more so they didn't feel like they were at the bottom of the food chain.
Nathaniel never hurt the animals, having been taught by his father to respect all forms of life (all
though, ironically enough, he had been taught by his grandfather to be a dead-shot). He figured
that Elefanti was the same way.
"Nathaniel!" Christine exclaimed angrily, throwing his arm off her. "Answer me!"
He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and gave her an annoyed glance. "Yeah she's pretty.
So?"
"Do you like her?" was the next demand.
"Obviously not, since I'm here with you," Nathaniel shot back. "Look, can we just forget about
her? I want to spend time with you and enjoy our date."
"It would have been a better date if the circus was actually open," Christine muttered but
allowed Nathaniel to pull her close again.
They walked around the perimeter of the circus, just reaching where the "freak-show"
attractions were.
"What about the Bearded Lady?" Christine asked, squinting at a faded sign. "Is she here?"
Nathaniel's brown eyes sparkled. "You'll just have to come next week and see for yourself won't
you?"
Christine smiled at him coyly. "Oh will I?"
Nathaniel was about to say something else when she pulled him forward and backed him into
the side of the Bearded Lady's building. Nathaniel grinned openly as Christine leaned forward
and pressed her lips against his. He was completely prepared to take it slow with her, but she
had other ideas. She kissed him passionately and he kissed her back, emitting a surprised grunt
when she began to furiously rub against the front of his pants.
Hell no.
Sure, Nathaniel wasn't averse to the idea of fucking her, but not at a damn circus. Especially not
this circus. Although the idea was open to explore for kinky ideas for a rainy day, he was not
interested in exploring them now. But as he soon found out, Christine wasn't exactly looking for
sex at a circus either.
She broke away from Nathaniel and panted heavily. Seeing his dazed look, she gently stroked his
face in a seductive manner.
"How about we go back to my place?" she suggested in a low purr. "My parents are out of town
for the day. We could open up a bottle of champagne….." she trailed off but her intentions were
evident.
Nathaniel didn't know how to reply. Sure he wanted to have sex with her, but he didn't think he
could just leave work. And he wasn't willing to put his job in jeopardy for a girl on their first
date. However, as he was about to open his mouth, he heard something. He turned and looked
around Christine, who was getting impatient waiting for his answer, and saw a commotion at
the circus gates. Christine followed his gaze and saw it too.
There was a large crowd at the entrance gates waving picket signs and shouting, but they were
too far away to make out their signs or their shouts. Nathaniel knew who they were regardless.
He could see some circus workers going out to the crowd to try to get them to disperse.
"Wait here," Nathaniel told Christine.
"Nathaniel!" she hissed as a means of protest.
Nathaniel ignored her and jogged over to where the groups were gathered, one of the protestors
and one being the workers.
"What's going on?" Nathaniel asked as he approached. Someone turned around and he was
relieved to see it was Peter, one of his fellow trainers.
"Just some eco freaks again," he said with obvious distaste. "Demanding we release the animals
again."
"Release them into the city?" Nathaniel said with some humor. "Seems kind of like a bad idea to
me."
Peter shook his head. "Damn hippies. They have no idea what it's like to work with some of the
most dangerous animals in the world, and they're coming after us when we try to control them?
They don't understand a damn thing."
Nathaniel looked at Peter with a slight frown. "Still, violence isn't the answer. Especially not
towards innocent animals."
Peter didn't hear him or was ignoring him, saying quietly to himself, "Who knows, maybe the
mob will sic the Joker on 'em…."
The protestors' shouting got louder and they waved their signs more vigorously at the workers
when they were asked to leave.
"We have every right to be here!" one guy with white dreds yelled angrily.
"Leave now or I'm calling the police!" a worker snarled.
"This is a peaceful protest!" another cried.
Nathaniel dropped his head. "This is getting nowhere. And the police won't come for such a mild
disturbance. They're probably all out looking for the Joker…."
Peter wasn't listening. He had balled his fists and was slowly turning red with anger, making his
white blonde hair stick out even more.
The brunette, realizing there was nothing he could do to help the situation, decided to go back
to Christine. She was still standing by the Bearded Lady attraction, looking impatient and
scared.
"What's happening?" she demanded.
"Just some protestors," Nathaniel answered vaguely. "We're going to get out of here in a sec, I
just have to find Fanti to ask her to take over my shift…."
Without waiting for a response, Nathaniel headed for the big top. He came in through the main
entrance, then veered off to the left towards a much smaller opening that led to where most of
the animals were kept. The elephants were kept in a separate tent with the horses and the only
male lion, but Nathaniel had a feeling he'd find Amber in here instead.
Sure enough, he saw the blonde, decked out in her hemp pants that pooled around her ankles
and her skin tight purple shirt, and her simple green semi jacket, replenishing the monkeys'
water supply.
"Hey El," Nathaniel greeted fondly. He smiled when he noticed the electric green headphones
trailing down the girl's body from her ears right into her left pocket. He approached her
cautiously and tapped her on the shoulder. He quickly ducked as her hand came wildly flying
towards his head in a knee-jerk reaction. He saw the light shine on her silver bracelet with
charms in the shape of elephants as it flew past his ear.
"Whoa, whoa!" he yelled, grabbing her quickly. "El, it's just me!"
The girl stilled and hurriedly yanked her headphones out of her ears. "Jesus Nathaniel, you
scared the shit out of me!"
"I hadn't noticed," he said, smiling dryly.
Amber calmed down as well, a gentle expression coming into her soft blue eyes. It was that look
that Nathaniel loved so much. It reminded him that there were some good people left in this
city.
"I've always been pretty jumpy," she explained with a shrug. "So what's up?"
Nathaniel watched as she went back to taking care of the monkeys before answering her. "Er,
would you mind covering my shift later tonight? And if the boss asks, tell him it was some sort
of family emergency…."
She paused and turned a questioning eye on him. "Why?"
Nathaniel suddenly felt bashful, and uncomfortable now that Christine had forced him to
contemplate Amber's beauty. He didn't exactly want to explain that he was skipping his job to
go bang some girl on their first date.
But before he had the chance to say something, attempt to convince Amber to do him this favor,
Christine walked into the animals' quarters while pinching her nose.
"It smells awful in here," she whined. "Nathaniel, are you almost ready to go? Did you clear
things up with that Amber girl?"
Nathaniel and Amber could both detect the distaste in Christine's voice; but Amber took up a
polite, gracious smile and came toward Christine.
"Oh it's all good to go. Just have him back by eight, Miss….?"
Christine tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Christine Sutcher."
"Okay. Just have him back by eight Miss Slutcher."
Nathaniel choked on his laugh, happy that Christine didn't notice Amber's little insult.
"Yeah, whatever," Christine sniffed, grabbing Nathaniel's hand and pulling him from the tent.
"Thanks El!" Nathaniel called over his shoulder.
Amber just waved him off and rolled her eyes.
"How's that, guys?" she asked the monkeys as they all scrambled forward to grab the food she
offered them in the palm of her hands. She giggled as she felt them take the small scraps, but
frowned as she felt her phone vibrate. Amber wiped her hands on her pants and dug in her
pocket for her cell phone.
Update? The text read.
Fine so far, Amber texted back. She glanced over her shoulder nervously to make sure no one was
watching her. Do they suspect anything? No. Good. When will you be ready to move in? Soon. Very soon.
Amber sighed and deleted the messages before closing her phone and shoved it back into her
pocket.