Chapter Six:
Charlie
Salem sat on a bench reading a story she had found photocopied and placed a box in the supermarket she had just been at. Enjoying the randomness but still connected story she giggled. The character of Charlie reminded her of a friend she had once had while running with the animals, he was a very nice giant wad of gum with a great sense of humor. She smiled as she finished the short story and placed the copy in her black polyester-cotton blend, drawstring bag. The bag had a cherry blossom pattern on it, with beige branches cascading down from the top, multiple neon colored blooms adorning them with neon green leaves scattered around. She pulled the black strings closing the bag shrugged them onto her shoulder before heading back to work.
Seeing Vince, wearing a poncho and Howard babbling on about being a writer, she shrugged and continued on her way. Vince watched as she walked around the zoo, checking on the animals and running about the reptile room. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turned and smiled at him before continuing on her with her duties. Howard sat down for a break, spying on Giddion through holes in a book. Fossil popped through the window, catching Howards attention.
While Fossil ramble on about trying to get the pandas to kiss and make baby pandas, with Howard debating back and forth with him. Vince went to feed more of the animals.
Salem finished documenting the feedings, skin sheddings and other things of the reptilian nature and was off to feed and care for more of the animals.
Vince saw Salem reading to one of the tigers, giggling with the tiger roaring with laughter. He smiled and made his way closer to the pair.
"... Eric decided to refreeze Charlie, but in his reptilian haste he accidentally froze him into the shape of a hoover..." He heard Salem read out loud with a chuckle and a smile. The tiger gave a grunt in amusement.
"I see you found one of my stories." Vince said, taking a seat on the outside of the enclosure next to Salem.
"Yes, I find it adorably funny, Vince. You never told me you wrote novelettes." She said still giggling. The tiger, deciding to leave the pair alone, got up and went back into its cave. Vince nodded and took the copy of his story from Salem.
"Do you have a pen?" Vince asked, Salem nodded and dug a pen out from her bag, handing it to him.
'To my dear friend Salem. Love Vince Noir.' He wrote on the back of the last page. Handing the stack of paper and pen back to her. She smiled at him and read the message. A small bit of heat filled her cheeks, but she quickly shook it off.
"Thank you Vince, but I must ask, Is Charlie based on a real person?" She asked. Vince nodded.
"I thought he might be. I know Charlie as well." She said smiling, placing the items back into her bag.
"Oh really?" Vince asked. She nodded in reply.
"Yes, great guy. Sometimes he sneaks into Howards room and watches him as he sleeps." She said giggling. Vince smiled nodding.
"Yea, that's him." He said chuckling.
"Well, I must go tend to more of the animals. The poor things need someone to feed them and talk with them." Salem said, standing up and making her way to the next exhibit. Vince watched as she left.
"Hey Vince." He heard Howard calling him.
Vince was dressed as a panda, while Howard tried to explain the plan to get the pandas to mate.
"But I don't look anything like a panda." Vince said, as they walked to the females cage.
"Pandas are very short sighted, you'll be fine." Howard explained. Salem walked by at that moment and connected the dots as to what was going on. She giggled at the ridiculous plan as Vince entered the enclosure. Howard began spying on Giddion again. Shaking her head, she walked away, leaving the pair of men to their own devices.
Salem sighed as Vince rambled on about having chemistry with the female panda. Howard rolled his eyes.
"... He's a brute, he doesn't understand what she needs. There's no way those two are gettin' it on." Vince ended his defense. Salem face palmed herself mentally and continued to walk.
Howard sat at the table, typewriter in front of him. The sound of the wind distracting him from his writing. He stood, and shut the door, silencing the noise for a moment. The sound of the wind came again, Howard checked the door, finding it closed he searched the table, finding the radio on and quickly shutting it off.
Howard sat back down and began typing, until he heard the sound of wind once again. Giving an exhausted sigh, he stood and began searching for the noise yet again. Finally, he walked over to Vince and pulled the magazine away from his face, discovering that it was him making the noise.
"You have to admit, it was pretty good." Vince said smiling.
"Yea, can you do fog." Howard replied annoyed. Vince stayed silent.
"Ah, here. Tell me what you think." Howard said pulling out the piece of paper. Vince walked over to him and took the paper.
"Well, what do you think?" Howard asked.
"I think you're just trying to do this bit to impress Giddion." Vince said teasingly. Howard sighed.
"No, deep down I'm a writer. I have very deep thoughts..." Howard began to ramble as Vince started to laugh.
"...And when Giddion and I do get together, and we will. It will be amazing." Howard concluded, noticing Vinces muffled laughter.
"What?" Howard asked, Vince just shook his head.
"You're mad." Vince laughed.
"How am I mad? I want and equal, someone who can stimulate my mind and have intelligent conversations with. Don't you want an equal?" Howard said, annoyed by his friends persistent chuckling.
"Well, yea, I want an equal. I've told you. I want a girl who loves bright colors and soft fabrics, and dancing." Vince said, Howard rolled his eyes.
"Just tell me what you think." Howard said, directing their conversation back to his novel.
"It's just a sentence." Vine said glancing at it.
"Just read it." Howard said.
"I'm not in the mood." Vince tried dodging. Howard began trying to convince him to read it. Vince told him that he didn't want to because he couldn't take criticism. Howard tried to hold it in, but the moment Vince began to make a suggestion, he started throwing things.
Salem sat in her comfy chair, sketching out the tiger from earlier with her pencil. Having just taken a bath and letting beauty products absorb into her hair, she held her pencil and sketch pad on her lap, sketching out the tiger she had conversed with earlier in the day.
A knock startled her out of her calm. She got up to answer it, peeking through a crack in the door, she saw Vince.
"Vince? What are you doing here at this time of night?" She asked opening the door for the man. He stepped in, feeling the chill of the night begin to leave his bones.
"Have a seat, would you care for some tea?" She asked, motioning to the couch for him to sit. He nodded and settled himself down.
"So, what brings you to my door this evening Vince?" She asked, handing him a fresh cup of tea and seating herself back down in the chair.
"Howard can't take criticism, and began throwing things about. So, I left until he cools it for a while." Vince said. Salem smiled and pictured Howards tantrum.
"Well, that's too bad. You're more than welcome to stay for a while. I was just sketching out the tiger from earlier while this serum sets in my hair." She said, looking back at the sketch she had started. Vince looked over at the concentrating girl in the chair across from him. Her eyes were focused on the sketch on her lap while her right hand worked on the details of the tigers form. He smiled at the small scene playing out before him.
Salem looked up from the sketch and smiled, blowing off the extra pencil dust and handed the picture over to him. He took it and began examining it.
"This is amazing, Salem. You really have a talent." He said, admiring the drawing. She smiled, a small blush taking her cheeks.
"I wouldn't say amazing, but it is one of the better ones I've done." She said modestly. Vince shook his head with a chuckle.
"I mean it. You have a gift for art." He complimented further. She smiled.
"Thank you, Vince." She said, picking out a folder from one of the shelves and placing the picture in it. She was about to put the folder away when the folder slipped out of her hand and scattered the many sketches across the floor.
"Oh, I'm such a klutz." She said, kneeling down to begin picking them up. Vince stood and knelt beside her, helping to clean up the mess. He found sketches of many of the employees and animals. Vince admired them as he gathered them together. They mess was almost cleaned, until one sketch caught his eye. He picked it up carefully, and began examining it. It was a sketch of him talking with a cobra. It was very well done, and looked as if it could be a black and white photograph.
Salem blushed lightly as he examined the sketch of the scene. She had admired the way he spoke to the animal and conversed. She had never known of anyone other than herself that could do such things. Vince smiled and placed the sketches he had collected back in the folder, Salem mimicking his actions and placing the folder away.
"So, Salem. What other secret talents do you have?" Vince said smiling. She smiled back and motioned for him to follow her. The pair walked down the small hallway and into a bright green room, filled with stack, upon stacks of material. In the corner sat a shelf filled with various colors of thread and a sewing machine. Another shelf to the other side of the machine held various types of jewelry making materials. Vince smiled at the bright colors and strange patterns, running his hand across the soft and some silky fabric stacks.
"I love to sew and create my own fashion pieces!" She said with a hint of excitement as she roamed about the room finding several of her unfinished projects. Vince looked around in awe at the sketches that were taped to the walls of her various designs. Some he had seen her wear on occasion. His mind blanked as she explained some of her more detailed pieces.
"Vince? Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, waving her hand in front of his eyes. He nodded, still too stunned for words.
"Here, let's go back to the sitting room and let your mind catch up." She said softly, guiding him to back to the sitting room and setting him down on the couch. His mind began clearing as he sat and began to sip his tea.
"It's getting late." Vince said, finally looking up to find Salem sketching away once again. She nodded in agreement.
"I should be going, Howard has probably simmered down by now." He said, she smiled.
"Of course. Let me show you out then." She said, standing and leading him to the door.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Vince asked smiling.
"Don't you always, Mr. Noir?" She replied giggling at his consistent farewell, nodding he left her apartment.
The next day, Salem was busy tending to a rather large python who had tied herself into a knot, when an excited voice rang through the reptile house. The echo off the walls startled her, causing her to fall backwards into the large pool of water in the enclosure.
Vince watched as the girl emerged from the water, patting the snake gently, and going back to work on the knot.
"Salem! You'll never guess what just happened!" Vince said excitedly. Salem smiled as she began her work on the snakes body, encouraging it to relax and let her manipulate it.
"Really Vince. What's going on?" She said calmly, maneuvering the snake into a better position. Vince smiled.
"Hamilton Cork came to the apartment saying he wanted to publish my Charlie story." Vince replied. Salem smiled and moved the snakes body, finally untying the poor thing. She left the enclosure, and made her way to the excited man.
"That's great news Vince! I'm so happy for you!" She said, sharing the excitement. Vince looked at the now drenched girl, her clothes hugged tightly to her body, her hair had gone flat and was matted to her face and neck. He watched as a bead of water rolled down her face and across her light rose tinted lips. She smiled, breaking him out of the trance he had found himself trapped in and smiled back.
"Yes, there's going to be a party for writers tonight. Howard is going as my caddy. Perhaps you would like to go as well?" Vince said. Salem smiled.
"I wasn't planning on doing anything tonight, so I don't see the harm in going with you and Howard." She said, flashing him a bright smile.
"Right. Well, I've got to get to the Panda enclosure, so, I'll see you then?" Vince said, trying to hide his love affair with the female panda. Salem giggled and rolled her eyes.
"Of course Vince." She answered watching the man leave. A small sigh left her lips. New feelings started to emerge from within her stomach and it made her queasy. Shrugging it off she checked the time, seeing it was time to quit for the day, she headed towards her apartment to begin getting ready.
Salem started with a bath to take the chill out of her bones from the fall in the pythons pool. Wrapping a soft, fluffy towel around her, she began on her hair. She applied the serums and conditioners to it, while waiting for them to absorb she painted her nails with a clear coat for shine. She blew her hair dry and brushed it out, leaving most of it down and pulling the sides back with a hair tie with a bright purple and pink rose clipped to the tie.
She applied some nude eye shadow, and rimmed her eyes with black liner and mascara. The last step was applying some cherry chap stick to her lips. She walked to her closet and searched for an outfit.
She dug through the closet and finally decided on some light grey, tattered, skinny jeans. A shimmering, deep green, spaghetti strapped tank top and a bright purple jacket, cropped and frayed just below her bust and a matching green set of undergarments.
She found a purple studded belt, a set of small silver hoops for her top piercings, and a pair silver chain dangling rings for her bottom ones. A simple silver chain hung around her neck with a bright pink rose pendant dangling from it. She found some silver bangles to adorn her wrists, and a pair of bright purple, open toed heals. Nodding at the outfit she had before her, she began to get dressed.
Salem checked herself in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Checking the time and deciding to start on her way to meet her two friends.
While walking along the path, she spotted Howard dressed in a checkered suit, with Vince in his poncho with the added accessory of a white cowboy hat. Salem smiled at the pair.
"Vince! Howard!" She called out to them. The duo turned and stopped at the sight of the woman. Vince let his eyes roam over her figure, which was brought out more with her clothing style. The normally five foot two girl was slightly taller thanks to her shoes.
They stopped and waited as the girl gracefully made her way over to them. Vince watched her body move like a tigress on the prowl, graceful and dangerous. The men offered her their arms, she smiled and linked an arm with each of them as they made there way to the party.
Once they had arrived, the party was already in swing, with Bainbridge entering and mistaking Naboo for Vince. Salem sighed internally as Hamilton Cork and Vince discussed the story, with Howard handing his one sentence to Cork. Cork thought it was brilliant, until Howard was escorted out of the party for punching Giddion in the nose for even trying to criticize his work.
Salem shook her head at the scene, and pinched the bridge of her nose. That's when she heard Vince giving some sort of warning about Charlie being real, and how he was going to come after Cork and Bainbridge. Sighing Salem went and sat with Naboo.
As the two horrid men laughed at Vince, the wind picked up. Two creatures dressed in bright pink entered through the gates. The music began to play as Charlie entered the zoo. Salem smiled upon seeing her old friend again and didn't panic like the other guests did.
The next morning Salem helped Giddion tape up her nose, and went to tend to the other animals as normal. Salem walked by Vince and Howard catching something about Giddion hooking up with the male panda, and how Howard had punched her in the face. She smiled and walked up behind Howard, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.
" It's alright Howard. 'Tis better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.' " Salem said, releasing Howard and turning to Vince. She threw her arms around his neck in a hug. He felt the back of his head push against her breast, heart thumping wildly as the girl spoke.
"Right Vince?" She asked, trying to cheer her friend up. Vince nodded, taking in a silent breath as she released him.