My first day at my new job came quicker than I expected, but never-the-less I was still overjoyed. As I walked through the double doors of the Tybee Island Research Center, I was immediately hit with the overwhelming chatter of children playing. Sea creatures lined the walls in their tanks, and by the touch pool, a group of children was huddled there, waiting to discover the sea life waiting there. I smiled over at them as I continued walking towards the back of the aquarium.
"Elsie Andrews? My name is Ammie Johnson." A tall woman wearing a dark green blouse and black slacks inquired as I closed the door behind me.
"Yes?" I answered, "I hope I went through the right door."
She grinned, "You're fine. I'll give you a tour of the office, did you see the aquarium when you came in?"
"Yes, it was lovely." I smiled, feeling suddenly giddy.
"Now, as you know, our research center holds a variety of different departments. We are a search and rescue facility and aquarium. We have a team of divers, Marine Biologists, and conservationists who are all dedicated to protecting the Marine wildlife and keeping the ocean healthy."
I nodded, listening intently to what she said. I knew that this was a perfect place to work. She stopped at a door, and turned the knob, motioning for me to enter. Inside the room was a table and a turtle who sat alone in a pan. Its shell was trapped and warped in what looked like the plastic of a six-pack. I placed my hands over my mouth, shocked and overwhelmed with sadness as I watched the turtle wriggle in pain. I looked up, wondering why they haven't taken the plastic ring off of the poor turtle. Then I saw Alex from across the way, bandaging another turtle before placing him gently in a tank for the other veterinarian. I watched as he walked over, cut the plastic off of the injured turtle, and flinging the rings in another bin labeled recycling.
"Will she be okay?" I found myself saying, not moving from my place in the doorway.
He nodded, "Yeah, she'll be fine." He looked up at me, "Are you okay?"
All I could do was nod, "Well, good job guys, I'm going to take Elsie on the next stop in our tour." I turned and followed Ammie out of the clinic.
"That poor turtle," I said as we walked down the hall and into another room.
After about twenty minutes of looking around and being introduced to my co-workers, we finally stopped at my department. A group of ten people sat together at a table, some were avidly conversing with one another, and the rest were going through paperwork.
"Everyone, this is Elsie Andrews. She is your new supervisor; I expect you all to give her a warm welcome. I'll leave you to it." And then she was gone, leaving me with people I didn't know.
They all looked over and smiled. I started to pick at the hem of my shirt as I walked towards them, "It's nice to meet you guys."
"You too." A blonde-haired woman said, "I'm Emma, and this is Thomas, Jeanne, Erik, Samantha, Celeste, Mark, Seth, Todd, and Michaela." She pointed at each person individually, and I felt my head spin.
"Thank you, Emma, I'll try to remember everyone's names. Now, since this is my first day, how about we go over this month's work."
Erik, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, stood and fumbled through the filing cabinet before handing me a manila folder. I took it and set it on the table, scanning the paperwork for the last time they had gone outside to do a proper clean up. "Alright, so I want to schedule a beach clean up next week, but I want to do a trash dive a few days before that. How many of you have their diver's certification?" I looked up; they all had their thumbs up as if to say that they did. "Alright, I would like to have two group swims on the fifteenth, and we'll work on the North Beach on the eighteenth. I'll run it by Aimme after lunch."
They nodded in unison, I sat down at the table, scribbling on a sticky note before having them go over the recent trash pick up. As soon as I rounded the corner to go to Aimme's office, I almost ran into someone. "Ope, sorry."
He laughed, a familiar laugh, "You're fine."
I looked up and met Alex's eyes, "How do we keep running into each other?"
He shrugged, "So are we still up for dinner tonight?"
Grinning, I nodded, "Yeah, I'll see you then." I passed him, determined to get to Aimme's office without getting sidetracked.
*
When I got home, I immediately called Nova, I had no idea what I was supposed to wear, and she had the best fashion sense out of both of us. When she pulled up the drive, I had just gotten out my straightened when she burst through the front door.
"Careful!" I yelled from the bathroom, plugging in the straightener to let it heat up. "What are you doing over there?"
"I brought clothes, obviously," She said with a huff. Making my way around the corner, I noticed the stack of dresses that ran the length of the armchair. "Are you serious? I told you I didn't want you to bring your wardrobe!"
"I didn't. These are the emergency date clothes I bought for you. I knew you would give them away if I let you take care of them." She pauses to pick up a purple gown, "Why aren't you wearing any makeup?"
Glaring at her, I grab the stack of clothes and place them on my bed as Nova follows close behind, "I understand you don't like makeup, but it's been two years since your last date, and It's okay if you try a little. You don't have to dress up your entire face, but a little powder and blush never hurt anyone."
Sighing, I nodded, instantly regretting it when she threw her arms around me in an extra tight hug. "Fine, but I get to choose what I wear. I'm not wearing anything sexy."
"Fine, but I get to choose what you wear on your next date." She grinned, winking at me before exiting to grab what I presumed was her makeup bag. Shaking my head, I began to fumble through the stack of clothes to find something that would suit me.
"Alright," Nova exclaimed, her blue eyes gleamed in delight, "You need to pick an outfit so that I can contrast it with your eyeshadow."
"What about this?" I asked, placing the navy-blue gown against my skin.
"Perfect! Now, try it on so that I can do your makeup." Shaking my head, I strip and pull the dress on. Grabbing some nude wedges, I pulled them on and sat back down on the bed. I watched as Nova pulled a makeup brush out of her bag and ran it over some powder before applying it over my face. Five minutes later, and my makeup was done, and I was straightening my hair. By the time I was finished getting ready, it was nearly six. Unplugging the straightener, I hugged my sister and exited my home, remembering that I was supposed to be at Alex's house by six. Luckily, I didn't have to walk long.
I felt the nerves rise at the pit of my stomach as I stared at Alex's front door. Nova said I should try, but what if something goes wrong? What if he turns out to be like my ex? What if we get hurt? Shaking my head, I knocked on the door and waited.
A few moments after Alex answered the door, he was wearing a blue button-up shirt and fitted jeans. I noticed that his eyes seemed to go brighter as he saw me. "You look beautiful." I felt my cheeks burn as I looked down.
"Thank you. You look handsome too." He motioned for me to come inside, and I noticed the sound of jazz was playing through the stereo. The home was open and bright. It had a comfort to it that I couldn't explain, and it felt utterly familiar.
"Are you ready to eat? I made burgers; I hope you aren't a vegetarian." He paused, "I mean that's not a bad thing, but I- "
Turning towards him, I smiled appreciative at him, "You're fine, Alex, breathe. We're just two people having dinner together, who happen to like each other." And then I realized what I said. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I went across the table and sat down. "Are you ready to eat? I'm starving."
"Yeah, let's eat." I knew he heard me because he smiled after I tried to hide the fact that I liked him. What am I doing? If he didn't like me, he wouldn't have asked me to dinner.
"I'm sorry, I haven't had a date in two years, and I- I'm not used to all of this." I fumbled, grabbing a hamburger bun from its bag and setting it on my plate.
"It's okay, like you said: we're just two people having dinner together." He smiled, taking a bite of his already made sandwich. I smiled over at him, finishing my sandwich and taking a bite.
I didn't realize just how hungry I was until I took a bite of my burger, my stomach rumbled as I took another bite. This was probably the best burger I have ever tasted. "This is good, thank you for dinner."
"You're welcome." He said, taking a big gulp of his sweet tea. Grabbing the pitcher, I poured myself a glass. I knew the insane amount of sugar that they put in southern sweet tea wasn't good for me, but it was too hard not to pass up. "So, where did you graduate?"
"I graduated from Northwest Missouri State with an undergraduate in Marine Biology. I worked at the aquarium in Springfield for seven years up until I got offered a position here." I said, pausing to take a drink of my sweet tea, "What about you?"
"I graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina for Veterinary Medicine. And I also work as a Scuba instructor."
"Really?" I asked, intrigued. "Where is your family from?"
"Summerville." He replied, his eyes gleaming at the mention of his family. I nodded, taking another bite of my sandwich. "So, after dinner, I thought we could sit on the porch and talk."
"Normally I would, but I have to work early in the morning. Maybe next time."
"I see."
"I'm sorry I would but- "
"No, I know; it's fine. I understand, s no big deal."
"Where is your Great Dane?" I ask, suddenly remembering that I had not seen his dog since it trampled me. He grinned and motioned towards the backdoor.
We talked for about an hour before we cleaned the table and rinsed the dishes. I felt terrible that I couldn't stay out late, but we still talked during dinner, curious about who the other person was. That was when I got a call from Nova, who told me she had a surprise in my living room. And when I managed to leave Alex's home and entered my own, I was bombarded with my sister and my brother-in-law, who popped a Champaign popper in my general direction.
"What are you two doing! Why are you in my house?"
"We're pregnant!" They screamed, overjoyed at the news, and then it hit me: I was going to be an aunt.