Sadly, the animal seemed glad to see him. They all did and they always had. Dirk approached her and crouched beside her.

“It’s my last day,” he told her, stroking her back. “But maybe one day we’ll meet somewhere less cluttered.”

The animal rested her head in the crook of Dirk’s arm. He stroked her head lightly before sliding the tool out from beneath his slicker.

The sound it made was quick. Slick. And Dirk’s entire forearm was bathed in the warmth of her blood.

Then Dirk got up and headed back inside, off to take a shower.

He imagined how he’d look in his suit as he washed his hands and body.

On his way out, Dirk stepped into the office and placed his resignation on the desk. He turned the lamp on above it so the boss couldn’t miss it. He stood in the doorway and looked back at the white paper for a long time.

It felt good. Man. It really did.

As far as Dirk knew, it would be the last time he ever stepped foot in the House.

23

“That’s awesome!”

Patrick was as excited about Dirk quitting the House as Dirk thought he’d be. “That’s gonna take more than one shot,” he said, ordering another round from the bar.

The City Slope was just what Dirk needed. They sat at the bar, on golden stools, sinking into the ambience, feeling the music, the voices, the nightlife surrounding them. The bar was crowded. A wall-length mirror framed in soft marquee lights reflected the pair, and Dirk liked the looks of himself in a suit.

A future with many nights like this one was spread before him like a pack of playing cards. He could pick them all if he wanted to.

Dirk and Patrick cheered Goblin. They cheered the rain. They cheered everything.

“Look,” Patrick said, nudging Dirk and motioning to a pair of women in the mirror. “This might be our moment.”

They looked like nice ladies to Dirk. A brunette and a blonde, both wearing dresses that suggested they, too, needed a night out.

Patrick swiveled on his stool and spoke to them first.

And as he did, Dirk looked about the crowded bar, feeding off the chatter, the energy, the style. It was so simple to him just then, his elbows on the mahogany bar, so easy.

Then in the shadows of a booth he saw Robin Jacobs, his boss at the zoo. The other men with Jacobs looked like bosses, too, and Dirk smiled because the phrase he’d said so many times (today I will be my own boss) didn’t mean what he’d thought it meant.

“Dirk,” Patrick said, tapping his friend on the shoulder. “You’ve got to meet Laura and—”

“Janine,” the blonde said.

“Janine,” Patrick echoed.

Dirk turned to face her. He stood up and offered Janine his seat. Smiling, she took it.