Taming The Tiger Man - Genma Series #1

"So, in addition to compensating for the damage, they also offered you a job?" Paul's question interrupted Angelina's focus on the morning news on television as she cooked. Her attempt to make perfectly round sunny-side-up eggs for breakfast resulted in scrambled ones.

"Yeah," Angelina replied, staring at the eggs' transformed state with a hint of resignation. Cooking wasn't her forte. "Do you want sweet soy sauce?"

Turning toward her husband, Angelina found Paul dressed in his office attire, seated in the dining room with a minimalist counter separating it from the kitchen. Sunlight poured in from the windows behind him, illuminating his hair with a soft glow.

"Sure," Paul replied, taking another sip of his coffee. "Maybe you can try a recipe from the internet."

Angelina responded with a quick smile, then added sweet soy sauce to their egg-topped rice.

She wasn't particularly keen on following her husband's culinary suggestions.

As she served breakfast, the fresh scent of Hugo Boss perfume mixed with Paul's pomade filled the air. Angelina sat down across from him. Her eyes lit up as they settled on their small garden beyond the glass of the large window framed in white-painted aluminum. A three-tiered fountain, flowing into a freshwater fish pond and surrounded by greenery and white lilies, caught her attention.

A fleeting image of the gray and white striped wild cat flitted through her mind, causing her lips to curl into a smile.

Perhaps Maw-Maw would pay the fish another visit, just as she did yesterday.

"So, when are you going to quit?"

"Uh, what?" Angelina blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Huh?"

"Angel..."

"Oh, no. I'm not interested," Angelina replied, a touch of exasperation in her voice. "I like my job."

"Becoming a vet for dangerous animals for just a little over the minimum wage?"

Angelina gave her husband an incredulous look and said, "They're not dangerous. They're sweet and obedient."

However, Paul's expression remained unimpressed. His black eyes narrowed as he countered her words. "Sweet, as in when the gorilla bruised your hand poking it or when the python decided to escape its cage out of boredom?"

Angelina's lips pursed in response. "Accidents happen. It's part of the job. It's normal."

“Angel, you know it’s not that simple. I don't want you working at the zoo. It's too risky. Remember when you said the tiger almost killed its mate?"

Paul continued to voice his concerns. "Now, you have a job offer at a human hospital. It pays more, and your role would be assisting researchers. Why hesitate about accepting?"

"Yeah, I can't just quit like that. And besides..."

"Besides?"

"I don't know." Angelina's forehead creased with small wrinkles as she frowned. "I have a bad feeling about it."

"Bad feeling?"

Paul paused in his coffee sipping. He lifted his head to meet Angelina's gaze. Their eyes met before Angelina averted her gaze, focusing on the street view visible through the window behind her husband.

Empty, naturally. The neighborhood was relatively new; many houses remained unoccupied.

"Angel…," Paul began.

"Doctor Reiner knew my name. He even called me 'Doctor' when I regained consciousness," Angelina interjected. "I felt like the car accident was intentional."

A small chuckle escaped Paul’s lips. He shook his head as he stirred the rice to distribute the soy sauce and egg evenly on top. "Angel, you're always so skeptical."

Embarrassment flushed Angelina's cheeks. She remembered when Paul teased her about Mr. Tukul, the street vendor, following them during their morning walk. "It's not just that! They also want me to stay there five days a week."

“Overnight?" Paul's rant paused, his gaze puzzled as he turned toward Angelina. "Isn't the hospital close to our house? It's only a thirty-minute drive, right?"

"That's why I declined," Angelina sighed, her voice heavy. "The salary is higher, but..."

"...found pieces of his body in the crocodile cage. The police thought if this veterinarian had an accident while conducting an animal inspection alone..."

Angelina's words trailed off as she looked at the television mounted on the wall, broadcasting images of officers evacuating a body bag at an East Java zoo.

A veterinarian? How was that possible?

"That's enough!" Paul suddenly exclaimed, turning off the television. Angelina glanced at her husband, finding him looking stern. "Either accept the job or stay home."

"Hey!" Angelina protested, but she couldn't ignore the intensity of Paul's expression, which was even scarier than Bowo, the toothache tiger.

Paul took a deep breath and leaned back, pressing against the chair. It was his trademark lecturing posture he used with his younger wife. "Angel, I know you love your job, but..."

Angelina clenched her teeth. She didn't like when Paul used the word "but" with that tone. It meant he was in his bossy mode.

Paul's eyebrows furrowed, and he snorted before continuing his lecture. "But you're my responsibility now. Although I never had the chance to meet your late parents, I'm sure they would blame me if anything happened while you were working. So..."

Thinking about her parents, who had died in a car accident on the day of her master's graduation, made Angelina's heart ache. She stood up, cutting him off softly. "Paul, enough. I'm resigning today."

Paul's expression softened. He stood as well, saying, "Angel, I mean well."

Despite her gloominess, Angelina nodded. "Paul, I'm leaving first."

"You haven't eaten breakfast," Paul reminded her. "I'll be home in the afternoon. After you resign, have fun at the mall and buy new clothes. Tomorrow, I'll go to Genma with you."

"I'm not hungry. I'll eat around noon," Angelina replied, picking up her untouched plate. An uncomfortable feeling clouded her expression.

Why can't Paul understand that I love my job?

Paul released a long breath, sitting back down to finish his breakfast. Meanwhile, Angelina stored the unseasoned rice in the rice cooker and put the omelet in the refrigerator.

"I'll head out first," she murmured. She would miss the animals. Would Bowo's cubs be born healthy?

Paul's call made Angelina pause in her steps. "Yes?"

"Remember to pick up your birth control pills. Don't forget."

Embarrassment tinged Angelina's sadness. She nodded, cheeks warming. "I will. I'm leaving now."

"You haven't even kissed your husband."

"Kiss?" Angelina stammered, her cheeks turning even redder. "I mean, I haven't..."

A smirk played on Paul's lips as he noticed Angelina's bashful expression. He approached her.

"But this time, I want you to kiss me first," Paul demanded, lowering his head.

A cloud of shyness settled over Angelina. With Paul's warm breath caressing her cheek and their lips inches apart, her heart raced.

"N-now?" Angelina stuttered, her voice uncertain.

"Yes."

Gathering her courage, she leaned in, their lips meeting for a fleeting moment before she quickly retreated. "I-I'm leaving!"

Paul's laughter trailed behind her as she left the house. While there would be moments in the future when she could playfully tease him in return, her current priority was the road ahead and the impending decision about quitting her job at the zoo.