Part 2
But in the blink of an eye, everything changed!
Instead of taking a delicate sniff of the beautiful bouquet, Koko opened her mouth wide, shoved the yellow daisies straight inside, and took a massive, crunchy bite! 🌼
The entire crowd behind the reinforced glass let out a loud, synchronized gasp that echoed through the viewing gallery.
Barnaby’s heavy jaw practically dropped straight onto his knuckles.
He stood there, frozen in place like a four-hundred-pound stone monument, watching in absolute, horrified disbelief as three months of meticulous romantic planning were instantly pulverized into green juice.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Koko didn’t just nibble on a single petal; she ravenously devoured the top half of the arrangement like a starving toddler given a bucket of candy.
Bright yellow marigold petals stuck out from the sides of her black lips like a frantic, messy lion’s mane.
She chewed with deep, noisy, satisfying gulps, her eyes squeezed completely shut in sheer culinary ecstasy.
To Koko, this had never been a symbol of eternal romance, a gentlemanly courtly gesture, or a sign of poetic devotion.
To Koko, this was simply a high-end, organic, locally-sourced gourmet salad delivered straight to her VIP lounge chair! 🥗
Barnaby blinked once in utter confusion.
He blinked a second time, praying his eyesight was failing him.
He looked down at his huge empty right hand, then looked back up at Koko, who was currently slurping down the leafy green stems like they were crispy stalks of buttered celery.
His silver back twitched with a mix of existential shock and profound confusion.
Behind the glass, the crowd of tourists burst into uncontrollable, tear-jerking laughter.
“He didn’t bring her flowers, he brought her lunch!” a man in the back shouted, wiping a tear from his eye.
“Honestly, that is the most relatable dating outcome I have ever seen in my life!” a woman laughed, holding her phone high to record every second.
Barnaby couldn’t read the English signs posted around his habitat, but he certainly understood the comical vibe of the moment.
He had strived with all his heart to be a smooth, sophisticated prince, but he had ended up becoming nothing more than an unpaid Uber Eats driver for primates.
Koko finished swallowing the final stem with a satisfied sigh, licked her dark lips clean of yellow pollen, and let out a small, resonant burp that echoed off the hollow log.
She looked directly back at Barnaby, her deep brown eyes shining with a radiant, brand-new intensity.
For the first time in three long, lonely years, she didn’t turn her head away in boredom.
She didn’t swing up into the high climbing ropes to escape his presence.
She didn’t ignore him to meticulously groom her left foot.
Instead, she shifted her weight on the wide wooden log, cleared a spot right beside her, patted the rough oak bark with her hand, and emitted a soft, warm, gentle grunt.
It was a vocalization Barnaby had never heard her direct toward him before.
It wasn’t a defensive warning sound, and it certainly wasn’t a demand for personal space.
It was a genuine, heartfelt invitation to sit down together.
Barnaby’s heart skipped two full beats in his chest.
He looked down at the newly cleared spot on the log, then looked back into Koko’s eyes.
She was gazing at him not with her usual cold indifference, but with genuine warmth, deep appreciation, and perhaps a subtle hint of hope that more delicious garden treats might be coming in the future.
Slowly, awkwardly, and with immense care, Barnaby took a step toward the log.
He didn’t puff out his massive chest to look intimidating.
