Marine Biologist
MARINE BIOLOGIST – September 24, 2024 – Washington, D.C., USA
The week-long retreat was supposed to revitalize Shiloh’s life. He arrived at the West Virginia compound prepared for a complete perspective adjustment. As required, he turned over his phone at check-in. The only electrical device he was allowed to control was the light switch in his sparse room.
Shiloh took long hikes in the woods with the eleven other people in his encounter group. They admired changing leaves, collected nuts and berries, and took time to sit and listen to the wind until they were bored. They learned pottery and yoga, wrote and read poems, and dug up potatoes in the garden. The only information they were allowed to share about their normal lives was their name. No talk about careers or schools or families. They were there to concentrate only on the present.
Shiloh returned to his Washington-area home convinced that his outlook was different, but not because of peaceful introspection. He met a girl in his group. Anya was intoxicatingly attractive, but in a way that was different than all the other girls he dated. He needed to be near her the way he needed warmth on a frigid day. She looked cleverly stylish while digging potatoes. She made the most senseless poem fun and interesting.
On his first day back at work, Shiloh spent his lunch hour gushing over Anya to his best friend and colleague, Travis. Shiloh and Travis started their jobs as paid lobbyists at the same time and trusted each other completely. They kept secrets from their family members, but not from each other.
“It feels like I simultaneously know everything and nothing about Anya,” Shiloh said excitedly to Travis. “I know she’s bad with pottery and what makes her roll her eyes, but I have no idea where she’s from or what she does for work.”
“So how are you going to contact her if you want to keep the magical connection going?”
“We broke one little rule and she told me her phone number. I had to memorize it because I didn’t have my phone with me to add her to my contacts.”
“Then I’m guessing you already called her.”
“First thing after I had cell service again,” Shiloh said with a proud grin. “We’re having dinner tomorrow. Turns out we only live five miles apart.”
“Sounds perfect. And I have to say you look happier than you have in a couple years. The last time we talked before you left, you were kind of a wreck. It’s like you’ve found a whole new reason to live.”
“I really like this girl,” Shiloh said with a far-off glance. “I think she could be my destiny girl.”
Travis attempted to tease his friend a little by asking, “Do you mean a one-and-only destiny girl or could there be others out there?”
Shiloh ignored him and added, “I just hope this isn’t one-sided and she thinks the same about me. Even if she thinks partially the same, that’s good enough. I can adapt to whatever else she wants.”
“Yikes. I don’t think you’ve ever said anything like that before. Maybe you should slow down a little.”
“I don’t want to slow down. But I am worried what she’s going to think when she finds out about my job.”
Travis acted like he was offended, “What’s wrong with being a couple of red-blooded American lobbyists?”
“You know how politics are in this town. She’s sure to be on the other side of some issue I’ve worked for. I don’t want some stupid thing like that to mess things up for us before they even get started.”
“You could tell her you don’t believe in anything and you’re only in it for the money.”
Shiloh smirked in reply before saying, “I’m seriously thinking about telling her I have a whole different job.”
“Oh, that should go over well. Most successful relationships start with at least a medium-sized lie,” Travis said sarcastically.
“I’d say it’s smaller-sized. My job is only one part of me. I’d tell her the truth about everything else. And it would only be until the relationship is solid. Then I’ll tell her I was kidding at first and we’ll laugh about it.”
Travis shook his head and then chuckled to himself. “You should tell her you’re a marine biologist.”
“Why would I pick that?”
“Because you already sound like George from Seinfeld. Remember that episode where he tries to convince his high school crush he’s a marine biologist?”
“Yeah, yeah, I remember,” Shiloh replied with a laugh.
The two friends had been binge watching seasons of the sitcom, Seinfeld, and the Marine Biologist episode had been one of their favorites. They laughed together as they imagined Shiloh repeating something similar with Anya. Travis reminded him about the show’s closing scene in which George is asked to save a beached whale because of his claim to be a marine biologist.
“It was an epic backfire for George and it’s bound to backfire for you,” Travis warned Shiloh.
“I think I can handle things better than George,” Shiloh insisted. “And I really think I’m going to do it. I’ve thought of the perfect job. Museum curator. It sounds smart and respectable but not that interesting, so there won’t be a lot of questions. And no politics or controversy.”
“Good luck if you actually go through with it. I still say you’re better off telling the truth.”
“She’s too important for the truth.”
On the night of his first meeting with Anya since leaving West Virginia, Shiloh struggled with what to wear. He needed to walk the line between too formal and too casual. He also needed to look like he worked in a museum. He chose a shirt without a collar and a sports jacket. He told himself he looked stylish without having spent a fortune on clothes.
Anya confidently walked into the restaurant in an airy skirt and blouse. She wore her hair in a loose braid and her skin looked clear and vibrant. Shiloh stared speechlessly for several seconds.
“So this is how you look away from the woods,” Anya said in a warm, familiar voice.
Shiloh wanted to say something clever. “I’ve never been to this restaurant. Do they take us out back and make us pick our own food?”
“You grab the tomatoes. I’ll get the potatoes.”
They laughed at their inside joke before stepping toward the hostess stand and being led to a table. When they were left alone, Anya immediately said, “I feel like there’s so much to talk about, it’s hard to start. But I’m dying to hear what you do for work and where you’re from.”
Shiloh found himself mesmerized again. When he heard the term “work”, all he could remember was the beginning of his conversation with Travis. He blurted out, “I’m a marine biologist.”
“That’s interesting. Not something I would have guessed,” Anya said with a look that hinted she was filled with questions.
“But I do it at a museum. You could essentially say I work at a museum. The Smithsonian. They have all those science displays.”
Before Anya could probe further into his career, Shiloh revealed where he went to college and grew up. These new facts left her distracted long enough for Shiloh to ask all about her life.
“I work as a lobbyist, which can bother some people,” Anya revealed.
Shiloh instantly smiled. “No way. I think that sounds fascinating, if you’re in to that kind of stuff. How about your growing up story?”
As Anya described her childhood and college years, Shiloh felt relieved he had not admitted he was a lobbyist. A professional or political disagreement would be unavoidable between two lobbyists. But a lobbyist and a marine-biologist-museum-worker could build a solid foundation of things they had in common. And just like he hoped, they spent a wonderful evening laughing and discovering how their tastes in music, food, and leisure aligned. The only bumps in their conversation came when Anya asked curious questions about Shiloh’s marine biology specialization.
“It’s really kind of boring,” Shiloh said, trying to deflect. “It’s hard to talk about unless you’re next to the ocean and it’s a little embarrassing how rarely I see the water.”
Anya dropped the subject and they found plenty of other things to talk about. They stayed so late at the restaurant that the waiters resorted to rude hints about clearing their table. As they walked outside, Anya excitedly shared an idea.
“How about we do something this weekend? Maybe a little excursion? I’ll plan everything.”
Shiloh immediately agreed without checking his calendar. Any other plans he had could be missed.
“I’ll drive,” Anya added. “I’ll pick you up in the afternoon. Say 2:00.”
Shiloh replayed their dinner conversation over and over as he anxiously waited for the weekend. Everything seemed to confirm that their West Virginia encounter was more than a fling and Anya was seriously interested in him. She arrived at his townhome as promised on Saturday but remained mysterious about her plans. They drove out of the city and east through Maryland. Their conversation continued where it left off during dinner with no awkward pauses.
Shiloh was mostly engaged with listening to Anya, but a small fraction of his thoughts wondered where they might be going. If they continued in the same direction, they would end up in the Chesapeake Bay. After an hour on the highway, Shiloh saw signs for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and coastal communities. Anya followed an exit to a state park called Sandy Point Beach. She stopped in a parking lot and smiled like she was finally ready to reveal her surprise.
“I thought it would be nice to get away from the city. I heard what you said about not seeing the ocean enough. The Chesapeake counts as the ocean, doesn’t it?”
“I think so,” Shiloh said hesitantly.
“So now I hope you’ll tell me more about marine biology.”
She grabbed his hand as they followed a path through bushes and long grass to the golden sand of a beach. Shiloh loved the way she leaned against his shoulder but was terrified he would not be able to say anything intelligent about the ocean. He slowed his pace to a slow shuffle as he remembered the Seinfeld episode. He felt sure there was a beached whale somewhere ahead.
“Alright, here’s your chance to show off,” Anya said sweetly. “Tell me all about what’s swimming in that water.”
Shiloh chuckled uncomfortably. “This is going to sound totally dumb, but I told you I was a marine biologist because I didn’t think it would sound interesting. I was worried our careers would clash. That we’d have some meaningless political difference that might keep us apart.”
Anya pulled away from his shoulder but kept hold of his hand. “Then what are you if you’re not a marine biologist?”
Shiloh’s mind flipped into panic mode. It was too risky to confess he was a lobbyist. He needed something she could not ask about. He muttered the first thing that popped into his head. “I work for the CIA. But it’s not something I should be telling you.”
Anya stopped walking. Shiloh feared she might leave him there and run back to her car. Instead, she laughed. “Then I have a confession to make. I’m with the CIA, too. The lobbyist thing is my cover story. I find lobbyists aren’t very popular so no one wants to ask about my job.”
Shiloh forced a laugh. “Wow. What a coincidence that we both work for the agency.”
“Where are you stationed?”
“Uh, you know, maybe it’s best we don’t talk about this. How about we circle around to it when we run out of other things to say?”
It was a strange reaction from Shiloh and it risked blowing up in his face. But Anya simply smiled, shrugged, and said, “Okay. If we learned anything in West Virginia, sometimes putting up some boundaries makes things more interesting.”
Shiloh laughed in relief. “Since we’re on the beach, maybe we could talk about our favorite sea animals. When I’m pretending to be a marine biologist, I tell people I like a nice octopus. Mostly because they change color.”
“If you like changing colors, you should choose the cuttlefish,” Anya replied with a smile. “Every pretend marine biologist knows that.”
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