Mermaid For You: A Man of the Month Club Novella: Small town work place romance (Magnolia Point)

Chapter 10

The next couple of days,I focus on Ava, keeping Teddy and Ben at bay, and avoiding my sister and grandparents while they’re on the resort. It’s going splendidly. Today, we have another rowdy group of guys. Ava was furious the last time I stepped in, so I know to let her handle it this time.

I hurry ahead and give her a quick kiss on the forehead before the guests arrive. Crouching in my position in front of her, I begin clicking as the four guys approach Ava.

She beams as she says, “Hello! Welcome! I’m—” Her eyes go wide, and I watch her throat work. After a pause, she begins again. “I’m Nerine.”

I narrow my eyes as I take in her alarm. The guys are whispering something to her, and she looks uncomfortable. Then I hear it.

“Oh shit! It’s good girl!”

“Who’s a good girl?”

“Woof, woof!”

“Damn, you definitely look better as a fish. Fuck.”

“Hey, Blake. Do you think she’s wet?”

Blake. These are the guys. I’ve never been a violent person, but right now, I’m murderous. But then somehow, through all the red clouding my vision, I see her. Ava adjusts her tail so she can stand. Heated anger swirls in her eyes. Even a stranger would know this is a woman who’s had enough. She looks dangerous and powerful.

Her words come out low, but there’s fire in her eyes as she speaks. “Leave. Never speak to me again. I’ve never met such cowardly and low individuals, which is probably why you have to travel in a pack. None of you are capable of thinking on your own. Surviving on your own. And you’re the only ones who can stand one another.”

The one who they called Blake smirks. “Is being a bitch part of the costume? Do you feel braver under a wig and glitter?”

Another one snickers. “None of that hid the smell. We still knew it was you.”

Blake licks his lips, and it makes my skin crawl. “You always did have fish lips. Can’t believe we never noticed it. I bet those lips would do wonders on my cock.”

I start to stand, but Ava gives me a headshake and presses her lips together. She wants to do this on her own. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to allow her to. The other idiots laugh and start imitating fish mouths.

Ava gives them a smirk that borders on a look of pity. “Just leave. Nobody has time to deal with you idiots.”

“I’m paying, so you’ll make time,” Blake tells her.

“You were being generous calling her a good girl. Should’ve just called her what she is, a bitch in heat. She always did have a thing for you, Doozer.”

“Nah, she’s still a good girl. Aren’t you?” His tone is so demeaning. He whistles like one would call a dog.

With a heavy sigh, Ava tells him, “I really tried to take the higher road, but sometimes you just have to knock the hell out of ’em for them to learn.” That was her only warning.

Possessing more strength than looks possible, she pulls her arm back and lets him have it. Blake falls to the ground in one hit, but she doesn’t stop. The one who had been vocal gets it as well. I run over there before the other two can lay a hand on her. She is outnumbered, after all.

“What. Is. Happening!” Rosemary’s voice shrieks. Next to her is Maisy, who looks guilty.

I duck my head, hoping my sister doesn’t recognize me. She goes straight to Ava.

“This is unacceptable behavior. Maisy had you on the speaker the entire time. You should’ve phoned for backup, not engaged in violence. That’s disgraceful. Worse, we’re probably going to be sued.”

Maisy steps up. “She’s been behaving inappropriately for a while now, Miss Hayes. I apologize for not notifying anyone sooner, but this time she’s gone too far. I would like to say that Van, the photographer, tried to stop her. He did nothing wrong. She’s just out of control.”

My stomach feels sour. I never would’ve guessed Maisy would stoop so low. I must do something, but facing Rosemary means revealing everything. I could easily get Ava her job back after…

I can’t. Watching her look so defeated and knowing what those guys did and what this job means to her, I can’t stand by and do nothing.

“That’s incorrect information,” I announce and step forward.

“Van, you don’t have to protect her,” Maisy pleads for me to stop. “She assaulted multiple customers. On property. In character.”

Rosemary’s perfectly shaped eyebrows pull together. “Van?” She looks at me and then to Maisy.

“Ava was protecting herself,” I say. “Charges should be pressed against these men. Please call the authorities. I want them escorted off the property, and I’ll meet them at the station immediately.”

A pen could drop. Even the wind has stilled.

Ava hisses, “What are you doing? That’s Rosemary Hayes. You can’t make demands.”

Rosemary’s eyes come bright with excitement. “Oh em gee! Sullivan! Shut up! It really is you! This is where you’ve been? Also, the blond is working for you.”

Ava’s gasp is all I need to know I’ve lost her. I can practically hear hers trust in me shattering. I should’ve told her that night in my room, when she remembered kissing me. Told her that I didn’t kiss her and leave. I mean, I did. But that I was embarrassed. That I still think about her, and I, too, have been comparing everyone to her. Another tidbit I learned is that she was a minor at the time, so that’s another shameful stain on my history.

Rosemary turns to Ava and smiles. “Well, if Sullivan, or Van,says you were in the right, I trust his judgment. You will need some form of punishment, but we’ll work that out later. Which, what the hell, Sullivan? Why didn’t you stop it before it got to that point?”

“I have my reasons,” I tell Rosemary asAva removes her tail and begins storming off. I chase after her. “Ava, wait!”

She spins around and her words are harsh. “Sure thing… boss.”

“I know I lied to you. You can’t understand why I lied.”

“Try me.”

“Ava… Ava, there was a bet.”

Unshed tears make her eyes glassy, and she chokes on a sob. “I was a bet? This keeps getting worse. I confessed everything to you. I confided in you. Do you have any idea how stupid I feel? This whole time, it was you! I was telling you about yourself! How I lusted after you for years. How I swooned over a different jerk because he reminded me of you. Then I went and fell for you again while you were in disguise!” She sniffles and whimpers. “I think I’m going to be sick. I have to go.”

I grab her arm and drop to my knees. “I love you. I love you, Ava. I love you more than… than… there are grains of sand.” I take a handful of sand and let it slip through my fingers.

“Funny,” she says, her voice void of emotion. “See how that sand slips through your fingers? I’m doing that now. Let me go.”

“What? No. That was a bad analogy then. I love you a lot, okay?”

“You’ve hurt me, and I’m not going to let you keep doing it.”

I know everyone is listening, but I don’t care. It’s time to come clean before I lose her again. “I came in my pants that night.”

“What?” That makes her stand still.

“I ran off because I was embarrassed that I came while we were making out. You’re the only person who that’s happened with. I was shocked. Humiliated. I couldn’t… I couldn’t admit it and I didn’t want anyone to see it, so I ran. Then I never saw you again. And I didn’t come back for a long time because I knew you would be the one who could ruin me. To bring me to my knees, which you have, in fact, done.”

I kiss her knuckles and squeeze her hand. “I love you. Though you hate to admit it, you were made for me, and I was made for you. That’s why we never got over each other. That’s why we’re being pulled together again.” I rise to my feet and cup her cheek. “I don’t want to go through life comparing everyone to you. Dreaming and reliving our moments together. I want to only have you. I want to dream with you. I want to live all future moments with you.”

Ava leans into my palm. Tears stream down her face. “I really don’t like you.”

“I think you’re the most perfect person.”

“I hate you so much,” she says through a smile.

“I know. I love you, too, angelfish.”

She smacks my chest, and I can see I’ve entered back into safe waters. I pull her to me and hug her tightly, hoping she can feel my sincerity and love. I hate that she thinks I ditched her, that I was using her for a bet, but dammit, I don’t regret this moment here, right now. Holding Ava in my arms has made everything else in my life seem insignificant.