Chapter 13 #2
After about fifteen minutes, Arthur claps his hands, cutting the meet and greet off. “I think it’s time to say goodbye to Mermaid Veronica. She needs to swim on home and visit her family.”
The kids mutter in disappointment. I blow them kisses as their parents come to collect them. “I loved meeting all of you little guppies. Farewell.”
“How about one last question?” Sully asks, leaning against a column with a smirk that kills me a little inside.
Arthur steps forward, thinking he’s a creep. We’ve had a few before. “He’s harmless,” I say.
“Hmm.” Arthur moves back but doesn’t leave.
“How did you know I was here?”
Sully pulls up a chair and straddles it backwards, draping his long arms around the back of it. God, to be that chair.
“What the question should be is, why did you never tell me I was with a mermaid? Sounds like something a guy should know about.”
I twirl a lock of hair around my finger, teasing. “You worried I put a spell on you?”
“Maybe,” he says, his voice low. “Are you a siren?”
A soft laugh escapes me. “Something like that.” I shift slightly in the inflatable seashell, trying to ignore how long I’ve been sitting still. “Since you’ve come all this way…I suppose we can have dinner.”
“Great. I have the perfect table.” Sully stands and waves his phone in the air. “I also have a lot of fantastic footage.” With that, he leaves.
“Was that Sully?” Arthur asks, picking me up.
“Yeah.” I hook an arm around his shoulder.
“And you didn’t tell him about this place?”
“Nope. Guess who did.”
He chuckles. “Your best friend.”
“Who’s going to be fed to the sharks.”
Arthur sets me on the bench in the break room and glances around. “Looks like she’s hiding at the bar.”
“I know where she lives.” I grab a towel and dry my hair.
“Don’t be so harsh on her.” He waves before exiting.
I shimmy out of my tail and hang it up before exchanging my seashell bra for a nice cotton one paired with a solid black shirt.
Then I trade my pink scaled leggings for a fresh pair with leopard print.
After tying my hair into a ponytail, I grab my phone and purse from my locker.
Out of curiosity, I read over my texts with Sully, and sure enough, Alice sent him one during my show inviting him to the restaurant.
For our first date I’d rather not smell of chlorine and have my eyes sting, but what can a girl do? After adding pink gloss to my lips, I leave to meet Sully.
He sits at the bar with two wine glasses in front of him. When he spots me, he picks them up and offers me one.
“Thanks.” I take a sip. It’s my favorite. Alice already knows she’s in deep water.
“Hope you don’t mind I ordered chicken wings and fries. Your friend said you’d love them.”
I eye Alice across the bar. She’s busy shining the whiskey bottles with a rag, which she never does.
The food arrives, and I grab a chicken wing, rip it in half, and take a bite. Damn, this is good.
Sully grabs a fry and watches me, his gaze amused and a little curious. “Who knew swimming caused such an appetite,” he chuckles, eating the fry.
“Sorry.” I lick my fingers and dip the other half of the wing into the ranch.
“When were you going to tell me about this place?” He waves his finger around in a circle. “It’s incredible.”
“Usually I have to know someone longer than a weekend before I tell them about my career; otherwise, people usually laugh.” I stare at the bar as my finger traces the rim of my wine glass.
“For the record, I’d never laugh at you.
And we may have only met last week, but I know you better than just about anyone here.
” He takes my hand, flipping it over. His thumb traces the lines on my palm, sending tingles straight between my legs.
“They don’t know how good you taste,” he whispers in my ear and lifts his wine glass, tapping it with mine.
Wow. I might’ve just cum a little.
My grasp on the glass increases but thankfully it doesn’t shatter. “No…”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
He bites into a wing when his phone buzzes. He reads the screen and mumbles something in German under his breath.
“Worst timing for a band meeting.”
I glance at the time on my phone. “Isn’t it late for a meeting?”
“Not when it comes to Amy. She takes being our PR rep to a whole new level—like she’s running a political campaign, not managing a band.
Everything’s about the brand, the image, the next headline.
She’s obsessed with pushing us harder in the States—bigger interviews, strategic pairings, the works.
She wants us headlining festivals in a year or two, like we’re some packaged product she’s fine-tuning for mass consumption. ”
He runs his thumb along the edge of my hand.
“I usually just tune her out. It’s easier than arguing.
She talks like everything she’s doing is for the band, and maybe some of it is, but it never feels like we get a say.
Especially me. I’m the easy target—I'm the one who doesn’t push back, so she steamrolls me. ”
He meets my eyes, something softer there now. “Dinner tomorrow night? Let me make it up to you.”
His pout mixed with his gorgeous blue eyes makes me a goner. “Yes. Dinner tomorrow.”
“Wunderbar.” His German curls my toes. He stands and cradles my face in his hand. “Looking forward to it.” He kisses me deeply, his tongue stroking mine. My hands sink into his hair, pulling him closer. A small moan slips out when he breaks away.
When he’s gone, Alice leans against the bar finishing Sully’s wine. “Damn, girl. You’re hooked on that boy.”
I flick a fry at her head. “Don’t think I’m not mad at you for breaking into my locker and taking my phone.”
She tsks, stealing a handful of fries. “If not for me, you wouldn’t have that kiss and probably whatever dirty dream you’ll have tonight.” She giggles and moves farther down the bar before I toss something bigger than a fry at her head.
Sadly, she’s right. I needed that nudge, and now I’m officially seeing Sully again. Am I ready for that? Things tighten and throb inside me. I believe the answer is yes.