Chapter 41
Someone booked me last minute Saturday morning at a resort’s pool in Burbank. I change into my blue tail with purple fins, and Arthur wheels me toward the pool area.
And it’s a ghost town. There’s a sign hanging on the gate claiming it’s closed for a private event, but there are no signs of life. No tables, food, or decorations in sight.
Arthur checks his watch and whistles through his teeth. “This kind of seems like the Twilight Zone to me. Should we cut our losses and leave?”
“Can you give me my phone? Maybe we’re at the wrong hotel.”
Arthur digs in my bag for my phone and says, “But the pool sign says there’s a private event happening. But if any private event is happening, I have a feeling it should cost a lot more and be in a suite...”
I click my tongue and shiver. God, I hope someone didn’t book me for a one-on-one, thinking they’d get lucky and screw a mermaid. That happened once. Someone tried to book me to their room, and it gave me hooker vibes, and I blocked their number.
All the details on my phone match up. We’re in the right place; it’s just empty.
“Let’s give it another five minutes, and then we’ll go.” I hug my tail to my chest and shift my weight to keep my ass from falling asleep on the cart.
The gate swings closed, scaring me. Arthur and I whip our heads toward the sound, and Sully walks forward with a guitar strapped to his back. “Please listen before you bolt,” he pleads, pulling a chair from a nearby table.
Arthur cracks his neck and steps forward, but I place a hand on his arm. “Wait,” I say, eyes locked on Sully.
He pulls a guitar pick from his pocket and does a quick strum check for the strings, tuning it. He meets my gaze briefly before his attention falls to his guitar.
“I just wrote this. Please be gentle.” He clears his throat as his fingers fall into position on the guitar’s neck, and a soft rift begins.
“One look and I’m yours. I need to kiss you, but your lips are a drug.
One taste, and I’m hooked. My veins are on fire with this damn desire.
I don’t want to break these chains. The pain is all I have left to keep me sane.
I need to touch you, but you’re only a dream.
Nothing can save me from this living hell.
” He strums for a beat more and presses his hand over the strings.
The silence is stiff. Arthur backs away. “I’ll be in the car. Text if you need me.” He takes the long way around the pool and exits through the gate.
Pain zings from my tailbone, but I ignore it by straightening my spine.
“What is this?” I motion toward the empty pool area.
“Did you seriously book a mermaid encounter to ambush me, knowing I can’t leave?
” I swing my tail off the cart, push the brake on with my hand, and use the cart’s handrail to stand up.
“Please. Just leave me alone. Gigi confronted me, threatened me! She claims you’re engaged. What do you want from me?”
His eyes widen in alarm. “What? We’re not engaged. I swear.” He sets his guitar back in its case. “Gigi had someone Photoshop pictures of us. I’m not with Gigi and I never will be. I don’t care about my image. I only care about you.”
A weight falls from my heart. I’m lost for words.
Sully pulls the chair he used around and sets it behind me. “Please sit. You’re making me nervous standing in that thing.”
I want to argue, but this tail isn’t meant for standing like some of the others. I fall back into the chair and cross my arms. I wake up my phone and tap on Arthur’s number.
Sully squats to my left and places his palm over my phone’s screen.
“What Gigi did was unspeakable. I should’ve known Gigi had something wicked cooked up when Amy ordered me to move into the Beverly Hills house, saying it would be better for the band and I was bleeding unnecessary money.
My phone disappeared, but every time I tried to look for it, Amy shooed me into the recording studio, saying she’d find it.
” He rakes his fingers through his locks.
“If I would’ve known Gigi planned to ambush you, I would’ve—”
“You would’ve what? Swooped in and rescued me like my prince charming?
” I rub my palms against my scale-covered thighs.
“We are not meant to be. Don’t you see all the signs the universe keeps throwing at us?
Don’t you know we’re living in the definition of insanity?
Doing the same things over and over and praying for different results. ”
Sully takes my hand in his. “I think the opposite. The universe wants us to be together. It’s just showing us some tough love first. Nothing worth having is ever easy.”
I lift an eyebrow. “What are you going to say next? That our horoscopes line up?” I fidget with my silver crescent moon pendant, running it up and down its chain.
“I’m a spiritual person, but this is exhausting.
” I click on Arthur’s name and text him to come back.
“And I’m not having this conversation painted into a corner with a damn tail on so I can’t leave. ”
If this tail wasn’t one of my favorites, I’d peel myself out of it and storm away in my leggings, but I’m afraid if I’m too rough I’ll rip the material, and then it’s toast.
Sully stands and stares down at the water. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. This was a terrible idea. I wanted to see you again. Your website was in my recent history. My phone is still missing. I think Gigi tossed it.”
Arthur returns, and Sully lifts his hands in surrender. “I’ll let you go, but at least let me say this. I quit the band this morning. No more Amy. No more Gigi. No more nothing. I did it for me. It’s time I figure out what else I am besides a quarter of Scarlet Failure.”
“I hope you find what you’re looking for.” I nod to Arthur, and he helps me back onto the cart and pulls it toward the exit.
My heart splinters. It’s broken again, and I can only blame myself. To keep from choking on my words and saying something I’ll regret, I bite the back of my hand and allow Arthur to take me to the bathroom so I can change.
When I step out with my bags in hand, Arthur cracks a smile. “That was the quickest gig we ever did.”
I nod but can’t play along.
As we walk through the lobby, I spot Sully sitting on the couch next to the fireplace with his head in his hands. I steer Arthur toward the glass doors when Charlotte enters in a vision of purple. Her dress flows around her, and her high heels click with determination.
Arthur is already outside with the bags. I linger by a fake fig tree and watch her confront Sully. She places her hands on her hips and says something venomous sounding in German. Sully drags a hand down his face and waves her off.
She stomps her heel and continues to speak, attracting the eyes of everyone passing by. She glares at anyone who stops to gawk. My phone buzzes in my hand, surprising me. I yelp and drop it. I try to catch the phone, but it falls with a loud crack.
I reach to grab my phone and hear heels coming my way. Fear paralyzes my body as blood freezes in my veins.
“Veronica,” Charlotte says, her accent thick. She pauses in front of me and sighs. Her anger fades. “He’s different with you,” she says softly. She looks at him over her shoulder, but he’s already gone. “Ich schwore, ihr seid füreinander geschaffen.” She gently pats my arm and leaves.
Despite numbness spreading throughout my limbs, I walk toward the exit.
I jump into the car, and Arthur eyes me. “Just drive,” I huff, putting on my seat belt.
Arthur pulls onto the main road and turns up the rock radio station, nodding to the music. I repeat the phrase Charlotte said into my phone to translate. It means I swear you were made for each other.
My heart melts as I sink deeper into my seat and close my eyes.
To get out of my head, I should book a trip to Florida.
Alice already called for someone to replace me for a while just in case, and I could hook up with fellow mermaids.
It could be the distraction that will turn my heart into stone and allow me to become nothing more than Mermaid Veronica.
The human Veronica will be shelved for good.
I open my airline app and search for the soonest flights.
It’s time I move on and let Sully become a bittersweet memory.
There’s irony in wanting to meet someone so bad you’d stay up all night and then weeks later flee to the other side of the country to avoid running into them.
My life is nothing but a cruel cosmic joke.
Leaving LA might be the push I need to get my priorities straight.