Chapter Twenty
Lissa
Lissa leaned against a light pole on the sidewalk, watching the people stream past her toward the large building that was calling her name. She cursed herself for not suggesting they meet inside, but the ticket desk was right at the entrance, and she needed Ria to be there when they went through.
She’d just forgotten the tiny little fact that late June meant she was frying in the ungodly hot summer weather without any shade in sight. For someone as put-together as Ria was, the witch certainly wasn’t great at getting places on time.
At least she agreed to come, Lissa’s heart reminded her. That’s a good sign, right?
After what Daria told her, Lissa wouldn’t have been surprised if Ria ghosted her text message.
Thankfully, the Elixir Enchantress only hedged a bit and conceded once Lissa mentioned they would drive separately.
Was it a huge waste of gas considering Newport was almost an hour drive from Seacliff where they both lived?
Sure. But it was all part of Lissa’s master plan.
A plan that couldn’t be executed if Ria didn’t show.
Lissa wiped another trickle of sweat off the back of her neck and kicked a rock.
“So did that one mouth off, too, or are you secretly a rock racist?”
Lissa glanced up at the sound of Ria’s voice and grinned as she took in the vibrant yellow tank top with spaghetti straps that showed off the witch’s shoulders to perfection.
By comparison, her ripped jean shorts and Evanescence T-shirt made her look like a slob, but much like everything else, she planned it that way.
Dressing too nice would have been an immediate red flag.
“Not a rock racist, I swear,” Lissa protested, throwing up her hands. “They just have so much attitude sometimes.”
Ria smiled and adjusted the small green purse on her shoulder. “I see. Well in that case, who could blame you?”
Lissa chuckled, but then things got quiet, both of them staring at each other. “Thank you for coming,” she said. “I really appreciate you giving us the chance to be friends.”
“Of course,” Ria replied, shifting awkwardly. “I like spending time with you even if we can’t be together.”
Lissa nodded, swallowing down the bucket of spoiled fish guts that was her guilt, the feeling clawing and gnawing at her.
The only way to get Ria here had been to tell her she just wanted to be friends.
Was it a worse lie than the time she knocked over a whole rack of Daria’s glass-fused projects and blamed it on the French guest artist who didn’t speak enough English to defend himself? Maybe.
Probably.
She’d eventually confessed, and Daria had forgiven her, but Lissa wasn’t so sure Ria would be in the same forgiving mood when she found out the truth.
Ria scuffed one of her strappy white sandals against the sidewalk. “So, I gotta ask, why did you invite me to the aquarium?”
Tossing a look back at the large blue building that would hopefully be the setting for her studio’s salvation, Lissa shrugged. “Seemed like a chill place for two friends to hang out. Plus there’s something I thought you might enjoy. I want us to get back to having fun.”
“I like fun,” Ria agreed with a shy smile.
“Sweet. I’ve actually never been here in the five years I’ve lived on the coast, but it looked big online. Coming from a landlocked state, I gotta say I’m excited to check out a legit aquarium, and not just some guy named Bob with a few fish tanks in his basement.”
Ria wrinkled her nose. “You’re joking, right?”
“Yeah, but only partially,” Lissa admitted. “There was a guy named Bob in my hometown who ran the lamest aquarium ever. I’ve seen pet stores with more fish than he had. But what can you do when you grow up in Ohio? Have you ever seen a whale being carted down the freeway?”
Ria laughed heartily, and Lissa committed the sound to memory, pleased she was the one to pull the playful emotion from the witch.
“No, I guess not,” Ria said. “I have always wondered how they get large animals to the zoos.”
“Who knows, maybe we’ll find out today. After you.” Lissa gestured toward the entrance to the Aquarium, resisting the strong urge to hold out her arm for Ria to take. It wasn’t a date, and brand-new friends don’t hold hands. She needed to play it cool.
They swam through the crowd of tourists, dodging crying children and rambunctious teens, to make their way to the ticket booth stationed right inside the front door.
“Oh, thank God,” Lissa exhaled as the cool air hit her face.
“Not a fan of the heat?” Ria asked, a tiny smirk on her face.
“No, not really. What gave me away?”
“Pretty sure you looked borderline orgasmic just now.” Ria’s eyes widened, and a blush exploded across her cheeks. “Not that I know what your orgasm face looks like or anything. I mean, I was—”
“Relax,” Lissa interjected. “Friends can make jokes. It’s all good. I mean, you’ve met Daria, right?”
Ria’s shoulders dropped a bit, some of the tension easing. “Very true. I’ve just never been friends with a gorgeous woman before.”
“It’s cool,” Lissa replied, ignoring the Irish Riverdance happening in her heart after Ria’s compliment. Feigning this attempt at friendship might be harder than she thought.
The large family in front of them finally dissipated, and they approached the bored-looking twentysomething at the ticket counter.
“How many?” the guy droned, not even looking up.
“One please,” Lissa said before Ria could open her mouth. She couldn’t help but notice a little more tension ease from Ria’s body at her request. So she was right—the witch was worried Lissa might try to make this a date.
“Ten bucks,” the kid replied, tapping the credit card machine.
Lissa paid for her ticket, then waited for Ria to do the same, focusing her attention on the massive shark mouth display in the lobby so she wouldn’t stare at the little freckles on Ria’s bare shoulders. Those adorable, oh-so-lickable freckles.
“So what do we see first?” Ria asked, stepping away from the ticket booth.
“I was thinking we could check out the tunnel first. I’m excited to see what it’s like, basically walking underneath a massive aquarium. Plus it’s at the back, so then we can work our way toward the front.”
“I do that too!” Ria exclaimed, her face lighting up. “I always head straight to the back of any museum or zoo. I know everyone starts at the front, so I can skip the worst crowds by doing the reverse.”
Lissa nodded, trying not to grin like a demented hyena because she and Ria shared something so pivotal in common. Pizza toppings, thermostat settings, and sightseeing styles could make or break a couple, in her opinion.
“Totally agree,” Lissa said, successfully managing to keep her tone casual. “And then later, I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” Ria squeaked. “For me?”
“I mean, it’s nothing too exciting,” Lissa replied, skirting past the gift shop to head for the exterior portion of the aquarium, consoling herself with the knowledge they only had a short space to cross before they reached the indoor tunnel. “Just something I thought you might enjoy.”
Only a hint of redness rolled over Ria’s cheeks before she turned away from Lissa and pushed open the door that would take them past the otters and seals.
Moving at a brisk pace, Lissa guided Ria directly to the tunnel entrance at the back of the aquarium beyond all the outdoor exhibits.
“This is so cool,” Ria gushed as they entered the large plexiglass tube surrounded by fish, sharks, and other undersea creatures.
“Definitely the perfect starting spot,” Lissa agreed, her fingers itching to reach out and intertwine with Ria’s.
They both lingered at the entrance, letting others pass by as they watched a tiger shark drift lazily above their heads.
“So,” Lissa said after a moment, trying to act as casual as possible. “Now that we’re friends, maybe you can tell me a little more about you. You never actually told me why you left Portland. What brought you back?”
Okay, not the smoothest segue, but her nerves were wreaking havoc on her ability to communicate like a regular human being. Life would be so much easier if they were like eels, and she could flash some lights at Ria to get her point across.
“It’s a long story,” Ria replied as she ran her hand along the tunnel wall, smiling when a sting ray followed her fingers.
“Yeah, you mentioned something like that last time. You don’t have to talk about it if you really don’t want to, but I’m happy to listen as a friend if you need to get anything off your chest.”
Ria let out a sad noise and continued down the tunnel.
“It was just a perfect storm, you know? My girlfriend broke up with me when I called her out on the cheating, and then I sort of got fired a few days later. My boss was a real jerk about it too. He let me go right before Christmas with no severance or holiday bonus. I couldn’t afford my rent, so I had to move back in with my mom in Seacliff. ”
“Wait, you got fired? Why?” Lissa tensed up. Surely Ria didn’t screw something up, and that was what tanked her campaign?
Ria waved a hand. “Oh, the usual reason. I was born with a uterus.”
A sense of relief sweeping through her, Lissa berated herself for even entertaining the thought Ria would have screwed up the studio’s campaign. She was too smart for that.
“Let me guess,” Lissa said dryly, “your boss was a guy?”
“Yup,” Ria confirmed, a plethora of bitterness in that single word. “And so was his boss. So of course when they had to downsize, because marketing firms were losing business to influencers, I was naturally the first to go. Even though I did all the work.”
Ooh, this was good. Now they were getting somewhere.
“So if you did all the work, what happened to your clients when you left?” Lissa asked, following Ria as she wandered down the tunnel.
“Hopefully, my manager executed all the campaigns correctly. At least, that’s what they told me would happen.”