My phone vibrates in my hand. I unlock it and see five missed texts from Alice. I need to cover Chloe’s shift, and here I am hiding in a room like a mistress almost caught by her lover’s wife.
With a deep breath and double-checking my reflection in the mirror, I dare step out into the chaos. They both look my way like I’m disturbing a church service.
22
“Hey…Ineedtogo.”I lift my phone. “I ordered a ride.” I hit the final button to finish the rideshare before Sully argues, insisting to drive me back.
“You can wait outside.” Amy points to the door with her chin. She places her hands on her hips as she stares me down, probably wishing she could toss me out herself.
“Okay…” I skirt past her and steal a glance at Sully. He clenches his jaw and moves toward the door, pressing his hand against it. Blocking my exit and keeping me in this hell. Terror prickles my spine knowing Amy is only a few feet away.
“No. She’s not some whore you can toss out. She’s my guest and she can wait inside until her car gets here.” His voice is harsh and sharp enough to cut glass. I’d feel more honored if Amy would stop staring at me with her shark eyes. My hand flutters to my throat, the need to protectmy jugular comes as if by instinct. Maybe Amy is a vampire. That would explain so much.
Sully’s hands cup my hips, gently guiding me away from the door, but I’m too uncomfortable to sit anywhere in this room. The air is thick with disdain. Amy stands in the center of the room, typing on her phone. Her fingers dance across the screen. But when the hairs on the back of my neck rise, I realize she’s staring into my soul. Maybe she’s a succubus and eats the souls of girls she hates.
Sully sits on the couch and kindly pulls me onto his lap. I sit down stiffly. The back of my brain bristles as the heat of his thighs soaks through my skin and into my bloodstream.
Amy pours herself a cup of coffee, using my mug, and sips it as she tears me to ribbons with her eyes.
“What do you do?” Her voice rumbles the still room, shaking me out of the frozen state I fell into.
Why does she care to talk to me now?
Her shark eyes analyze me. She wants to put me in my place. Prove she’s right. I’m just a groupie.
“I’m a model and performer,” I say in the most clipped summarized version of my work. If my car would arrive now that would be a miracle.
Amy grimaces, her face twists as if she smells something sour. “Model for what brand?”
Shit. I stepped right into that one.
Sully wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me in closer. “She’s a professional mermaid. She does private events, has a show in a popular restaurant downtown, and models for her huge social media following.”
She spits out her coffee and wipes her mouth on a napkin. Her frown lines deepen, and a thick green vein bulges in her forehead. I slip offSully’s lap and sink into the couch cushion, wishing it would eat me whole. My teeth bite into my lower lip as I briefly consider hiding behind Sully, using him as a shield, fearing she’ll grab a knife from the kitchen and slit my throat.
“Did I hear you right? A mermaid?” She spews the word “mermaid” like it’s a curse, and her lip curls in disgust.
I’ve had my share of naysayers in my line of work. People mock me for dressing in a mermaid tail, saying it’s not a real job, that I’m foolish, a child, or too lazy to get a “real” job. Some even asked if I stayed in a mental hospital recently. But I’m the one laughing. My planned events and modeling gigs pay six figures, and that’s before I find sponsors for social media platforms. The thing about money is it goes fast in LA. I have a healthy savings account and another account to keep new tails coming, repair the ones I love, and whatever else I may require. But I refuse to pay crazy expensive rent on a slightly bigger apartment when all I do at home is sleep or watch TV in my downtime, which is rare, depending on the time of year.
A car horn honks outside, and my phone buzzes with a text. My ride is here to save the day. Knowing I have an escape route gives me enough confidence to tell Amy off before taking my leave.
“Yes. A mermaid. My social media has over one hundred thousand followers, and I’m in dozens of magazine articles. Just look up Mermaid Veronica.” I stand tall, staring down on this woman who would kill to crush me. “And for the record, I didn’t want to go to your stupid music award thing. All I wanted was Sully to give me my ring back.” I flash the ring, hoping Amy thought I gave her the bird, and storm out.
Sully is on my heels, preventing me from hearing a satisfactory door slam. He grabs my wrist, but I tug myself free. “Please leave me alone.You don’t think I’m used to people mocking my career choice? I’m a big girl. It was fun whatever we were to each other, but let’s face it, we need to get back to the real world where we live two separate lives.”
“Don’t let her words ruin what we could be.”
“This has to be goodbye.” I wiggle my fingers in a wave and don’t turn back. Once I’m in the back seat of my rideshare, I reply to Alice’s text, asking her to grab my red tail, and I’ll meet her at work.
The driver curses. I look to see what’s the problem. Dead end ahead. There’s no way out from the casitas except doing a U-turn and driving past Sully again.
“Hate this place. Damn fire trap,” the driver mutters as he pulls into another place’s driveway and continues down the road we just left.
Sully spots us and rushes into the road, waving his arms. My driver curses again and comes to a complete stop.
“Please roll down your window and let me explain,” Sully begs, knocking on the glass.
I roll my eyes and hit the button to lower the window halfway. “What else is there to say?”
