by Jordan, G R
Hayley looked quizzically at Donald while Tommy just stared at the tied-up mermaid in the trunk.
"I know nothing about mermaids," protested Hayley.
"But you are a vet. You're kind of the expert as it goes," said Donald. Hayley started to shake her head. Kiera punched Donald's arm.
"Are you guys just going to stare at her or are we going to let her loose?"
"Loose! In my pool. No way Kiera, you must be joking. That's a public swimming pool," yelled Tommy.
"Flippin' heck, Tommy, keep your voice down. You want us to get caught?” argued Kiera. “Anyway you seemed happy enough with the idea of naked women in your pool twenty minutes ago."
"Naked women?" said Donald.
"Hey, hang on, Kiera,” said Tommy. "Nobody said nothing about a mermaid. I thought we were up to some late night loving here."
"She's not well?" interrupted Hayley. "What's up with her?"
“I don't know," said Donald. "We tried putting her back in the sea, but she just can't swim."
"Back? How long have you had her?" asked Tommy.
"About a week," said Kiera. "Donald found her dying and brought her to my place. She's been in my bath since he rescued her." Kiera threw an admiring glance at Donald, but it was lost on him as he petitioned Tommy for his catch.
"Come on, Tommy, we need to get her in the water."
"I can't. Donald, I'll lose my job if anyone found out. Heck, I might even get nailed for us being in here."
"Please, Tommy," begged Kiera, "She needs us. We've got nowhere to go from here. We need Hayley to take a look."
Tommy shook his head. "I'm sorry guys, but no. I can't." Tommy walked away holding his hands on his head and breathing heavily.
Kiera threw her arms around Donald and started to sniff, fighting back tears. Swearing under his breath, Donald stared at the mermaid, flummoxed.
"Give us a moment, Kiera," said Hayley, "I might just get some time to look at her. Let me talk to him. Just don't interfere." They watched Hayley follow Tommy towards the spa suite and shut the door behind her. The absurdity of the situation struck Donald, a passionate plea for the life of an, until now, mythical creature played out by protagonists in clothing better suited to a beauty contest. He laughed out loud.
"What on earth is funny about this?" asked Kiera.
"It'll be okay. Trust me."
"How do you know? How could you possibly know?"
"Cos' he'll do it for her. He doesn't stand a chance."
"Really? And how did you work that out Sherlock? You don't even know them that well."
"One. We are here, so he really likes her. Two. She's wearing next to nothing. Three. She wants to help the mermaid. Four. He's about to get the snog he's been dying for since you guys arrived and then they'll walk back through, him holding her hand which she'll have placed firmly in his. For a date he'll do so much but for a girlfriend…a potential mate."
"And how do you know that, my dear agony auntie?"
"Cos' I'd do it for you."
Kiera beamed widely and without measure. Donald sure knew how to get under her skin.
"Now are you going to help me cut her free?"
"Why's she tied up anyway?" asked Kiera.
"Would you let a strange man lock you away in a trunk?" Donald rolled his eyes at her, teasing.
"You're right, Donald, look they're snogging."
"Hey, eyes down, give them some privacy and help me out."
Having been freed, the mermaid just lay in the trunk, seemingly in a state of shock from her travels. Together, Donald and Kiera lifted and gently dropped her into the water. The mermaid sank but started to move her arms and head about, scouting out the pool. Pulling off his track bottoms and top, Donald sat down on the poolside. He motioned for Kiera to sit beside him, but she instead sat behind him and cuddled him tight. The heating had long been switched off, and she was starting to feel a bit of a chill. Together, they sat and watched as the mermaid began to move awkwardly under the water.
"She's incredible," said Hayley over their shoulder. Turning, Kiera saw Hayley stood hand in hand with Tommy, a picture of fascination filling her face. Tommy still looked pensive but was clearly trying to please Hayley.
"She is Hayley, she is," said Tommy. "Is she going to make the pool smell of like, fish or that? I mean, does she poo in there, or take a piss, cos I'm not sure that's going to be healthy…"
"Tommy, shush. Just look at her," chided Hayley.
"But, Hayley, I have to think of people's health."
"Fish crap in the sea all the time and you eat from it and swim in it. Quite how she defecates I don't know, but if someone has an accident in the pool, you have ways of cleaning it. Kindly shut up and let me work."
Oh, thought Donald, that hurt.
Tommy's face dropped, and he started to move slightly back. Spotting it and realising her enthusiasm for her role had pushed him away, she reached for his hands. Leading him back to the pool edge, she stood in front of him and then wrapped his arms around her, placing them as high on her tummy as decency allowed. It was easy to forget the risk he was taking.
"Have you seen her swim at all?" asked Hayley.
"Never. She moves her tail at times but it seems laboured I think. Saying that I could be wrong. It's my first mermaid," said Donald.
"This won't be quick guys. I'll need to observe her. In truth, I don't even know if I can help. It's my first mermaid too."
"We open seven a.m. on Monday, Hayley," said Tommy, "You know we need to move her by then. They'll be no one here before that. You do what you need to." Hayley smiled and kissed him.
"You clever fox," Kiera whispered in Donald's ear.
Turning his head, he kissed her neck before secretly replying, "Hey, nakedness, and the promise of more nakedness. Don't blame me for understanding men."
"Are you all that easy?"
"For the right woman."
"And am I the right woman?"
"If you're asking that, then you are one gorgeous, sexy, hot but ultimately, dense goddess."
She shoved him into the pool.
***
It was a quarter to five on Sunday morning, and Kiera was feeling the cold. Hayley was in the pool examining the mermaid with Tommy's help. It had taken two hours of sitting poolside and feeding her fish before Hayley had gained the confidence of the mermaid. But Hayley's eyes had been on fire the whole time and Tommy was her willing accomplice.
Without any heating, out of the pool had become a cold place to sit, especially when wet. At Hayley's request, Tommy had switched on the jacuzzi with its viewing window to the main pool, and Kiera was taking full advantage of this new warmth.
"Do you think she's moving any better?"
Donald stepped up to the jacuzzi edge and grimaced. "I've no idea, Kiera. Hayley is very non-committal. Every time I ask a question it's like I'm in the way. Tommy's basically just taking orders and keeping stum. She's so focused."
"She's gotta get her better. There's no way we can hold on to her any longer," said Kiera.
"It was a good idea asking Hayley in on it. Tommy was touch and go but she seems to have him under her spell."
"Get in here."
Donald dropped into the water, feeling the bubbles take the edge off the cold of his legs. Kiera slid across and lifted herself onto his lap. Her shoulders ached, despite the water's attentions, and Donald seemed to sense her need for a rub down as he started to work on her bare skin. It wasn't just the late night and now early morning, but the whole passage of events over the last week that were finally coming to bear. Kiera could often be up and down with emotion, but Donald was a mystery to her. Constantly, he would take things on as if they were nothing. Not devoid of emotion, but rather a ship, which, despite being buffeted, was able to hold an upright and straight course. Kiera was a careering tug tipped over taking on the monster waves.
Yet this morning she felt his weariness.
"What's up?"
"Well, she's not exac
tly responding at any quick rate."
"Donald, it's only been a few hours. She's safe for the moment, let Hayley work her magic."
"I don't think there's magic to work, Kiera."
"Donald, you've done more than others would. Take it easy." There was no answer. "What's really up?"
"Sorry. Oh, nothing, just a little tired." She turned around and straddled him as the jacuzzi switched off, bubbles fading to a stillness, the sound of the pump dying away. Taking his hands on her hips, she sat upright, letting him view her, staring deep into his eyes. The sullenness remained. There was something wrong.
"Tell me, Donald. Let me in. You can't carry it all."
He stared her up and down before smiling.
"Damn you're beautiful." He held her hips, rubbing them gently. "Kiera, do you think…no, it's silly. Forget I asked."
"Tell me Donald."
"No, it's nothing."
Dammit, thought Kiera, open up to me. "Donald, tell me, or I'll punch you in the knackers." He laughed. Kiera breathed a sigh of relief. And then she waited. Two minutes passed.
"Kiera, is it the excitement that makes us feel like this? I mean it's surreal, all this madness, the mermaid, Alyssa, the whole like exposure thing…"
"You mean the inordinately amount of cleavage and boob talk the mermaids have generated and the close, exposed times you seem to find me in."
"Yeah, that."
"Maybe a bit, maybe."
"When it's all done, will we still feel this rush, this hunger for each other?"
"I will. Donald, I will."
"I want to be around you. Want to be with you. Kiera, I want to…love you…I mean physically as well as like this."
"Good."
"But…"
"No buts."
“Hell, Kiera, there are buts. There's always buts."
"Like what Donald? You rescued a half dead mermaid. Snuck her past the press in a suitcase. What exactly is the ‘but’ in all this?"
"It'll be the questions and the looks. Snide comments and things about you. Every time I'm over there with you, they'll be writing me off, taken in by you. Saying we're at it. Living in sin with the Catholic girl."
"Who's they?"
"My Mum, for one." Donald dipped his head. "She'll not like you. You're the wrong faith."
"Really? Or just not from here? Just not the conformist?"
"Actually, you are the conformist," laughed Donald.
"Donald, do these things even matter? Am I not worth the risk?"
"I'm here, aren't I? I'm not saying you're not worth it. I'm just saying…just sick of all the issues that go-around here. All the nonsense. The conformity. Why can't they just let people be people?"
"Donald, when I arrived here they asked me all about myself. They wanted to know everything, but do you know what? They told me next to nothing about themselves…because they are afraid. Afraid of what everyone else thinks. What people will say. It's all a house of cards, Donald. Running ‘round propping up the sides, making sure people can't see what's underneath."
"And you think I have my own house of cards?"
"It comes with growing up here. But you are trying to break out. You carried a half-naked mermaid up to my place, rescued a topless model, and are now cavorting with a Catholic girl and her mate on the Sabbath in a swimming pool. You're beyond scandal, Donald. But you did it all because you care about people, about creatures."
"Kiera, you're…"
"Shush, just enjoy this moment. We won't get this jacuzzi to ourselves like this again." Kiera moved closer and brushed intimately with Donald.
"Kiera, Tommy might see."
"I think Hayley is plenty enough woman for him." The bubbles started again.
16
Ignition
The traffic was extremely busy for a Sunday morning. Of course, one would expect to see the church going populace, but on a grim day such as this morning was turning out to be, anyone else would surely be in their bed. Even the dog walkers would have second thoughts.
The peppering of droplets of water, with just the hint of ice before it melted, attacked the windscreen of Tommy's car, forcing him to move the wipers from intermittent to a constant to and fro. Grey dominated the skyline, but within that base, lurked the torrid cumulonimbus clouds that generate hail and sleet. The weather changed fast on the island, due to swirling southerly winds that dominated, dragging inclement weather from the mainland. Tommy thought of the cold but clear winters that could come with a high pressure forcing a northerly or even easterly wind. Often, they were so much better than the summers.
Glancing at his rear view mirror, he caught a glimpse of Kiera's bag. Ready lined with a large, black bin bag, the tweed carrier could take a reasonable weight similar to a moderate holdall. Although Donald had brought a significant quantity of fish with him, he had also left some in Kiera's freezer, worried that the smell of defrosting fish would give a not so subtle perfume in the changing areas. So Tommy had been sent out on a run to fetch these. Now that she had had time to study the mermaid, Hayley had a few ideas about some drugs that could help it. The technicalities were a mystery to Tommy, but her presence in the car was more than enjoyable.
His back was sore from spending most of the night assisting his veterinary companion, and he was positively wrinkled from long term exposure to the water. Still, the image of Hayley in her bikini was not leaving his mind in a hurry. He glanced sideways. Like she needed to be wearing a bikini. Damn, he thought, how did I ever get the eyes off this one? Despite being well liked by most people, Tommy had often found women hard to relate to. Yet Hayley's fun attitude combined with her dedication to her work had made him risk a wild night. Just how mad or confusing a night he hadn't expected.
"Lot of cars about for a Sunday," said Tommy.
"Yeah. Yes, there is."
"You okay? You seem miles away at the moment."
"It's okay, Tommy. I'm just wrecked. Up all night and trying to focus, I can barely see straight."
"Just make sure you pick up the right drugs," laughed Tommy, pulling into the veterinary car park. Hayley opened the door and rocked towards it before rolling back and turning to Tommy.
"Thank you."
"Thank me? Why?"
"Last night. You were expecting something else, but it didn't turn out the way you hoped."
"No, but I don't think you expected to see a fish woman either."
"No, but thank you. You let me get on with it. All night, you just were there, helping. Thank you. I didn't know you had a heart for animals."
"Hayley, look, animals are fine, but last night I stood in that water for one reason: you. It looked important to you, you were obviously in the zone with it. So I thought, if she wants to do this, I have to help her. Didn't seem the time to be demanding anything else."
"Oh, demanding is it?"
"Hey, whoa. Sorry. I meant looking. No, asking. Hoping."
Hayley laughed out loud before swinging back to the door. Starting to open it, she had a second thought and swung back to Tommy. Reaching her hands forward, she brought their mouths to touch before exploring. His wide-eyed surprise saw her eyes close before he shut his own eyes too. He felt her hands take his, and a shudder went up his body as she placed them where only lovers are allowed. Despite the clothing, his delight was palatable as she broke off the kiss. Savouring a few last moments, his hands finally fell.
"Well, that woke me up," said Hayley.
Embarrassed, Tommy could only smile.
"I'll go get the gear," said Hayley.
"Least I know you won't leave while I'm gone." With several glances back to the car, Hayley made her way through the cold rain into the practice. Sitting behind the wheel, Tommy was oblivious to the various vehicles with satellite dishes making their way along the road, towards the harbour front. Even the return of Hayley startled him.
"Got them. Think I can pretend they're for a friend's aquarium, although the dosage is going to be a mystery. Better make out t
here was some sort of epidemic." Tommy just smiled, still lost in the previous moment. "Tommy, you there?"
"Yeah, sorry. Just tired."
"Yeah, right. Guess I'd be annoyed if you hadn't enjoyed it." Tommy blushed. "To Kiera's then."
Pulling out of the practice drive, Tommy found himself stuck in a long queue. It was becoming clearer that some people were bypassing the traffic on the footpaths and several cars were just parked up on the pavement.
"What the hell's all this?" Tommy said out loud to himself.
About a minute later, the cars had come to a complete halt, much to the anger of several news crews trying to get to the front of the excitement. A large gentleman in a suit with a gaudy tie swore loudly at an elderly lady who seemed to be frozen in her car, frightened by the level of traffic. Opening the lady's door, he gave a diatribe of abuse.
That's not right, thought Tommy.
Gazing at the obnoxious man, it took Hayley a moment to realise Tommy had exited the car. By the time she had got out herself, Tommy was shouting at the man. Hayley was never sure of the exact words that caused Tommy's reaction but the phrase "stupid effing bitch" was definitely in there. Within seconds of the words being spoken, Tommy had delivered a right hook, connecting with the man's jaw and flooring him. A man with a camera grabbed the suited man by the collar calling "come on". Rising, the man vowed he would have sued Tommy if it hadn't have been for the bodies ahead.
Watching the man scarper, Tommy was aware of Hayley grabbing his shoulder squeezing hard against his torso, but he was more intent on the car's occupant. He extended a hand, and the lady climbed out of the vehicle.
"Thomas Clarke, always said you would amount to nothing. What are doing going ‘round hitting people like that?" Hayley watched Tommy stand upright, head dropped ashamed.
"Just a minute, lady. My Tommy just stepped in for you, sorted that guy who was giving you a lip-full. Think you owe him some thanks."
The old lady was laughing, garbed in her black Sunday dress under a dull coat with a dowdy hat covering pinned up hair. She smiled at Hayley's response.
"Got a woman too. You might do yet, Thomas Clarke. Defender of the weak. Now off with you, I won't make church dallying like this. A good Godly stroll is required." With that, she toddled off not once looking back.