“Good, let’s talk about something more interesting, like how incredible Coral looks right now.” Jude gives me a wide smile and tips his soda bottle towards me.
Liam and Gio turn their heads towards me. Their eyes widen like they’re just now noticing that I’m here.
“Wow, you do look great, Princess. Love the dress. Come here, let me see you.” Gio motions for me, so I get up and walk towards him, holding out the hem of the dress.
He reaches out and slides his hands down my sides then pulls me down next to him. “I missed you. I’ve been watching bad TV and listening to Jude belch and fart all day.”
I wrap my arm around his neck then run a hand over his head and down his cheek. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Anxious to get out there and do something. I don’t like laying around all day. I did talk to my sister’s social worker, though, and I told her I want to get custody of Bella. She wants to talk to Bella first, and then there’ll be some hoops to jump through, but she thinks I have a good chance. I can’t wait to see her again.” His face lights up when he talks about that.
“That’s great, Gio.” I am happy for him, although I can’t help the jealousy that swims through my gut. I haven’t had to share any of the guys’ affections before.
Jude comes over and perches on the arm of the couch next to me and Gio. “I’m glad you’re back, too. Sick Gio is no fun at all. All he does is whine and groan.”
Gio glares at him. “Maybe if I’d had better company, I wouldn’t have been so grumpy.”
“Liam, how did it go with your family today?” I turn towards him, trying to change the subject.
He looks up from the device he’s staring at and smiles. “It was great. Well, except that my parents want to throw a welcome home party.”
“Cool! I love parties. Are we invited?” Jude wiggles his eyebrows.
“You don’t want that?” I ask Liam.
He winces and smooths his hair with his hand. “It’s not the kind of party you’d like, Jude. It will be a bunch of people in evening wear sipping champagne and taking the opportunity to brag about their successful business ventures. I can’t stand that kind of thing. I hate pointless small talk. If I could bring you, Coral, it’d be better, but they’d have a million questions you wouldn’t be able to answer. You’d never fit in.”
His words deflate any confidence I gained at the mall with Avery today. I’ve never felt like Liam was looking down on me, even though he’s so much smarter than me, but it’s obvious he thinks I don’t belong in his world. Will I ever be able to learn enough that he won’t be embarrassed by me? He’s been patient with me so far, but will he eventually tire of having to teach me everything? I’m curious about what he’s doing right now with that device, but I’m afraid to ask him.
Jude touches my shoulder. “Hey, speaking of parties. I want to go out tonight and celebrate, see some of my friends. Coral, you want to come with me?”
My first instinct is to say yes, but doubt immediately rolls in like storm clouds. “Do you think your friends will like me?”
“Of course they’ll like you! What’s not to like?” He grabs my waist and tips me back so he can plant a kiss on me.
Liam’s face darkens. “Coral, that’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to be overwhelmed and intimidated. My parents’ friends make me feel like that sometimes, and I grew up in that world.”
I nod but turn back to Jude. “What will your party be like?”
“We’ll just hang out at the bar, dance, have a few drinks. No big deal.”
I remember seeing memories in Jude’s mind of that kind of thing, and he always looked like he was having a great time. I want to spend time with him, and I want to do the things he likes, but I’m still a little nervous.
“Will your friends ask me questions I don’t know how to answer?”
“We’ll make up a story you can tell them. Don’t worry, though, cuz I’ll be right by your side.” He wraps an arm around my waist.
Liam still looks a little upset, so I tentatively say, “Liam, are you going to come with us?”
His frown softens a bit, but he shakes his head. “No, I don’t like that kind of party any better, and besides, someone needs to stay here with Gio.”
“I’ll come. Sounds like fun,” Avery says, but Jude scowls at him.
“You were alone with Coral all day. It’s my turn.”
“We weren’t exactly alone, we were in a mall full of people.”
Jude rolls his eyes at him. “You know what I mean, Ave. You got to have her to yourself. If you come tonight, you gonna keep your hands off her and let her be with me?”
Avery’s brow wrinkles, and his lips turn down. “Fine. Maybe I’ll go apartment hunting, find a nice place where Coral and I can have some real time alone.”
As much as I’d like some private time with Avery, I don’t want him to get a place apart from the rest of the guys, but I don’t really understand what they’re arguing about, and I don’t want to get in the middle of it, so I keep quiet.
Liam and Gio start talking about the gold again — how much it’s worth and where they can sell it. Liam taps at that device then points at it, reading things off to Gio. I wander over and peek over Liam’s shoulder.
“What is that?” I ask when there’s a break in the conversation.
“This is a computer. You can use it to access the internet, to find information.”
“Like what?” I sit down beside him.
“Anything, everything. What do you want to know?”
“I’d like to know where my mother is.” The boys get quiet at my words. My mother escaped to land shortly after I was born, leaving me to be raised by my grandfather.
Liam’s voice is soft and gentle. “We’ll need a little information in order to search for her. Do you know her name?”
“What do you call these again?” I hold up the pearl necklace I salvaged from the shipwreck where I found the gold.
“Pearls. Is that your mom’s name?” Liam asks.
“We say it differently in our language, but this is what her name means.”
“Do you think she would use the word Pearl as her name here on land?”
I shrug. I know nothing about the woman who gave me life except she didn’t love me enough to be part of it. “I have no idea.”
Liam winces and puts a hand on my knee. “Coral, Pearl is a common name, but there are thousands, maybe even millions of women who share it. We’d need more information to find her. A last name, or a general location.”
I stare at Liam for a moment, trying to comprehend what he’s just said. Millions of women with the same name as my mother? How many humans are there? I thought humans were like most of the larger sea creatures — much more rare than the tiny fish that swim in massive schools. But the way Liam talks, there are more humans than there are fish in the sea. How could I ever find my mother in a world that big? I don’t know anything about her; would I even recognize her if I saw her?
I close my eyes and shake my head as my dream of finding her floats out of reach.
Liam touches my hand gently. “I don’t think I can help you, Coral. We just don’t have enough to go on.”
“I understand.” I dip my head and stare at my dress, tracing my fingers along the pattern. What would she do if I found her, anyway? Would she even want to see me? If I found her, I’d probably just be disappointed.
I can see my sadness reflected in the guys faces, so I force myself to smile. “Show me something else. What other things can this tell you?”
“Well, I use it a lot for school research. If I need to know something about a particular animal, I can look it up,” Liam says.
“Hey, is it true that walruses have the biggest penis of all land mammals? I need to know what I’m competing against.” Jude grabs his crotch and grins.
Liam rolls his eyes. “I don’t think Coral cares about that. What’s your favorite sea creature?” he asks me.
“I like the fish that hide in the coral reefs, but I don’t know what you call them.”
“No problem.” Liam taps on the letters, then suddenly the screen fills with pictures of fish I recognize.
“I know all these!” I lean closer and point at a blue and yellow fish with a yellow tail. “Those are my favorites.”
“We call that a Queen Angelfish. It says here they eat mostly sponges and live near Florida and the Bahamas.” Liam pulls up a page full of words all about the species. I try to read it, but I don’t know a lot of the words, so Liam explains it to me. I can’t believe how much information there is.
“How do humans know all this?”
“Marine biologists research sea creatures and then record what they find. That’s what I’m going to school for; that’s why I was on the dive trip. I wanted to do research. I’m fascinated by all the different animals that live in the sea.”
I remember how curious Liam was when he learned I was a mermaid. He wanted to study me, and he had a million questions. The others had to threaten him and make him promise to never reveal my secret, for fear that humans would put my kind in danger. Would Liam still be interested in me if I wasn’t a mermaid? I guess I can never know.
We scroll through page after page of information about all kinds of sea creatures. The others get bored by it, but I can definitely see why Liam loves this. It’s interesting to learn new things about some of the animals I know so well, and Liam is fascinated when I tell him things about the animals that he’s never heard before.
“Wow, Coral, if you didn’t have to explain how you got all this knowledge, you could teach a class on this. My classmates would be enthralled by you.”
I grin, thrilled that, for once, I’m not clueless and ignorant.
“If you guys are about done playing name that sea monster, are you ready to go out, Coral?” Jude stands up, stretching and yawning.
I turn to Liam. “Can we do this some more later?”
He looks at me with more affection and appreciation than ever. “Of course. Any time.”
I nod and turn back to Jude with a big smile. “I’m ready whenever you are. Wait, is this okay?” I pull on my dress.
Jude shakes his head and smirks at me. “Typical woman, already worried about what to wear. Believe me, you look great.”
I smile at him and smooth my dress.
“All right, let’s blow this joint. Don’t wait up, losers.” Jude makes an L with his thumb and forefinger and holds it to his forehead. I wave and blow them each a kiss goodbye.
Chapter 10
As soon as we get outside the apartment, Jude grabs a hold of me and yanks me up to his chest, letting my feet dangle. I squeal and giggle, pounding my fists against his broad chest. “It’s about time I got you away from those goons. We’re gonna have so much fun tonight. Just you wait.”
He puts me down but keeps an arm wrapped around my waist and walks so fast I practically have to run to keep up with him.
“This car is very big,” I say as he helps me climb up into a dirty, yellow vehicle that has a large open space in the back instead of backseats. The inside is cluttered with clothes, papers, bags, and other random things.
“That’s because it’s a truck, not a car. This is what real men drive.”
“What’s that space in the back for?” I peek through the window behind me, but it looks empty.
“The bed? That’s for hauling stuff — furniture, tools, whatnot.”
“Do you sleep there?”
“What?” He gives me a strange look that quickly turns into a grin. “No, it’s not that kind of bed, although I suppose you could sleep there, in a pinch. But it wouldn’t be very comfortable.”
Jude starts the truck, and I jump as loud music blares through the air. “Whoops, sorry about that.” He turns a knob, and the music gets quieter.
“That’s okay, I like music,” I say, remembering how much Jude does, too.
He gives me another one of his wide, toothy smiles. “Good, cuz where we’re going they have great music, and it can get kind of loud.”
Jude turns the music up again and starts crooning along. I can’t risk singing around the guys since my song has a hypnotizing effect, but I bob my head and tap my fingers on my leg, enjoying the catchy melody.
Jude’s truck is loud, too. I gasp when he pulls out of the parking garage with a jolt and a screech, and a rumbling noise fills the air.
“What’s that sound?” I whimper, holding my hand to my chest to keep my galloping heart from escaping.
“That’s just the engine, baby. This truck has some power under the hood.” He demonstrates by revving the engine again. We go flying down the road like we’ve got wings. Jude grabs a handle above his window when we squeal around a corner. I have one on my side, too, so I wrap my sweaty hand around it and hold tight to keep myself from sliding across the seat.
A few more wild turns and Jude is pulling into a crowded parking lot in front of a low building with dark wood siding and an overhang that casts a shadow over the front. Three spotlights shine on a wooden sign with faded, black letters that spell out Roadhouse Saloon. The windows are lit up with signs that say Coors, Bud Light, and Michelob.
I hop down to the ground before Jude gets around the front of the truck. “I would’ve helped you down, Princess.”
When he takes my hand, I realize mine is warm and damp. He doesn’t seem to mind, though, just smiles down at me, his brown eyes twinkling under his floppy, brown curls.
I can hear music pulsing from inside as we climb the wide steps onto the dark porch. The door swings open in front of us, letting the music escape, blasting us with light, sound, and the smell of smoke.
A couple staggers out the door, bumping into us. The woman is wearing jeans so tight she looks like she’s poured into them, a red shirt tied tight around her waist, exposing some of her belly, and pointed boots that go halfway up her calves.
I gape at her, staring hard enough that she purses her lips and stares back, her dark eyes roving up and down my body. She pushes past me without saying anything, and I look down, trying to see myself through her eyes.
Jude is holding the door, waiting for me, so I slide past him into the crowded room. A smoky haze floats in the air, itching my throat, stinging my eyes, and making everything seem a little blurry. Large, black ceiling fans spin above, stirring the thick air.
“Is there a fire in here?” I ask, looking around, but I don’t see one.
Jude laughs. “Nah, that’s just cigarette smoke. You’ll get used to it.”
A glossy, wooden bar runs across the length of the room, the shelves behind it crowded with bottles full of different colored liquids. Black stools with red seats are scattered in front of the bar, most of them occupied by people holding clear glasses filled with foamy, gold liquid. They talk and laugh while sipping from the glasses.
I stare at the people as Jude pulls me through the crowd. Most of the guys are dressed like him — jeans, tee shirts, some wear hats. A few have on boots instead of sneakers. Most of the women look a lot like the one we ran into, with tight clothes, big hair, bright lips, and dark eyes. I instantly feel out of place.
Jude seems right at home, though, waving and calling out to people with a wide smile. He stops walking and snakes his arm around my waist when a couple of guys approach us.
“Jude! Where the hell you been, man? We haven’t seen you around here for months!” A tall man with pale skin and a red, scruffy beard slugs Jude on the shoulder.
The other guy, shorter than Jude, a bit thinner, with short, brown hair and gray-blue eyes glances from Jude to me then looks me up and down.
“Derrick, Benji! Good to see you! This is Coral.” Jude bumps fists with one and smacks the other on the back. I give a small wave.
“It’s a crazy story, man. Let me get a drink, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Sure, we’ve got a table over there.” The redhead points to a corner.
&nbs
p; Jude leads me over to the bar, pushing into a small opening. The man behind the bar raises an eyebrow at him. “What can I get ya?”
“I’ll have a Sam Adams, and…” He looks down at me. I stare up at him with wide, unsure eyes. “How about a piña colada for the lady.”
“It tastes like coconut. You’ll like it,” he whispers.
I look around while we wait, peering around Jude’s shoulder. People are dancing in the middle of the room, lined up in rows, all facing the same direction. The whole floor vibrates when they stomp their feet in time to the music, crossing leg over leg, hands stuck in pockets. How do they all know what to do at the right time? In one corner, several people mill around a large table with a green top. They take turns leaning over the table to poke at balls with long sticks. I’m about to ask Jude what they’re doing when the man behind the bar slides two drinks towards us.
Jude tosses a few bills on the bar then hands me the pale yellow drink. The glass is curvy with a thin part at the bottom, and there’s a bright red sphere and a yellow triangle threaded onto a stick that pokes out of the top. I take a tentative sip, pulling the thick, cold, creamy liquid through the straw like Avery taught me at the mall earlier. The drink is sweet but tart, with a mild, coconut flavor, just like Jude said.
“What do you think?”
“It’s nice.” I smile up at him. It reminds me of eating coconuts on the island.
Jude smiles back then takes a deep pull from his glass then wipes his arm across his lips. “Ahh, now that was a long time coming.”
We weave through the crowd to the table where his friends sit. Jude pulls out a chair for me then takes the one next to it. Besides Derrick and Benji, there is one other guy with dark hair and bronze skin who Jude introduces as Marcus. He stares at me with piercing, dark eyes that swoop slowly up and down then linger on my chest, making my cheeks warm. He reminds me of Gio a bit, but he’s smaller, and his hair is a lot longer, slicked back from his forehead.
The Mermaid's Journey_A Reverse Harem Page 7