“It isn’t often that I see you out on the town. What’s the occasion?” Gage asked, and Lola tried to ignore the tug of attraction she felt for him. He looked particularly good this evening in a white linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up his tanned forearms, and pressed green pants. She missed seeing the necklace at his throat, but it reminded her of where she’d last seen it.
“Lola’s moving to Siren Island. She’s going to open an art gallery here,” Mirra said.
Gage’s eyebrows rose in surprise before happiness washed over his face. “Is that true? That’s fantastic news. Congratulations!” He bent to brush a kiss over her cheek and Lola flushed, his nearness doing things to her she didn’t want to think about.
She smiled. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to tackling this new project.”
“May I buy you all a round of drinks? To celebrate?”
“Sure…” Jolie said, then caught Irma’s look.
“Actually, we’re on our way out. But you can buy one for Lola,” Irma said smoothly, standing from the table. The girls followed suit. “Thank you for a lovely dinner, Lola. And welcome to the island.”
“Wait… but…” Lola stammered, but the ladies were already across the restaurant, Irma having neatly maneuvered Lola into having a drink with Gage.
“Looks like you’re all mine,” Gage laughed, winking at her and gesturing to a chair. “May I?”
Beaten, Lola could only nod.
Gage signaled for the waiter and settled in, running his gaze over Lola.
“Miss Maureen’s work?”
“It is.”
“You take my breath away,” Gage said, heat in his eyes. For a moment Lola lost hers as well before she pulled herself back.
“Thank you. Does your date mind that you’re over here flirting with me?” Lola asked, hating to sound bitchy… but thinking she likely sounded bitchy.
Gage’s grin widened.
“Is that jealousy I’m sensing?”
“No,” Lola sniffed, as the waiter stopped at their table. Gage looked at her. “Dark & Stormy, please.”
“I’ll take the same.”
“She’s a colleague,” Gage said, reading Lola easily.
“That’s quite a dress for a work meeting,” Lola said, and immediately felt annoyed with herself. She sounded like a nagging girlfriend. “Listen, your business is your own. Who you date or don’t date is up to you. Did it bother me a little to see you with another woman? Yes, I’ll admit it because I like to think I can be honest with myself and others about my feelings.”
“Tell me more about these feelings; I’m dying to know,” Gage said, leaning forward with a smile on his lips.
“Oh, don’t pull that whole charming thing you do on me.” Lola pointed a finger at him and glared.
“I’m not pulling anything. I swear this is just me. But I really would like to know what feelings you have. And if they match mine,” Gage said, dangling that little tidbit in front of her while the waiter dropped their drinks off.
“Congratulations on your new venture. I look forward to being a customer,” Gage said. He tapped his glass to hers before drinking, while his brilliant green eyes held her own.
“Thank you,” Lola said and then looked away, hoping they could move past his earlier question.
“So? These feelings?”
Lola sighed, playing with the bamboo straw that came with her drink. “It’s no surprise that I find you attractive. I’m not sure why we need to belabor the point.”
“I’m very attracted to you as well,” Gage said, his grin widening in his face.
“But it’s not going anywhere. Especially now that I’m moving to the island,” Lola said, leaning back and leveling a stern look at him.
“Wouldn’t that be exactly the reason it should go somewhere?” Gage asked, confusion crossing his handsome face. “We can take time to get to know each other, see if there’s something more there…”
“I… listen, I’m not great at commitments. They make me itchy. I’ve watched my mom get married five times in my life. I would hate to let you down, if that was the road we went down.”
“Who’s to say that would be our road?” Gage asked, and Lola felt a little thrill of excitement wash through her at the word our.
“Why would you be any different from any other guy I’ve dated?” Lola asked, then winced at the flash of hurt that crossed Gage’s face. Reaching out, she squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry. That came out way harsher than I anticipated or intended it to be. Listen, I came here to work on some things.”
“I remember. The Lola project. You deflected telling me about it the other day. Will you tell me about it now?”
“I… well, it wasn’t really a clear project, if I’m honest.” Lola gave him a quick rundown of the psychic in Italy and appreciated once again how he seemed unfazed by anything related to what a lot of people would consider “woo-woo.”
“And you came here. What were you hoping to accomplish while you were here?”
“I don’t honestly know, but I think I’ve found it. I’ve led such a wandering lifestyle – always moving on, always setting up the next vacation – so I think the restlessness I’ve been feeling comes from not having any direction. It isn’t that I haven’t had things that I’m passionate about, because I do. And I’m not ashamed to say I’m really good at what I do.”
“And what does all of that encompass?”
“I have an excellent eye for art. I curate collections well, am great at interior design, I’m an award-winning photographer, and a fairly strong painter. I’m a people person, I make connections and friends all over the world, and while many may think I’m this flighty bohemian girl, I’m actually incredibly reliable. When a client hires me for design or to find them the right piece of art, they know they can depend on me. It’s vital to my reputation.”
“It sounds like a wonderful life,” Gage said, smiling at her. “And yet you’re restless.”
“I am. I think I’ve needed something to call my own, I’m realizing. We’ll see how it goes with the gallery, but I’ve always done work for other people. And I’m sure I’ll still do so. But now I want to do this for me – build this for me. I’m already so excited about it, I could burst. Which, to me, means that it’s the right choice.”
“What happens if you get restless again?”
“I think… well, the way I see it is, then I book a trip. Hire a gallery manager here who can oversee things while I’m gone, and I go get the itch out of my system – but always returning to home base. I guess, until that changes, maybe? I don’t know. I’m still working it all out in my head.”
“You do realize that, for someone who’s scared of commitments, you’re making a fairly big one, don’t you?”
“I know,” Lola laughed and pressed her hands to her warm cheeks. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around that as well. But don’t you see? This is why… it’s just… this is too much for me right now. I’m very attracted to you, Gage, but I’m worried that I’d just toss you aside once I’ve had my taste. And if I’m meant to live here and we’re to be neighbors or friends, it’s probably better that we don’t go there.”
“What if I don’t agree with you?”
“Um.” Lola looked at him in confusion. “I’m not sure you get a say.”
“You’ve never had a guy court you before? Give you time to figure out what you want? A long slow slide into love?”
“Um,” Lola repeated, lost in the way his eyes held hers and the long liquid pull of lust that laced through her gut.
“Hmm. I do think this will be quite fun,” Gage said, reaching over and grabbing her hand to kiss her palm before she could snatch it away. “I like you, Lola. I’m very attracted to you. But I know what you see when you look at me – you think I hop into bed with every woman who comes my way, just because I can schmooze the ladies.”
“I don’t…” Lola started to protest and then shook her head, reminding herself it was against her nature t
o lie. “Okay, I’ll admit that’s the impression you give off.”
“That’s fair. I understand it. Women have always been drawn to me. That makes some men act like a kid in a candy store, sampling all the goods. For me, it makes me pickier in my choices. I try to be kind to everyone, but I’m particular about whom I take to bed. Especially living on a small island – it would be easy to get a bad reputation or hurt someone’s feelings. I’m not abstinent, but I’m choosy,” Gage said.
Lola sighed. Why did he have to be an actual good guy when she had put her love life on pause?
“Then my apologies for the assumptions I’ve made. For me, I’m a bit the other way, I suppose,” Lola said, figuring there was no reason to be ashamed or dishonest about her past lovers. “I travel frequently, and when the mood strikes, or I meet an interesting man, we may share some time together, and when the time to part arrives, usually it’s with very little fuss. And I’ve been absolutely fine with that. Well, mostly. It’s allowed me to lead an unencumbered life.”
“I wonder if that’s part of your restlessness, though.” Gage took a sip from his drink. “Maybe you’re actually wanting to form deeper connections.”
“I…” Lola paused, tilting her head at him. “That may be so. I’ll add it to the list of deep introspections I plan to cover over the next few months.”
“In the meantime,” Gage said, and smiled his dangerous smile, “I’ll work on changing your mind about dating.”
“Gage, we’re not dating.”
Gage looked around at the restaurant and the cocktails on the table in front of them.
“It looks like a date to me,” Gage said.
“It’s not. You didn’t ask me on a date. You showed up at the table and plopped down. That is not a date.”
“I think it might be a date. Especially because we shared history about our past partners. That’s all date-talk stuff.”
Lola buried her face in her hands. “I think it’s time for me to leave… oh shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just realized, Irma drove me here. Is there a taxi stand nearby?”
Gage just looked patiently at her.
“I’m not asking you for a ride home,” Lola said, rolling her eyes.
“I thought you wanted to be friends?” Gage asked.
“I do.”
“Well, what do you think friends do?”
“Give each other rides home.” Lola sighed, and then tugged a lock of her hair again. “Gage, would you be able to give me a ride home, if it’s not too far out of your way?”
“I’d be happy to, Lola. Considering I live just up the road from the Laughing Mermaid, it would be easy to drop you on my way home.”
“You do?”
“I do. I have a lovely little villa on the water. You’ll have to come see it sometime,” Gage said. Lola shrugged a shoulder, noncommittal, making him laugh. “Where do you think you’ll live?”
“I…” Lola’s mind went blank. She’d been so focused on her business that she had forgotten she’d need an actual place to live. She still held an apartment back in the States, but was gone more often than she was there. “To be honest, I hadn’t even considered it.”
“Don’t worry, friend, I’ll help you,” Gage said with a laugh, and motioned to the waiter for the bill.
“It’s on me,” Lola said, pausing his hand with hers. “I promised to buy the ladies dinner as a celebration. Let me get your drink as well.”
“Thank you, Lola. Since it’s our second date, I’ll allow that.”
Gage smiled the whole way home, while Lola remained stubbornly silent. She hopped out as quickly as she could, but he had already rounded the truck and stood in front of her.
“Thank you for the ride, Gage. That’s very neighborly of you. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”
“Can I take you to look at some real estate listings? I’d be happy to help,” Gage asked.
“Um, no, that’s okay. I need to look at my finances and figure a few things out first,” Lola said. The truth was, she just needed some space from him before she climbed up his muscular body and took his mouth with her own.
“I’m here if you need me, Lola.” Gage held out his card. “My cell phone number is on there. Call me anytime.”
“Thanks,” Lola said. She started to move past, but he stilled her with his hand. He brushed the softest of kisses – just a whisper – across her lips. Lola closed her eyes and breathed him in for a moment, before stepping back.
“Good night.”
“Sweet dreams, lovely siren. I’ll call on you soon.”
Chapter 22
“Wooing me? Can you believe that man?”
“I know,” Mirra sighed dreamily. Lola glared at her and she straightened. “I mean… the nerve of him. I’ll be sure to shoo him away if I see him on the property.”
“You will do no such thing, Mirra, you liar. You love a good romance. She’ll probably give him a key to your room,” Jolie laughed.
Lola slapped her palm to her forehead.
“Okay, enough about him,” Mirra said. “First, we’ll take you past the little bungalow our friend James is renting out. Then we’ll introduce you to a few artists we like on island, though I think you really need to take a look at Jolie’s jewelry.” She chattered away, handily driving the truck toward town, then turning off on another unmarked dirt lane. Lola wondered how anyone found their way around when they arrived to this island – there were next to no street signs.
“Jolie, I didn’t know you made jewelry. Will you show me?”
“I guess, though I don’t usually tell people about it.” Jolie slanted a look at Mirra, who just shrugged.
“You should. It’s stunning work. All sea-based, with delicate seed pearls and intricate wiring. I couldn’t be prouder of it if I made it myself.”
At that, Jolie reached out and squeezed Mirra’s shoulder.
“Here it is,” Mirra said, pulling to a stop down a little lane that ended on a small hill. “It’s just a simple bungalow, but it has two bedrooms. That will be nice for having a home office or if you have visitors.”
“This looks great – is there beach access? We’re so close to the sea,” Lola exclaimed. She had anticipated having to find a cheaper apartment in one of the buildings downtown, not actually being able to afford her own little house.
“Come see,” Mirra said, and held up the keys. The girls climbed out of the truck and wandered around the front of the sage green bungalow with tan shutters. At the front was a long porch with a hammock slung between two poles and an uninterrupted view of the sea. At the top of the hill, a little sign pointed to a path that led to the beach below them.
“Shut up. This is the view? I’ll take it,” Lola said immediately.
“Don’t you want to see inside first?” Jolie laughed.
“Sure, but I’ll take it.”
The inside had everything she needed, Lola thought – high ceilings, two adequately-sized bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, and a small but well-appointed kitchen in the big main room. The wide doors slid open to allow the breeze in and she could cook dinner while looking out over the water.
“Done. Love it. I’ll take it.”
“It’s a year lease, but I think fairly affordable for what you get.” Mirra pulled out the paperwork from her tote bag, and Lola sat down at the counter, reading it completely through. Though she could be impulsive at times, she was still a smart businesswoman and never signed a contract without reading everything.
“Looks good,” Lola said, signing with a flourish. “Can I give you a check or shall I send it to James?”
“He’s off-island right now. We’ve been managing the property for him, so you can give us the check and we’ll deposit it for you. Once you set up an account here you can just do a monthly bank transfer.”
“I can’t believe this is all happening,” Lola said, striding to the porch and looking out at the wide expanse of the sea below them. “It seems so fast
, but it feels so right.”
“Trust that instinct,” Jolie said, coming to stand by her. “You know as well as anyone, if it falls apart, then you can leave. Change it up. But, for now, give this a chance.”
“I’m all in.” Lola turned and grinned at them both. “And you two can be my first guests to a party. I’ll host it soon, but for now, let’s continue on our day.”
They spent the day introducing Lola to friends and artists on the island, all of whom were incredibly welcoming and friendly. Lola was teeming with ideas by the time they pulled up to a little hut on a beach, where they each grabbed an ice-cold beer before walking down to a bench on the waterline.
“What a great day, ladies!” They clinked their beers with each other and Lola took a deep drink, the ice-cold beer cutting the heat just right. “I have so many ideas – I can’t freaking wait to jump into building this gallery up.”
“I like the name for it,” Mirra said, staring out at the sea. “It’s pretty without being tacky. Some places just… yeah, they don’t hit the right note.”
Lola desperately wanted to ask more about being mermaid, but instead she decided to try and navigate a different aspect of it.
“Well, the moon part really came from that story I read at the museum about Nalachi and Irmine,” Lola said. She saw the sisters shoot each other a glance before she plowed on. “It said something about how Irmine could only come in on the full moon. I wonder why that was? Or if that’s true for all mermaids? I was reading different myths in the books I picked up from Miss Maureen, and I couldn’t find any consistency about the full moon and whether mermaids could walk the land. That part seems to vary depending on the culture and their history.”
“Moon magick is powerful magick,” Jolie said, twirling a long lock of dark hair around her finger. “But I suspect it depends on the tribe, and their universal agreements.”
“Universal agreements?”
“Sure – each mermaid tribe agrees on certain things with the universal energy. I think it’s why some can walk on land, others can’t. I’m not really sure,” Jolie said quickly, “but from what I understand, that all changed for Irmine and her daughters after Nalachi’s death.”
Up to No Good: The Siren Island Series, Book Two Page 11