Sea Nympho (Underwater Neighbours)

2. In Which Her Nickname Is Quite Fitting

The next night, I go to the surface to buy Tony clothes. I usually stash my clothes in a small house I own at the top of the beach. I also have a swimsuit that I keep in my underwater house to wear onto the beach. I sell pearls that I make myself, and get money in return. The ability to make pearls from a central speck of sand or stone, or anything really, is an ability that sea sirens, and merfolk have. There’s one specific shop that’s always open that I do the exchanges at, but I usually have extra cash in my hut. It’s with a pocket full of pearls, and a pocket full of money that I go to The Pearl Shack, the store that I usually do the exchanges at.

“Pearl,” Mr Grover, the man who works the night shift says when he sees me enter the store. That’s his nickname for me because I always exchange pearls for him. The store is dimly lit and air conditioned, and it smells of lavender. The store predominantly sells jewellery made of pearls, but luckily, it also sells some clothes that I can get for Tony. 

“Good evening,” I respond. “I would like to buy some clothes for a friend tonight, in addition to the exchange.”

“What exactly ya looking for?” he asks me, a bright smile on his face.

“Size thirty-two men’s pants, and medium shirt,” I tell him, estimating Tony’s clothes size, and hoping to God that this will fit him. “Also, some medium swim trunks.” Mr Grover nods his head, before going to the back of the store, and returning with the items I asked for, a few moments later. He presents me with a Bob Marley shirt, and a pair of navy blue trunks and a pair of jeans. 

“You always have what I want,” I tell him with a smile. 

“Well, there’s a play that’s gonna be put on tomorrow night,” he informs me. He reaches for a space under the cash register and picks up some tickets to show them to me. “They’re performing Macbeth, it’s a charity thing.” 

“What charity?” I ask 

“It’s for children with Leukemia,” he tells me. I’ve always pitied mortals, and the unfortunate ailments that befall them, but more than ever, the unfortunate deaths of children. They are the purest and most innocent of them, and they die senselessly from these diseases. 

“How much are they?” I ask. 

“Eighteen pounds,” he responds. 

“I’ll take two,” I tell him. I fully intend on going, but I wanted to give more than just eighteen pounds. Maybe I’ll take Tony with me, or drag one of my friends along. 

“Thank ya, darlin’,” he says with a smile. He always seems to be in a good mood. Sometimes, I really do envy him.

He rings everything up together, which is the money I got from the pearls, minus the money that the items I picked up cost. Because of the abundance of pearls I have, and the variations in size and colour, as well as the quality, I still end up leaving with just over £100. He never questions how I get pearls of such high quality. He just takes them from me, every time. 

Afterwards, I head back to my house with the clothes and tickets. Tonight is especially windy, but I have a hoodie in my house that I can give him. That is, if he even wants one. We have a higher tolerance for cold than humans. I bought the house a few years ago, and unbeknownst to the mortals, it has an enchanted lock that won’t open for anyone but myself, or someone I will. I put down his clothes on a chair, and exit the house, locking it, before heading to the beach, with the swim trunks. He already phased and is waiting in the water for me to give him the swim trunks. I roll it up and throw it at him.

“Thanks,” he says out loud, before dragging them onto his body. “Wow, I haven’t spoken like this in so long. It’s... nice.” We don’t have to say things out loud, we could still use a mental link to speak, but in human form, verbal communication feels more natural. As we walk to my hut, he puts his hand in mine. I don’t just want to f**k him. I want to show him a good time. And I don’t want it to be a one-time thing, either. 

“So, mi amor, where are we going first?” he asks me. 

“First,” I say, “I’m taking you to my house up here.” I lead him back to the house, and his eyes widen when he sees it. 

“You own an actual house up here?” 

“Yup,” I tell him. 

When he enters, I close the door behind him. "What is the name of this island?" he asks curiously. 

“Hulder Island,” I respond. “Apparently, it is named after the mysterious seductive forest creatures that some of the first inhabitants claimed that they saw. I, myself, have never been to the forests and have never seen a hulder, or huldra, as some people call the individual creatures, while the entire race is always known as the hulder race.”

"Hm. Interesting," he says. "Interesting."

“I think I should bathe first. And so should you, actually. Then, we can change. Humans often perceive our fishy smell as unpleasant,” I tell him. 

“Sure, mi amor,” he says, “you first, though. Because if we try to shower together, we probably won’t be seeing any of the town tonight.” 

He’s right. I do not have all that much self-restraint, and I already knew that he would make me wait. He told me that he wanted me to be patient, that patience would be something that I would have to exercise when it came to him. for some reason, it feels as if he is worth it. Smirking to myself, I walk to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. 

I hope that he does not make me wait for too long, but for now, I will comply. However, right now, I can’t wait to introduce Tony to the rest of the island. To my world above water. Hopefully, he’ll really like it. I want to make his experience here as enjoyable as possible. I want to be a good neighbour, more than simply the siren girl he eventually f***s. And tonight, I’m going all out.