I pinch my brow and bite my lip while Avery nibbles at my neck, too distracted to enjoy the sensation. I don’t want Avery to have his own place, or any of the others. I want us all to be together. We can still have time alone with each other, like Liam and I did last night.
Avery groans and lifts me off his lap. “We better stop while I still can. Come on, let’s see some of the other stuff on you.”
I try on two more dresses — a yellow one with ruffles that drape my shoulders and flutter around my knees and a blue denim one that looks like one of the guys’ shirts with a collar and buttons up the front, but a tie cinches it in the middle. Avery fusses with that one a bit, tightening the bow at my waist, rolling up the sleeves, and unbuttoning the top three buttons. I don’t know what difference it makes, but once he’s done, he thinks it’s an improvement.
“Okay, Coral, let’s try on these jeans.” He holds up a pair of dark blue pants that look like his.
“I thought you wanted me to wear girls’ clothes.”
“These are.” He glances curiously from them to me.
“But you’re wearing them.” I point to his legs.
Avery looks down and smiles. “Everybody wears jeans, but these are made to fit a girl’s body instead of a guy’s. Try them on, you’ll see.”
He helps me slide my legs into the pant legs and pull them up over my hips. The material is stretchy but thick and tight.
“See? Don’t you look great? And that ass… mmm.” He rubs a hand over my backside then spins me around and turns my head so I can see my back in the mirror.
I take a few steps then try to squat, but the material around my knees hinders me. I tug on it. “These feel too tight.”
Avery slides a hand under the waistband then pinches the fabric around my hips. “No, these are good. They’re skinny jeans, they’re supposed to be snug.”
I crinkle my nose. “I don’t like them.”
Avery brings me two more pairs of jeans, but I dismiss both of them as soon as I put them on.
“I guess you’re just not a jeans girl, huh? That’s okay. You look great no matter what you wear. How about some leggings?”
Those are better, and the denim shorts are okay, but I prefer the dresses.
“Do I look okay in those? Will I fit in?” Worry wrinkles my brow.
“Yeah, of course, Coral. I wouldn’t let you wear something weird. Dresses aren’t quite as popular as jeans, but you look great in them. Believe me, all the girls will be jealous of you, and every guy will be jealous of me.”
His words soothe my worries for the moment. I’m glad he’s not embarrassed by me, and I hope I can keep from doing something stupid.
“One more thing.” Avery grins and holds up a very small, black dress with tiny straps and lace around the top and bottom. The material is as shiny and slippery as water.
Avery unhooks the bra and lets it fall to the ground then slips the dress over my head. It barely covers the juncture between my legs.
“This is a chemise. To sleep in.” I don’t understand why I need something so pretty to sleep in, but the thought in Avery’s mind explains it.
I rub my hands up and down, enjoying the feel of the slick material against my skin. “It feels really nice.”
Avery puts his hands on my body and follows the path mine take. “Yes, it does.” His voice is deep and gravelly. I feel it vibrating in my center.
He steals another kiss, sliding his hands around my back and down lower before pulling away. “I guess we should find you some shoes now.”
I take off the chemise, and Avery suggests I put on one of the dresses to wear instead of Liam’s oversize clothes. I pick the red one since Avery liked it so much.
Avery grabs the rest of the clothes then leads me to the counter. “We’d like to get these and the dress she’s wearing.”
“Great pick.” The woman smiles at me. Her thoughts tell me she’s sincere, so it gives me a confidence boost.
Avery digs some money out of his pocket and hands it to the lady. I remember the guys explaining money to me, but I didn’t quite understand it. In the shoal, we just trade with merfolk who have something we want. There are no stores or malls.
“Avery, where did you get that money?” I ask as we’re walking out, suddenly filled with questions. He bought me a lot of clothes. He must’ve had to give the woman a lot of money in exchange.
“I earned it at my job. Before I went on the treasure dive with Gio, I worked at a salon where I cut hair.”
“So people paid you money when you cut their hair?”
“Yeah.”
“But you cut my hair, and I didn’t pay you. I don’t have any money, but maybe I can get a job to earn some?”
Avery smiles at me and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “I did that because I wanted to, Coral. I didn’t expect you to pay me. I know you don’t have any money.”
“But then you bought all these clothes for me. Did they cost a lot?”
Avery shakes his head. “It’s no big deal, Coral. I wanted to do that, too. I want to take care of you. Besides, you found the treasure for us, and once we sell that gold, we’ll have a lot of money. And that’s all thanks to you.”
I grin, pleased that I was able to help them in some way.
“Come on, enough talk about money. Let’s go shoe shopping.” Avery grabs my hand and tugs me down the hall, swinging the bag of clothing in his other hand.
I try to pay more attention to what the other women are wearing, and sure enough, most of them have on jeans. Maybe I should have given them a chance. I notice a lot of people looking at me, but there are so many humans here, it’s hard to read any one person’s mind. The jumble of thoughts is like the roar of the sea as it rushes onto the land. The crush of people flowing around us reminds me of standing chest deep in the water, trying not to be knocked down by the waves.
Avery leads me into a store filled with rows and rows of shoes. I can’t believe how many different kinds there are. Shoes with laces, buckles, zippers. Shoes that go half way up your leg, and others like Liam’s flip flops that only cover the bottom of your foot. Shoes of every color and lots of different materials.
“Why are there so many?” I swivel my head back and forth, trying to take it all in.
Avery grins. “Women get kind of obsessed with shoes. They want a pair to match each outfit.”
I gape as I pick up a shoe made up of straps covered in clear, sparkly stones. Jutting from the bottom is a long spike. Is it meant to stick into the ground? It seems like that would make it very hard to walk. What’s the point?
Avery chuckles when he sees what I’m holding. “I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet.”
“Do people really wear these? What’s this part for?” I hold up the spiked heel.
He nods, smirking. “Yep. That’s called a stiletto. Women like to wear those because it makes them taller.”
“Does it matter how tall you are?” I frown and tilt my head, suddenly wondering about my own height. I never considered it before, but it’s true that I’ve seen humans of all different sizes.
Avery takes the shoe from me and puts it back on the shelf, his face serious. “Humans always want to be something they’re not. Short people want to be tall, big people want to be little, brunettes want to be blondes. Don’t let yourself get caught up in all that, Coral. Believe me when I tell you you’re perfect just the way you are.”
I know he means it because his eyes blaze as he speaks, an undercurrent of desire rippling through the brilliant blue pools. His hand reaches to caress my cheek, sending the wave of desire coursing through me.
“Let’s find you some shoes you can actually walk in. How about some Keds?” He picks up a pair of white shoes with laces. They remind me a bit of the shoes Jude had on the island, only a lot smaller.
Avery grabs a metal tool and has me stand on it to measure my foot, then he pulls a box off the shelf. “Try the size seven.”
I open the box
, revealing a pair of shoes like the one he showed me. I stick my foot in and tie the laces with one of the knots Gio taught me, proud that I don’t need any help. Once the shoes are on, Avery encourages me to walk up and down the aisle to test them out. They feel stiff and awkward, but easier to walk in than the flip flops.
“How do those feel? Do they hurt?”
I shake my head.
“They’ll soften up after you wear them for a bit, and we’ll get you some ankle socks, too.”
Next, he hands me a pair of brown sandals. They feel less constrictive than the other shoes, and they’re easier to get on and off. Plus, they have pretty, colored beads running along the straps. I hold out my foot and turn it, admiring how it looks in the shoe. “I like these.”
“Me too. Those are really cute. What do you think about these?”
“Oooh, those are cute, too!” My eyes light up at the flowery pattern.
“Now you’re starting to sound like a shoe fiend.” Avery chuckles and drops the shoe in front of me. It doesn’t have laces or straps, so I’m able to slide my foot in easily.
I take a few steps, pleased at how comfortable they are, and easy to walk in. “I like these the best, so far.”
Avery decides to buy all three pairs, but I don’t argue with him, even though it seems excessive, because he looks so happy about it. The slip-on shoes with the flower pattern look good with my dress, so I wear those out of the store, sticking Liam’s flip flops in the box.
“What’s that smell?” I take a deep breath when a strong, spicy scent teases my nostrils.
“That’s the food court. Are you getting hungry?”
I nod and clutch my belly, realizing I’m ravenous.
Avery’s face drops in a frown. He puts a hand on my arm. “Hey, tell us when you’re hungry, okay? You don’t have to wait for us to ask. I know it’s not like the island where you can go catch a fish whenever you want.”
“I didn’t realize it until now. I was having too much fun to think about eating.”
That perks him back up. “I’m glad you’re having fun. Most girls love shopping, but not all of them. I’m glad you do, since it’s one of my favorite things.”
“What about boys? Do most of them like shopping?”
Avery’s face pinches again. “No, that’s another thing about me that my family doesn’t get.”
“Well, I’m glad you do. How else would I know what to get? Thank you for taking me, Avery.”
A small smile cracks his solemn expression, and he takes my hand. “I’m glad my talents finally came in handy.”
We walk down a nearby hall where there are tables filled with people eating and the scents are even more pronounced.
“What would you like?” Avery asks then shakes his head. “I guess you don’t know what you like.”
“I’ll try whatever you get.” I feel braver today. Hopefully whatever he picks won’t be as strange-looking as Gio’s soup was.
“Well, there’s pizza, burgers, chicken, Chinese. Darn, no sushi. Too bad.” He snaps his finger and shakes his head.
“Do you like sushi?”
Avery smiles. “Nope, not at all. But Jude thinks you will, since it’s made with seaweed and raw fish. I guess he’ll have to take you somewhere else for that. Let’s get burgers and fries. Everybody loves that.”
We get in line and order the food, and I’m amazed when it’s ready moments later. “How do they make it so fast? And where does the food come from?” I ask as Avery carries the tray over to a table.
“Oh they have a whole system. It’s very organized. The restaurant buys the meat and the buns and all the ingredients already prepared, so all they have to do is cook the meat then assemble everything.”
I can’t even fathom all that must be involved in that, and once again I feel overwhelmed by the complexity of human society. Will I ever be able to learn it all? I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of mysteries. I try to push my fears aside and concentrate on one thing at a time. Today, I learned how to shop for clothes and shoes, and that in itself was a lot to take in at once. I have to remind myself it’s going to take time to learn everything I need to know.
The food on our tray smells delicious, so I reach out and pluck one of the golden french fries from the container then take a small bite. Avery says they’re fried potatoes. I liked the baked potato Liam got me yesterday, so I’m hoping I won’t mind these, either. It’s hot and salty with a simple flavor that’s not too strange. Avery encourages me to try dipping them in the red goo called ketchup, and I like that, too; it’s sweet but tangy.
I could fill up on just the fries, and I think I might want to when Avery unwraps his hamburger. It’s huge, with several different kinds of food layered on top of each other. I’m not ever sure how you eat something like that. But Avery doesn’t hesitate; he grabs it with both hands and holds it to his mouth, opening wide so he can take a bite.
I must have a strange look on my face, because as soon as Avery swallows, he wipes his mouth and gives me a smirk. “You look kind of freaked, Coral. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking humans eat a lot of strange things. What is all that?”
He laughs and tosses his head back, golden skin crinkling beside his brilliant blue eyes. His loud outburst draws the eyes of several people around us. Their thoughts make it clear they find him attractive. I can’t begrudge them that; with firm muscles, sun-kissed hair and skin, chiseled features, and a wide, happy smile, Avery is gorgeous. He reminds me of the island — his eyes sparkle like the water, his skin and hair are the color of the sand, and his smile is as bright as the sun.
A thrill courses through me at the thought that I’m the one he’s here with, I’m the one making him laugh.
The people are staring at me, too, judging me because I’m with him. Some are jealous because I’m with Avery, and others simply because they envy my looks. One girl admires my dress. Surprisingly, no one has any idea I’m from another world. I guess I must be doing a good job of fitting in, even though I feel completely out of place. I sit up taller and squeeze my lips around a smile.
Avery patiently explains all the different foods that make up his hamburger, but it’s too much info to take in at once, and a lot of it I can’t even comprehend. But I do agree to try it. I’m not willing to take a huge bite like Avery did, but I pick off tiny bits of each ingredient and taste them one by one.
None of them are offensive, so eventually I pick up the burger and wrap my lips around it, trying to take a bite. I expect to taste each ingredient, but instead, all the tastes meld together into a flavor that’s totally new. I smile around the mouthful, surprised and happy that I actually like it.
Afterwards, we head back to Liam’s apartment. I feel pleasantly sated from the food and the adventure. I didn’t make a fool of myself or do anything stupid, I’ve made Avery happy, and I can’t wait to show the guys my new clothes. I’m also looking forward to spending the evening with Jude since he promised to take me somewhere fun.
Chapter 9
“I’m not making a deal with a shady, online broker when there are legitimate ways to sell this gold!” I can hear Liam’s angry voice from outside the door.
When Avery and I walk in, Liam and Gio are in a face-off, hunched over some kind of device on the coffee table, faces red and strained.
“Yeah, and pay a quarter of it to the government in capital gains tax? No thank you,” Gio growls. Sweat beads on his forehead, and his skin looks dangerously pale everywhere but his face.
“Taxes are a fact of life, Gio. I’d much rather pay taxes than spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for a guy named Junco to turn me in, threaten me, or worse.” Liam’s voice gets high and shaky.
“That bar is worth half a million. Split five ways, that’s a hundred grand each. If we have to pay 20% of that to the IRS, that leaves us with just 80 grand. I need more than that if I’m going to get a new boat and a place for me and my sister.”
Liam n
otices us at that point and sits up straighter, his face relaxing a bit. “I think we should vote on it. Jude, Avery, what do you think? Should we go through the proper channels and find a legitimate buyer for the gold, or should we pawn it off to some sleaze bag at the risk of tax fraud, just so we can keep a few extra dollars?”
“There was more gold in the shipwreck. I could probably find it if we went back to the island,” I offer, trying to stop their fight. Everyone glances at me.
Jude waves a hand towards me and plops down on the sofa. “There you go. What’s the big deal about paying taxes if there’s plenty more gold to be had?”
“I can’t go back to the island till I get a new boat.” Gio scowls.
The tension is gone from Liam’s voice now, replaced with logic and confidence. “What if we each pitch in for a new boat? That way you won’t have to spend the bulk of your take on it. We can be business partners. That will probably look better to social services, anyway, if you have a lucrative business versus just a single windfall.”
Gio sighs and leans back against the couch, the redness draining from his face. My own body relaxes, as well. “Business partners? I might have to think about that. I’m not sure I want to put up with you all for that long.” He smirks.
“We already have a reason to stick together. Might as well make some money while we’re at it.” Jude nods towards me, and I grin at his words. I can’t think of anything better than going on a trip, everyone together out on the water.
“Avery, what do you think?” Liam asks.
Avery joins the others on the sofa, pulling me along. “I don’t want to do anything shady to save a few dollars. That’s not the kind of person I want to be. I’m willing to invest some of the money in a new boat and go on another dive, but I don’t want to do that permanently. I want to open my own salon.”
“Gio, would you be willing to buy out our shares later so we can pursue other things?”
“Sure, yeah.” He waves a hand.
Liam stands up and straightens his belt. “Then it’s settled. We find an above-board buyer for the gold and report the income. Gio, maybe you can talk to an accountant first who can set up the business. He might know some tax breaks we can qualify for.”
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