Mermaid Inc. Read online

  He watched the woman take a few steps forward, stumble and fall to her knees. She quickly stood again and held her arms out to her sides as if to balance herself. Her next steps were slow and tentative. Did she need help? Perhaps the water had been too much for her. Well, there was only one way to find out. He set his bottle on the rock and headed toward the steep path that would take him down the cliff.

  Justin hadn’t taken more than twenty steps when his cell phone rang. He ignored the first eight rings and let the call go to voicemail. But then it started ringing again. He cursed whoever it was and their rotten timing as he reached into his pocket and drew out the phone. “What?” he snapped. He kept his eyes on the mystery beauty below.

  “Good morning to you, too.”

  He cringed. “Sorry, Glenna.” His personal assistant was a gem. Even in his most obnoxious moments Justin knew to treat her with the respect she deserved. “What’s up?”

  “I know it’s early for a call but I thought you’d want to hear a juicy tidbit of office gossip I picked up this morning.”

  His eyebrows rose. Glenna wasn’t a gossip by nature, which was one of the many things he appreciated about her. “Can it wait?” He kept his eyes fixed on the woman below. She was sitting on the edge of the sand kicking her legs up and down like a child at play. Good grief, was she drunk? If so, the last place she should be was down by the water alone. He needed to get down there.

  “No, it can’t.”

  Startled, he suddenly remembered that he was in the middle of a phone call. “Can’t what?”

  “Wait, can’t wait, Justin. You asked if it could wait and I said it couldn’t.” Glenna’s sigh was long suffering. “You’re going to want to hear this.”

  “Who’d you overhear?”

  “The head honchos, Mercer and Jeffries. I got in early and was making coffee in the kitchen. They must have assumed no one was around because they were standing there in the hallway discussing you like it was anyone’s business.”

  “Am I fired?” he asked. “Or worse, am I now in charge of the new puppy food account?”

  “Very funny, and no, you’re not fired. Actually, I heard Jefferies ask who was on the short list for a promotion to junior partner. Mercer said you were, and if you wow them with how you handle your new account then you’re likely going to the one they select. Isn’t that brilliant?”

  Justin frowned as the woman below headed back toward the water. Now where was she going? She shouldn’t be in the water if she was dizzy or weak. But his concern quickly abated when he saw her take a running dive into the surf, and her strokes were strong as she headed back out to sea. A sudden disappointment washed over him. Damn. She was gone.

  “Helllooo, Justin, you there?” Glenna’s voice called him back to reality.

  “Yeah, I am.” He headed back up the path with just one backwards glance. The mystery beauty wasn’t in sight. “Yeah, that’s great, Glenna. Really. Did you happen to hear what new account I’m being given?”

  “Morimoto Industries, a Japanese firm,” Glenda answered. “Apparently someone high up their corporate ladder heard about you and they requested you as their account liaison. Mercer will assign you the client at this morning’s ten o’clock meeting. You know, Justin, it wouldn’t hurt you to get in here and do a bit of research on Morimoto before the meeting starts.”

  Justin glanced at his watch. “Give me forty-five minutes to shower and change and I’ll meet you in my office. And thanks for the heads up.”

  “You’re welcome.” Glenna was quiet for a moment. “There’s just one more thing you should know. Morimoto Industries is heavily involved in commercial whaling.”

  Justin groaned. “Whales? As in those massive creatures that inhabit the ocean?”

  “The very same.”

  Justin’s stomach clenched. He hated the water. Hated it so much in fact, that he’d rather handle the puppy food account. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Nope, I wouldn’t tease you about water,” Glenna assured him. “I remember how you flipped out when I asked if we could get a tropical fish tank for the office.”

  “Then we’ll just pass on this account.” Justin rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “It’s not like this is a make it or break it deal, right?”

  But his assistant’s silence told him what he already knew. The Morimoto account was a huge deal. He could either take it on or watch his career sink like a wrecked ship.

  After assuring Glenna that he’d be in shortly, he powered off his cell phone. He took one long last look at the shoreline below him. The woman was nowhere in sight. A curious sense of disappointment settled over him but he shook his head. However gorgeous she was, the woman he’d seen obviously loved the water, which meant they were from two different worlds. It was just as well that she’d disappeared.

  ***

  “Get out of that water before you pickle those fancy new legs of yours.”

  Miranda looked up, using one hand to shade her eyes until the blue & gold macaw circling overhead came into focus. Chelsea had warned her that Summer’s macaw was a bit sassy. ‘A cheeky set of feathers’ had been her friend’s exact words. Obviously Chelsea hadn’t exaggerated. Miranda glanced toward the shoreline but no one was in sight. “Where’s Summer?”

  “Making sure that Lockheed’s maid is safely in that taxi and on her way to the airport,” Goldie squawked. “She said to tell you to haul your sardine self up to the cliff top pronto.”

  Miranda glanced up at the steep pathway. Her first attempt to walk on the sand had been exhilarating. And excruciating. She desperately longed to rest her legs but obviously that would have to wait until she reached the cliff top.

  “How exactly do I get to the top?” Miranda asked.

  “I’ve got four words of wisdom for you,” Goldie said. “Swim. For. The. Shore.”

  Miranda watched the bird fly toward the beach. Her heart suddenly felt as heavy as her legs. She was an absolute idiot to think that trading her tail for a set of legs was going to be a simple swap. Her new limbs were so tired she could scarcely kick anymore and her lower body felt heavy. Anchor heavy. Poor pitiful humans, she couldn’t imagine having to live like this. But then an image of a whale being harpooned and dragged aboard a whaling ship flashed through her mind and her sympathy dried up.

  With swift strokes Miranda swam for the shore, buoyed by the realization that she had a job to do.

  ***

  The climb up the path was long and painful. As she neared the top, Miranda decided that legs were highly overrated and that not only had she been born with a tail, she’d been blessed with one. She bent over, rested her hands on her thighs and struggled to catch her breath. She straightened and put one foot in front of the other. She’d come this far, she wasn’t about to stop now.

  “Hurry up, sister,” Goldie squawked.

  “Do not say one more word bird, until I catch my breath or I will pluck your tail feathers out.” Miranda kept her eyes on the path in front of her. After what seemed like an eternity she finally reached the end of the path. She found herself on a grassy bluff. Hands on hips, she took several deep gulps of air. Once she’d regained her breath she turned toward the glass mansion and promptly lost her breath again. “Oh.” Her hand went to her throat. “It’s incredible.” She walked toward it like a moth to the flame.

  Justin Lockheed’s home was no less magnificent up close than it was from the sea. The mid-morning sun hit the glass and the resulting reflection was if a brilliant life force radiated from within it. As if mesmerized, she moved closer to it.

  “Like Lockheed’s pile of glass?”

  “I do, Goldie. It’s magnificent.”

  “Then check this out,” the macaw called out as it took flight for a short distance. “Lockheed’s got a puddle of water over here that you might appreciate.”

  Puddle? Reluctantly Miranda turned away from the house and followed Summer’s bird across the yard. A series of flat, square slate rock pieces dotted the
grass. Gingerly Miranda stepped on one. It was hard and rough. She much preferred the grass.

  “Shake a tail feather, would ya?”

  Were all macaws this annoying? Miranda hurried across the grass in the direction of Goldie’s voice. She rounded a sharp bend and stopped when she saw Goldie perched on an iron gate.

  “What is it?”

  “A water hole, check it out.”

  She hesitated. “We really should get back to the house and take a look around before Mr. Lockheed gets back.”

  “Just take a peek.”

  Miranda decided that it was probably easier to just humor the bird than argue with him. She moved through the open gate and stopped short. Surrounded by pots of fuchsia and white flowers nestled between small boulders, there was a glistening body of water on three sides. But on the far side, the side that faced the ocean, the water suddenly dropped off as if the cliff wasn’t even there.

  “Oh, Goldie,” she whispered. “Have you ever seen anything so enchanting?” It was as if the ocean had somehow risen to meet the pool’s edge. “It’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, it’s a pool. Wet. Blue. Clean. Big deal.”

  Pool? It was unlike any tide pool she’d ever seen. No, that was a totally inadequate word to describe such a natural wonder. Miranda ran up the few steps to the edge of the water. Without a thought she slipped into it, a happy sigh escaped her lips as she entered the water. She swam until she came to the pool’s edge. “It looks as if it goes right into the sea, doesn’t it?” She rested her elbows on the edge and kicked her legs. It felt heavenly to be in the water again. “I could stay here forever.”

  Goldie flew over and landed on the edge. “Well, you can’t. It’s called an infinity pool, not an eternity pool. You’ve got precisely three minutes.”

  Miranda closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. For just a split second it felt like all was right in the world, but then the moment passed and a frown creased her brow.

  Everything wasn’t right. She was a mermaid. With legs. In a pool of water several hundred feet above the ocean. The human world, she realized, was full of distractions. She made a mental note to stay focused on the task she’d been sent to accomplish.

  She swam back over to the steps and got out of the pool. A stack of fluffy white towels sat on a small table. She eyed them curiously. She’d once seen people on a cruise ship use them to dry off. The whole idea of getting wet and then wanting to immediately be dry seemed pointless, but when on land she might as well try the human way.

  Gingerly she took one towel and held it out in front of her. If she remembered correctly, humans rubbed their skin with towels. She tried it. “Ouch,” she cried. “That hurt.”

  Suddenly Goldie let out an ear piercing screech. Startled, Miranda dropped the towel onto the ground. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ack…someone’s coming.”

  Chapter Three

  “Here comes trouble,” Goldie screeched. “Summer’s coming. The fun’s over.”

  Miranda raised an eyebrow. “I thought you and Summer were tight.” She gathered her hair over one shoulder and wrung out the excess moisture.

  The macaw sidestepped back and forth along the back of a deck chair. “Let’s just say this whole whale thing has her feathers ruffled. She’s acting less and less like a love child every day.”

  “Talking about me behind my back again, Goldie?” Summer, the eternally young-in-her-own-mind child of the 60’s, greeted Miranda with a hug. “Well, look at you, child. I never thought I’d say this but you’re all legs.”

  Miranda smiled. She’d always liked her best friend’s mother, although she understood Chelsea’s chagrin at having a mother that was not only human, but more than a bit eccentric. “Hello Summer.”

  “Let me take a closer look.” Summer bent down so she could inspect Miranda’s new legs. “My daughter did this to you?”

  “I wouldn’t say it like that,” Miranda protested. “I think Chelsea did a lovely job.” She moved her leg so that she could see her ankle. “I especially like the way the ankle bone shows at the sides. Is yours the same?”

  Summer straightened and shook her head. “Honey, I haven’t seen my ankle bones since 1984. Now, let’s get you settled in here before Lockheed gets back from the office.” She cast an appraising gaze over Miranda’s bikini. “A bit skimpy, isn’t it?” She winked at Miranda. “Maybe there’s hope for my daughter yet.”

  As they made their way to the house, Summer fired off details and explanations like they were bullets. Miranda struggled to focus on Summer’s directives but the feel of the grass on the bottom of her feet so enthralled her that she only half listened. Until she heard Summer say that she was leaving.

  “Leaving me? Here? Alone?” Miranda tore her gaze away from her feet. She cursed herself for not paying better attention. “Wait, Summer, you can’t go. There’s still so much I don’t know about what goes on in there.”

  They both looked toward the house.

  “My first suggestion would be to go in there and get into the uniform I left for you in the laundry room. By the time Justin Lockheed pulls into his garage you should already be making yourself indispensable.”

  Miranda struggled against the panic that was rising within her like the tide. What in the wide wet ocean had made her think she could handle this job? “When will you be back?”

  “I’ll stop by in a few days.”

  “A few days?” Miranda’s eyes widened. “What if I need you before then?”

  Summer gestured toward Goldie. “I’m leaving the talking feathers with you.”

  “What good is he going to be?” Miranda protested.

  Goldie came running across the grass, wobbling from side to side in a lopsided gait. “Aw nice, Toots, we haven’t even started working together and already you’re insulting me.”

  “I’m sorry, Goldie, but I need real help here.” She turned back to face Summer. “You seriously expect me to depend on the bird?”

  Summer nodded. “I do. Goldie will be invaluable to you. He knows how to use a washing machine. Can you say the same?” She paused but Miranda stayed silent, they both knew she didn’t even know what a washing machine was. “Just follow his lead.”

  Miranda cast a doubtful glance at the macaw.

  “Let me put it this way, Miranda. Goldie knows a lot more about the human world than you do.”

  “But what will Mr. Lockheed think when he hears Goldie giving me tips on how to polish the silver?”

  Summer smiled. “That’s the beauty of it, you can understand our feathered friend but Lockheed won’t be able to. Most humans are closed to inter-species communication. So he’ll only hear an inordinate amount of noise-”

  “Objection!” Goldie ruffled his feathers.

  “Overruled.” Summer fixed a stern glance on the bird and then laid a gentle hand on Miranda’s shoulder. “As I was saying, only you can understand Goldie.” She pulled an envelope from her caftan’s pocket. “When Lockheed questions Goldie’s presence, simply tell him the bird arrived via courier with this letter. It will appear that the Morimoto corporate office in Japan has arranged for the bird to be a gift. The Japanese custom of gift giving is well known so Lockheed should buy your story.”

  Miranda bit her lip. It seemed as if Summer and her human friends had thought of everything. “It’s all a bit overwhelming but I’ll do my best.”

  Summer nodded approvingly. “That’s a girl, Miranda. I know this is all new and strange to you, and I know there is much you don’t know about human men, but you have to trust me when I say that you have a much better chance of keeping Lockheed distracted than any of the women in my Undersea Rescue Society chapter ever would.” She draped her arm over Miranda’s shoulders and propelled her toward the house.

  “What’s he like?”

  Summer thought for a moment. “Very establishment.”

  “Establishment?” Miranda’s mind raced to figure out what that meant but she came up with nothing.
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br />   “Besides,” Summer continued without clarifying, “The committee feels you have a much better chance of understanding any information on Morimoto’s plans than we would. It’s a wide ocean out there and we humans are very limited in what we can understand about it.”

  Truer words had never been spoken by a human. But still Miranda’s heart pounded in her chest and her legs shook. Think of the whales, she reminded herself, focus on saving them. I can do this. Somehow.

  Summer gave Miranda’s shoulders a quick squeeze before she turned to leave. “Goldie is a real pain, I grant you that, but he’ll help you figure out what to do. Just follow his lead, get the information from Lockheed, and we’ll get you back underwater in no time.”

  Before Miranda could object, Summer waved goodbye and disappeared around the hedge.

  Miranda turned to stare first at the door handle in front of her and then at the ocean behind her. She wanted nothing more than to dive back into the safety of the sea. But that would be cowardly. She and Chelsea had worked tirelessly to convince the Undersea Rescue Society that she could do something to help. She reached for the door handle. It was time to sink or swim.

  ***

  Justin Lockheed gunned his Mercedes up the hill toward his seaside home. He kept his gaze squarely on the road, although his mind was so intently focused on the meetings he’s sat in earlier that he failed to notice or appreciate the beauty of the day. The afternoon sun was warm, the breeze gentle, and the sound of the waves rolling was relaxing. Orange and fuchsia bougainvillea liberally climbed the white stucco walls that surrounded the neighboring homes. But all Justin could focus on was the nausea that churned in his stomach. He’d done his level best to get out of handling the Morimoto account but he’d been unsuccessful. He was either on the account or he was out of a job. For a flash second he’d toyed with the idea of resigning but reason quickly overruled the temptation to throw in the towel.

  Surely he could work on the Morimoto account without having to leave his office. Just because their fishing vessels were at sea for months at a time didn’t mean he had to step one foot near a harbor. Because if it came to that, he promised himself he would quit. He was afraid of the ocean. His stomach clenched. Make that deathly afraid.