A Mermaid Under The Mistletoe
Jessica L. Elliott
A Mermaid Under the Mistletoe
Jessica L. Elliott
Published by Jessica L. Elliott, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
A MERMAID UNDER THE MISTLETOE
First edition. December 4, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Jessica L. Elliott.
Written by Jessica L. Elliott.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Leftover Dumplings
Author's Note
Other Books by Jessica L. Elliott
For those who had the courage to follow their dreams,
And those who needed a little encouragement.
Chapter 1
Leilani gave a powerful thrust of her tail, propelling herself forward in the water. She closed her eyes to the white and blue tile, imagining the coral reefs of her native waters. She reached the wall of the pool and took hold. The sharp scent of chlorine assailed her breath. Voices echoed in the large room. She’d stayed longer than she intended to. Pushing the goggles up in her raven hair, Leilani looked around. Her eyes fell on a teenager walking with what appeared to be her duffel bag. “Hey!” she shouted, the word bouncing off the walls.
Startled, the girl ran towards the exit.
Leilani pulled herself out of the pool and began hopping after the thief. “Hey! Bring that back!” She knew she looked ridiculous with the mermaid tail, but there wasn’t time to pull it off and hope to catch the teen making off with her duffel bag, and, as luck would have it, her clothes. How had she even gotten it? She’d locked it in the locker room. “Stop!” She grunted as she continued to hop down the hall and to the door she’d watched the teen sprint out of.
Passersby stared as she hopped outside and began scanning the area for the runaway teenager. She caught sight of her, a few yards away, pinned down to the ground by someone who was loudly shouting, “Anyone know whose bag this is?”
“It’s mine,” she called, trying not to shiver as snow flew around her. She mentally cursed herself for trusting the locker system at the rec center. The rusty lock hadn’t looked all that secure to begin with. Next time she’d bring her own danged lock. As she approached, the man holding the teen down gaped at her. “What?” she demanded, uncomfortable with being stared at like she was an alien.
“Are you aware it’s twenty degrees out here?”
Her teeth chattering hard enough to break, Leilani nodded. “Hard to get dressed when some miscreant is running off with my clothes. Thank you for stopping her.” She reached for the duffel bag.
The man slid it away from her. “Can you prove this is your bag?” he asked.
“Are you k-k-kidding me?” Leilani stuttered. “It’s f-f-freezing out here and all I’m wearing is a b-b-bikini and tail! Give me my b-b-bag now.”
An older gentleman standing nearby took off his coat and handed it to her. “Why don’t we go back inside the rec center while we wait for the police to arrive? I’ve called them and someone will be on their way soon,” he said with a kind smile.
Leilani appreciated the warmth, but really wanted her duffel bag. “Please just give me my bag.”
“I don’t know that it’s yours.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. Numbness was settling into her toes and fingers. Her eyes narrowed and she reached back to punch this would-be hero in the face.
The older gentleman took Leilani’s arm gently just as she pulled it back. “I really must insist we get you inside. You’ll catch your death of cold dressed like that. Come along. The police are on their way. I gave them the rec center’s address.”
The man shrugged and stood, pulling the teen up with ease. Leilani kept a close eye on him as they walked back into the rec center. An employee who’d watched Leilani run out came scurrying over with a warm towel to wrap around her. “Please, sit down,” she insisted, bringing a chair. “I’ll have another towel for your legs in just a moment.”
A pair of police officers walked into the building just after the employee returned to cover Leilani’s tail. The older gentleman waved them over. One was a tall, broad-shouldered woman, her mouth set in a firm, no-nonsense line. Her partner was shorter, with the lean build of a runner. While his mouth pulled down into a frown, Leilani saw the laugh lines around his eyes. As they neared them, the woman’s gaze fell on the man holding the struggling teenager. Her eyes narrowed. “You again?” Not giving him a chance to respond, she turned to the gentleman who’d truly helped Leilani. “I’m Officer Good. What seems to be the problem here?”
“I don’t know precisely, but I believe this girl has stolen this young lady’s bag.”
The officer turned to Leilani. “Is that true?”
“Yes, it is. I was swimming at the rec center when she stole it.”
“Did you have the bag in a locker?”
“Yes and I had locked it.”
“No you didn’t,” the teen argued.
“Shut it,” the man replied.
“You’re not giving the orders here, Butch,” Officer Good barked. She took the bag from him and looked it over. Her eyes paused on the colorful mermaid embroidered on the side. “Talori?” she read.
“That’s my stage name,” Leilani said. “My real name is Leilani.”
Officer Good nodded and opened the bag. She saw Leilani’s purse still right on top and picked it up. “I’m just looking for some ID,” she said as Leilani whimpered.
“Driver’s license is in that first pocket.”
She glanced at the card. “Leilani Hale?
“Ha-lay,” Leilani corrected.”
“What?”
“It’s pronounced Ha-lay. But yes, I am Leilani Hale.”
Officer Good gave the duffel bag to Leilani and nodded to her partner. He took hold of the thief’s arm. “Do you intend to press charges?”
Leilani watched the girl’s face pale. She was skinny. Too skinny, as though she hadn’t had a decent meal in days. The stains on her clothes showed they hadn’t been washed recently, while holes proved they’d been worn for too long. Her jacket was threadbare and Leilani could she her shivering. Fear flickered in her eyes. Was that a bruise on her cheek? Though she knew a smart person would press charges and ensure the teenager learn that stealing was wrong, the Christmas music playing around her coupled with the girl’s appearance made her pause. She sighed as her heart softened. “No, I’m not going to press charges.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the fifty dollars she’d pulled from her account the previous afternoon. “Here,” she said, handing it to the teenager. “Get yourself some breakfast and a coat. I’m giving you a second chance. Use it wisely.”
“Let her go,” Officer Good said.
Butch looked like his eyes were about to pop from his head. “You can’t just let her go!”
“If Ms. Hale isn’t going to press charges, I can’t detain this young woman longer, which you well know, Mr. Walker.” Officer Good fi
xed the teen with a grim stare. “I suggest you take Ms. Hale’s advice seriously and don’t waste this opportunity.” She then turned to her partner and started speaking in a hushed tone.
The teen glanced at Leilani with a hint of a smile before disappearing outside.
“You’re seriously going to let her go?” Butch demanded. “She stole from you?”
“You weren’t much better,” Leilani snapped. “You had no reason to believe I was lying about the bag.”
“I had no reason to think otherwise either.”
“You didn’t think maybe the woman with a tail might just have a mermaid stitched onto her bag?”
“Could be a coincidence,” Butch shrugged. “Or maybe you stole the bag and the tail.”
Leilani narrowed her eyes. “You’re an obnoxious jerk.”
“Yes, he is,” Officer Good said and turned to Leilani. “You’re new around here.”
Leilani fought a grin. Could the officer really spot a newcomer in a place this big? “Yes, just arrived a few days ago.”
“Welcome to Minneapolis. I would recommend getting a lock of your own. The locks here are older than you are. Even the most amateur pickpocket knows how to open them.”
“I will tonight, thank you. And the girl, is she going to be okay?”
“Jinx?” Officer Good asked. “Oh, she’ll probably get caught stealing from someone else later this afternoon. She’s been in and out of foster homes and correctional facilities for years.” When Leilani’s face fell, she added, “Of course, maybe having someone show her a little mercy just might help her out. You never know.”
“Yeah, thank you.” Leilani picked her bag up and stood, the towel hiding her tail falling to the ground. When Officer Good stared, she smiled. “I’m a professional mermaid with the show this month. I try to get in a good workout each morning.” She carefully pulled the tail off, hoping she hadn’t damaged it too badly during her chase.
“Ah, well, have a nice day, ma’am.”
Leilani nodded. “Thank you for returning my bag, Officer Good.” When the woman nodded, Leilani turned and started to walk away.
She heard Butch’s voice scoff, “Professional mermaid? What a joke.”
“Shut up, Butch,” Officer Good snapped. “I’m not done with you.”
Leilani grinned and decided to let Officer Good deal with the overbearing, irritating, would-be hero.
Chapter 2
Officer Good waited until she was fairly sure Leilani was out of earshot before saying, “Just what were you thinking?”
Butch frowned. “There was a thief running past me. Was I supposed to just let her get away?”
“You’re supposed to call the police.”
“You never would have made it in time.”
“Darn it, Butch, that doesn’t matter.” Officer Good sighed. “How am I going to get it through your thick skull that vigilantism is only acceptable in comic books and that’s only because people don’t see the very real affects of it? You watch the movies and the bad guy is always caught and the good guy always wins. That’s not life, Butch, and you know it.”
Butch didn’t reply but looked away. “Is the lecture over?”
“Not hardly,” Officer Good retorted. “You realize Jinx could have pressed charges on you for assault? And I ought to charge you with obstructing an officer in his duties.”
“I was preventing a crime,” he growled.
“You want to prevent crime? Come back to the force.”
“Over my dead body,” Butch muttered.
“Well then, quit playing hero. One of these days you’re going to get yourself killed, or worse. And don’t think for one moment I’ll mourn you. I’ll come with the biggest ‘I told you so’ sign this place has ever seen.”
Butch harrumphed. “Whatever, Darla.”
“I’m serious, Butch. Quit trying to do the job you don’t have any more. Get a normal job, save up, and move to some little town where there aren’t any criminals for you to chase after.” She turned on her heel and then threw over her shoulder, “By the way, you owe Ms. Hale an apology.”
“For what?”
“Think about it. I’m sure it will come to you.”
Butch growled and stalked out of the building. He watched Officer Good and her partner drive away in their patrol car. He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ground before going back into the rec center. It had been where he’d been going in the first place anyway. He glanced around the lobby. Lights twinkled all over the room on trees, garlands, or just strung around. Large wreaths had been put on the walls. Fake packages sat under a large artificial pine. It looked like Santa’s elves had escaped the North Pole and gone to town. He turned his back to the decorations and started toward the hall which led to the weight room. As he walked, he saw Leilani leave the pool area. Officer Good’s words echoed in his mind. You owe Ms. Hale an apology. If he were honest, he would admit he’d been a little less than chivalrous when she’d hopped out in her tail. A grin tickled the corners of his lips. He didn’t think he’d forget that sight as long as he lived. “Um, Ms. Hale!” he called.
She turned to him and her coffee-colored eyes narrowed. She’d undergone a complete transformation from the bikini-clad mermaid he’d seen before. Her long, dark hair was bound in a loose braid that hung over one shoulder. Clearly unused to the winter weather, she had on a thick white parka which went to her knees while fur-lined boots set just below the coat’s hem. A red scarf peeking out from the parka’s collar matched her wool gloves. “Yes?” she said when he’d stared a moment too long.
“Why didn’t you take the tail off?” he asked.
Leilani glowered at him. “It would have taken too long. In retrospect, perhaps I should have. I’m sure running out just in my bikini would have been much warmer.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t have had to run out. You might have caught the thief yourself inside the building.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is this why you stopped me? To give me advice on how best to handle unexpected situations? I had a split second to make a decision and I chose to leave the tail on. It’s not as easy to put on and take off as you seem to think. And tonight I’ll be fixing the tears in it, so I’ll be going now if you don’t mind.”
Butch put a hand out as she went to walk past him. “I didn’t mean to sound critical.”
“Didn’t you?”
He scowled. “No, I didn’t. Look, I’m aware that I was less than a gentleman.”
Leilani snorted. “Less than? Try not at all.”
Butch decided to ignore her comment and continued, “But I am sorry for how I treated you and for coming across the way I did.”
She considered him for a moment. “You stopped me to apologize?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” she asked, a dimple showing in her cheek as she smiled. “We’re strangers, I don’t even know your name...”
“Butch Walker.”
She paused. “Butch.”
He squirmed under her skeptical gaze. “Yes, Butch.”
Leilani shrugged. “Okay, well, we’re still strangers and I doubt I’ll be seeing you again.”
Butch sighed. “Look, Officer Good said I should apologize, so here I am.”
The smile in Leilani’s eyes faded. “So, you’re only apologizing because someone else told you too?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Butch said. There wasn’t really any point in lying to her.
Her eyebrow arched again. “Ah. Well, nice meeting you, Butch.” She walked away from him. The mermaid on her duffel bag seemed to wave mockingly as she left.
Butch heard snickering behind him. He turned around to see a pair of teenagers watching. “Something amusing?” he asked.
One of the teens cowered under his glare while the other, unruffled, said, “Mister, even I know how to give a more sincere apology than that.”
He growled and walked away. The infuriating teenager was right. His apology hadn’t been sincere at all. At least Leilani’s stat
ement had been accurate. They would likely never see each other again, and he was okay with that. At least, that’s what he told himself as disappointment settled over him. Though why he should feel disappointed was beyond his reach. Butch didn’t need Leilani’s approval in his life. He didn’t even need her. He squared his shoulders and resumed his walk to the weight room. It was time to forget Leilani Hale and the entire morning with a brutal workout.
Chapter 3
Leilani fumed all the way to her car over Butch’s attempt at a, what? It certainly wasn’t an apology. Admission of guilt? Except that didn’t work either because he didn’t seem to see why he was in the wrong to begin with. All he did was stand there, looking at her through those insanely green eyes of his, running a nervous hand through unruly, dark hair. She wondered if he even realized he’d been doing it. But did he actually apologize because he meant it? No, someone else told him he’d been a jerk and he’d followed their instructions. “Men,” she huffed as she got out her keys.
“Can’t live with ’em, can you?”
Leilani spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. The girl who’d stolen her bag was standing against a nearby van, a backpack slung over her shoulder. “What do you want?”
“Relax, I’m not going to mug you. I just want to talk to you,” the girl said. “My name is Jinx.”
First Butch and now Jinx? What’s wrong with people here? “Seriously?”
Jinx shrugged. “Great way to make sure your kid knows you think they’re a curse on your life, right?”
“That can’t be your real name.”
The girl shrugged thin shoulders again. “That’s what it says on my birth certificate. Anyway, were you serious earlier?”
“Serious about what?”
For the first time, Leilani saw the girl hesitate. “About giving me a second chance.”
“I suppose that depends on where this question is leading.”
Jinx shuffled her feet. “Look, I’ve been trying to get out of a bad situation. Getting dumped out of foster care at eighteen isn’t exactly a picnic. I need somewhere safe to go. I want.” She paused as tears filled her eyes. “I want to really change my life, to be better.”
