17. Chapter 17

From the moment she'd first seen him in that tight Realms uniform shirt, Jayna had suspected Sid would make a fine-looking merman. The reality was even better than she'd imagined. His chest and arms were those of an athlete rather than a businessman, and his abs were tight and well-defined where they disappeared into his tail.

Jayna forced her attention away from Sid's physical attributes and tried to figure out the best way to get him engaged in the activity around them. She had hoped he would embrace his role as Merman Marevitrum but was surprised at how thoroughly invested he seemed. With any luck he would also have the skills and disposition to interact effectively with children, but Jayna decided to stick close to him, in case she needed to intervene.

She was about to lead Sid to a small group where he could observe without having to participate directly when she heard Emmaline calling to them.

Sid's assistant approached with a couple of professional-looking streamers in tow, their camera drones hovering above them. She gave an apologetic shrug, and Sid muttered something that sounded like, "Here we go." Then he smiled, pulled himself up onto the edge of the pool, and lounged like he had been a Merman his entire life.

"Looking good, Obsidian," said the taller dark-haired streamer. "Or should we call you your highness the Merman?"

Jayna didn't appreciate the mocking tone in his voice, and she readied her tail to send a spray of water at him and his little flying camera. It took all her restraint to hold back and wait to see how Sid handled the situation.

The intense protectiveness she felt towards Sid surprised her. Sure, merfolk looked after each other. But if she was being honest, her feelings went deeper than that.

"James, Jeff. Thanks for coming. Marevitrum will be fine."

The shorter grey-haired streamer said, "What is all this, Sid? We were surprised when we didn't see you at one of the real projects today."

Jayna's insides flared hot, and a quick pleading glance from Sid was all that kept her from drenching them both.

"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Mermaid Aaramere. She wisely reminded me that the true purpose of service is the people being served. And if you look around, you'll see quite a few people, many of whom are typically underserved. I'd be willing to bet this is one of the most real projects happening today."

A particularly loud peal of laughter from across the grotto caught all their attention, and when it had died down, Sid surprised Jayna by saying to the streamers, "I'll be happy to talk more later, but the whole point of this event is for children to meet with mermaids and mermen." Then he turned to her and said, "Aaramere, let's go spread some magic."

He slipped into the water and swam towards their assigned pool. Jayna followed close behind. She was impressed with the way Sid had handled the streamers, though she did flip her tail just enough to drench their shoes.

The sound of the children laughing reverberated through the grotto area, accompanied by the crash of the waterfall and the sound of tropical animals and birds. Sid reached their assigned wading area and pulled himself out of the water. Jayna joined him on the edge of the pool, and the smile he gave her made her heart skip.

Get a grip, Jayna. He may look like a merman, but you can't afford to forget who Obsidian Hayes really is.

One of the park attendants running crowd control approached and asked if they were available to take visitors.

"Absolutely," Sid replied. "Let's do this."

The attendant returned, leading a local Manutai family with two small children. Jayna waved, and Sid did as well. His broad smile appeared genuine, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

The children got to the edge of the pool and stopped, casting wary glances at Sid and Jayna.

"Hello. What are your names?" Jayna asked.

"I'm Lani, and this is Tetua," said the older girl, gesturing to her little sister.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Mermaid Aaramere, and this is Merman Marevitrum."

Sid gave a small wave. "Hello."

"Are you having fun today?" Jayna asked.

"Yes, we like seeing the mermaids," Lani said.

Tetua raised a realistic prosthetic arm and pointed at Sid. "He sang the mermaid song."

Sid's face flushed, which Jayna found adorable. "Yes, I did."

"Sing it again," Tetua said.

His face turned scarlet, but he didn't break character or look away. "I could," he said. "But that wouldn't be fair to Aaramere. She likes to sing too, you know. And her voice is prettier than mine."

He shot her a grin that melted her insides and sent her heart racing. She forced a smile to cover her surprise.

"Will you sing for us?" Lani asked.

"Um, sure." But Jayna was too flustered to think of a song.

"What if we both sing?" he asked.

Eyes wide, Jayna cast him a concerned glance. He was right that she loved singing, but she also loved being prepared, and she was certainly not prepared to sing a duet with him.

She was about to object, but Sid began in a bright, clear voice. Jayna fought a losing battle against her growing attraction for him.

Then she recognized the song, and her mouth went dry.

He was singing Swim with Me, the lovers' song from the Sirens of Atlantis show.

I've been searching for a place to belong,

A place where my heart can find its home,

And then I found you, and everything changed,

With you by my side, I feel so alive,

Like I'm floating on a sea of dreams

Her face warmed as Sid gazed into her eyes and sang. What was he doing? Why had he picked this song?

How did he even know this song?

The intensity in his dark brown eyes had her so flustered that she almost missed her cue.

Swim with me, Swim with me,

Together we'll find our way,

We'll ride the tides, through low and high,

In each other's arms, we'll stay.

And float on a sea of dreams.

A chill ran down her spine, completely at odds with the warm, tropical sunshine. Their voices blended beautifully, and her heart thundered in her chest as they began the final chorus. In the show, the song ended with a long, lingering kiss.

Would Sid kiss her? Did she want him to?

She definitely wanted him to.

Sid leaned towards her as they quietly sang the final line. His breath caressed her cheeks, and she couldn't take her eyes off his lips. She wanted those lips on hers.

The song ended. Her pulse raced. She instinctively moved to close the distance between them.

Applause filled the pool area. Startled, she pulled back quickly and tore her gaze from him. Their singing had drawn a crowd. Even James and Jeff seemed impressed.

Her cheeks burned, but after a moment she dared a glance at Sid.

He smiled and acknowledged the cheers and whistles coming from the children, parents, and other merfolk. But he didn't appear the least bit flustered.

How could he be so calm? Hadn't he felt something while they were singing? They had almost kissed! And that hadn't affected him?

No, of course not. He was a much better actor than she had given him credit for.

She had performed that song hundreds of times, but she had never once forgotten it was just a part of the show.

Singing with Obsidian had made her forget that it was all an act.

She needed to un-forget. Fast.