29. Chapter 29

Once inside the maglift, Sid checked himself in the mirror as he headed down to meet Jayna, then nervously chewed his lower lip. He knew he would enjoy attending the ball with her, but an event so public was fraught with risk and had the potential to make or break his acceptance into the Cerulean Order.

The lift arrived at the lobby, and as the doors slid open, Sid was met by the most beautiful vision he had ever seen. His heart raced at the sight of Jayna. Her bright red hair was magnificent, and the glittering emerald gown was like nothing he had ever seen before. He felt downright plain in comparison.

She laughed at his stunned expression.

"I think he approves," Emmaline said. Sid had been so captivated by Jayna that he hadn't even noticed his assistant.

"Do you approve?" Jayna asked.

Sid found his voice. "I do. You look stunning."

"Okay, you two," Emmaline said. "Time to go."

Jayna gave Emmaline a hug, which she returned enthusiastically. Sid was happy to see their relationship had moved from strictly professional to more personal. It reassured him to see Emmaline's acceptance of her.

Once Sid had helped Jayna into the limo, Emmaline said quietly, "Be good. Her hair took over an hour, so try not to mess it up before midnight."

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

Emmaline playfully slapped his shoulder and then returned to the hotel. Sid's heart raced as he climbed into the seat next to Jayna. His excitement at spending the evening with this funny, beautiful woman was tempered by the interest she was sure to draw. He'd have to work extra hard to avoid drawing the wrong kind of attention.

It's going to be okay,Sid thought, and he took Jayna's hand in his. They rode in comfortable silence and admired the brilliant white architecture and lush tropical landscaping as their limousine wound its way through the streets. They turned the corner and climbed to the top of an arching bridge.

Jayna gasped as the Grand Manutai resort came into view. It was enormous and occupied an entire wamo that had only recently been connected to the west side of the island. In the distance, a spectacular sunset filled the dark cyan sky with brilliant pinks and golds.

"Have you ever been to anything like this before?" Sid asked.

"Only as a performer," she said. "Never as a guest walking in on the red carpet."

Sid felt a twinge of guilt since they wouldn't be walking the red carpet this time either. He preferred to take one of the more discreet side entrances and bypass the circus out front. He knew how easy it was to appear undignified when facing the streamers and paparazzi.

Jayna gave his hand a squeeze. "Is everything okay? You seem nervous."

He let out a breath. "I guess I am, a little bit. I really need to make a good impression tonight."

Jayna straightened his tie. "Of course you'll make a good impression. You look fantastic. You're smart, funny, charming, and you have an amazingly beautiful date."

Sid smiled as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"Who are you worried about impressing? The Cerulean Order?" she asked.

His brow furrowed in concern. "What did my mother tell you?"

She seemed surprised at the concern in his voice. "Just that you want to be a member, and that's why your reputation score is so important to you."

He studied her, wondering just how much he should say. But it didn't make sense to keep her in the dark. Not completely anyway.

"You know the meet the mermaid event you organized for the Service Day?"

Jayna's brows pulled together in confusion at his sudden change in conversation. "Yes."

"Why do you think it was so successful?"

She smiled. "That's easy. It was the way you sang the mermaid song." And then she laughed.

Sid couldn't help but smile, even though the mermaid song was exactly the kind of spectacle he needed to avoid.

Jayna grew serious and said, "It was successful because we were directly serving the people."

This wasn't the answer Sid was going for. "True, that is why it was successful. But why was the event even possible? It was because of you."

Jayna smiled but shook her head. "No, it wasn't because of me. It was your sponsorship that brought everybody in—and your willingness to throw yourself into the role."

Sid shook his head. "Me throwing myself into the role like that might have done as much harm as good."

Jayna looked like she wanted to protest, but Sid continued before she could. "It was The Kingdom of Tangaroa and the merschool and all the merformers that made the event a success. And the only reason they even considered the idea was because of you. You had connections and credibility with Kalani and the merformers, and because of you they were willing to volunteer their time and facilities. Without you, the event would never have taken place."

Sid gazed deep into her bright green eyes. "More than anything else, I want to make a difference in this world. But to do that, I need the connections and credibility that comes from being part of the Cerulean Order."

She seemed to understand, and she smiled and then gave him another kiss. "Let's go make a positive impression, then."

Their limo stopped, and the doors opened. Greeters in traditional Polynesian dress helped them out, and torches glowed along either side of the walkway. All the flowers and dancers lining the resort entrance made the event feel like something out of an old Elvis Presley film.

Jayna waved and blew a kiss to one of the dancers.

"Who's that?" Sid asked. "Mermaid Buwen?"

Jayna nodded. "Her human name is Rani. I think a lot of these performers also work at Kingdom."

Sid offered his hand to Jayna. She smiled and took it, and he steered her towards a meandering path that led to one of the side entrances.

She gave his hand a tug in the direction of the front of the resort. "I think we're supposed to go this way."

Sid bristled at the gaggle of streamers and photographers flanking the red carpet near the grand entrance. Although it was far from the largest crowd he'd ever seen, he was still determined to avoid them.

"What's wrong?" she asked at his hesitation.

Sid understood why Jayna would want to walk the red carpet, and he felt guilty at keeping her from it. But he also understood the potential minefield the paparazzi represented. Hopefully Jayna would understand, too.

"Come over here for a second." He led her to a spot just off the walkway and took her hands in his. "Remember when I said throwing myself into the merman role might have done as much harm as good?"

Jayna scowled but nodded.

"Well, that spectacle didn't exactly make a positive impression with the Order."

Jayna dropped his hand and pulled back, looking as if she had just been slapped. "How could anyone object to you singing and swimming with children?"

Sid shrugged sheepishly. "They felt it wasn't dignified."

Jayna's face darkened and she glanced longingly towards the red carpet. "And you're worried they won't like you parading down the red carpet with a girl who might embarrass you because she doesn't know how to act in front of the streamers. Is that it?"

When Jayna put it that way, it sounded condescending. "It's not that. It's just…" Sid shook his head. "Hazel has done an amazing job at building a heartwarming narrative around our relationship. She has completely drowned out Crystal's smear campaign, and I don't want to accidentally undo all her hard work."

Jayna turned back towards him, and her jaw was set. "Fine. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be the most boring, un-embarrassing date you've ever had."

Her words were like a punch in the gut. "I'm not worried about you embarrassing me. And I don't want you to be boring. I don't think you could be boring even if you wanted to." Sid gave her a weak smile, which she didn't return.

He was about to try again when one of the streamers called out, "Hey! Mermaid Princess—over here!"

A half-dozen paparazzi broke away from the crowd and began walking towards Sid and Jayna, with several hover-cams gliding through the air ahead of them.

Sid's gut tightened even as his shoulders fell in defeat. As much as he didn't want to deal with the streamers, they would make him pay dearly if he tried to take Jayna from them now that she had their attention.

He placed his hand on her back and gently nudged her in their direction. "Too late now."

Jayna's face lit up, and she smiled and waved at the streamers. She took his hand in hers and led him towards the red carpet. Sid braced himself, even though he wasn't exactly sure what he thought would happen.

As the photographers called out their pose requests and hover-cams buzzed around them, jockeying for the best shots, Jayna took Sid's arm and pulled him close to her. The air was filled with shouted questions about the Merathlon, Sid's turn as a merman during the Service Day, and the status of their relationship. Sid forced a smile and braced himself to do damage control if Jayna's answers strayed too far from the talking points Hazel had drafted for them.

But although Jayna smiled, waved, and posed like a professional, she completely ignored the questions being shouted at them. After a few short minutes, the streamers and photographers gave up and turned their attention to the crown princess of Tonga and her mid-list celebrity boyfriend.

Sid and Jayna were directed away from the red carpet by a security guard, and he felt a wave of relief as they resumed their walk towards the ballroom.

They passed through a covered courtyard dominated by an enormous fountain and had nearly reached the ballroom doors when they were set upon by a woman with shoulder length blond hair and a hover-cam. "Mermaid Aaramere, hi."

The woman looked enough like Crystal that Sid moved protectively in front of Jayna. But he quickly noticed that the woman—girl, really—was much younger than his arch-nemesis. Based on her makeup, jewelry, and the aqua fish scale pattern on her maxi dress, Sid realized she must be someone from the mer community.

Jayna put a reassuring hand on Sid's back and stepped up beside him. "Hello."

"I'm Mermaid Scintille, and I run the Daughters of Amphitrite stream. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

Sid was about to object when Jayna said, "Of course!"

Sid tensed, and his concerns about what Jayna might say during the interview came flooding back. But he gradually relaxed as Scintille peppered Jayna with question after question about everything from her Merathlon training regimen and performing at Realms of Neptune, to tail-care routines and treatments for swimmer's ear.

Even though Sid found himself relegated to the sidelines during the interview, it didn't bother him like he thought it would. He loved seeing Jayna's enthusiasm as she talked with Scintille about all things mer, and the warmth and affection she showed to the young woman impressed upon him again her genuinely kind nature.

"What has been your favorite part about visiting Manutai? Aside from winning the Merathlon, of course."

For the first time since the interview began, Jayna glanced at Sid and a smile spread across her face. She quickly turned back to Scintille and said, "I had a lot of fun at the Jubilee Beach Bash." Her eyes flicked back to Sid briefly. "But I think my absolute favorite part of this trip has been the Service Day activity."

Scintille nodded in agreement. "Oh, yes. That Swim with the Mermaids event at the Kingdom of Tangaroa was wonderful. And that Merman Marevitrum." Scintille dipped her head coyly and fanned herself with her hand.

Sid felt his cheeks flush. She hadn't even recognized him.

"He is quite the catch." Jayna gave him a quick, wicked smile before returning her attention to Scintille. "But he's more than just a dishy fish. Obsidian Hayes, aka Merman Marevitrum, sponsored the entire event. None of it would have been possible without his generosity and support."

She reached a hand towards him and beckoned for him to join her.

Sid hesitated for a moment before moving to Jayna's side and lacing his fingers with hers.

Scintille flushed bright red as she recognized Sid.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

Jayna gave Sid's hand a squeeze. "Obsidian is humble and kind, but he has by far the biggest heart and the most generous, caring, giving soul of anyone I have ever met. His entire purpose is all about helping people who need help. And I am privileged to consider him my friend."

The gesture warmed his heart and feeling Jayna's hand in his melted away his concerns about the Cerulean Order. Yes, it was important for them to see him as someone who would work well with the organization. But his relationship with Jayna was important, too.

As soon as Jayna wrapped up her interview with Mermaid Scintille, Sid led her to a quiet spot away from the crowd milling around the fountain. He'd been stupid to worry about her. "Forget what I said earlier. We are here to have a good time, and I am going to make sure that we do. Okay?"

Jayna raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So, you aren't concerned about doing something undignified?"

Sid moved close and put his hands on her hips. "I am. But it was wrong of me to put that concern ahead of letting you enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event."

Jayna reached up and adjusted his tie, and his heart raced at her touch. "Will that good time happen to involve dancing?" she asked in a low, husky voice.

"Yes, I do believe it will."

Jayna's smile grew. "Then I can promise you an evening you will never forget."