Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A Chapter by Jalaran DeVine

 

 

 

We reached the lobby of the sports center, leaving the elevator, James pulled me a little closer, kissing passionately. Pulling only slightly away, he whispered “Just remember, I do love you, and I don’t want to lose you.”

I glanced up at him and then down at the floor, feeling almost a little guilty, I said the only thing I could. “I know.” I started to pull away, but he held tight to my hand for just a moment, looking at me, and for the first time I could truly see fear in James’ eyes. I’m not sure if he was afraid he’d lose me, or afraid I’d go home. I don’t know what brought that look to him, but he was utterly scared of something. I pulled back close to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, looking up into his eyes. Trying to read what was there, but I didn’t understand. I just simply held him tight for a few moments, taking in the smell of him, the aftershave that drives me absolutely wild, it makes him smell so masculine, I would have loved to stay there, in his arms. But, I had other fish to fry so to speak, I needed to find out what was going on back home. Why was Thomas here?

Thomas and I were supposed to meet by the fountain in the park, he knew it would be my favorite place, he was right. I hung out here a lot around the fountain between classes, or when I just wanted to sit outside and read a good book under a shade tree, yes, we even have a few shade trees in New York. Thomas was easy to spot, he was by human standards overly handsome. He was tall, broad of shoulder, slender at the waist with perfectly tanned skin, set off by the waist length blonde tresses. . His blue-green eyes the color of a stormy sea, those eyes that could look right though to your very soul it felt like. Thomas’ face was perfect, a nice straight jaw line, luscious full lips, the kind that make you hunger for a kiss just a taste of them, long lovely full eyelashes that most women would kill for. The man wasn’t handsome, he was beautiful, in every sense of the word. I could pick him out of any crowd, this was the man my heart most desired, and the one I knew that I couldn’t have. I still had to pinch myself at times to make sure he was real, and that he had at one point loved me.

He of course had to look a little harder for me, since I was easily lost in most crowds, standing barely above five foot, even with the heels I wasn’t very tall. Once he saw me however, he waved, motioning for me to come to him, I of course I did. When we were close enough together, we exchanged a friendly hug, though both of us lingered longer than we probably should have, just to hold each other this close again made my entire body ache and tremble. We put each other at arms length and looked each other up and down. It’d been so long since we’d seen each other. I knew I’d changed from the little girl that left home, but him, he was Thomas, same as I had remembered, his hair a bit longer, which was his birth right, only men of the royal house could grow their hair past their ears. And though it wasn’t official yet, he was still a member of the Siren’s Tridents and betrothed to my sister Emerald. I smiled trying to ignore the tightening of things in my body that only a lover should touch, I wanted this man, here, now, and I didn’t care who watched. But, that’s not something you do when you’re a princess, especially with your sisters future husband.

I slowly regained my composure, and I believe he did as well, both of us still looking like star-struck lovers I’m sure.

“Well hello,” his boyish grin sweeping across those luscious full lips, his eyes lighting up like Christmas lights.

“Welcome to New York, is it everything you’d hoped for?” a sheepish smile pulling at the edges of my own lips.

“I’m not sure yet Princess?” he said winking at me, as he reached for my hand, and laid the gentlest kiss on the back of it, bowing slightly.

I immediately started to blush bright red, “Oh, stop that, you’re going to make me feel inadequate, you know I was never much good at being a “princess” anyway.”

He smiled slyly, “Yes, I remember, you were more the lets hang out and go play pool at the local bar type, but lets hope dad doesn’t catch us.” With that he let out a laugh as did I, because we actually did that, and got caught skipping school together., but hey we had fun while it lasted.

“Ok, ok so I wasn’t the chaste prude my sister, who’s been saving herself for marriage is.” I shrugged my shoulders and threw my hands up in the air, “What’s the fun in that?”

He just shook his head at me, smiling . I knew this was going to be more difficult than I had first thought.

“So, are you going to show me your village?“ He offered me his arm, I accepted wrapping my arm through his, off we started walking towards West Fourth street, to head to Barrow’s Pub, for some lunch, and maybe a game of pool .

We walked slowly down Fourth street and then up Barrow to the pub. We started talking about things back home, it felt almost as if I had to drag some of the answers out of Thomas. Something was up, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, maybe when got sat down and could concentrate on our conversation he’d be a little more open with me.

Outside the pub, he turned to me and said lightheartedly “Reminds me of the places back home.”

“I figured it would,” I smiled softly. “That’s why I picked this place, besides they have a really good Ruben, the Corned Beef is the freshest around.”

He opened the door for me, I stepped in to the dimly lit barroom out of the afternoon sun. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the light change, I spotted a booth towards the back, away from the bar, but near the pool tables, I started to head that way. Thomas let out a chaste chuckle following me with that look on his face that said he knew I was up to being playful today.

I took off my suit jacket and laid it next to me in the booth, along with my purse, then sat down, Thomas sat down across from me, I couldn’t help but looking into his eyes, they were so mesmerizing, they really are his best feature, well best “public” feature anyway, I thought to myself, blushing slightly.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked with an innocent smile.

“Just the past, and us that’s all.” I said as I glanced downwards at the table.

About then a small round middle aged woman came waddling up to our table, her graying red hair done up in a tight bun, her green eyes smiling at us through her glasses as much as she smiled with her lips. She handed us tattered menus. “Is there anything’ I can get ya while ya look at the menu?” She asked in thick Irish accent.

I opened my menu, knowing Thomas’ eyes were still very much on me, looked up to meet the woman’s eyes, “Yes, a beer please, something imported.” I said with a smile, looking back down into my menu.

She looked over at Thomas, “Make that two.” he said, as he opened his menu to figure out what he was going to have for lunch.

We sat silently looking each at our own menus as the barmaid came toddling back, gracefully carrying two tall ale glasses and two bottles of Guinness, she placed the glasses on the table, putting down coasters for our bottles to sit on. She took a small notebook from her apron. “Have ya decided what ya’d like ?” she asked politely.

I smiled up at her brightly, “I believe I’ve decided what I’d like to have yes. Have you Thomas?”

Thomas looked up from behind his menu grinning at me, “This is your village, I’ll follow your lead Princess.”

The barmaid stifled a small laugh at him calling me princess, turning her attention to me, “An’ what will ya be having missy?”

“I think we’ll start with an order of Steamed Black Mussels, along with two orders of Fish and Chips please.” I looked up at Thomas for approval. He gave me a small smile as folded his menu back together. The barmaid reached for it, she then reached for mine which I offered willingly.

“Would ya like your mussels first then?” She asked as she pushed her glasses up slightly.

“Yes Ma’am, it will give us some time to talk before lunch.” I said looking at Thomas, looking into those swimming pools of stormy sea, getting lost for a moment. The barmaid slowly wandered off towards the counter to turn in our order.

I turned my attention to Thomas, “Now, tell me what brought you all the way out here, to talk to the runaway Princess?” I looked up at him seriously, “You know what we have been to each other, we know each other better than we know ourselves sometimes, we were inseparable until you graduated leaving for the grotto to become a guard, I was alone, I decided to take NYU up on their offer of a full scholarship.”

He cleared his throat, I could see the tension in his jaw line, if Mer could wrinkle, his eyes would have aged as I watched. Something was wrong, something he didn’t really want to talk about, but I had to find out why he was here, and what he wanted from me. We sat in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other.

“I’m not sure where to start.” he said as he let out a heavy sigh. “Do you know we were supposed to be betrothed?” he got an almost sad look on his face. “After you left, my father and your father seeing that our families weren’t going to marry without you and I, stepped in and arranged the marriage of your sister and I, so that the families could indeed be united.” He reached across the table taking my hand from around my glass of ale. “I don’t love her Amy, I love you, I always have. I have one chance, to convince you to come home.” a slight edge of fear in his voice, “Your grandmother has said she would allow you to come back to the grotto, if you come back with me.”

The barmaid came slowly up to the table carrying a tray with a large plate of mussels on it she sat the mussels down on the table between us, she then sat a smaller plate in front of each of us. “Can I get ya ‘nother ‘fore I bring out your fish and chips?”

I could barely speak, I glanced up at her shaking my head “yyess… please” came as barely a whisper. She gathered up the empty bottles and wandered back towards the bar to get us fresh ones.

I sat there utterly dumbfounded looking at Thomas. What he’d said was still sinking in, it was totally unheard of to let a runaway back into a grotto, princess or not. Thomas looked down at the plate of mussels, spooning a few onto his smaller plate, one thing we Mer do like is our sea-food.

 



© 2008 Jalaran DeVine


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Added on November 3, 2008
Last Updated on November 15, 2008