The Sea Taketh (Alex Singer) (30 page)

             
“And it makes me happy to use the money I earn to buy what I want.”

             
“Then I will have Henrik combine our banking accounts, so it won’t matter,” he says nonchalantly.

             
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Having given almost everything I’ve earned to Gramps, my bank account has a few hundred dollars. Christian’s has a few million. It is an incredible act of trust to combine them and a remarkable show of commitment. It freaks me out as much as it demonstrates his confidence in our relationship.

             
“Hey, look what I found,” Jen says, holding a huge book on soccer. “It’s too bad it’s in Danish.”

             
“I will just have to teach you Danish.” Sven pulls her onto his lap. “Did you find anything for your brothers?”

             
“No, can we go to a sporting store next?”

             
“Sure, there’s one a few shops away.”

             
Someone clears their throat behind me. “Excuse me, but can I have your autograph?”

             
I turn around to find a teenage girl. She is holding out a magazine with my face on the cover and a pen. I quickly scribble my name. She profusely thanks me before walking away.

             
“I think it’s time to move on.” Christian stands and takes my hand. He quickly directs me out the door. He takes a pair of sunglasses out of his jacket pocket and hands them to me. Then he puts my hat on my head. His overprotective tendencies usually frustrate me, but since the attack I find them reassuring. I lovingly take his hand.

             
It is softly snowing as we walk down the cobblestoned street. Henrik and Sonia follow closely behind. Sven and Jen quickly catch up to us.

             
I watch as shoppers scurry with brightly colored packages, and children excitedly point at Christmas lights and displays. It’s a beautiful scene – right off a Christmas card.

             
Henrik turns into a shop and opens the door for us. Christian’s lips blow silently. Henrik immediately goes to the cashier and begins speaking Danish. The two share words until Henrik passes him some cash.  The man nods and begins to usher the other customers from the building.

             
“What’s going on?” I ask Christian.

             
“We will be doing our shopping in private.” His phone rings. “Excuse me. I’ve been waiting for this call.”

He goes to a far corner, behind a dis
play of golf clubs, to answer his phone.

             
“Girls, let’s shop!” Jen pulls Sonia and me to the soccer equipment.

             
It is the most extreme form of shopping I’ve ever seen. We go from aisle to aisle, looking at sports equipment. Jen picks out items here and there, and Sven follows behind her with a shopping cart and just throws things in it. More times than not, Jen tells him that her brothers already have the items he’s chosen, and he shrugs his shoulders and tells her that they can always use more. Eventually, Jen gives up and turns the shopping over to Sven and Henrik.

             
Jen, Sonia, and I go to the swimming attire and grab several swimsuits to try on. We go to the back dressing rooms while the Pedersens argue over hockey equipment.

             
“Do you always shop like this?” Jen asks Sonia between dressing room stalls.

             
“No, not always, but every once and a while,” she answers.

             
“What does ‘declared’ mean?” I blurt out from my stall.

             
I hear Sonia’s stall door open. I peek out, wondering if there is a problem. Sonia’s face greets me. Her eyes are wide.

“Don’t you know?” she asks.

              I shake my head.

             
“It means he’s kissed you,” Jen says from her stall. “I guess it’s a pretty big deal among merfolk.”

             
“I don’t understand?” I say.

             
“Haven’t you noticed that Sven has never kissed me?” Jen’s head also peeks out of her stall.

             
Thinking back, I realize that she’s right. Sven and Jen flirt, tease, and hold hands, but they never kiss.

             
“Okay, so what exactly does a kiss mean?” I ask.

             
“It’s a declaration of love and devotion,” Sonia answers. “It’s more significant among merfolk than engagements are among humans. Once we have declared ourselves to someone, we remain with that merman or mermaid forever.”

             
“Why didn’t he tell me?”

             
“The reason Christian does many of the things he does is a mystery to the rest of us,” Sonia answers with a shrug.

             
“So, he’s a little kooky?” Jen asks.

             
“Oh, no!” Sonia immediately shakes her head as she thinks. “Let’s just say that he’s unique.”

             
“Whatever he is, he should have said something earlier about this whole declaring his love thing,” Jen says as she walks out of the dressing room. She inspects the one-piece she’s wearing in the mirror.

“It wouldn’t be bad if I were a twelve year-old girl.” She tugs at her top. “Sometimes I sure wish I had boobs.”

              Sonia laughs. “You’ll fit right in with us mermaids.” She points to her own flat chest. “We may be lovely, but we’re not exactly top-heavy.”

             
“Let’s see it,” Jen says to me in a sarcastic voice.

             
I sigh and walk out of the stall to a large mirror, wearing a black bikini.

“How bad are my scars?” I ask.

              “No one will ever see your scars with that body,” Jen shakes her head.

             
“But I won’t fit in with mermaids.”

             
“You may not look like a mermaid, but I think you’ll fit in just fine,” Jen says, pointing behind me.

             
I turn around and find Christian staring at me, his mouth slightly open. His phone is to his ear, but he isn’t speaking.

             
“OH…!” someone exclaims before saying what sounds like swearwords in Danish. One of the store clerks has caught a glimpse of me in the swimsuit.

             
“Alexandra, why don’t you change back into your warm clothing?” Christian is immediately behind me, wrapping a robe around my body. He gestures behind him at a large group of people congregated in front of the shop, staring at me through the display windows. I return to my dressing stall.

             
“Jen, is there anything you want me to purchase for you?” Sonia asks as we change back into our winter clothes.

             
“Yeah, could you get this for me?” Jen says, passing her one-piece over the stall door.

             
“Alex?”

             
I pass the black bikini out the door while I slip on my boots. I finally thought of something to give Christian for Christmas.

             
“My brothers are going to freak when they get my packages,” Jen says with excitement as we step out of our stalls. “They’ll love getting mail and presents all at once.”

             
“What are your parents going to say when they get thousands of dollars of sports equipment from Denmark?” I ask.

             
“I’ll tell them the truth, Sven is stinking filthy rich, and he wanted to spoils my brothers for Christmas.”

             
“Do you know what you’re going to give Sven?”

             
“Yeah, I was thinking about letting him win a game of soccer against me, or giving him lessons to teach him football. What are you giving Christian?”

             
I shake my head. It’s best if I keep my ideas to myself.

             
We go to the front of the store and the employees are putting Jen’s purchases in boxes to be sent to Maine. The boxes pile up, all the while, the clerks sneak peeks of me, making me feel uncomfortable.

“The car is here.” Christian puts an arm around my waist.

I’m ushered from the store and into a substantial crowd of people.

“Alex, I love you!” is screamed from the masses as I get into the limo. Fans pound on the windows, screaming their accolades, and begging for autographs.

“Alexandra, I believe we need to discuss the modeling,” Christian says as the rest of our party gets into the car. His composure hides the frustration I know is hidden beneath.

12

Christmas

              “Alex, I agree with Christian,” Gramps says on the sofa in the drawing room. “I didn’t like it from the start. It’s run its course, and it’s time to stop.”

             
“I’m good at it,” I argue.

             
“Too good, it nearly got you killed! You have stalkers on every continent, except Antarctica and only because hardly anyone lives there. You can’t go anywhere! This isn’t a way to live!”

             
“But the money has come in helpful.”

             
“Alexandra, we have plenty of money,” Christian cuts in. “There’s no need for you to continually put yourself at risk.”

             
“That’s your money.”

             
“It’s
our
money,” he says. “You are my declared and will enjoy every privilege that includes.”

             
“Oh, don’t even get me started on that!” I point an angry finger at him. “I just found out what exactly that means, and you’re in
big
trouble for not telling me sooner!”

             
“Would telling you have made a difference?” he asks.

             
“No, but I think I deserved to know, and Gramps, don’t you act all innocent! You knew when you saw us kissing on the front porch what it meant!”

             
“What grandfather wouldn’t be happy about a wonderful guy declaring undying love to his granddaughter?” Gramps shrugs his shoulders.

             
“Would you two stop ganging up on me?” I say with frustration.

             
“I know you don’t enjoy the attention you get from modeling,” Christian says. “Why continue doing it?”

             
“Because it’s what everyone expects me to be good at!” I burst into tears.

             
“That is not true!” Gramps interjects, patting my head. “You have beauty
and
brains! And I raised you to use those brains.”

             
Christian puts his arms around me. “I realize that you get a lot of attention because of your beauty, but you are so much more than a pretty face.  It’s time for you to decide who you are instead of letting everyone else dictate your identity to you.”

He kisses me.

              “Knowing what I know now, I should have put my foot down sooner,” Gramps says as he takes my hand. “No more modeling.  Do you understand?”

             
I wipe tears from my eyes, not saying what’s really on my mind. I will go along with Gramps’ wishes as long as he is my legal guardian, after that, I will do whatever is necessary to ensure he is well cared for.

             
“Now that this is out of the way, let’s go enjoy dinner with our friends,” Gramps stands. “It is Christmas Eve, after all.”

             
Gramps arrived that morning with Marjory, and I can tell he’s rather proud of himself for encouraging my relationship with Christian, especially when he sees the Pedersens’ wealth. He struts around like a duke or lord or something, allowing the merfolk staff to wait on him hand and foot. Marjory is also enjoying her time at the cottage. Earlier that day, she spent several hours in the bath until I finally had to coax her out to get dressed for dinner.