The Sea Taketh (Alex Singer) (31 page)

             
Our Christmas Eve meal is delicious and the company, wonderful. We laugh and talk late into the night. When Marjory falls asleep at the table, we finally disperse to go to bed.

*     *     *

The pool is dark as I descend the stairs. A sliver of a moon shines through the window, illuminating a single swimmer.

             
“Hello, Alexandra,” Christian says as he breaks the surface.

             
“Merry Christmas, Christian,” I say, swimming to him.

             
He laughs. “What are you doing up? You should be in bed waiting for Santa Claus.”

             
“I was hoping to give you an early Christmas present. I’m glad you are up.” I smile.

             
“I enjoy the water. It is freshly piped from the ocean.”

             
“That would explain the salt water.” Remembering his present, I forcefully put my lips to his. He eagerly returns the kiss. He puts his arms around my waist and immediately withdraws.

             
“What are you wearing?” he asks.

             
“Just the bikini I got at the sports store.”

             
“I didn’t know you bought it,” he says, softly.

             
“I thought you liked it?”

             
“It’s really late. I think we should go…”

             
“Christian, why don’t you like the bikini?” I ask, feeling hurt.

             
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” He begins to swim away from me. “I would just be more comfortable if you wore something else.”

             
“You act as though I repulse you. Is it the scars?” My bottom lip quivers.

             
He swims a swift lap around the pool, stopping in front of me. He takes a deep breath. “Alexandra, I have a hard time trusting myself.”

             
“I don’t understand.” My brows furrow.

             
“I wish I had infinite self-control, but I don’t, and I would be lying if I said that all my thoughts about you were innocent. I am over five hundred years old, and I have been alone a very long time. Each day I love you more and want you more.”

             
“How is that a problem?” I ask, swimming closer to him.

             
“Because you are not yet eighteen to begin with, and then there’s the fact that my culture expects me to abstain until I am married, no exceptions,” he explains.

             
“You have better self-control than I do.” I take his hand in the water.

             
“No, I am just older than you are.” He gently squeezes it.

             
I move even closer to him and tenderly kiss his neck. He is instantly at the other side of the pool.

“Please don’t make this any harder for me than it already is,” he pleads.

              “You’re ruining my Christmas gift to you,” I say.

             
The color drains from his face. “Alexandra, you don’t mean …” He doesn’t finish the sentence.

             
“Christian, I thought that we were in a very committed relationship? You combined our bank accounts, and declared your love. People in committed relationships do have sex with each other.”

             
He balls his hands into fists. “In this aspect, our cultures are completely different. Merfolk, with any kind of merit, do not have sex until they’re married.”

             
The rejection stings, but I try to save face. “Then I’ll go back to bed, and you can resume your swim.” I climb the stairs and step out of the pool.

Christian’s face pales in the faint moonlight as his eyes meet mine. His eyes wander to my body. Then he’s gone. A loud noise sounds from the bottom of the pool. The next moment, Christian is standing outside the window, with his hands on the glass, gazing at me. His lips purse, but I don’t hear anything until Henrik and Sven burst into the ro
om. Henrik takes one look of me and swears under his breath. They both dive into the pool and disappear. The three dash to the ocean.

             
“What’s going on?” Sonia asks as she and Jen run into the poolroom.

             
Jen flips on the light.

“I think I know,” she says when she sees me.

              “I wish someone would explain it to me.” I continue to gaze out the window where Christian disappeared.

             
“It’s quite simple,” Sonia says, looking over my bikini. “Christian absolutely
cannot
have sex until he is married. He cannot allow himself to be seduced… even by you.”

*     *     *

As I lay awake that night, it’s evident to me that I don’t understand very much about merfolk culture. I had assumed that he didn’t feel the same way about me when he was demonstrating self control. Christian has accommodated my ignorance because of his vast knowledge of humans. He sheltered me so well that I hardly know anything. For someone who has declared his love to me, he’s explained little about the world from which he comes. I have clumsily discovered why this behavior can’t continue.

             
I sit up most of the night, thinking of my ignorance and the mistakes I’ve made in regards to Christian. It isn’t until the first rays of sunshine come through my window that I fall asleep. My usual nightmare haunts me. One moment I’m with my parents on our boat, and the next, I’m flailing in the dark ocean. However, this time the darkness doesn’t overwhelm me. A bright light emerges from the depths. I know at once it’s Christian. He’s come to rescue me from the darkness.

             
“Merry Christmas, Alexandra,” someone disturbs my sleep.

I open my eyes and find Christian smiling above me, wearing a Santa hat. I
immediately sit up.

“I’m so sorry!” I apologize. “I didn’t understand!”

              “You have nothing to apologize for.” He takes my hand. “I haven’t been forthcoming with you. I will remedy this, right after we open our Christmas presents.”

             
“You should go to bed. The presents can wait.” I kiss his hand.

             
“That is something else I should have told you,” he says as he picks me up. “Merfolk sleep less than humans. Come along, everyone is waiting for you.”

             
“I like the pajamas.” I point to his Santa-style attire as he carries me out the door.

             
“I thought they were appropriate for the occasion.” He chuckles.

             
“Where is everyone?”  I am surprised to find the cottage eerily empty of the many staff members.

             
“It’s Christmas; everyone has gone home to be with their families.”

             
“That’s good. Don’t tell Henrik, Sonia, and Sven, but all the help kind of freaks me out,” I say to him. “I feel badly about being waited on hand and foot all the time.”

             
He laughs, his eyes twinkle merrily. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

             
The drawing room is alit with Christmas lights. The mixed scent of pine, hot chocolate, and gingerbread wafts through the air. A vast Christmas tree is surrounded by brightly colored Christmas gifts. Still in their pajamas, Gramps, Marjory, Henrik, Sonia, Sven, and Jen are waiting for us.

             
“It’s about time, sleeping beauty,” Jen teases.

             
“If you can’t sleep in on Christmas morning, when can you?” I retort as I smile.

             
After extending Christmas greetings to everyone, Christian sets me down on an antique sofa before taking the seat next to me. He passes me a plate of gingerbread cookies and a cup of hot chocolate.

             
“Can we open presents now?” Jen asks with anticipation.

             
“Patience, Stinging Jellyfish,” Sven laughs, wrapping his arms around her while they sit on the floor. “We have all day.”

             
“We want to begin first,” Marjory rises from her seat and shuffles to the tree. She takes two old bottles of wine from underneath it and places them in front of Christian.

“Merry Christmas!” she says as she takes his hand and kisses it.

              “Merry Christmas, Marjory.” He tenderly pats her wrinkled cheek. “I hope you enjoyed the early Christmas gift we gave you?”

             
“Yes, yes!” she exclaims.

             
I raise an eyebrow in confusion, but I’m not the only one.

             
“What did you give her?” Jen asks.

             
“We had a greenhouse added to the Victorian house for her,” Sven answers. “This way she can grow fresh produce, year round.”

             
“We like it very much!” Marjory smiles as she retakes her seat.

             
“And the wine is perfect,” Christian says. “What better way to celebrate Christmas morning than with a delicious glass of wine?”

             
Henrik quickly goes to the kitchen for some wine goblets. Sven is opening a bottle of wine when he returns. He pours himself a glass and quickly downs it before passing it to Henrik. He, too, helps himself to the wine. They also pour wine for Marjory, Sonia, Gramps, and then Christian.

             
“It really bothers me that they do that,” I whisper to him.

             
“Do what?” he asks.

             
“That they help themselves to everything first.”

             
He wraps an arm around me.

“Are you being protective?” he asks with amusement in his voice.

              “Yes, I am. Why doesn’t it bother you that you get the leftovers?”

             
“Because our cultures are very different,” he answers stiffly, as if there’s a lot on his mind. I know the feeling.

             
“It’s my turn to give my presents,” Jen says loudly as she goes to the tree and comes back with her arms loaded with gifts. She places one in front of each of us.

“Go ahead,” she says as she returns to her place next to Sven.

              Marjory and Gramps receive large boxes of Swiss chocolate and the rest of us open team jerseys with our names on the backs.

“They’re for future competitions,” she explains. “I thought we could have a bunch of di
fferent tournaments, beginning with soccer.”

             
“Jen, this is awesome!” I hold up my pink jersey.

             
“I agree,” Christian says. “We will try them out after lunch.”

             
Sven is silent as he pulls his jersey over his head. He lumbers to the Christmas tree. With a small package in hand, he returns to Jen. He passes it to her. Smiling, she quickly opens it. Her brows furrow as she lifts up a stick of lip balm.

“What is…?”

              Before she can finish her question, Sven wraps his huge arms around her skinny body and zealously kisses her. She throws her arms around his neck and returns it. Henrik and Christian catcall riotously. The rest of us cheer.

             
“You big oaf!” says Jen as she comes up for air, punching him on the arm. “I thought you forgot me and picked something up at the gas station.”

             
“I could never forget you.” He kisses her again. “I just thought you could use the lip balm with all the kissing we’re going to do.”

             
“It’s a pretty great gift.” Jen opens the lip balm and puts some on her lips before offering it to Sven.

             
He just chuckles as he kisses her a third time.

“I’ll just get mine from you,” he says.

              It is a wonderful Christmas. Gramps gives me a photo album with some photos of me and Christian in it, and he gives Christian a photo of me in a silver frame. Sven gives me a can of mace, and Christian a volleyball to tease him about our loss. Henrik and Sonia gift me with beautiful, white sweater. They laugh as they give Christian another volleyball. Gramps likes the book I chose for him, and Marjory is overjoyed when Gramps and I tell her that waiting at home is a new wagon to carry her treasures from the ocean. Soon there is only one present left under the tree.

             
“It appears to be my turn,” Christian says. “Henrik, Sonia, and Sven, you will receive my customary Christmas gift…”

             
“CHRISTIAN!” a woman’s voice sounds in the corridor.