Black Hollow

Chapter 8 - It's the Little Things

Arden led them back out of the vault, Kerry asking question after question about their security measures. He knew none of it made sense to her because none of it made sense to him. Between the Ogre Security Team and the magical entrance, nothing should have been able to get to the gold, and nothing—or rather, no one—can except a leprechaun. He tried not to stare at his employees, pondering who the traitor in his bank was. None of this made any type of sense. Running a hand through his shaggy blond hair, Arden blew out a frustrated sigh as he pushed his way through the bank and out the front door, barely even noticing Nunk as he passed the mammoth bulk of the gray ogre on his way out.

“Where are you going?" Kerry asked from behind him. He could hear the clomp of her heels on the sidewalk as they stepped out into the bright afternoon, the sun just beginning its descent into the west.

Arden kept walking, knowing the stubborn blond would follow. Quinn probably stayed behind, tired of dealing with the outsider, and Arden welcomed the reprieve from his friend's judgment. However, Arden kept walking, not wanting to discuss what he just revealed to Kerry in front of the others. A knot twisted in his gut at the reminder that no one inside End of the Rainbow could be trusted. His insides churned, making him want to hurl.

“Excuse me," Kerry called out again. “I asked where you're going? I still have questions."

Arden nodded. “I thought we could both use some lunch," he said as he glanced over at her, smiling. “Besides, I didn't really want to talk about this inside the bank for obvious reasons."

“And yet, you want to discuss it inside a restaurant where people can overhear you? I thought you were afraid of people finding out there was a threat to the gold." She stepped up beside him, matching his strides. He thought her head would twist off as she craned her neck to take in all the oddities that were Black Hollow.

“You're right," he said, realizing that all he truly wanted was to escape the eyes at the bank, the pressure of Kerry's missing sister as well as the impending bank robbery. “It's a beautiful day out. Perhaps we can grab a bite and enjoy the day at the town center."

She nodded, swiping a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. He felt the smile creep across his face at how cute she looked when she thought no one watched her, soft, vulnerable, unlike the tenacious exterior she presented when she knew people did watch her. He preferred both sides of her, the complete package. “Does this town even have takeout?" she asked.

Arden chuckled. “I'm sure we can scrounge up something." He glanced over at her, a mischievous smirk on his face. “Do you like seafood by chance?"

Ten minutes later, Arden led her inside Scales and Tails, which was just down the other block from the bank past the town center. He worried, at first, whether or not he should take her inside considering how she reacted at the bank. Then, he decided if she planned to remain in Black Hollow until she found her sister, she needed to get accustomed to seeing things she wasn't used to seeing. Besides, the owners of Scales and Tails were easier on the eyes than Nunk.

“Arden McCarthy, too long has it been since you've been in our restaurant," a melodic voice said as soon as he walked through the front door. Turning, he spotted Nerissa gliding across the floor toward them, her feet seeming to barely touch the floor. Her long, blond hair flowed over her shimmering blue shoulders and down her back like a waterfall to swish across her waistline. She wore a flimsy teal dress that flowed around her long legs, the flesh of her lower limbs sparkling with scales from where her mermaid's tail hid just below her skin's surface, ready to spring out at the first touch of water. She glanced over at Kerry, raking her gaze up and down Arden's companion with what he thought was a jealous look. “Table for two?"

Arden just smiled at Nerissa. “No, we're actually going to take two of your fish and chips to go," he said. “The day is too gorgeous to eat inside."

Nerissa nodded. “Lucky you," she said. “I'll get those started for you." She then turned and whisked away to the back, her lithe body moving seductively across the floor drawing the other patrons' eyes as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Arden turned to Kerry, who was busy soaking in the interior of the restaurant. He couldn't blame her. Scales and Tails contained an eclectic assortment of decor that caused one to feel as if they dined under the ocean's surface. The walls were a deep blue with murals of aquatic life dipping in and out of the water as well as cast nets dangling down from the walls overflowing with crabs and large fish. One wall held the resemblance of a lost ship at sea with a skeleton in pirate's garb still at the wheel. Large aquariums separated the foyer from the rest of the restaurant, filled with exotic saltwater fish and coral, while the ceiling resembled the ocean's surface with even the bottom of a ship seeming to drift overhead. Even the hostess stand fit with the motif, shaped like a giant treasure chest with gold coins spilling out onto the floor in front. The mermaids who ran the establishment made sure the place felt like home not only in appearance, but in temperature as well as cold air drifted from the air ducts above them.

“What do you think?" he asked Kerry as he leaned on the wall beside the hostess stand, hands clasped behind him.

She glanced over at him, running her hands up and down her arms. “Well, you can tell it's a seafood place." He noticed her shiver, the air from the vent above her on overdrive. “Mermaids, I take it?"

He nodded as he studied her, the tough exterior she presented starting to falter a little. “They make the best fish and chips I've ever devoured."

“Makes sense," she said. She then c****d her head to the side. “I thought mermaids devoured men, though?"

Arden chuckled. “Aye, they do. Or, at least, they used to devour men. Not here in Black Hollow, though. At least, I don't think so. No one's come up missing, anyway." He groaned as soon as the words left his lips, remembering why Kerry was even in Black Hollow.

Kerry just glanced at him, remaining silent. The look on her face, however, told him she hadn't forgotten at all.

“We'll find your sister," he assured her.

Kerry nodded as she swiped at the air by her ear. “You would think that the air in here would be too cold for bugs."

The door separating the kitchen from the main restaurant swooshed open just as Kerry finished her sentence. “I assure you, there are no bugs in my restaurant," Nerissa said with an acrid tone. She then handed Arden a bag with two takeout containers and a tray with drinks, sweet tea if Arden guessed correctly. She offered him a smile, the curve of her lips tempting as he passed her his credit card. Her face slipped into a scowl as she glanced back at Kerry, and then she turned and walked away.

Kerry watched the other woman disappear, her eyebrows raised. “I think I miffed her," she said.

Arden chuckled as he shook his head. “She'll get over it."

Kerry glanced back at him. “Are you two…?"

“Together?" he finished for her. “No. She's just pretty possessive of all the men who walk in here. I think it's a mermaid thing."

“Hoping to devour you in other ways?" Kerry kept one eyebrow raised as she studied him, and Arden felt himself shuffle a little under her gaze and implied meaning.

He just shrugged, not sure what to say.

Nerissa returned with his credit slip, and Arden hurried Kerry out the door before either of the women could say anything else to set off sparks. He gestured back the way they came, indicating the gazebo down the way, and they headed in that direction as Kerry breathed in the warmer air outside. He cast a sideways glance at her as they walked, once more soaking her in, admiring how strong she seemed in the face of her sister's disappearance. There was something he saw in Kerry that pulled him toward her, and it unsettled him. Centuries passed without any stirrings in his heart, even with someone like Nerissa, and yet, this woman beside him seemed to keep him off-balance. He wasn't sure it was a good thing, either.