When Eliza saw the greeting card on her desk with the gorgeous John William Waterhouse mermaid on it, she felt heat go through her body and her hands shook. The mermaid had been a painting in her hotel room in Paris. She closed her eyes, remembering Paris and Terrence.
Terrence had obviously sent her the card, because he knew it would send her reeling.
Immediately, she was transported to the hotel room in Paris with him. After they had had sex for real. She was still semi-draped with the sheets from the bed, like an indecent Venus de Milo–Terrence’s description of her–and she had sat next to the painting.
Of the Waterhouse mermaid.
Before she could properly reflect on what happened between them after he called her his mermaid, her assistant knocked on her door. Eliza realized her forearm had slipped between her thighs.
“Yes Casper?” she answered, removing her arm and crossing her legs.
Casper opened and closed her door delicately behind him.
“Liza, Terrence wants to see you. Do you want me to say you are busy?”
Eliza admired Casper in his retro formal attire, in conjunction with his retro mannerism.
“No, I cannot put him off forever. Let him in.”
Casper gave her a curt nod, and opened the door to let Terrence in.
Terrence had a stern expression on his face, as he closed the door behind him. He pressed his back to it and looked at her. They both avoided each other’s eyes.
“The card…” Eliza caressed the glossy image, and embossed writing with admiration and avoidance at once.
“It reminded me of you. I saw it in a novelty store and…did you read the inside?”
She looked up at him. It had not even occurred to her to open it, she was so fixated on the image of the mermaid. She picked up the card, thankful she had something to focus on and to avoid looking in his eyes a little longer.
The tiny sound of the thick paper was almost shrill, it was so silent between them. In tight script with a fountain pen, Terrence had written:
You’re my mermaid.
Eliza looked up at him, and he stared at her without reservation.
“You–” she started. “are drowning me…”
Terrence smiled a small smile as if he understood the true meaning of what she had said, when she did not even know what she meant…He studied her for a long moment, before he walked out and closed her door. The door closed like a splash, and she realized she was indeed drowning…
More Wicked Wednesday here:
waterhouse mermaid via wikipedia
Such a great use of the prompt. Terrence is going to make some waves, it seems 😉
Rebel xox
oooh, i like that nautical comment!!! lol