The Heart's Content

Chapter 32

Come the very next morning, Charlie and Beth walked down to the docks. They left very early so they could watch the sun rise over the horizon and it was an magnificent sight. The sun was always a personal favorite of Charlie's in regards to the surface world. She thought that humans were so lucky to be able to bask in the sun's warm glow everyday while her kind was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the morning star. It was especially beautiful whenever it would rise or set. Adding further beauty to the scene were the few boats sailing over the calm waters which made the entire atmosphere appear as a water color painting.

"I can see why you wanted to watch this." Charlie marveled. "I don't think anything could be more lovely."

"Wouldn't it be great to see this every morning?" Beth asked.

"It would."

They watched the moment for an hour and then proceeded to explore the docks. They observed all the boats and the people working on them, the fishermen getting ready to go out or just coming in, businesses like shops and restaurants starting to open up for the day. During their walk about, several men took note of the beautiful Charlie and would stare at her for a few minutes. Her curvaceous figure, her slender legs, her long blonde hair, and especially her impressive bosom. Charlie herself did not notice this but Beth did and it made her anxious.

"Crap." She thought. "I may have kept her distanced her from my brother to protect her but I forgot about other men who would be interested in her. Well as long as Charlie remains oblivious to her admirers I shouldn't be worried."

Yes Charlie was very much unaware of the men gawking at her. She wasn't even aware that she was a beauty, which was strange for most mermaids tended to be very vain. Now she did take care of her appearance and she thought herself to be decent looking, but it never once occurred to her that she was the loveliest female anyone on land had ever seen. And perhaps it was her innocence to her charming features that made her so alluring.

"Beth so many people are staring at me." She whispered to the girl when she finally realized that she was being watched.

"Just ignore them and keep walking." Beth whispered back.

"Am I doing something odd?"

"No. They just like you."

"But they don't even know me."

"No I mean, you're pretty and they like that."

Charlie blushed a little, she never thought that she would ever be attractive to human males. She didn't even think herself to be attractive to mermen.

She then spotted a hand mirror on a table and thoughtlessly picked it up, using it to study her face. She couldn't quite figure out what was about her that could be considered attractive. She didn't really bear much of a resemblance to her Venus-like Mother nor her equally gorgeous sisters, and they were the fairest creatures under the sea. How could she possibly be pretty when she didn't look like them?

"Excuse me but do you intend to pay for that?" A rude voice interrupted Charlie's thoughts.

The mirror she had grabbed came off a stand. A stand owned by am an who was selling items.

"Oh I'm sorry." She put the mirror back. "I didn't know."

"You can't return it now. You put your dirty finger prints all over it."

"We're sorry sir but we don't have any money." Beth said. "But we can go back home and bring some."

"Like hell I'll fall for that one!"

He seized Charlie roughly by the arm.

"You're hurting me!" She cried.

"Back off creep!" Beth ran up and tried to jerk the man's arm. He responded by shoving her to the ground as hard as he could.