Treasuring the last mermaid (Now published so sample size only)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Can we go again?" I blurted out excitedly once Byron had stopped the car.

A chuckle escaped him as he turned in his seat to peer at me, "I thought you were a mer who didn't want to try new things. You wanted your tail and fins planted in the ocean and nowhere else." Byron teased me.

"I was so wrong about that." I clapped my hands enthusiastically.

"Now I'm thinking I should've taken you up in a plane. If you want a thrill then being up in the air is the way to go."

"Having my tail in the air and nowhere near the ocean wouldn't work for me." I shook my head.

"You said that cars wouldn't work for you." He went back to teasing.

"What are we doing here?" I decided on a change of subject.

"Having a date. We're going to go into that building and we're going to watch a movie. Before you ask what it is, I'm going to keep that as a surprise. C'mon."

He crooked a finger at me as he stepped from the car. The flat rope still surrounded me, which prevented me from following him. I frowned at it. How did I remove it from me? I tugged at it and the stupid thing jammed. A growling noise escaped me as I scratched at my entrapment.

"I forgot about that. Let me help you get out of your seat belt." Byron said as he opened my door and leaned over me.

That delightful sea spray smell of his surrounded me giving me an edge of comfort. I heard the noise of the so called seat belt and the tightness released from around me.

"That's what I don't like about cars. The flat rope likes to try and trap me." I glowered at the seat belt, and a gale of laughter left Byron.

"Coral, it's there to keep you safe." Byron tried to insist.

"I still don't have to like it."

"Come out here." Byron still sounded amused.

I lifted myself out of the car and looked around. The many building that the humans insisted on making astounded me. This one stood imposing and creating huge shadows over us.

"The movie starts in about ten minutes, so let's go and buy our tickets." Byron said as he held a hand out to me.

"Do they have a booth like at the aquarium?" I focused on the only familiar word of tickets.

"Similar, yes." He nodded and went to leave as I clasped my hand in his.

We entered the building where the sights, sounds and deplorable odour dazzled me with bright brilliance. The aroma overpowered me and I had to take a sip of the salt water to deaden the smell.

"That smells disgusting." I said as I placed a hand over my nose.

"I didn't think about that. It's popcorn and they pop it fresh so the place always smells delicious." Byron said while I scrunched up my nose.

"It smells terrible." I protested.

"That's because to you things like fish and seaweed smell great. Most people aren't that keen on fishy smells. This is just a different aroma that you're not used to."

"You always smell great, just like the ocean." I told him, and he tilted his head to grin down at me.

"In that case, you can sniff me to overcome your dislike of the popcorn smell." He offered himself up to me and I couldn't hold back a giggle.

"That sounds very tempting, but I think the other humans might stare at me just a little."

"Call them people, Coral. Saying humans all the time makes you sound like an alien."