DOUBLE EDGED A Harper's Book. (Book 10)

Mermaid Hair, I Don't Care

The sun was bright this early morning and to be a few week's into Autumn the weather was still sweltering and there was no sign of cooler temps in the near future. Everyone was still bouncing around in swimming suits or not much clothing. That's one thing I've learned since I've been here... Sometimes less is more. My wardrobe has went through a major overhaul. It now consists of lite, cool clothing and an array of flip flops. Currently I'm wearing  cute short overalls paired with flops.

Today's lunch consists of double dipped strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone. As I stroll along the boardwalk merrily licking away at my cone I stop here and there to peer into the charming shop's windows that litter the sea warn walkway. In this laid back town I've come to discover a few new hobbies, window shopping being one. Of course of something really catches my eye, I'll slink inside to purchase it.

One of the thing's I've grown to love here is the many local artists that display their work proudly through the windows of some of the shop's. On any given day you can find a unique painting, a sculpture made purely from seashells or exotic handmade jewelry. The work is so inspiring that it helped me discover a new talent of my own. On a spur of the moment buy, I purchased a old camera from a quaint little thrift store. At first I had no clue as his to operate it but after a few internet tutorials I was a picture taking fool. Now most of my mornings are spent walking about waiting to capture the perfect shot and this town has a lot to offer.

If I wake early enough I usually catch several shots of the wild Spanish horses that roam the beach. They are fantastic to watch as they gallop through the sand and play. If I'm lucky enough they'll hang around awhile or at least until the beach starts to get populated. Usually at the first sign of humans they begin to shy away and it's never wise to approach them.  After all they are wild and it's meant to be that way. However there is more than just the horses to snap pictures of. There's the ocean itself along with the many species of bird's or down by the fishing docks where the fishermen are bringing in their big catches. There's lighthouses aplenty and hang gliders sailing off of Jockeys Ridge which is a massive sand dune. In fact it's so massive that as the sand shifts overtime it has swallowed up home's, even a miniature golf course. Once I even got lucky enough to snap a few pictures of an alligator as it sunbathed on shore. Of course I zoomed in on that one not being crazy enough to get too close.

Often I wonder if my work is good enough to sale in one of the shop's. Maybe one day I might venture in that direction by as for now I'm still up to my old tricks. After a few week's of living here I nabbed my first unsuspecting fellow. It happened rather suddenly which came as a bit of a surprise. I managed to snag an invite to the Wild Spanish Horse Foundation which raises money to ensure that these rare, untamed beasts remain safe and protected. It was a elegant five hundred dollar plate event that was sure to be swamped with rich men. Naturally I did my research on who would be there and who would be worth my time. After a bit of digging I set my sights on a man by the name of Jeremy Bolton. He was a head honcho on Wall Street and would be spending a significant amount of time here to fund the foundation. I'd say he was ripe for the picking. However I didn't intend for my plan to go amiss as it did.

After I finished eating, I sat patiently at the bar low key scoping Jeremy out. I was about to make my move when a gentleman's voice interrupted my focus. "Excuse me Miss, could I offer you a drink?"

Turning about I saw a rather young man who wasn't hard on the eye's smiling at me. If it hadn't been for my current circumstance I may have actually have him a real shot but work calls. "Allow me to introduce myself" . He smiled as he extended his hand to me.

Trying to hide my annoyance at being side tracked from my previous victim, I plastered a strained smile on my lips and shook his hand. "I'm Tyler Stanton".