Sink or Swim: A Mirandy Mermaid Tale

Chapter 6

Miranda awoke bathed in the yellow light of a cloudless dawn. She looked down and saw that Andrea was curled up next to her, snoring softly. Their legs had returned, and they were both completely naked except for their stained, sandy bras. And she couldn't help but notice that one of Andrea's bra cups had been dislodged at some point, revealing a round, creamy breast.

Warmth pooled in her belly, reminding her of how badly she wanted Andrea. But what the hell were they doing? The night before had been magical, almost spiritual as Andrea had shared her gift and changed Miranda forever. But did this have any hope of working, of not ending in heartache?

Well, there would be plenty of time for regret later. First they had to deal with the business of saving their lives, and they had no time to waste. Miranda wasn't sure if she had the strength to swim all the way to the mainland, having had very little time to try out her tail. But she knew that the longer they went without water and food, the harder it would be for both of them to make the trip.

"Andrea," she nudged her arm. "Wake up. It's morning."

"Hmmmm?" Andrea squirmed and began to stretch, her eyes still closed. Then she shot straight up. "Oh no. Wait... what?"

Miranda was amused. "Having a bit of morning amnesia?"

"Oh man." Andrea covered her face with her hands. "I thought I'd overslept for work, and that I'd be late with your coffee."

"Ah." Miranda wasn't sure how to feel about that, particularly in light of the previous night's developments. "Well, that's... not what's happening right now."

"Got it." Andrea nodded. "I'm awake, and um, I remember." She gave Miranda a shy smile.

"Me too." Miranda reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Andrea's face. "But right now, our top priority is getting off this island. We should start swimming."

"Right now?"

"No, after we've had a nice brunch."

For a second she feared her tone was too biting, but then Andrea chuckled. "Okay, good point. There's nothing else to do."

Andrea sat up, and then looked down. "Oops." She quickly fixed her bra, then shifted her legs awkwardly, as though trying to hide her naked lower half.

"Andrea," Miranda said gently, "it's nothing I haven't seen." She meant it both ways. First, they were two women... and second, despite her honorable intentions, she'd snuck glances at every inch of Andrea's bare skin in the past day.

"Right. Sorry." Andrea blushed. "I just hope we can cover ourselves, you know, before someone sees us."

"One problem at a time. How is your injury today?"

Andrea stretched, making a face. "It hurts. I won't lie. But I'm okay to swim, since my tail does all the work. And you'll be with me."

The word on her tongue was always. Again, what the hell was she thinking? Instead, she said brusquely, "Yes, of course. Come on, let's start walking. I'll show you how to cross the island without scaling a cliff."

They walked along the beach until they reached the grassy path that Miranda had found the day before. Soon, they were standing at the shore, looking across the water.

"I wonder where we'll end up," Andrea said.

Miranda had no idea. "Somewhere between the city and the Hamptons. It could be another island—but the buildings mean this one has phones, and police."

"And food," Andrea added. "God, remember food and water? So good."

"Indeed." Miranda paused. "So in terms of swimming long distances. How long did it take you to get the hang of it?"