And so, Nocturne Falls had become a haven for the supernatural. As well as a money-making tourist destination, which made everyone’s life a little easier.
As far as Undrea knew, the town didn’t have an active mermaid. She could probably slip into that role pretty easily. Especially now that the lakeside was being developed.
But then, she didn’t need a second job. She had her own enterprise, Tanks A Lot, that supplied and set up custom aquariums in people’s homes and businesses.
She also maintained those aquariums for many of her customers as well. She did pretty well with it, too. She wasn’t going to be buying a yacht anytime soon, but she didn’t need a yacht, either.
Yachts were for folks without tails.
With a smile, she swam faster, exhilarated by the sheer speed she could achieve in the wide-open expanse of the lake.
That was another reason she liked the lake best. It was big, and she could swim fast, dive deep, and at this wee hour of the morning, go undetected.
But already the moon was sinking in the sky. Her time to swim would soon be over, and not just because of the sun’s rise. She should have come sooner, she knew that, but she had a meeting about a potentially huge job today, and she couldn’t afford to be tired from being up crazy early.
That job, if she got it, would be the setup and installation of the biggest aquarium she’d ever done. It might even bump her into a new tax bracket. It was that major. And it would be that expensive. She couldn’t wait to see the house the tank was going into. Today would be her first visit.
The woman who’d hired her definitely seemed like she was going to be one of those super picky types, but weren’t the uber wealthy all like that?
Undrea wasn’t worried. No one knew fish and aquariums like she did. Not around here, anyway. Maybe not in the entire state of Georgia.
She bobbed to the surface, content to float. Already the sky was turning a soft pastel lavender at the eastern edge as the sun inched towards the horizon. Not that she could see the horizon because of the trees, but the sun was definitely rising. She wasn’t ready to give up floating just yet, though. Not with how wonderful the water felt.
Reluctantly but for her own safety, she shifted back to her human form. She had to get out soon and get ready for the day, but she didn’t want to. Not yet. And because she could still breathe water in her human form, she rolled over and floated like that, face down, watching the fish swim.
It was one of her favorite pastimes, whether through lake water or aquarium glass.
Some were curious, darting up to nibble her fingers as she let her arms dangle. Being a little ticklish, she laughed, and bubbles carried the sound away.
She could almost sleep like this, just floating and watching the fish and drifting in the current. It was that peaceful. There was no more comfortable position to be in than lying in the water. No mattress compared, that was for sure. And she couldn’t do it in her tub because there just wasn’t room.
The longer she floated, the heavier her lids got. Would a quick nap be so bad? She’d still make her appointment on time. But she couldn’t sleep on the surface. She knew better than to risk being seen.
With a little kick of her legs, she descended below the waterline, then let her eyes close as sleep tugged at her and the kind of dreams that only happened in the water filled her head.
The smooth, paved path disappeared under Ethan Edmonds’s feet as he followed it through the forest surrounding the Nocturne Falls lake. The air was crisp, the scenery beautiful, and the sky just beginning to lighten with the rising sun.
All in all, a wonderful start to his day. Too bad he loathed running. Well, maybe loathed was too strong of a word, but running sure wasn’t his favorite thing. That much was certain. He did it anyway. Obviously.
He did it for two reasons. One, because running felt like a necessity. Like it was the only real way to balance the long, sedentary hours he spent on the computer. And since there was no changing what he did for a living—not immediately, anyway—he had to find a way to make sure he didn’t turn into an unhealthy blob of a human, atrophied from too much time spent sitting.
Oh, he’d tried both a treadmill desk and a standing desk, but they required a part of his brain to focus on that activity while still working. Maybe he just wasn’t good at multitasking, which seemed accurate because when he was at the computer, all he wanted to do was concentrate on the project in front of him.
Not trying to stay upright while the floor moved underneath him. Or didn’t. Either way, it seemed that keeping himself upright used the same parts of his brain he needed for active, analytical thinking. Work just didn’t get done.
The second reason was that for the last two years, he’d been having episodes where he’d come to after having blacked out. Which was the reason for the stupid monitor programmed into his smart watch. He never remembered having the episode or anything leading up to it, either. So far, every doctor he’d been to was clueless as to the cause of them. But several had suggested he get more exercise.
And so on a regular basis, he laced up his trainers and headed out, for the other thing he probably didn’t get enough of. Fresh air.
Yes, saying he loathed running was too strong a statement. Sometimes, it wasn’t that bad. But most mornings, his internal monologue was all about self-motivation and convincing himself not to stop, to keep going, keep moving, to reach his goal for that run.
It took some doing too. Usually.
Today wasn’t quite as bad. Actually, it wasn’t bad at all. There were no people to dodge, like in the city. But also maybe because this was his first run on this new trail and there was so much to look at. At least now that the sun was coming up and he could see his surroundings a little better.
As an early riser, getting a head start on the day made him happy. By lunch, he’d usually accomplished more than most people had even thought about.
Which was why it made sense to get his run done first thing. It also gave him some anonymity. He snorted softly. The fact that anyone knew who he was still seemed bonkers to him, but landing on the cover of several business and tech magazines hadn’t helped.
In his mind, he was just a geek, a techie whiz kid who’d developed a few pieces of software and a little tech that someone else had wanted to buy for the kind of money that didn’t seem real.
At seventeen, he’d sold his first app for a little over a million dollars. That had also been his first taste of celebrity. Such as it was.
Of course, he wasn’t a kid anymore. Thirty-six wasn’t old, but it wasn’t kid status either. Which was part of the reason Nina was pushing him to get married. He knew that.
She’d been subtle about her desire to get married. Mostly. But ever since his latest company, Blnk, had been bought out, her hints had become bolder.
His running app, also on his smart watch, chimed in with his pace and distance. Half a mile done, two and a half left to go.
He supposed Nina would make a fine wife. She was smart, pretty, and incredibly well put together in a kind of hip way that the camera loved. More than that, he knew the odds were slim that she was after his money. She had her own and stood to inherit even more. She was a trust-fund baby, from a wealthy, untouchable New England family, the Hascoes.
Old stock was how his mother described the Hascoes. Although his mom didn’t seem to care too much who he married or when he took that step, so long as he was happy.