Treacherous Surfaces

Excited to pick up Fergus for their date, Ella drove her Mini up the studio’s drive. Wind in her hair, and with the setting sun shining as majestically as it would in the morning, she couldn’t wait to see him after his shoot. She was so delighted to see him that she left her door ajar after parking and she’d even forgot about the keys being in the ignition. Strutting in to IMG Models, she breezed past security so quickly that the guards never realized she was there until she was already down the hallway near the elevator.

“Hey!” One of them yelled out.

The other, waking up from a trance like state, groggily shook himself awake. Bolting for her at the elevator door, he exclaimed, “Miss! This is private property! You must have authorization!”

She just turned around and smiled, giving them a little handwave, before hitting the “close door” button on the elevator.

“Next stop, Fergus’ shoot.”

Having reached the top floor of the building, she saw Fergus immediately as he was striking another pose. The way his facial hair complemented his jaw line as it glowed an almost amberlike yellow topaz in the sunlight.

“Boy, oh boy,” she bit her lower lip, “he sure does know how to wear a fitted suit, but,” her fantasies started to take over, “he really shows that clothes were made for bodies, and not the other way around.” Everything about him from the orange hair atop of his head to even the light freckles just below his emerald like eyes, to how his beard accentuated his chin; all she could think about was how she wanted to unwrap him from that suit like a piece of candy.

“This way,” the photographer instructed.

Shifting position, he caught glimpse of her, and freed a brief smile. She smiled back at him, biting the air.

Ding! The elevator’s door rang. One of the guards walked up behind her, whispering, “Miss, please, allow me to escort you back towards the lobby.”

As soon as he placed a hand on her shoulder, Fergus spoke up saying, “There’ll be no need for that, sir. She’s my ride.”

She looked at him, scoffed, and laughed, “Your ride? I’m more than just your personal chauffeur.”

“Let her stay. We only got a few more pics left, right Cecilia?”

The photographer stated, “Fergus, with you I’m always willing to take more pictures. You’re the most amicable model I’ve met. Plus, being easy on the eyes helps too. Alas, I’m afraid that I took too many, and the editor wants me to select the best ones before sending him the files tonight. C'est la vie, guess I won’t be treating myself to a fancy dinner tonight, but instead I’ll binging a bowl of ramen.”

Fergus snorted a bit, “Come on Cecilia, you can’t fool me. You know you don’t like the posh life, and you treat yourself with ramen.”

“Oh no! You’ve found me out.”

“Shall we finish for today then?”

“Oui. I’ll see you next week. Enjoy your evening.” As she started to walk out she approached Ella, “And might I ask who you are?”

“Oh, I’m Ella. ‘His ride.’”

“Well now,” she slipped out a business card from her coat pocket, “if you ever want to get in business here’s our number.”

“Oh thanks! I would, but I’ve already signed a non-compete clause with somebody else.”

“Ah, such is a shame. Everybody on Instagram thinks they’re a model, and those that actually are are already taken or playing the gimmick as ‘entrepreneur.’”

“I know what you’re talking about. Trust me, one of my neighbors keeps trying to get me to ‘collab’ with her.”

“As the phrase goes, ‘those who have better things to do, will, and those who don’t, won’t.’ Thank you for your time, and for Fergus. I’ll see you soon. Au revoir.”

Approaching her, he held her hands, bringing their foreheads into contact, “I’mma go get undressed. This suits way more than my next paycheck that’s for certain. Besides, I can’t leave with company property.”

“Alright,” Ella started walking back towards the car, “just make sure you remember to re-dress. As the restaurant says, ‘no clothes, no shoes, no service.’”

“Luckily for the restaurant, you’re not the owner, or else they’d have some very confusing values,” he quipped.

Hopping into the cooper he asked her, “So, where to?”

“I’ve got a very special treat for you.”

“You’re paying?”

“Yes.”

“Woohoo!”

“But that’s not the treat, the treat is the place, not the price.”

“So, tell me where do you got in mind?”

“Why tell you when I can show you?”

“I like that.”

Putting the car in gear, Ella floored the gas, making the engine whine as they raced through downtown London.

Once they pulled up, he looked at the establishment, then back to her, and the delight on his face said all she needed to know.

“You’re really pulling out all the stops, aren’t you, babe?”

“Well, of course. I remember how much you loved visiting Tokyo last year. So, I figured that if we can’t fly there just yet, we might as well get a taste of it.”

Walking out of the car, opening her door for her, he offered his hand. “Shall we?”

“Yes. Yes, we shall.” Locking the car as its roof and went up, they waltzed into Sushi Tetsu.

“I’m surprised that you were capable of reserving a spot at this place, and for so late in the evening. It’s normally always packed for their one-of-a-kind experience.”

“Hey,” she stroked her hand along the length of his chin, “an intimate man deserves intimate experiences,” she brought him in for a kiss. “Come on, our spot’s waiting for us inside, and I know how much you love barbequed eel.”

“Be still, my beating heart.” He admired her amorously.

After an evening of fine dining upon the freshest ingredients that the ocean could offer, they retired to their suite for the evening.

Slapping his belly, he groaned, “Ugh, I feel like I’ve stuffed myself to the brim. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“What can you say? Good food makes you want to a lot more.”

“Yeah, but overstuffing yourself ruins the experience. Why’d you’d have to go and buy an extra plate from the grocery store?”

“Oh hush, you know you loved it.”

“I did, and my only regret is not saying ‘no’ so future me could enjoy more tomorrow.”

“Well, guess we’ll just have to go and buy more from the store tomorrow. They make it fresh every day.”

“True. Though, I really shouldn’t be eating that much rice. I was cutting carbs for a while.”

“Oh, you’re so vain,” she crawled onto the bed, straddling him.

“And that’s why you love me,” he grabbed her by the waist, twisting, rolling her to his side.

“Ahhh!”

“Love you,” he kissed her forehead.

“And I love you too,” she pecked him on the lips. “Goodnight.” She stretched her arm over towards the nightstand, pulling the lamp’s cord. Ki-chink! And like that, it was silent in the dark.

The next morning when Ella awoke, she was surprised not to hear the TV on. “That’s odd. Normally, he’s watching the news about the NASDAQ while riding the peloton.” The entire place was quiet. She didn’t hear the shower running, weights being lifted, or even his slight humming that he’d do whilst reading a light novel.

“Fergus?” He was nowhere to be scene. Walking over, she checked the fridge, “that’s odd. Normally he eats first thing after a workout. Even when he leaves for the gym, he always takes something with him.”

Grabbing her cellphone, she checked to see if he left any messages. “Peculiar, he always tells me where he’s going first.” She tracked his location. “Thames Beach? In this weather? Sure, it’s not cold, but those waters are still frigid. Even if he’s to run along its length…”

Not wanting to dawdle on it for too long, she hastily threw on a pair of sweats, grabbed her keys and left. Following the navigation system, she made it there quicker than she’d expected. Looking at the parking lot, and the streets, she couldn’t spot him anywhere. “That’s odd. That’s the Jag, where’s he at?” Driving a few miles downstream, she kept a close eye out for him. As tall as he is, even with a hoody over his head, Ella would’ve been hard pressed to miss him.

Not seeing any sight of him, she was about ready to turn around. Out of the corner of her eye, her head perked up, and she yelled, “Ah ha!” Swerving the Mini into the nearest parking spot, she came to an abrupt stop. Exiting with haste, she slammed the door. Not caring for how dirty the cuffs of her sweatpants got, nor how much sand got in her rubber shoes, she strode up to him, and who he was talking to.

“Fergus!” They turned to face her, “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going this morning?”

“Oh, hey Ella. Sorry about that. You looked so peaceful in your sleep I couldn’t bare to wake you up.”

Facing the person he was talking to, she demanded, “And who is this? Is she somebody from work?”

The woman paused and stammered. Fergus filled the air, “Well, yes and no. She’s Cecilia’s roommate. The two of them went to school together. She’s actually interning underneath her. Her major’s in communications networking.”

Ella was taken back a bit. “You mean she’-”

“Just a work colleague, nothing more. Even though she’s my work colleague’s colleague, I promise you that there’s nothing going on.”

“So, how’d she meet you here?”

“Oh, I was jogging down the beach when I cramped. She saw me stretching while doing her own morning routine and decided to chat. Plus, her car’s closer than mine, right now. It was really sort of perfect timing. And I gotta say even more perfect now that you’re here. Mind givin’ me a lift back to the Jag’, babe?”

“Ahhh,” embarrassed about seeming paranoid, Ella knew that she had backed herself into a corner, “sure.” Hanging her head dejectedly, she started walking back towards the car.

“Later Francesca.” Upon sitting in the Cooper, Fergus stretched his legs, taking in a deep breath. “Sorry about not leaving you a text message, babe. I just had some things on my mind.”

“Like what?” She faced him.

“Well, I do have the week off. So, why not head on over Medway this week? I got a couple of days reserved for a cabin around there, this week. How’s that sound for ya’?”

Her face lit up like the sunrise over the horizon. “You mean it?”

“Yeah, you made dinner reservations. So, I took the liberty of making vacation reservations.”

“Woohoo!”

“Don’t get too happy just yet. Our reservations are for three days starting tomorrow. So, get packing today.”

After dropping him off at the Jaguar, Fergus followed her back to the suite. Without delay, she immediately started packing, yet something still seemed off about him.

When she went for her midday snack, she noticed that he hadn’t touched any of the leftovers from yesterday. Even the fruit basket was untouched. This normally wasn’t like him at all. Normally he’d eaten at least one meal by now.

“Hey, Fergus, you feelin’ alright?”

“Yeah, why do you ask babe?”

“You haven’t touched any of the leftovers at all.”

“Yeah, kind of why I went for a morning run. I think I ate too much rice last night. I feel kind of blocked up. So, I’m not feeling really hungry at all.”

“Okayyy, but you haven’t even touched any fruit. Like, the peaches and plums are ripe. I’d at least expect you to at least drink the juice from one of them.”

“Well, I kind of ate too much of those the other day. I’d hate to eat all the fruit and leave none for you. Besides, I should be eating a few more vegetables either way. Sometimes fruit has too much sugar in it.”

“O-kayyy…”

***

The second day at the cabin, Ella’s concerns were still getting the better of her. Yet, unlike when she first noticed, she didn’t bring it up to him again. “He’s been going to the bathroom, but he hasn’t been using the can.” Things only got more concerning when she checked his bank account. There was no transactions at all to show that he was getting food from even outside of the cabin.

The last transaction for food on their list was when they went and bought a few groceries at the local market. Even checking his Venmo, PayPal, Apple Cash, nothing indicated that he was eating elsewhere. Since he left his phone unlocked, even his location history didn’t display that he was meeting up with other people elsewhere.

“Is my cooking that bad, or is there something else going on here? He’s not intermittent fasting.” She looked at him reading his book while listening to the NASDAQ on the news channel, “Could it be that he’s starting to become anorexic?” She shook her head, “No, it’s only been a few days. Too early to make a judgement like that.”

“Hey Ella,” he called from the living room.

“Yeah?” She moved from the island to join him on the couch.

“They say it’s going to be a full moon tonight. What da’ ya’ we go for a dip later this evening.”

“Oooo, instead of locking the doors and turning the lights down low?”

“We’ll be bathing in each other’s bodies underneath the moonlight’s glow.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“Stupid! Stupid! How could I have been so stupid!” Even though he acted like he hadn’t noticed, they hadn’t been intimate in well over a fortnight. She even went to him the night before they left for the cabin, and he mentioned not being in the mood. “Could it really still be his appetite, or is there something else going on?” Whatever was going on with Fergus was perplexing her beyond her wits. “First starving himself from sex, but now food? Hopefully both these things come to an end, and soon.”

Thinking about what she’d wear for their evening swim, she looked forward to his appetite awakening again.

***

As the waters lapped at the shoreline, Fergus had left the cabin early to go for a late-night swim before their ‘festivities.’

“He’s always jumping the gun, one step ahead of me. I just hope that the cold water and the exercise doesn’t make him too tired.”

Walking out in her bikini, she stood in the doorway. Watching him surface, her eyes flushed with a lust that was insatiable as her locks of red hair were slicked backwards with a hand.

“My maiden, my maiden, oh of the great sea. Your sight brings me joy, won’t you be with me? I wish for you to my side you would join. My passion for you burns in my heart and my loins.”

She cracked a smile and started walking down the porch staircase onto the beach.

“My laddie, my laddie, your hunger it grows. My laddie, my laddie, your love for me shows. For if I join you for this night, in flesh and pleasure shall we delight?”

“My maiden, my maiden, the moonlight is here. It shines for us both, so please have no fear. The tides of the current push me to you. Your servant in love, command me what to do.”

“My laddie, my laddie, your words are enticing, sweeter than sweets, like cake with its icing. My laddie, my laddie, I walk towards the water. Though the sea’s cool, my love for you grows hotter.”

Slowly walking in, she looked at him, in his wetsuit. The closer the got, the cooler the water felt upon her skin. The closer she got, the more the moonlit reflected off of his pale skin. Like alabaster, milk, or ivory, he stood there, waiting for her to come to him, like a statue. Yet, the only thing that moved, was his breathing and his gaze.

As the water lapped at her thighs, she began to undo the strings around her waist. Just as her bottoms slid down, the waves covered her, keeping her private parts private, a secret to Fergus.

Knowing the subtle teasing she was doing, his lust was becoming ravenous for her. “Oooo, I wished she would’ve let me seen it before doing that. Ohhh, I can’t wait to taste her.” Never before had his hunger for life grown so much. “I’ve been waiting for this all day. Well, more like for the past several months.”

As she neared him, she threw her arms around him, locking lips. Letting her momentum guide them, they fell below the surface of the waves.

At first the only silence that existed was that of the waves lapping against the shoreline. However, what goes on in the dark always seems to make its way to the light. After they’d submerged beneath the waves, only the waters could be seen rolling over where they once were.

Bubbles rose, the water came alive. It was boiling, but not with heat. It was roiling with chaos, with animosity. Though the waters were dark, the beings that were beneath had become even darker.

Breaking the surface just like how the moonlight had broken the darkness, they now faced each other for how they truly were.

Grey skin covered in orange layers of hair, a blood thirsty and angered seal roared, barking from the waters. A wake headed in the direction towards land. What was beneath the surf moved so fast that its own wake was behind it, instead of signaling its approach. Rising from the waves, moonlight glistening off her mucus coated mane as it fell to one side of her muscular neck, she turned, neighing at him with teeth that protruded past her lipless, nearly skeletal mouth.

Staring at one another with contempt, they couldn’t believe that they’ve both been duped. Dragging herself out of the water with her front hooves, she watched him as he approached her. With a couple of flips from his tail he made it back shallows, and with one last flick, he jumped out of the waves, landing on shore with two legs.

“You’re a kelpie?!”

She transformed back, feeling comfortable that he had too. “Yeah? So what? You’re a selkie. I thought you guys didn’t eat humans.”

“Yeah, we’ve gotten real good at peddlin’ that myth. People tend to trust us a lot more than the likes of you. Even with the peaceful, non-shapeshifting, hippocampus guys are still labeled as dangerous because your kind are called ‘water horses.’”

“So, that’s why you haven’t been eating for days? You’ve just been building up an appetite, waiting to eat me?”

“Yeah, but you tried to eat me too.”

“Guilty as charged, but why haven’t we’ve been having sex?”

“Manipulation tactic I learned a little while back. They do say that abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.”

She facepalmed, “It’s ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ not ‘abstinence.’ Ughhh, if you weren’t so devilishly handsome sprinkled in with moments of cuteness I’d have eaten you a long time ago. Yet, only to find out that I can’t.”

“Why’s that?”

“Let’s move inside and warm up first. Sure, I’m a kelpie, but I enjoy the luxury of internal heating. I didn’t work my ass off in human form just so that I can go without in either form.”

Feeling the cold wind whipping at his human skin, Fergus knew that he too didn’t want to go back into the surf, facing the elements. “Same here.”

Once inside, he asked, “So, why was your kind told not to eat mine?”

Ella began, “We were told that your fates were to be decided by the orcas and akh’lut. Sadly, when humans started hunting baby seals for their fur a lot more, your kind were considered to be endangered. So, we made a promise not to eat your kind in the present now so that our offspring generations later, might be able to. However, seals do tend to be a bit too fatty as well. Eating one’s meat might cause us to throw-up. Wasting good food’s a no-no.”

“Well, that’s enlightening. I will admit, I’ve had a few close calls with orcas before, and I’ve been blessed to have not come across an akh’lut so far. Still, I’ve never really seen an akh’lut. Aren’t they all the way in somewhere like, Alaska?”

“That’s what I’d like to think too, but when I saw my brother drown to a pack of orcas that entered the river’s delta once, I chose to stay further inland, where they won’t be.”

“Hmmm… Makes sense to me. As a young lad I was told that I should never consume the flesh of a kelpie.”

“You sure have me confused with what we’ve done so far.”

He blushed, “What can I say, your human disguise is rather alluring to me just like mine is to you. Besides, we didn’t know what the other really was until tonight.”

“So, why were you told not to consume kelpie flesh?”

“We were told that even though it’s only their back, necks, and heads that are sticky, that if you try to consume the flesh of a kelpie you’d suffocate as its stickiness would cause the meat to get stuck in your throat. There’s not a safe way to eat kelpie flesh that doesn’t involve potentially choking.”

“Really now? Gee, wish somebody would’ve told that to the orcas that got my brother. Oh well, he’s sleeping with the fishes.”

“So? Now what?”

“Hmmm…” Like a bolt of lightning, she had an idea that seemed so clear that she was surprised they weren’t already doing it. “Got your phone?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Download a couple of dating apps.”

Fergus raised an eyebrow at her, “Okay? Why?”

“It’s simple. We’re both two good looking people. We can still keep our secrets and our relationship. We’ll just spice it up a little with some ‘unicorn hunting.’”

With a grin that seemed to stretch from ear-to-ear, Fergus liked where Ella was going with this. Plopping down on the couch right next to her, they opened up his Tinder account.

After what seemed like swiping for well over an hour, they finally found somebody worthy of meeting their tastes.

“You like her?” He showed her his phone.

“Yeah, but I really like her name even more.”

“True, it’s not everyday that you come across a beauty such as herself named Liliana.”

“Wait a minute,” Ella stewed, “her name means innocent and pure.”

“You really think she could be one?”

“Duh, just because they’re symbols of purity and chastity doesn’t mean that they act like it.”

“Well, we’ll never know unless we find out. Ready?”

“Ready.” She leaned in for a kiss.

Swiping her finger right, the screen turned green. It’s a match!