Page 33 of Song of Lorelei

The mental fog that plagued her just a few days before, hadn’t returned. She floated above it, watching her work life crash and burn before her with an eerie sort of detachment. Or denial. Only a small town could boast this level of drama.

She found the marine biologist crying behind her desk, half turned away from the door in her swivel chair. Lorelei’s need to vent vanished. Hurrying inside, she closed the blinds over the door, so her friend had the privacy she herself needed just days ago.

As the blinds dropped, Lila looked up from the crumpled tissues in her hands. In their absence, tears-streaked cheeks. Lorelei pulled a chair around to sit beside her and plucked more tissues off the desk. “Lila, what is it? Is Phil giving you more shit?”

Taking the tissues, Lila blew her nose loudly. When she was done, she pumped hand sanitizer onto her palms, a fierce glint in her eye. “No more since that fucking meeting. But I am just so angry.” She clenched her fists and let out a frustrated growl. “And betrayed, to tell you the truth. I started working here, because I really believed in the leadership and the research and environmental advocacy work HCMRC was doing. I could have gone to any number of higher ranked research facilities across the country, but I stayed home, because this place just blew me out of the water with their integrity and commitment to real environmental change. It was energizing. Inspiring. I LOVED coming to work every day. And now…” Lila double flipped off her office door. “I was afraid this would happen. But I kept telling myself to give HCMRC the benefit of the doubt. It would be different. I could talk sense into Phil about Nireed, then the board. I stayed up all night thinking last night was all just one big misunderstanding that could be resolved with clear heads and a logical conversation. But deep in my gut, I knew they were going to be hypocritical pieces of shit. I don’t know how to go about my job with that. I don’t know how to fight for Nireed and the scientific code of ethics without hurting the whole institution.”

“We’re going to figure this out. I don’t know how yet, but you’re not alone in this, Lila. You’ve been there for me so many times in the past year, and in ways, even my best friend couldn’t be. I want you to know that I’m here for you, too. Whatever happens, whatever they try to pull, I’m not going to let them steamroll you.”

“I know. And thank you for backing me up in Phil’s office. I appreciated it. I’m just accepting that we’re not going to make any headway with him, and I seriously doubt the board will be any different. The mermaid limelight is getting to their heads. And now, with the new restrictions on my lab access, I’ve been getting cutthroat vibes from some members of my team. I went into the lab this morning after the meeting to check on Nireed, and Dr. Jerry Nedry was fucking smug the whole time he followed me around, playing babysitter. Don’t know what high horse he thought he was trotting around on. Maybe he’s gunning for my job.” Lila groaned into her hands. “The nerve of mediocre old white men. What a shark. Can you do me a big favor and like… eat him?”

Tempting. Almost as much as using her siren song to get her way. But Lorelei shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. “People keep asking me to eat their problems away,” she teased. “It’s becoming a pattern.”

A smile cracked across Lila’s face. She reached under her desk and pulled a bag of individually wrapped chocolates from her purse. After taking one for herself, she offered one to Lorelei. “I guess the phrase ‘eating your feelings’ hits a little different now, doesn’t it?”

Lorelei snorted, unwrapping the candy, and biting through its soft caramel center. “I did almost rage eat Jerry when he was being a dickhead to Nireed.”

Lila popped hers into her mouth, and closed her eyes briefly, taking a moment to let the decadent dark chocolate melt on her tongue, savoring it. Then she pushed it against her cheek. “I remember. Kinda half-wishing you did.”

“Probably would’ve given me indigestion,” Lorelei joked. “Would’ve been worth it though. And speaking of eating our feelings and problems away, take a wild guess who Phil hired to help me out with the museum. And without my input, of course.”

Tapping a finger to her lips, Lila ran through a gamut of possibilities.

“You’re thinking too hard. It’s literally the worst person you can think of. It sounds too bad to be true, but it’s very much true.”

Eyes sparking, Lila leaned forward. “It’s not her, is it?” Lorelei pinched her lips together, merely nodding. “Oh my God. It’s Carrie!? Are we living in a soap opera? This is too much. Why can’t my kicks for juicy drama stay in front of the TV screen?”

“First Carrie, now Phil. Does a cloud of drama and angst follow that family around—everyone except Will?”

Lila smirked, popping another piece of candy into her mouth. “Don’t let Will fool you. I love my husband, but he’s a little drama queen. Gobbles up gossip like I gobble up candy. He’s just a lot more down to earth about life than the rest of them and has a good sense of humor.”

“Glad he’s on our side with this whole mermaid business then.”

“He really thinks you’re cool. Which you are. But he’s dorky about it, like you’re his favorite comic book hero, especially after that wild as fuck gun situation with Carrie. I’m not going to lie, we were all nervous about how you were going to deal, but you’ve reconfirmed your hero-status to Will.”

Lorelei blushed. “I’m no hero. Got more of the villain vibe—the claws, the teeth.” She gestured to her throat. “The song.”

“Pssht. No. That’s bullshit. Folks always demonize women for using their voices. It’s about how you use it and when. Great power means great responsibility or however it goes. Sure, you might get complacent, and yes, you’re probably going to mess up. If I see it, I’ll let you know. But slipping up doesn’t make you a villain or a monster or whatever. Hell, you’re more of a Jedi, and they make plenty of mistakes. We still root for them. It’s all a part of being a person.”

“Do Jedi lick to intimidate though?”

“Okay no, that was a bit much, but my point still applies.”

Lorelei picked at the hem of her blazer. “I think when your parents look at me, they see force-choke Darth Vader.”

“No, I mean, they’re trying to wrap their heads around it, but believe me when I say they were more freaked out by Carrie carrying a gun. It might not have seemed that way, but they focused on the piece of that situation that they could process easiest. It’s disturbing as hell, but scary mermaid shit is low-hanging fruit compared to the threat of gun violence.”

Lorelei exhaled, breath ragged. Lila was right. That was super messed up. “And now Carrie’s going to be a colleague.”

“Yup,” Lila said, popping the ‘p’. “But I feel safer having you around, and that’s no small thing. You used that siren song of yours when we needed it most, and I know you’ll use it again to protect those who need it. My parents will come around in time and realize it’s not you they have to fear.”

There was so much about being a mermaid Lorelei had to figure out for herself. And that day in the driveway was full of uncertainty. It was perfectly reasonable for Marci and Walt to be afraid of her. But that Lila felt safer around her…

Lorelei would guard that trust with her life.

Waving a hand in front of her face before reaching in for another chocolate, Lila continued, “Anyway. Does it look bad if we hit up happy hour twice in one week?”

“It’s probably going to be three times after tomorrow. And I don’t care one bit.”

---