GOLDEN MOUTH

MERMAID

he opened her door for her, one, because he was a gentleman, and two, because he really wanted to see the back of her dress, or lack thereof.

the curve of her spine exposed in a creme thin knit was enough to make his cheeks warm. no panty lines, no bra straps. he held his hand out to support her as she made herself comfortable in the passenger seat.

she smelled like incense and myrrh, earthy but seductive and not like she doused herself in sweet scents. he was used to the girls in floral and fruity perfumes so this was different, this was intriguing.

"Are you gonna talk to me or are we riding in silence?" She asked, her eyes dark enough to get lost in.

Right. He was probably behaving so strange. he didn't know how to disguise how much he wanted to see her out of that dress.

Nav smiled, licked his lips. "I can't lie, I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"You. and your little attitude. I don't wanna get beat up." her eyes were so dark, he could see his grill on the bottom row of four teeth glint.

"Please," she sucked her teeth.

"You mind?" he asked, gesturing to the blunt he placed between his lips.

She shrugged, so he lit up to shake off his jitters. He needed to relax, release some tension in the only way he knew how that didn't involve a bedroom.

Nav rolled the window down on his side so the smoke didn't overpower her scent, his eyes grew low, muscles a little more loose.

"If i tell you how pretty you look, will you say thanks this time?"

"It depends. Will you still call me a bitch?"

His eyes bugged as he glanced over at her. "You heard that?"

"I did."

"I'm sorry, I didn't even know that-"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I actually don't care."

There was silence.

"You look, like, really fucking fine." He mumbled. "there's no doubting that. But why is someone like you interested in Jagger?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem so sophisticated. Serious. Like you have your shit together. That's the bro and all, but Jagger is a crazy mess."

"Opposites attract."

"Until they don't." He exhaled a long trail of smoke. "You even know how to have fun?"

"You don't know me, of course I know how to have fun."

"I'm just checking. Jagger is an adrenaline junky. He likes parachuting out of planes and swimming with sharks and-"

"If you're trying to scare me, it's not working."

"I'm not, I want to make sure you know what you're getting into, that's all." He parked the car and opened the door to assist her out, purposely holding his hand close to his body so she had to press up against him and the side of the car briefly, one of his old tricks.

"Okay. Suppose Jagger isn't what I like. You are?" She asked, on the verge of laughter.

He squinted his eyes, "don't laugh too hard, you are on a date with me, after all. I can stick your ass with the bill and have the last laugh, Miss Priss."

"I'm frightened." she mocked.

"You should be."

There he was, falling back into his old banter like the Nav everyone knew and loved. The tension he felt earlier was plausible- something about Tawny made him want to impress her.

When her arm laced through his to retain her mild, cool girl strut, he felt pride swell in his chest. He couldn't help but think she dressed up for him and others would see them and think the same thing.

Sure, he said he was doing this for Jagger but Nav was the one she needed, she just didn't know it yet.

He was going to help her find out though.

.

"Oh, we're not a couple." Tawny said, correcting the waitress for the umpteeth time.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! That's like my fifth time saying that-"

"Sixth, but no one's counting."

"-it's just that you guys look like a match made in heaven." The waitress, Flo, with glasses big enough to be considered bifocals probably had 20/20 vision. In the back of his mind, Nav thought that Tawny should take Flo's slip ups as no coincidence.

"I loved her, but she friendzoned me. Imagine that, friendzoning me? she doesn't know half the things I could do to her."

Flo's face flushed candy apple red.

"Please don't listen to a word he says, he's a compulsive liar."

"I'm heartbroken, that's what I am."

"You'll get over it."

"Not when I see you making out with my best friend! Get this, Flo, she drops me and starts dating my best bud. Talk about foul."

Flo flashed him a look of sympathy, clearly conflicted on who to believe before setting their drinks down, one champagne cocktail and one gin and tonic.

"Your food should be out in a minute," and she dashed off.

"You scared her away," tawny said, looking after their very confused, very receptive waitress.

"She'll be back. They always come back." He replied melodramatically.

"Okay, Evan. Or Nav?"

"Call me Nav. Evan is far too formal." He sipped at his drink and smacked his lips together to savor the taste. "So tell me about yourself."

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything."

"Anything? My favorite color is blue."

"Nice. Mine is red."

"That's tacky, but I guess it's fitting."

Nav narrowed his eyes at her. "You're so prickly. Like a cactus."

"Aww." She dragged a hand through her hair, freeing up the long expanse of neck and décolleté. Nav only broke eye contact to memorize her skin: smooth, dark, no blemishes. When he was younger, he used to play on a beach that had sand just as brown as her skin, and waves light and frothy like the creme of her dress.

What would you do if a mermaid washed on shore?His dad would ask.

Let her take me away.

And something about her abrasive nature, her disinterest in him made him want to disarm her defenses. Peak inside of her soul and see exactly what it was that had her so snappy. Peak inside of himself and discover what it was that had him drawn to her like a magnet.

Normally he didn't do this, chase so hard, care for approval so bad, but he was on the playground again, taking a new approach. Like when he grew up and realized pushing down his crush wasn't the best way to get her attention.

"Hello, earth to Nav?" The finger snapping in his face broke his train of thought. "Are you ready to order or what?"

He was there but he was also years removed, not too far from the boy who would set traps to catch a mermaid in hopes that she'd take him far away.

"I'm so ready." He said wistfully as nostalgia waltzed in his pupils.