The Professor and the Siren

3. Mariana

Mariana

Back in port I contemplated the small cabin I was assigned on the Yerseke and then the lights of the town sparkling at me through the small porthole. Was I going to stay inside and pour over more research data? Compiling and analyzing so that Hybach could take credit for my hard work?

I hated working with the arrogant professor but he had an established name in the field and the grants needed to do the work. That mattered more than getting credit for co-authoring the research paper that came out of this.

Still, after that harrowing, bizarre dive I felt like I needed to take my mind of things. After the hard work the past months I deserved some time off but I felt like work was never ending. Most of my co-workers were on vacation or at least had taken rooms in town for some R&R but not me. I didn't generally like crowds of people, preferred the peace and quiet of living on a ship.

Today I felt an itch beneath my skin. Driven by the thought that maybe I was losing my mind for thinking I'd seen a merman of all things. Maybe some human company would do me some good.

So I contemplated my limited wardrobe before selecting a cheerful summer dress and some strappy sandals. I'd already showered after my dive and my thick hair was nearly dry, having gained volume with its thick natural curl. Normally I had it up in a ponytail so it stayed out of my face while I worked. Tonight I choose to leave it down for reasons entirely beyond me.

As I left the Yerseke via it's gangplank I was startled when a man materialized out of the dark behind me. I hadn't seen him lurking at the ships railing at all but when a dark glowing tip lit up and smoke curled through the air I realized it was Hybach out for his evening cigar.

"Shit, you startled me," I told the older man and he just made this disproving harrumphing sound. "Did you fix the sensor?" he demanded and with an eye roll I nodded, "It was fine when I looked at it, must have been a temporary glitch." I didn't want to tell the professor that that glitch might well be a real live merman. I couldn't contemplate that the creature was real, that seemed too far fetched.

"Figured," he said and with a shrug eyed my outfit, a gleam now entering his eyes. Ah there was the other side of Hybach, the dirty old lech. "Going for a night on the town huh?" he said while leaning down over the railing some more so he could look down my cleavage. I shifted to cross my arms over my chest while I shrugged, "Meeting the others for drinks at Toni's." I pointed with a thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the pub we'd been at a bunch of times already the past months.

Hybach nodded, "I didn't think you were the type. Wouldn't you rather share a drink with me? I still have a good bottle of whiskey." He eyed my figure again, "We can keep each other company."

Typical Hybach, couldn't stand his colleagues most of the time but once in a while he thought he could play the charmer. I'd seen him do this to younger research assistants and undergraduates but he hadn't yet done anything but leer my way when he got out of his head enough to notice the gender of who he was talking to.

"Not tonight," I said, or ever I added silently in my head. But Hybach could make or break a career so it was always difficult to truly stand up to him. Point in case, he frowned my way now and snidely reminded me of the work he still expected I turn in. I wanted to get angry and tell him I had a PHD and wasn't some high schooler turning in homework but in the end I just shrugged, "It's almost finished."

Then I wished him a nice evening and walked off toward the pub feeling his eyes on me the entire way. Smelling that disgusting cigar and fuming at myself for being such a scaredy cat and not standing up for myself.

I met the others at the pub still feeling disgruntled at myself but the feeling vanished when my friend Anita jumped up and hurried to hug me. "Dang girl, you look hot tonight!" she told me with a wide infectious grin before gesturing at Ted and Neil taking up the booth across from her.