Mermaid Hotel (W.I.P)

II: The Ring

      The books that were chosen were meticulously spread out on the shiny countertop. They were all the newest editions with bright and colourful covers facing up, attracting anyone who passed by to take a closer look. "The Tempest" and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" were selected by Dianne after a series of spirited discussions and debates she had with Mystery Man. The latter also picked out a couple of books to add to his collection.

          He glanced at Dianne, with gratitude evident on his face. "I can't thank you enough, miss."

        Dianne smiled back, "It's always satisfying to see a happy customer. I'm glad I could assist."

             She moved behind the cash register and calculated the cost of the books he had chosen. "Ah, that will be two dollars and sixty cents in total," she informed him with a smile.

          The man took out a couple of bills from his wallet and placed them on the counter. "Will this be enough?"

          Dianne's eyes widened at the two crisp five-dollar bills. "Sir, this is too much! I cannot accept this!" she protested. The blonde began to slide one of the dollar bills back towards him, but Mystery Man placed his hand on top of hers, stopping her.

         "Ah, but I insist," He persisted. With a quirky twist of his lips and deepening laugh lines, Mystery Man exclaimed, "This should more than cover the cost. Though, I must admit, it's always nice to have a little extra cushion in the budget, don't you think?".

            Their gazes locked, and Dianne felt a flutter in her stomach upon meeting his eyes. Storm-grey seemed to see right through her as the gent gestured towards the invoice on the counter, murmuring; "Your company is worth more than this amount."

              Dianne fought to control the blush that threatened to rise to her cheeks.

         She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Their eyes locked again, and a silent exchange passed between them.

       "Thank you," she managed to reply, her voice barely above a whisper. "It means a lot."

       Mystery Man glanced over his shoulder at the display window. It was still drizzling outside, but the skies seemed to be clearing up. "Looks like the rain has stopped," he broke the silence. "I better make my move now."

           With the small bag of books in his hand, he made his way to the door. As his hand gripped the door's handle, Mystery Man turned to face Dianne with a small smile.

"See you around... Poetry Girl," he said.

             He vanished into the rain outside, leaving Dianne with a racing heart and a curious mind. She stood by the desk, lost in thought, waiting for what felt like an eternity.

What on earth just happened?

          Just as Dianne was about to turn back to her work, a glint on the floor caught her eye, drawing her attention to it.

             Laying upon the parquet was a delicate ring set with a single polished aquamarine. She bent over to pick it up for a closer examination while admiring its beauty. The jewel was surrounded by tiny circle-cut diamonds, and it sparkled in the light, catching her eye.

          She looked up at the door where the man had left moments ago. He had been in such a hurry, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had dropped the ring by accident.

            "Sir, wait!" Dianne called out, hoping to catch him.
            But it was too late. The man was gone, and Dianne was left holding the ring. She turned her attention back to the piece of jewellery, fretting over the situation.

             "This looks pretty valuable... Now how am I going to give this back to him?" she wondered, feeling a sense of responsibility to return it to its rightful owner.

          As she reexamined the spot where the ring once lay, her eyes caught sight of something else resting on the ground nearby. As she drew nearer, the object came into focus, revealing it to be a business card.

              It featured the address of a hotel written in faded blue letters that stood out from the cream-coloured background. The faded logo of a graceful mermaid added a unique touch to the card, which read the name of the hotel as;

"Mermaid Hotel."