Waiting and Awaited

Chapter 2 - Out of Season

3 years later

Cai was in her work clothes at 4 in the afternoon. At this hour there should be not much to do but clean herself. All the bass and trouts were fed in their huge aquariums that reached up to her shoulders. Cai was in charge of feeding, which she found she rather liked despite having to wheel tons of feeds everyday in her pallet truck. It was a lot less depressing than catching the fish, and a lot more pleasant than gutting them.

"Yes, I should be out there by the showers cleaning out my equipment, whistling in my locker, heading to the showers and chatting with my peers, but nope I'm here stuck with you because you need to eat."

Some Fisherfolk passed by her and heard but nobody batted an eyelash since this has been going on for over a year.

"Goldie, I know you don't want to become a steak and I have grown rather fond of you. But I swear you will be the death of me. As it is, your being here in a special tank with saltwater is raising enough eyebrows."

It was now off-season for raising blue fin tunas like Cai's Goldie. All the tanks are filled with freshwater fish, and the Cooks have drafted the menu for the next 6 months with that in mind.

Cai dug into her pail of cut up fish and tossed a handful aiming badly for the tuna's head.

"Seriously, I don't know why I bother. I should just cut you up myself and save us both the trouble." They both knew she didn't mean that. The fish had gotten this treatment for over a year now and she had started to view it as a friend. And there was their little secret that had kept her from asking somebody else to do the honors even before the attachment.

"Well, Cai it looks as though you will now have reason to do just that."

Her head snapped up at that comment. She saw Expert Dean, a portly middle-aged man who treated her like a sixth daughter, came towards her. It was because of his special treatment of her that she got away with saving a 6-month supply of saltwater. He nodded his head to his office, signaling her to follow him inside.

She put down her pail hurriedly, wiped her hands on her worksuit while staring at Goldie with horrified eyes.

Expert Dean turned to her as she entered and she saw the dread in his eyes before he opened his mouth.

"The Duke wants tuna."

"Are you serious? He knows it's off season. You send schedules and reports to the Food Consultant. He approved it. We should give him all the bass he wants."

"Yes he did. Only because he has to. Because our tanks need to be rested after all the saltwater. Otherwise, he'll never have freshwater in them in the first place."

"Wha...Why?"

"He's allergic to freshwater fish."

Cai crossed her arms, tapped one foot and raised an eyebrow. "After 28 years, we Fisherfolk learn that he is allergic to food that he gets half the time each year?"

The expert sighed. He liked Cai, but she had always had trouble with authority. She was not the type to defy it openly or just for the heck of it. She was just the type to keep asking questions until she got tired.

"I've known since he had his first bout of allergies. He just never had fish when it was this time of the year."

"Then why is he suddenly craving more salt in his marine protein now?"

"He heard about the saltwater Cai. And tuna steak is his favorite."

She was doomed.

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Tyrone Castille, the 19th Duke of Castille Manor, was used to getting what he wanted at the snap of his fingers. That included answers. He was utterly perplexed when after visiting his Consultant for Food Department, he saw two young men carting a large barrel filled to the brim with saltwater. The fact that he would not have looked twice at it had he not overheard their conversation was, to him, irrelevant. He was running a manor and he was trained to be annoyingly curious when something was fishy, and this had fish written all over it.

"Why'd you think she is all that cuddly with that fish?"

"Beats me. Don't mind having to haul all the salty water though s'long as she flashes that smile," the other flashes his own cheeky grin before he catches a glimpse of a frowning Duke. He hurriedly looked down on himself then at his friend, wondering what on earth they had done wrong.

"Where is this barrel going?"

"The fish tanks Sir," the first one answered, promptly breaking out into a sweat. Oh this could not be good. Not good at all.

"Hmm. You Fishfolk?" Both nod.

"As far as I know, the tanks are supposed to be full of freshwater since last month." The Duke then used his piercing green eyes and imposing height of 6 feet 2 inches to full advantage. This probably wasn't too big of a deal. Probably a wayward child who decided she wanted a fish for a pet. Still it made good practice. Meetings were boring when everyone bowed down to him almost all the time.

The young men tried, they really did. But the Duke's presence alone was intimidating enough, to be the subject of his inquiries was more than they could handle.

"'Tis Calista Bell, Sire. She keeps Goldie the tuna in a fishtank. Had her for a year now."

"She talks to it. But she's real pretty though. And she only does it after work."

Rone truly did not know what to make of this but he just got more curious than ever. It looked as though he'd have to investigate somewhere else though. These two looked ready to faint though he couldn't know for sure if it was due to his questions or to the fact that they had just betrayed one of their own.

Calista Bell. Hmmm.

He took the transport to the lift and pressed the button for Archives.

"Hand me the file for Calista Bell. Fisherfolk."

The middle-aged woman with glasses jumped and disappeared behind a huge filing cabinet. He could hear voices behind it and a mad clanging of metal as drawers were opened and closed. Some paper rustling and the woman came back with a thin file.

Young then.

Rone could easily have pulled up the file in his laptop at the Penthouse but he hasn't seen to this section recently and this excuse was as good as any.

A wave of dizziness startled him for a moment when he opened the folder and saw a hand-size photo of a woman. For a moment all he saw was red hair and grey eyes. He really should not have missed lunch but the idea of sitting with his mother and father with their not-so subtle hints about marriage was not appealing on this particular day.

23 years old. Tall. Good grades. Not enough praises from teachers. Born into Fishing and have not applied to any other section or department. Squeaky clean records, no complaints, arrests, not even for curfew.

Ah, but she's keeping a tuna at this time of year.

He couldn't help the smile that crept on his face. He returned the folder to the woman. "I need to use your phone. Please dial Expert Dean."

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A/N : I hear some of you are having trouble reading this chapter on mobile. Tried to fix it. Let me know if you're having trouble still.