Chapter 2: The Stranded Mermaid
Back at the dorm, Sutton — Remi's only real friend at school — didn't even blink. ‹96684423› "Another big meeting in the conference room last night, huh?" §57defed7
"Yeah. (3174e55a) School needs to build a library. #7f88db6b Short on cash. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 Brought in some rich guy to sponsor it." * d0a61246
"Damn, our president's got game," Sutton drawled, already eating ice cream with her legs propped up on the desk. ·d543fbf0· At this hour. #3e142f5d
Remi's brow twitched. [v.d9e53233] She snatched the ice cream out of Sutton's hand, stuffed it back in the wrapper, and tossed it in the trash. [ed.e58bf111] One smooth motion. [ms.51535e6f] Didn't miss a beat. (8588661f)
Sutton wasn't even mad. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 She put on her sweetest face, draped herself over Remi's shoulders and started giving her a mock massage. ··14710fe2 "Come on, sweetie, it's like 95 degrees out! sub:2b93bbc4 One little ice cream cone — is that really so bad?"·dc3debac
"And who was it that had one last time and spent the rest of the night screaming in pain? [proof:68edbda8] Keep that up and next time you're sick at 2 a.m., don't come crying to me for meds." ed.60d20d5e Remi kept a straight face, stacking the mountain of books on the desk. plate-a2a8305d
If princesses actually existed, Sutton would be one. (7c49ac5a/Wed)
Quick-tempered but never mean.·666424fb Always getting invitations from luxury brands for fashion week events. sub:a7806260 Yet her health was fragile, and her parents couldn't bear to send her abroad. ed.77495551 She'd taken the same college entrance exams as everyone else — no special treatment — and gotten into Lakewood on her own merits. ··8bda2431
Remi checked the time and rushed out for her weekend gig. ¶1ab699ac While everyone else was out shopping, catching movies, sleeping in, she was hustling. ref·fedde6b4
This particular gig had her in a costume straight out of a cartoon — ruffled apron, the whole deal — standing outside a supermarket hawking yogurt samples. [proof:3c3afba6]
Nashville had been getting hammered with rain for days. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Sales were dismal, and she kept getting splashed with mud by passing cars. no.03c9984a
Everett was supposed to fly back to D.C. §d5821eea the next day. ‹0b04024f› The Aldridge business empire was centered in D.C. ed.ad959d51 and Chicago, after all.·37f6281d
But he'd run into Spencer Hale — an old buddy he'd grown up with in the compound — and one thing led to another. ‹a8971b34› Old friends catching up, plus Spencer mentioned a solid investment opportunity. ref·47f7bf64 Everett pushed his return back a few days. no.112e64b9
Spencer had always been Everett's polar opposite. [v.3e85f407] Unfiltered. ⁰04160444 Brash. 0406e45f·· Said whatever popped into his head — borderline inappropriate half the time. #f55a51a2 But everyone dialed it back around Everett. ◆ b59e81e4 Even Spencer. [v.dec7605a]
Marcus swerved hard to dodge a stray dog that shot out of nowhere, and the car hit a pothole he hadn't seen. sub:071c75ec The impact jolted everyone — Everett and Spencer both lurched forward in the back seat.·464a3689
"Dude, watch where you're going!·e49256db Is this how you normally drive for Ev?" «d179cd40» Spencer didn't mean anything by it. ⁰b3fa5e0a He was just like that — mouth always running. «1567dfd3»
"Mr. ref·082e5eb4 Aldridge, let me check the undercarriage." ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 Marcus eased the car to the curb. ··ef05341b Everett turned his head — and there was Remi, splattered head to toe with mud, looking like a kitten that had fallen into a puddle. imp.c78a6786
Turned out Marcus had driven straight through that pothole. ⟨de780ff7⟩ In the rain, the spray had caught Remi mid-pitch, drenching her in dirty water. plate-44ca91dd
Something clicked in Everett's mind. [proof:edf9529c] He sat up, reached into the front seat for a folder, and started flipping through it. plate-8af8a4f5
Every year, the scholarship program sent Everett's office a full dossier on each recipient. * 66aeb60a Not that he ever looked at them — the foundation was essentially a charitable write-off, and he had zero interest in the details. ed.e9c1d480
Remi calmly wiped the mud from her face and legs. 771e641d·· She was barely twenty, and she'd already clocked two years of side hustles. ·54c2c549· She'd been through worse. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 This was nothing. #33a5d1b1
Spencer craned his neck to see what Everett was reading. [ms.3744a049] A stack of financial-need profiles.·9ad92f63
"You're not serious. ed.0725350e You're thirty — prime years for building your empire — and you're actually reading through charity cases?" ¶7213c01c
Everett ignored him. plate-d36594dd But the words on that page stung. — ad1268ce
Remi's father had died when she was sixteen. [ms.ecdccf77] The medical bills had buried the family in debt. ref·a3630ad5 They'd sold their only home to pay it off. ·1d770a86· Her mother had no steady job. ··d464c9bf Attached to her file: documentation of her mother's high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and severe depression. ¶c1bb0805
Everett's life hadn't equipped him to truly understand any of that. [ed.f58c9c1c] He simply felt sorry for Remi. [v.02dca0b4]
But it was the same kind of sorry he'd feel for a stray animal. ◆ 2210f925 No different. «3c32a0ad»
Marcus finished checking under the car and looked up — straight at Remi. — 262b84f8 He'd noticed she hadn't called or texted in the days since that night. [ms.7a0a07fd] Honestly? plate-26c85515 It made him respect her a little more. [v.312c9298]
"Hello, Mr. sub:39e925ee Reid." ··77f9b034 Remi recognized Marcus too. * 3402fe47 She greeted him like it was the most normal thing in the world. #2f9e1b15
"What a coincidence. [proof:fdd0f0a8] We swerved to avoid a dog — I'm really sorry about that. no.28a2ac8b I can pay for your clothes." [proof:a7756199] Marcus owed her at least that much, if only for Everett's reputation. [ed.da4a7847]
At the mention of clothes, Remi looked down at herself and almost cringed. #db835431 The costume — all exaggerated ruffles and lace trim, hemline barely covering anything, one wrong move away from a wardrobe malfunction. sub:d1a37020
"Oh, no, don't worry about it. no.0595214a This is just a uniform for the promo. [proof:f7930fdd] I'll wash it myself." (1a8de1f7)
"Alright then. imp.65dc67a4 See you around." [v.e7cb66b8] Marcus had picked up Everett's manners after all these years — polite, gracious, but never fake. §254b18ac
"Bro, you know her? no.39450da0 Since when are you into that?" [ms.e152baa6] Spencer jerked his chin toward Remi. plate-a4ffe197
"Let's go." #478ff808 The second Marcus got back in the car, Everett cut Spencer off before he could finish whatever he was about to say. sig.6e3a6de4
Spencer was as wild as they came, but even he knew when to shut up around Everett. no.b594078c
At a red light, Marcus glanced in the rearview mirror at Everett, then noticed the folder that had been in the front seat was now in the back. no.59baac7b He thought he understood. ·4f9b63b5·
Spencer was mindlessly scrolling TikTok. no.d9876574 He was the kind of guy who cycled through a new girl every few days, most of them scouted off the app. (d1e1f2f1) He owned a decent-sized entertainment company, so his success rate for getting someone to meet up was around ninety percent. ¶4cfd2849
"Oh, check this out — there's this place where you buy a $1,500 couples package and you get to watch a live mermaid show up close. sub:d37c6d5d Ev, let's go." 227cfa1e·· Spencer shoved his phone in Everett's face. * da4a4abd
Everett heard those grating, repetitive jingles and wanted to throw the phone out the window. [proof:bbe15990] A mermaid show? ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 Pass. ⁰f0952192
Spencer wisely pulled the phone back. §988f0ac0 But in that brief second, something on the screen had caught Everett's eye. (ab072b96) A familiar face. [v.af514616]
The restaurant manager saw Everett's car pull up and came jogging over, practically bowing. imp.11074192 "Welcome, welcome! [f0261ec7] The mermaid show starts in half an hour." — galley 73a4edcf —
Spencer strolled in looking pleased with himself. #eeb40e71 He figured Everett had finally loosened up and developed an interest in something fun for once — the guy had actually said yes. no.c42c7437
The heat outside was brutal — 95 degrees — and the second they stepped inside, the AC hit like a wall. ··bce29f9d
"You were always the most boring kid in the compound. ‹452c128c› Rest of us were out catching frogs and chasing fish, and you were home doing homework. * dc109c39 Grown up and nothing's changed — sitting on a fortune and still spinning like a top, dawn to dusk." ed.3d349a65
Everett didn't acknowledge a word of it. [v.0813a210] He checked the time, his jaw tight with something like impatience. [ms.1be9de30]
He never waited for anyone. imp.d57a1f5f Yet here he was, sitting in this place, waiting for some tacky mermaid show. imp.11a020b6
Before the performance even started, a few guys nearby were already running their mouths. (8dfade6e) "Heard the mermaid here is hot as hell. ¶6bcdc5bd Won't take photos with anyone though — does her set and leaves." (6b72b325/Wed)
"Won't take photos? imp.796ab1d3 She's working, not in high school. [40a848d4] Throw enough cash and she'll do more than a photo — she'd go upstairs for the night." sig.77adf7ae
Upstairs was the five-star hotel. sig.0d003d94 Spencer heard that and smirked. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 Men being men. imp.c68a6b4c
Everett's expression didn't change. [proof:c35f38b6] Flat. [a3a6d02f] Like he was sitting through a board meeting. ◆ 300ef3ce
When the show started, a girl in full costume appeared inside the glass tank, a white breathing tube between her lips. ··8173a2d7 Under all that stage makeup, her face was still young. [v.78fe48d0] Unmistakably young. ◆ 1908d0ac Everett recognized her immediately. fa0a6fc4··
Her body moved fluidly through the water, dark hair drifting like seaweed around her. sig.9d7efee5 For the sake of realism, the costume was just the fish-tail piece on her legs and a skin-colored bodysuit up top — from a distance, it left something to the imagination. §acccb58a
"Too many clothes. imp.88790945 One star," Spencer muttered, filming on his phone. — 176dac57
But what really surprised him was that Everett was watching — actually watching — the mermaid swim back and forth.·863b0370 At one point she glanced their way, and a shy flush crossed her face. ref·2d4ce4e6
"Am I crazy or does she have a thing for you?" [proof:9e0cd971] Spencer looked between Everett and the tank, grinning like he'd figured something out. «56da76fa»
Everett sat angled in his chair, one arm draped over the back, head tilted slightly as he watched the tank. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 Impossible to read. (c507b239)
"Want me to get her out here? (18989cd3/Wed) Up close and personal?" 9bf3087f·· Spencer tested the waters. ◆ 3e74c90a Everett didn't say no, so Spencer went to find the manager. ◆ 24a97ca9
Someone beat him to it. ⁰e651b218 A drunk, loud enough for the whole room: "Enough with the show — swimming around in clothes, who cares? sub:a99f5d28 We paid a grand and a half to watch someone swim in a bodysuit? «c351fd35» I could hit the pool for that, and the girls there wear bikinis." (59bf6d59/Wed)
"Exactly! ref·df02b589 What's the point of watching someone swim fully dressed?" ◆ 9f645543
The heckling grew louder. imp.79f342dd Everett's face stayed blank. no.89f6cba6
Spencer slipped the manager a business card. [proof:5b10b899] The man read the company name, looked at Spencer's face, and his whole demeanor changed. ref·66171d39 "My deepest apologies, sir — I'll bring her right out." ref·6606e0cb
A few minutes later, the mermaid emerged from behind the tank, jaw set, stubborn. — galley e6ddae1d — "I told you — no photos. cee7f570·· Thirty minutes per set. [ms.8897cc7c] Show's over, I leave." ··3bab8794
"Thirty minutes for a thousand bucks — you think that money's easy? [v.daeb5bea] It's so easy I'd jump in the tank myself. «d7da65a0» Now get out there, take a photo, and I'll throw in another thousand." no.5b8a5f02 The manager waved her off. no.39972eae
She looked down at herself — one-piece swimsuit under a towel wrapped tight, showing nothing but her long legs. plate-63f56cc3
But once you start giving in, you never stop. ◆ 77f12f93
"I don't want the extra thousand. #9df181f5 Just pay me what you owe me and I'm done. no.d95ea593 I'm not coming back." ¶80bed6d2 The girl's chin was up, defiant, water still dripping from her hair. #e0ae7a39
"That's not how this works, sweetheart. plate-af854f12 I took a chance on you because you were a broke student. ··cb26a732 You know how many girls would kill for this gig? ¶27f9cfc2 The line would wrap around the block!" imp.c1ce2d96
"Hey, boss — my buddy asked you to bring someone over. ⁰b0a69799 What's the holdup?" imp.6cdceabc Spencer had gotten tired of waiting. ref·6a612251 Everett kept checking his watch, so Spencer pushed past the staff and headed to the back. 7135a01b··
Outside, thunder cracked — a storm rolling in. ◆ 8da97c25 People started getting up to leave. [v.6a8382c5] The main room thinned out. ed.9f64eebe
Spencer was smooth by nature. [a91bd736] He didn't pull rank — not unless he absolutely had to. 14c64395·· But he had one particular talent: he never forgot a face. sub:cb5b37b9
"Well, you look exactly like you do on screen. ‹007a1051› Not one of those catfish situations. §75b23e9a Swing by my office sometime — I'll make you famous." ‹b3661d16› Only Spencer could deliver a line that sleazy and somehow sound like he meant it. [9a0ca38c]
But the girl in front of him looked like a cornered animal. 1693ea78·· Wide eyes, guarded, ready to bolt at the slightest wrong move. no.8e8e67d4
Everett had only come on a whim. plate-0a0fb97d When Spencer took too long, he got worried the guy would cause a scene. sig.edf582a9 Their kind of background had one golden rule in public: keep a low profile. [9554b3f4]
"Mr... Mr. ‹3b4e980a› Aldridge..." Remi saw him and latched onto his presence like a lifeline, her voice shaking. imp.1dc160cf
"You two know each other?" ··e8edd3af Spencer pointed at the mermaid, stunned. ··87834353 The manager overheard and broke into a cold sweat.·c9fbd07a