Secret Of The Sea

David watched her mingle with the customers, laughing and serving each table. She seemed to float effortlessly from the kitchen to the tables and never seemed to tire. She was petite, beautiful and had the bluest eyes. She had walked into his office 3 months ago in response to the "Help Wanted" poster he had hung outside. She arrived promptly for her shift and left immediately after. She was an enigma who didn't socialize with anyone. She was friendly with customers but reserved with everyone else. David had made efforts to be friends with her but she gently rebuffed his overtures with politeness. No one knew where she lived and David was kinda frustrated. He couldn't deny his attraction to this petite beauty who obviously wanted nothing to do with him.

"Good day boss" came the unmistakably cheerful voice of the subject of his preoccupation. David looked up at Ariel who was smiling sweetly at him. She had just resumed for the day and already had her uniform and name tag on. He commended her for her promptness and complimented her beauty. She looked as breathtakingly exquisite as usual and her eyes danced with silent humor as though she could read his mind. She didn't walk out of his office as she was wont to do but continued to look right back at him, her eyes telling him things he desperately wanted to hear. He began to feel a burgeoning sense of hope as she was stood there silently communicating with her incredibly expressive eyes. Did she feel the same?

"Ariel, I...what?" he started to speak but stopped as her eyes suddenly became shuttered. She turned abruptly and walked quickly out of his office. He stared after her hurriedly retreating figure wondering what the heck had just happened. Had he imagined the mutual interest he had seen in her eyes? Ariel defied everything he knew about women and he was at loss as to how to be her friend much less court her as he wanted to.

Ariel was used to men falling for her and often had to leave before things got complicated. She loved it here and she wasn't ready to leave yet. She had been aware of his romantic interest but that hadn't been a problem until she had began wanting him back. He was the perfect specimen of manhood, caring and thoughtful, not classically handsome but blatantly male and very attractive.

She knew she couldn't indulge but she couldn't seem to stop herself from wanting him. She kicked herself for letting him catch a glimpse of her heart in there. He would probably begin to pursue her actively now and that would be trouble. She shook her head at herself and willed herself to stop thinking about him. The hours flew by as she went about her responsibilities and soon it was closing time. She changed into her flowery sarong and dropped her uniform and name tag quietly in the cabinet beside David's office, tiptoeing quietly so as not to alert him to her presence.

David knew her quiet footsteps and was aware she was right outside his door. He had waited all day for this. He was going to covertly follow her home. He needed to speak with her away from prying eyes but his instincts told him she would refuse if he asked. He wasn't gonna allow her deny him the opportunity to talk seriously with her any longer. He knew his method was underhanded but she left him no choice. He heard her footsteps retreat and quietly got up to follow. He maintained a good distance from her but he needn't have bothered. She walked on fast, practically skipping as she went, never once looking back. David began to worry a little as she continued straight towards the beach. Why was she headed for the sea shore at this time of the night? He was however not deterred. He intended to follow her home and talk privately.

She stepped around some rocks jutting out of the water and he lost sight of her for a few seconds. He rounded the sharp corner and stopped short. She was standing in the water taking off her clothes and looking even more beautiful than his wildest imagination. He stepped back behind the rock feeling like a nasty peeping tom but unable to stop watching. She dove into the water and he sat back prepared too wait. He began to panic after a few seconds when she didn't surface. He was sure something horrible had happened to her underwater. Maybe she had pulled a muscle and needed help. He shed his shoes fast and jumped into the water. He went swimming wide and diving deep but saw nothing but darkness under the sea. He surfaced and began to yell her name.

"Arieeeeeeel, Arieeeeeeel", he yelled over and over, every time he came up for air. He would take a few breathes and dive back in, searching. He kept going farther out to sea until he became weak and tired. He tried to swim back to the shore he couldn't see. He swam endlessly until he lost hope, realizing he had gone too far. He lay face up in the water, floating and exhausted. He gasped and lost his balance when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spluttered and gasped again as he found himself gazing into Ariel's trouble eyes. She held on to him and shot forward in the fastest, most powerful swim he had ever experienced. She deposited him on the beach unceremoniously.

"Don't follow me and don't mention this to anyone. I have to go back home before they realize what happened", she said and dove back in leaving him staring at the dark waters in shock. It began to dawn on him that he had just stumbled on one of the sea's best kept secrets.