Pretty in Pearls: A Forgive My Fins Novella (HarperTeen Impulse) by Tera Lynn Childs Page B

plan,” he says. “But it’s a secret. You’ll have to wait and see.”
    “Great,” I say, because I think I have to.
    But as we swim toward downtown, the rock in the pit of my stomach gets heavier and heavier. It’s obvious that Lom is really excited and he’s just going to end up getting his feelings hurt. But he seems like a nice guy and, who knows, maybe I’ll have fun. I need to stop being so worried about this and just have a good time.
    “The first stop,” he says, “is the Thalassinian Marketplace. Have you ever been?”
    The rock in my stomach turns into a boulder.
    “Yeah,” I reply. “I’ve been.”
    “It’s one of my favorite places in the kingdom,” he says. “Do you have a favorite stall?”
    I used to. But now even the thought of going near Paru’s Pearls makes me nauseous. What was I thinking going out on this date? Clearly I am emotionally imbalanced.
    “No,” I say, “I like them all.”
    “Well, I do,” Lom says. “And that will be our final stop at the end of the tour.”
    I force a smile. “Sounds good.”
    I can do this. I can be just a girl out on a date having fun. I don’t have to be tied up in knots about some complicated boy who doesn’t know what he wants or doesn’t want. I can swim through the market without freaking out. Besides, we might not even go anywhere near his stall. It is a really big market, after all.
    It turns out that Lom and I do have a lot in common—more than Lily knew. We both love kelpberry cakes. We both think tentacles are the most disgusting things in the sea. And we are both interested in the law, although he will probably go directly to law school after his internship with the king, and I’m content to work on the diplomatic side for a while.
    The only problem is that after two hours of floating around the market, tasting samples and window-shopping, I know we’ll never be more than friends. It’s not that I don’t like him—I just don’t like him that way . Mom always says she knew Dad was the one from the first moment she saw him. I know just as surely that Lom isn’t the one.
    Besides, as much as I want to say I’m done with Riatus, that I’m over him and I’ll never think of him again, I know that’s not true. Some part of me—probably a larger part than I want to admit—is still hung up on him.
    As Lom and I drift away from the stall full of giant conch shells, I know I need to tell him that there’s no romantic future for us.
    “Hey, Lom,” I say as we swim down the aisle, “I’m having a really good time.”
    He turns and smiles so big that his cheeks push his glasses up. “Me too.”
    “I think you should know—”
    “Hey, we’re down to the last stop on my itinerary.” He takes my hand and starts swimming faster. “It’s my favorite stall in the whole market.”
    I have to start kicking just to keep up. He seems really excited, which makes it all the more urgent I tell him.
    “Listen, Lom—”
    “It’s just down this aisle,” he says. “And I’m going to buy you a souvenir from our first date.”
    Oh no. That’s exactly what I’m worried about. That he thinks this is a first date, not an only date. Not a hanging-out-with-a-new-friend thing.
    But as I open my mouth to tell him, he turns to face me and says, “I hope you like pearls.”
    My mouth snaps shut.
    Oh no. Worst idea ever. Worst. Idea. Ever .
    I should say something. I should tell him I hate pearls or I’m allergic or my obsessive ex-boyfriend works the stall. I should say something .
    But my tongue is frozen to the roof of my mouth and I let Lom lead us toward doom.
    I’m tempted to close my eyes. Maybe if I imagine I’m somewhere else, some previously unknown mermaid magic will pop me there.
    Unfortunately, the first thing that comes to mind is the Black Kelpforest, and there is no way I want to end up there again—even if it means discovering some new magical power. So my eyes pop open and I brace myself.
    I scan the stall, looking