"Oh! Right there." I point to my truck.
He loads my kayak into the truck bed, and I toss the cooler into the front. As I grab a T-shirt from the front seat and slip it over my bikini top, I wonder if I should go through with this. He could be a serial killer.
Then again, he said his sister-in-law will be there. I have my own truck. I can always leave. It sure seems safe.
I'll be fine. I have my truck keys in my pocket. I pop a mint in my mouth and check my hair in the side mirror. Somehow, I have perfect, near-dry, beachy waves. Whew. Spring water is like magic, I swear.
Shutting my truck door, I make my way around back to where he's standing.
"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Remy Hastings." He's grinning and holding out his hand.
Suddenly feeling shy, I tuck my still-damp hair behind my ear. "I'm Leilani Kostas."
We shake hands for a few seconds while eyeballing each other.
"Leilani. That's a great name. Leilani the mermaid. Love it. By the way, how did you learn to swim like that? You're amazing. Do you do that often, swim around in the springs with a tail fin? I thought I was hallucinating when I first saw you."
I let out a giggle. He drops my hand and his expression is genuinely interested.
"It's kind of a long story."
He grins and pats the hood of his beat-up Jeep. "Well, we've got an hour or so before Kate kicks us out. She's closed today but she's got prep to do. Plenty of time for a long story or two. Have you been to Lime and Salt?"
We start walking through the parking lot. Cypress trees lean over the pavement, draped in Spanish moss.
“I haven’t, although I have heard of it. I’ve been meaning to get out here, since I love tiki bars, natural springs, and water.”
Lime and Salt has open sides facing the springs, and a small wooden deck out back.
“That’s obvious by the way you swim,” he says.
"I used to be a performing mermaid in Weeki Wachee. You know, the famous Florida mermaid shows?"
We’re right at the entrance to the bar when he stops and looks at me with wide eyes. "Really? Of course I know Weeki Wachee. My parents took us there when we were little. You were a mermaid? That is so cool."
He raps lightly on the doorframe before stepping inside. A zing goes through my body when I brush past him into the cool, dim interior. One mocktail. That's all I'll allow.
The bar is small and warm, with a wooden plank floor, open sides facing the springs, and a handful of high-top tables clustered near the railing that looks out over the crystal-clear water to the white sand bottom. Hula girl statues and a ceramic mermaid lamp sit on the counter. Black-and-white photos of Elvis in Florida are affixed to a wall. There’s a life-size Elvis cutout standing sentry by an exit, and a plastic alligator wearing sunglasses, propped on a shelf.
"That's Pete," Remy says, following my gaze. "Named after Pete the gator who swims in the river. He’s a town mascot."
Behind the bar, a blonde woman is wiping down glasses, hair pulled up in a clip, an apron tied around her waist. She looks up and breaks into a grin.
"Remy! What are you doing here so early? Did you bring me a friend?"
"Kate, this is Leilani. Leilani, my sister-in-law Kate. Helps her mom Carolyn run the place. Kate married my twin brother Damien. I’m the better-looking one, but don’t tell my brother.”
Kate laughs and reaches over the bar to shake my hand. Her grip is firm and her smile is infectious. "Don't let him fool you. Ipicked the cuter twin. Welcome. What brings you here this early on a Tuesday?"
"She's a mermaid," Remy says, like that explains everything.
Kate's eyebrows go up. "Oh.Oh, you're the one. Bess down at the chamber mentioned a mermaid bar opening downtown. Mermosa. That's yours?"
"That's mine," I say, and it comes out so proudly that I have to laugh at myself.
"Welcome to Cypress Grove, then. Sit." Kate gestures at the empty bar. "I'm going to make you both something. Chamomile-and-passionflower with spring-water ice — house special."
She turns to her shelves and starts pulling jars. "What do you two have planned, drinks aside?"
