#melveres

She was in dire need of a drink and asked for a martini glass. The server obliged and quickly prepared it. When he placed it down on the table, the drink was a nice pink colour and had a light fruity taste. A lady was sitting to her left and as Asta drank, her eyes took a peak of the woman's figure. She was beautifully dressed in a white frilly flapper dress and dawned a stylish blonde page-boy hair cut that was currently all the rage. Rows of pearl necklaces decorated her appearance and her black rimmed glasses added a nice touch to her delicate facial features. Asta found her to be quite the looker; an attractive woman like her didn't cross her path that often.

She was eager to get a conversation started.

“Hey, haven't seen ya around these parts before.”

The woman looked up at Asta rather surprised but with a kind smile, she keeps the ball rolling.

“I could say the same for yourself,” she replied. “Do you come hear often?”

“Clearly not enough if I'm missing out on a cute lady like you.”

Asta took a chance in charming her and her gamble appeared to have paid off. Her laughter was like music to her ears.

“Aren't you quite the talker? I wasn't expecting to find such a charismatic lady like yourself in a couples bar.”

“I was just about to say the same thing. I hope that your partner didn't just get up and ditch ya. What a crime that would be!”

The woman laughed again, “No, no, I'm as single as they get. I like to come here for the good music and drinks. It's nice to come here and not be annoyed by rowdy patrons.”

“Oh,” Asta replied somewhat nervously, “I certainly hope I didn't disturb ya.”

“Absolutely not. You're an exception,” She grinned as Asta felt a wave of relief rush across her. There was nothing worse in her book than invading someone's space and trying to flirt with them when really they only want some solitude. She was quickly gaining her confidence back and was eager to get her game back on track.

“I never caught your name.”

“Call me Asta,” she replied. “And you?”

“Õnnela.”

Asta was taken back by such a foreign name. “I'm sorry?”

“Õnnela,” she repeated.

“Önnela?” Asta struggled to pronounce the first letter of her name, making several attempts but failing each time. Õnnela didn't seem to mind and was unfazed by it, even giggling at her failures.

“You sound just like the islanders back home! They can't say the Õ that well either. Some people just call me Ela if it makes things easier.”

Asta was a little embarrassed by the flub but she doesn't let it show. Instead she continues on with their conversation. She found herself feeling a little infatuated with Õnnela. She was not just a good looker—Asta discovered that they had much more common than she had thought. They enjoyed the simple things in life: baking sweets, curling up by the fire and knitting with a record on, and summer nights out in the country side. But Asta was learning so much more; she had only been here for a few months and was living with her cousin—a Finnish woman by the name of Aino, and was both a vocal and piano teacher at a local music school further west of the city. The pay was awful but she was doing what she loved most and that's all that matter to Õnnela. She loved books and was fascinated by the evolving world around them. Asta was impressed with just how intelligent she was and watching her eyes light up as she spoke of machines, astronomy, and chemistry and made her heart flutter. She knew nothing of these topics but she loved listening to her ramble on. The grin on Asta's face couldn't be wiped away.

It was after midnight but the night was still young and Asta couldn't stand the thought of not having Õnnela by her side. She offered her a chance to join her on the dance floor, and while Õnnela happily took the offer, Asta quickly learned that dancing wasn't her strong suit and quickly apologized for laughing at her attempts. Õnnela wasn't bothered it at all however; the music was too upbeat and she was a little tipsy from the drinks she had. The two women were on cloud nine as they danced closely together. Õnnela's arms were wrapped over Asta's shoulders and it was driving her wild. What she wouldn't give to share just one kiss with this alluring lady who she was quickly falling for.

They stayed till the venue closed at two in the morning. They walked out together arm-in-arm as if they had known each other for ages. But the ladies were brought back to reality when the sounds of black vehicle repeatedly honked in the parking lot. Õnnela immediately recognized the figure as Aino in the driver's seat. She didn't ask for a ride but she hadn't planned on staying long, only coming for the cheap drinks. Õnnela felt a little guilty for letting her cousin worry without saying anything (not that she really could anyhow).

“Ya know that lady?”

Õnnela nodded, “Yeah, that's my cousin. She must have been worried since I don't normally stay out this late.”

“Oh!” Asta went wide-eyed when she realized just how long they had stayed at the bar. She panicked as she spoke, “I'm sorry! I should have kept ya this long-”

“No need to apologize,” Õnnela interrupted. “We had fun didn't we?”

The way Õnnela's lashes fluttered as she blinked made her blush and lose her cool. She was always so confident around the people she was interested in. But here was this woman, about the same height as her, who could reduce her down to a bundle of nerves. How could one woman be this adorable?? Asta said to herself as she struggled to stay composed.

“The best I've h-had in a long time. Could I maybe... see ya again?”

Asta's tone was very timid and Õnnela was grinning from ear to ear as she giggled ever so quietly. She reached into her tiny clutch purse and pulled out a small little card and a pink lipstick, the same kind that matched the one her lips were coated with. She used the lipstick to write something on the back and then sealed her writing with a kiss before handing it to her.

“I hope to hear from you soon,” Õnnela said as she waved goodbye before making a dash to Aino's car.

Asta was at a loss for words as she watched her run away. She looked at the card with such strong eyes, memorizing each and every detail. On one side was Õnnela's number, written in shaky writing but Asta could still make out each number clearly while the kiss was largely faded. On the other side, she quickly learned it was her business card from the school she had worked for:

Õnnela Tamm Piano & Vocal Teacher Nordea Academy of Music Øsel 2, 0524 København SV

“What are we doing here? We were just here yesterday,” Eduard said.

“Just trust me! You'll see it in just a second!”

Sure enough in the distance, Eduard spotted a large wooden ship that was clearly new to the graveyard. A massive hole on the side of the ship served as the entrance. Eduard had wondered if a battle ensued on the surface as the hole was large enough for the two of them to go through together. It was not the only one on the ship as he quickly noticed multiple spots where the ship received damage. Some of the holes on top allowed some light flow through and reflected off Christian's bright red tail. Eduard found it hard to look away from such a stunning sight and it was enough for him to ignore some of the bodies floating lifelessly around them.

But his daydream was not to last when Christian broke away and went towards a door tucked away near the corner of the ship. He used his strength to push it open and waved him over.

“Over here! Hurry!”

Eduard couldn't imagine just what had gotten Christian so aroused over such a mediocre ship but he gasped when he was greeted to a glorious sight that was an open chest filled with coins and jewels. Two closed ones were also sitting nearby in the same room but were impossible to open.

“Oh wow...”

“Nice eh?” Christian smiled. “Never seen so much of this kind of treasure in one spot before. Maybe that's why this ship went down. Someone else wanted the goods.”

Eduard loved the feel of the treasures against his fingers. He loved the jewels the most. The coins came in gold and silver while the jewels came in all colours of the rainbow. Eduard had learned to appreciate the sight of these things as they quickly dulled or broke apart in their environment.

“But that isn't the reason why I brought you here.”

“It's not?” Eduard replied in a confused tone as he looked up towards him. His eyes followed Christian swimming towards a desk and pulling one of the drawers open. Christian pulled something small out and quickly returned to him looking as if he was about to burst from all the excitement.

“I saw this inside and it was kept away from the chests. I think you'll like it.”

Eduard took the box curiously and fidgeted with it before he figured out how to open it. His eyes went wide when he discovered the ring inside. He had seen treasures like these before, but none as beautiful as this. The ring featured a silver band while the jewel on top was dark blue. The colour reminded him of their home, the ocean itself. He was left speechless by such an astounding gift.

“I heard humans give gifts like these to the one they love the most! That's why I found this for ya!” Christian said cheerfully. “See? It even matches yer tail! Just as I thought!”

Eduard was touched by the gesture and couldn't stop smiling. He tackled him into a hug and Christian held onto him tightly when he pulled Eduard in for a lingering kiss. Whenever they kissed, their tails always seemed to appear intertwined with one another. But their moment together was not to last when a booming noise startled them and quickly moved apart. Though this was a popular spot for merfolk to spend time at, it wasn't the safest. Sharks were known to roam freely around these parts and other merfolk from rival communities would come looking for a fight. They wasted no time in leaving the premises, zooming as far away from the graveyard as quick as they could. Neither of them noticed at that moment that the ring was gone, forever lost to the ocean floor.