Haley Thistle
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Selkie Boyfriend: Mikkel (rough draft)
🕑 Added 2021-08-19 20:00:03 +0000 UTCI hadn’t been on vacation since I was a teenager. Ever since then it’s been staycations or whatever weird name it is for “I have paid time off but no money to travel”. Most of my time has either been devoted to school or work. And yes, technically, this is a business trip, but there is still plenty of time between meetings and begging for funding to pretend I am on vacation. After all, we’re on the beach and it reminds me of home.
A couple of years ago, my best friend Cece and I started our own makeup line. It began with some skincare products, but we both loved makeup so much and were desperate to see some inclusivity. It was a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and lots of rice and beans for dinner, but our first launch went remarkably well. The crowdfunding went exceptional, but now, in order to expand and upgrade our offices we need more, dare I say, corporate funding.
“We’re both cute,” Cece assured me. “We’ve got the success of our first launch behind us. We have good reviews. We’re cute-”
“You said that already,” I huffed.
“That’s because no one else says it enough.” Cece adjusted her top as we stepped into the elevator. She then played with her hair in the mirrors that made up the walls. “Who thought putting mirrors in elevators was a good idea.”
“It makes them look bigger so people don’t get claustrophobic.” I was trying not to, but I was checking out myself too. Cece and I had worked on each others hair all last night and then this morning just to make them look nice. Her box braids were perfect, but my fingers no longer were. My hair was slicked back into a big poof with one of my mother’s scarves wrapped around the crown of my head. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I was doing this for her. After all, our makeup brand was named after her Selenis.
The elevator dinged, opening up to reveal a long hallway stretched out before us. “That makes me nervous,” Cece muttered.
“It’ll be okay,” I assured her. “Lots of good things wait at the end of long hallways. Right?”
Cece gave me an unsure look.
“Right,” I nodded. “Lets go.”
This meeting had been in the works for sometime. We had been trying to get a meeting with this company after we heard how they had supported several other businesses with people of color in the lead. Near the end of the hallway there was a small receptionist desk with a woman behind it. She looked shocked to see us as we approached.
“We have a meeting with Mr.-” I started but she quickly cut me off.
“You’re early!” She gasped with alarm. “I don’t have your meeting down until seven!”
Cece and I exchange weary looks. Cece takes the lead, propping her hand upon the desk. “It is seven.,” she said with a smile. “Now I don’t know about you-”
“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” the poor thing is scrambling and trying to not panic. “I have you down for seven in the evening! Mr. Rodrick was planning on having a dinner meeting with you.”
Cece turns and looks at me blanky. “I got up early!”
“I know I know calm-” I pulled her aside and approached the desk. “Really? PM?” i whispered.
“I’m so sorry Ms. Medina,” she said. “I guess there were some lines crossed on both ends. If you like, I can get you breakfast delivered to your rooms, or get you into Blueberry Luna.”
“That might be nice,” I said with a nod. “We were both so nervous we barely ate anything at the hotel.”
She smiled brightly. “Blueberry Luna is wonderful, but it does always get busy. I’ll call ahead and get you a reservation.”
“Thank you, I suppose we’ll see you again this evening.” I grabbed Cece’s elbow as we left. In the elevator again we were both quiet and unsure.
“Damn,” Cece huffed. “I was ready to rip off that band aid then enjoy the rest of my day. Now we gotta stress the rest of the day.”
“We’ll enjoy our day. Go swimming, see the beach,” I sighed, although I was feeling a touch defeated too.
We went to the restaurant which was on the beach. It had this cozy hybrid atmosphere of part cabana and part cottage. We were seated instantly, given probably the best seat in the whole place. The food was to die for, and to our surprise our tab was comped by mr. Rodrick for the mistake.
Feeling a bit more lighthearted after a good meal, Cece and I decided we’d go down to the beach. I wasn’t planning to go swimming, but just in case we did I put a leave-in conditioner in my hair. I laid out on the beach, looking out over the water and remembering my childhood back home.
I smiled brightly, easing back upon the towel when a shadow was cast over me. Looking up, I saw a naked man upon the big rock above me. He was wet and pushing his wet hair away from his face. I don’t think he noticed me below at all. I wanted to say something, but I was rendered silent by the absolute display of it all. He was a lot of man to take in. Tall, broad back, thick arms and thighs, lots of tattoos on his bronze skin. He turned slightly and I think that’s when he saw me.
“Hello there,” he waved.
I waved back, still unable to speak.
He picked up something from the rock and tied it around his waist. “Enjoying the view?” he asked, and I had no clue if he was being cheeky or genuine.
“It’s fine.” My voice squeaked.
He chuckled and came down from the rock. He was still a lot of man to drink in. He was a touch older, his long hair was dark grey with streaks of pale silver and black. He had tattoo sleeves on both arms, as well as his chest and back. Mostly flowers, but lots of dark shadows and imagery too. I was trying to keep from staring, but I was failing.
“Sorry,” he said with a big, bright smile. “Didn’t mean to bother you.”
I just shook my head. That’s when I noticed his eyes were frosty blue. “Public beach,” my voice cracked. “What can you do?”
He smiled and I might as well have swooned onto a chaise lounge. “Still, I doubt many want to happen upon a man out of his swim trunks,” he laughed.
I should have bit my lip but I decided to speak up instead. “You don’t get online often do you?”
His laugh was boisterous and loud, but his smile was all that I needed. “I would like to, but now I’m worried about what I’ll find.” He knelt down and extended his big hand to me. “Mikky,” he introduced himself.
When I took his hand it was as warm as the sand and as soft as suede. His nails were painted black, and the tattoos on the back of his hand were roses. “Toni,” I said softly.
“Toni,” he repeated the name, making me conjure up another chaise lounge. “My pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.” I really wish I had said anything other than that.
Mikky’s smile could keep several fantasies fueled for the next couple of weeks. The way it was crooked, the way it crinkled his eyes, the way I couldn’t even describe how sexy it was without needing a fan. “I’d love to keep going, but I’m afraid I have to catch a shower before work,” he said. “Maybe I’ll accidentally ruin your view again.”
He was being cheeky! “Sure,” I murmured.
Mikky stood up, pushing his mane back again. “Another day, Toni.” he walked away right as Cece was walking up.
“Whoa,” she coughed. “What was that?”
I looked back as Mikky walked away. “Okay, so you saw him too? I wasn’t hallucinating?”
Cece nodded and bit her lip. “I saw a man I could leave my husband for.”
We went back to the Rodrick Building that evening after going through our beauty regiment again and stressing over the logistics of our argument. This time, the receptionist let us into the office. It was beautiful, all glass, facing the ocean which was illuminated pink with the sunset. The table was set for dinner and there was wine chilling.
“Mr. Roderick will be with you in a moment. Go ahead and have a seat.” the receptionist said.
“Can I have a small table to display?” I asked her softly.
She nodded. “Of course Ms. Medina! I’ll go get it.”
“Smells good,” Cece murmured.
I looked around the office, too nervous to want to sit still. I wanted to display our products, so it would help me dissuade my nerves. Once the table was brought in I opened up the case and started setting things out.
A moment later the door opened again. “Well, hello ladies. So glad to finally have you.”
I looked up, expecting Mr. Roderick, but instead it was Mikky holding a corkscrew and wearing an exquisite suit. His smile grew when he saw me. “Well hello, Toni.”
I gulped. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Cece waved from the table.
“Sorry, I had to step out to this,” Mikky said, taking up the wine bottle. “Although, you probably don’t want a drink until after your presentation.” He popped from the cork from the bottle and sniffed it.
“Aren’t you that guy on the beach this afternoon?” Cece asked.
Mikky chuckled. “I am often on the beach.”
“You’re Mr. Roderik?”
He sighed heavily. “I am, although I hate being called that. Come sit down, Toni.” He pulled out a chair. “I want to hear your pitch for your business as well as enjoy a good meal with some beautiful women.”
Cece was eating it up, but I was more nervous now than before. I sat down, watching his arms as he pushed in my chair. “Thank you,” I was a bit breathless. “Where would you like us to start?”
“Well, I’m happy to answer any questions,” he said. “I know there is usually some. I feel it helps to break the ice to start there.”
Cece was quick on the trigger. “Is there a reason you support companies that are led by people of color?”
Mikky chuckled. “Well, aside from it being the right thing to do, I think it’s important. Not to mention my father was a bitgoted monster and I want to use his money to piss him off in the afterlife so, here we are.”
Cece grinned. “I like that.”
“There is a lot of creativity and ingenuity that goes unnoticed in this world, I’d like to hope I can help it be seen.” He motioned over to the display table. “Cosmetics is something I’ve yet to dive into, and it’s one of the most popular industries in the world right now. Tell me, what sets yours apart?”
This was my part, I had memorized everything, but in that moment I couldn’t think of anything.
“Toni?” Cece whispered.
“The packaging looks very unique,” Mikky murmured. “Tell me about it.”
“It’s uhm-” I cleared my throat and drank some water. “It’s our goal to have recycled and recyclable packaging. We’re aiming to use glass and compostable materials only within the next five years. But of course, those things cost a lot of money. And in order to be able to fulfill our promises, we also need to become reliable in the eyes of the market as well as our customers. Having refillable options would be a big and understandably uneasy step for a lot of people.”
Mikky’s blue eyes lit up. “Refillable options?”
“Yes. Reusable containers is something we’re striving towards. Until we can have a brick and mortar business, we will offer either the option to send your container in and be refilled by us, or to have refills in containers that can be easily recycled or composted.”
“That’s very interesting,” Mikky is taking notes on his tablet. “Do you want a physical storefront? In the packet you sent you only mentioned expanding your office space.”
I nodded. “It’s a dream, of course. But we’re trying to remain realistic. Online shopping is only going to grow and we need to keep up with the demand for that.”
As the evening went on, we talked more, ate, and had some wine. By the time everything we had to say was over, the world outside was dark. Mikky walked us down that long hallway to the elevator.
“I’ll go over everything on my own, then I’ll schedule a meeting with some of my partners and we’ll have that second meeting you scheduled” he pressed the button ont he elevator. “Thank you both for your time and effort. I can see how passionate you are about this.”
I smiled at him. “Thank you. I know you must be busy.”
Mikky returned that smile. “This is my joy.”
As Cece and I got back onto the elevator I sighed with relief, slouching back against the wall. “Oh well,” I huffed.
“Oh well?” Cece looked cross at me. “Oh well? What? Did you see something I didn’t?”
“Not with the meeting.” I sat back up. “I just mean I can’t have a fling with our potential business partner.”
“You scared me!” Cece huffed. “Oh right. Well, there’s always dreams right?”
When we got back to the hotel, I laid down while Cece went to the bathroom. I noticed I had a message on my phone. It was from Mikky.
“I know I may be out of bounds here, but I would love to see you again. Not just in a meeting. Do you have plans for breakfast?”
“What’s that look for?” Cece asked as she came out of the bathroom.
“Mikky just asked out.” I was still in a bit of shock.
Cece clambered over, sitting beside me and looking at my phone. “No way! What’d you say?”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip. “I want to say yes but-”
“Just do it,” Cece urged. “What’s the harm with just breakfast?”
I could fret over this all night and never answer. But I wanted to answer him. “Just breakfast.” I murmured. I answered him and sent send.
“I’ll see you at Blueberry Luna then,” he answered back.
“This could be bad, we could fuck up our funding,” I grumbled.
“Over breakfast?” Cece laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Just see what happens.”
The next morning I went to Blueberry Luna, standing there as I waited to be seen. I had tried to dress casual, I didn’t want him thinking I was trying. Once I was led back to his table, I felt my stomach drop. He was so handsome, but I was confused by the fur coat he had.
“Good morning,” he stood up to pull out my chair. He then took my hand and kissed the knuckles. Who did that?
“Good morning.” I sat down and watched him. “I’m a bit surprised to be here.”
“Really? How come?”
I shrugged, fidgeting a bit. “I mean, we could be business partners. I figured this would be a...sort taboo situation.”
“Once it goes through it’s just my money, which is controlled by my business partners. So technically, it’s a company thing, not a me thing. I just like knowing the people behind it all personally before everything becomes official. Does that make sense?”
“You’re getting to know me personally,” I muttered.
“That,” he grinned and poured me coffee. “I can’t get you out of my head.”
My heart was fighting with my ribcage in a death match that was beginning to bring my other organs into the blood feud. “Oh,” I choked.
“It may be a bit taboo,” he smirked at the word. “But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and your beautiful face since I first saw you.”
“Oh,” I coughed again.
“Is that okay?” Mikky chuckled.
I nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a surprise still.”
Mikky sipped his coffee. “There is another reason,.” he reached back and touched that fur coat. “You see, I'm a selkie and it will be mating season very soon.”
Every hair on my body bristled. “What does that mean?”
Mikky chuckled. “I didn’t mean for that to come out as strange as it did. I uhm-” his cheeks darkened as he tried to sort his words out. “Oh god, no matter how I try to phrase this I sound insane!”
“You’re looking for a mate?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I don’t want kids. But the heat it uh...gets uncomfortable. Shit I sound gross. I’m really just trying to be honest. I like you,” he said this with sincerity. “You’re beautiful and articulate and passionate. I want to get to know as best I can. But when the heat starts-”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “I think I see where you’re going. You want to go at this earnestly, but by the time we get comfortable, you’ll be horny all the time.”
Mikky nodded shyly. “That’s it.”
I let my smile free and chuckled to myself. “Okay, Mr. Selkie. I’m interested. I actually really appreciate your attempts at honesty.”
“I think you’re something special, Toni,” he said softly. “I want to take my time with you. I want to be the best version of myself. But in a few weeks I won’t be.” Even his nervous smile was exquisite. “I’ll be something else then.”
“Well,” I smiled down at my coffee. “My mom always said that you never really know someone until you see them at their worst. If you can accept that, then you can see each other through anything.”
Mikky licked the corner of his mouth. “I’m not my best, but I’m certainly not at my worst,” he said seductively. “Just to warn you.”
