Landlocked 25

        The French shopkeeper at the local tailor’s recognized them immediately.
“You are ze two storee-tellers from ze market-plaze!” She squealed, taking hold of Ariel’s hands in her large, soft ones. “My cheel-dran love your storees! My dau-taer even wants to be a mare-maid when she grows up!” She smiled sweetly, leading Ariel back to where the dresses were hanging.
“You are heer for a dress, are you not?” She turned Jim, who was looking over a black leather coat, with a scandalous glint in her eye. “It is obvee-ous that zeez clothes are not a ladee’s.”
Jim frowned slightly. “It’s not like that.” He said sternly. “She needs a dress because she’s going to go see the prince tomorrow.” The storekeeper nearly shrieked in delight; this was better than a scandal.
“I have ze perfect sing for you, darleen!” She cooed, rushing into the back.
Ariel stroked the delicate fabrics in awe. Nothing this fine would last underwater, ‘which is a shame’ she mused. At the end of rack, hidden by the rest, was a sleeveless, light blue gown. It was of simple design, streamed to fit the body, but made of a stretchy, durable material to allow the wearer to move about (namely, dance). She gasped, taking it off of the rack to press it to her body. It seemed to sparkle from beneath the seams, even in the dim room. She spun around, giggling as the cloth brushed her bare calves. Jim pretended not to see, wheeling behind a shelf of boots before allowing himself to smile.
“I have eet!”
Ariel hurriedly returned the shimmery gown before the shopkeeper came out with another. This one was a rose pink with puffy shoulders and a low neckline. Jim leaned around the shelf to see what the woman had chosen, then quickly hid himself again so the vender wouldn’t think to suggest something for him to match. As Ariel graciously accepted the gaudy dress and was ushered into a small room to change, Jim wheeled around the shelves to the dresses rack, opposite to the side where Ariel had been earlier. He tugged the side of the blue gown thoughtfully.
        Ariel knocked on the wall a few minutes later to signal that she had changed. Jim immediately went to meet her, then stopped short. The dress was still as prissy and ridiculous as ever, but somehow Ariel wearing it made that OK. What’s more, it fit her like a glove, hugging just the right curves and gliding gracefully in long folds over her legs. She had retained her innocence, but still looked like she belonged in a court. Like she belonged in a fairy tale.
With a prince.
Jim’s face fell at the notion, the shopkeeper’s praise not reaching his deaf ears.
Ariel was getting dressed up for the prince, not him. She loved Eric, not him. She was leaving him. Even though he had seen it coming, it was like his father all over again. Knowing there must be a look of horror on his face, Jim wheeled around, silently laying the due on the countertop and leaving the store, jingling the bell over the door.
        Ariel whirled around at the sound, cutting off the woman who was still cooing over how the dress was “just MADE for her”.
‘Where’s Jim?’ She asked, almost desperately.
“He lef,” Sebastian called from across the room, extracting himself from Ariel’s discarded clothes. “Poor boy. Looked like ‘ee had seen a ghost.” The ex-mermaid’s eyes widened in terror. Did she look so horrible? For some reason, the idea that Jim didn’t like how she looked made her stomach drop. What made it fall even further was the fear that--
‘He left me behind?’ She whimpered. She looked out the shop window frantically. Jim was nowhere in sight. She looked back at the French woman in desperation. The woman only smiled-- she had been a lovesick teenager once herself-- and waved her out, pointing to the money on the desk.
“He’s alredee paid, luv.” She crooned. “Go on.” Putting on her slippers and sweeping up Sebastian and her old clothes, Ariel rushed out of the shop, slamming the door back with a bang.
        Jim rolled slowly down the street, beating himself up with each rotation of the wheels. He had decided not to chase after her. He had decided to be cool and compliant. Ariel could choose what was best for her...
But what about what’s best for me? Jim shot back viciously. If his voice of reason had been a real person, it would have recoiled. When does that come into the equation? Do I just look on without trying? What if I’m better for her?
The spacer shook his head. But he wasn’t. He didn’t belong on Earth, much less in this country. She would be happier here, with a life a prince had to offer. Then why did his heart hurt so much? Tears slid unbidden down his face and he wiped them away indignantly. This was childish. Crying over an almost complete stranger.
So what was he going to do now? Ariel was going to want an explanation for his running out. That was easy enough... if he could face her again. Jim had always been one to see the hope in every situation, but unless Ariel showed some hint of returning his affections, he didn’t know if he could-- suddenly, pink arms encircled his neck and closed in a vice-like grip, stopping Jim in his tracks. He felt something press into his shoulder and hair brush his ear.
“A-Ariel?” He stuttered, raising a hand to pat her head. “A-Are you OK?” She shook her head into his shoulder and grabbed the hand on her hair, seizing the wrist with her left hand and scribbling into it with her right;
‘Is the dress ugly? Am I ugly?’
Jim frowned. Wasn’t she only asking him this because she was concerned what Eric would think? Then he felt her tears soak through her shirt, and his heart panged. He knew that wasn’t the case.
‘You’re angry with me, aren’t you?’ Her hands shook as she wrote. Jim shook his head in answer, cursing himself silently.
He had been too harsh to leave her like that. Besides, they only had a short time left together; at least, in this happy way. He shouldn’t taint it with jealousy.
“How could anyone--hate that dress--” he began, his mouth dry, “When you are in it?” He felt her smile into the fabric of his shirt, and he couldn’t suppress a small one of his own.
‘I like you, too.’ She replied, though he couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic.
“Aryal!” Sebastian cried abruptly. Jim wanted to growl at him for ruining the mood. “Yoo ah still in de gown fo de Prince! Yoo shud go back an’ change!” Ariel nodded reluctantly and released Jim. She looked uncertainly at the men’s clothes she’d dropped on the ground.