Oil & Water

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>An Olive Oil Broker and a Mermaid Walk Into a Book . . .</strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>It's not like I intended to get naked at the rehearsal dinner for my brother's wedding.</strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In the parking lot. With his best friend.</strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In my defense he has a beard now. And I was soaking wet.</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In our combined defense we weren't doing anything other than drying off. In further defense of my own actions I was merely gazing at the pool wishing I could go for a swim when my brother's lunatic best friend ran up behind me and shoved me in. Hence the need to dry off in the parking lot. The high beams that spotlighted us could hardly have been anticipated.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>My brother has the perfect job and he's marrying the perfect woman. The wedding will also be perfect. As will the honeymoon and the immaculate offspring they will no doubt spawn to carry on the family tradition of normalcy.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I'm the misfit-a professional mermaid in a family full of traditionalists. And if I don't get an audition with the pod of my dreams soon I'll have to rent out my tail to make my car note.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The last thing I have time for in my life right now is a man especially my brother's best friend.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Okay so he grew up and grew a beard. And being an olive oil broker might be a cool job. But he's still that same obnoxious guy who was always hanging around our house eating all my good snacks and making dumb jokes.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I mean come on! The guy rides a skateboard to work!</span></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>How long can two misfits deny how well they fit together?</strong></p><p></p><p></p>