Back at the pool, Emily's trust was no match for mermaid lust.
Melissa continued to have doubts, torn by her internal conflict over what she wanted to do and what she thought she should do (and uncertainty about whether what she wanted to do was the result of her current condition). Stefanie had no such qualms. Emily's younger sister had always been fiesty and strongwilled, and no stranger about using her attitude and looks to persuade others. Stef had been secretly harboring a crush on her sister's best friend for awhile and had been very turned on by the sight of Melissa as a mermaid; now that they were both mermaids, Stefanie's was determined to erase Melissa's doubts.
As they talked, Stefanie backed Melissa against the side of the pool. "Nobody's around. We've got plenty of time. I want you. You want me. Emily will understand."
Melissa felt her back against the side of the pool. No where to go. "I don't know..." she muttered again.
"Let me help you make up your mind" Stefanie offered. She pressed her body against Melissa's and her lips to Melissa's as well.
Melissa felt her resolve crumble. After a moment of hesitantion, she wrapped her arms around Stefanie's body. The two mermaids tails began to instintictive entwine as they began to sink beneath the water.
Just before their heads slipped under the water, both mermaids her a sound that snapped them back to reality: the gate to the pool area opening then closing. They were backed against the wall near the gate and so weren't immediately visible to someone approaching the pool. Who would come down for a swim on a day like this?
The mermaids released each other and peered over the edge of the pool where they were spotted immediately.
"Afternoon girls. I didn't know anybody was here. How's the water?"
The voice belonged to an athletic young man who looked about 18. He was stretching on the pool deck. Emily didn't recognize him, but Stefanie did.
"I've seen him around the apartments" she whispered to her fellow mermaid. "I think he's on a swim team."
"We didn't think anyone else would go swimming today with this weather" said Melissa.
"Yeah" he said "but I never miss my daily swim."
"Well, we were just taking a break between swimming laps ourselves" said Stefanie. "I don't think this pool is big enough for three people to swim laps at the same time."
"It'll be fine" he said as he finished his stretching and walked to the edge of the pool.
Melissa and Stefanie looked at each other with great concern. "What are we going to do?" hissed Melissa just loud enough for Stef to hear her. They tried to hold their tails downward to make them less noticeable, but given their colors the tails were impossible to miss.
"You two have some pretty impressive waterproof makeup on."
"You have no idea" said Melissa.
"Those mermaid tails are pretty impressive costumes" he added.
"Thanks" said Stefanie. "We're professional mermaids and were practicing!"
"Do you usually perform topless in your tails?"
Stefanie and Melissa looked at each other, looked down at their respective chests, and quickly folded their arms across their chests. They had been so focused on swimminig and each other that both had forgotten to put tops on before coming down to the pool!
"Artistic reasons" said Stefanie. "Do you think real mermaids would wear seashells?"
"Makes sense. Not that I was complaining; you're both beautiful mermaids."