Page 5 of Fionn (Starlight Mermen #1 | Starlight Alien Mail Order Brides #7)

Elise

M y trainer's grave expression told me everything I'd feared.

"I won't be going to the Olympics," I said, each word a stab in my heart.

She nodded, sympathy reflecting in her eyes. "I am so sorry. It was a close call. But Jemima got better times than you three competitions in a row. They had to make a decision based on recent times, not past performance. Again, I’m so sorry, Ells. Maybe next time."

We both knew she was lying. There wouldn't be a next time. I'd reached, maybe passed my peak. I was too old to wait another four years. The Olympics were only a dream now.

I turned away from Caitlyn to hide the tears burning in my eyes. I'd expected this, but that didn't make it any easier.

The pool had emptied; all the other athletes were in the showers.

The water was calling me. I dove in a perfect arch, the cool water welcoming me home.

I stayed underwater until my lungs burned before resurfacing reluctantly.

I didn't bother checking if Caitlyn was still around.

I needed to think. And that meant I had to swim.

I lost track of the laps I did. Back and forth, never touching the pool's edge, one with the water, light and free.

My arms and legs were heavy from exercising all day, but I had no intentions of going home.

I'd only end up reflecting on all the mistakes that had led me to this moment.

I didn't want to sulk. And cry. Yes, I'd definitely cry if I went home.

The pool attendant, grumpy as always, shooed me out of the water just before seven.

As I stood in the shower, warming up my shaking muscles, I debated what to do now.

I could go for a drink. Or ten. I'd earned letting off steam.

There was no point in being at training tomorrow.

I could sleep in for the first time in..

. I didn't even know. The last few months had been harder than any before.

Until today, I'd hoped my injury hadn't held me back - but I'd been swimming with blinkers on.

I was no longer as good as I had been before the accident.

Now I had decisions to make that I had ignored for too long.

If I wasn't an athlete, what was left?

Swimming was my life. All I'd ever wanted to do.

And now it was over.

I slammed my hands against the tiled wall.

"Fuck!"

I was twenty-seven, with no degree, no skills, barely any friends. Well, friends that weren't part of the swimming world. Maybe my dad had been right when he'd told me not to put all my aces on my sport. At least he wasn't around to witness my fall.

A loud knock made me jump.

"Time to go!"

One day, I was going to shove that attendant into the pool. I got that he wanted to go home, but would it hurt to be nice?

Urgh. I didn't want to go to the pub. There would be people. I wanted to be alone. But not at home. So, what were my options? The cinema? Going there by myself was depressing. A long walk? I was exhausted and besides, it was likely still raining.

I kept debating my options while getting dressed and drying my spikey hair. Guess I could let it grow again. It was more practical to keep it short when spending all day in the pool, but now...

Stop moping. Turn a bad thing into something positive.

My mum's voice inside my head made me smile morosely. She'd been one of the most positive people I'd ever met. She would have known what to do.

Something colourful beneath the bench made me bend down. A flyer, tattered and folded multiple times.

We are looking for women wanting to go on an adventure.

Referencing the Hobbit? I liked them already. I sat down and read the leaflet. It didn't give much information besides a promise of excitement, adventure and new experiences. That sounded exactly like what I needed.

See exotic places, explore alien cultures, meet new people - and maybe fall in love!

Tick, tick, tick. I'd travelled a lot for my sport, taken part in competitions all over the world, but I'd rarely ever travelled for enjoyment.

I'd never had the time to take off more than one week.

There was always training. And even when I had gone on holiday with my family, I'd had to spend hours in the gym every day and take care of what I ate rather than just enjoy the local cuisine.

Fuck. I hadn't realised just how much I had missed out on.

Exotic places . Escape from routine. If I was lucky, they had a trip leaving soon, before I gave in to the glum thoughts teetering at the edge of my mind already. Distraction was a great therapy.

I searched the leaflet for more information about pricing, but there was nothing, just a phone number and a QR code.

That seemed a little suspicious, but I wasn't going to make up my mind just yet.

I scanned the code with my phone and a flashy website popped up, full of pictures of gorgeous people in gorgeous places.

One caught my eye, a couple walking in what looked like the Scottish Highlands, him wearing a kilt, her a beautiful white dress that could almost pass as a wedding gown.

The way they held hands, their shoulders almost touching, made me jealous.

I'd never had time for a boyfriend. Swimming had always come first. I'd experimented with guys, most of them athletes like me, but it had never been anything serious.

A heaviness settled deep in my stomach. I'd given up so much for my sport, my passion.

But had it been worth it? I wasn't going to the Olympics.

They might let me compete on a national level for a few more years, but then I'd be nudged to retire.

What would I have then? Nothing but memories. And I'd be alone.

I forced myself to focus on the website and scrolled down, past the pretty pictures, until I found some more text. Most of it matched what I'd already read in the flyer, but a series of questions in bold, bright colours caught my eye.

Do you need a break from everyday life?

Are you looking for new challenges and adventures?

Could you imagine living in exotic places?

Are you single?

Do you want to go on a free, all-expenses-paid trip to a mystery location?

Then fill in this form and we will be in touch!

A free holiday? Surely that was too good to be true. It had to be a scam. They wanted my contact details to sell me something. That had to be it. I was a millennial; I'd grown up with the internet and social media. I knew what to look out for.

But still...

I scrolled down to the very end of the page to see if there was more information about the owners of the site.

Hot Tatties Dating Agency. Headquarters: Glasgow.

I blinked. I'd not expected this to be a dating agency's advert. Why would they organise free holidays? Were they that desperate for fresh meat?

My finger hovered over the button that would close the page.

It had been just a dream, just a moment of hope that I might find new purpose in life.

But all this leaflet had done was show me how I had sacrificed everything for my passion and was about to lose everything.

I was at a crossroads. I could continue swimming until it no longer paid the bills, or I could make the decision to stop myself.

Make plans for a life after. Take charge of my destiny.

I chuckled morosely. I wasn't a hobbit about to go on an adventure, leaving everything behind without a care in the world.

But why shouldn't I?

I took a deep breath and filled in the form. What did I have to lose?