Rory laughed. "Oh that's fantastic. I bet no one even suspects anything, huh?" He grinned.

Elea stared at him for a few moments before she snorted.

"Sorry, no," she said, her voice flat. "I'm not dating anyone who has other girls. I refuse to be part of some harem."

"Not a clue," Lotus agreed. She grinned. "Although some of the others always ask me who taught me to swim like that. Apparently it's a difficult skill to master."

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't mind my attention before," he pointed out. "I can take care of you like you deserve, and I'm not one of those who requires his females to pop out offspring every year. Just tell me what you want and I can give it to you."

"For humans, I'm sure it is," Rory said with a grin. "I'm impressed. Bet it makes for an amusing summer job."

"Before I didn't know you had a harem," Elea hissed. "And I don't need anything. I am perfectly self-sufficient on my own."

"It does," Lotus replied.

"I'm not implying you aren't," Tristan replied. "I'm saying I can give you anything you want or need, I can give you the attention you deserve."

Rory grinned. "Man, I'd like to see that sometime. You said it's basically every summer?"

"Yeah, me and how many others?" Elea glared at him. "I don't know what a normal selkie does, but I know I don't want to part of any harem. If I want someone, I want exclusivity."

"Pretty much," Lotus replied as she hung up the last of the clothes.

"Four others," Tristan said. Hey, he was being honest. "Una, Sierra, Gem, and Violet." He looked at her for a moment. "Any other selkie male would say the same. You females outnumber us almost five to one, usually. And you can ask Una, it's not a bad arrangement. I don't make my girls live with me, it's their choice if they want kids, and I take care of their needs."

"Well, I'll have to come look this summer." He grinned. "Should be quite a show."

Elea shook her head. "Alright. Good to know. I have work to do now." She turned and headed for the back again.

"You do that," Lotus said as she worked on putting things away. In between that, she checked the sales for the day and made a note on one of the clipboards at the counter.

Tristan almost told her to wait, and then thought better of it. He would give her time to mull things over before he talked to her again.

Rory chuckled. "Well, you look like your busy, and I don't want to keep you too distracted. Feel free to send me away if I'm bothering you."

Elea headed back to the back to think. She knew that the seals and sea lions wouldn't understand, but Lotus would.

"Stay if you like, I don't care," Lotus replied. "I have things I need to get done regardless."

Rory nodded, and then glanced back behind the counter when he heard her cell phone go off.

Lotus blinked and went to get it. She frowned slightly when she saw it was Elea.

"What's up?" she asked as she answered it.

"Apparently selkies have harems," Elea growled, pacing the back room. "And Tristan's trying to recruit me into his!"

"Sweets, slow down and tell me everything in the proper order," Lotus said. She glanced over when she heard the bell on the door ring. "Or not. Tell me everything later, I have people in the store at the moment. But I promise I'll listen when we get home."

Elea grumbled. "Fine. When we get home. If I get home without throttling him. I'll see you then." She hung up and spent a bit of time pacing and calming herself down again.

Lotus hung up the phone.

"That was weird," she murmured. She plastered on her 'I'm here to help you' smile as she greeted her customers, but then turned her attention away from them again.

"Something wrong?" Rory asked, moving over to the counter after a few moments of debate. He could see that something had just happened, he just wasn't sure what.

"She said something about Tristan and a harem," Lotus replied. She looked at him. "Any idea what she might be talking about?"

"Oh. Yeah. Every since Tristan met her he's wanted her to be part of his group of girls. Apparently that's how selkies work since there are more males than females. Although he has four girls already, I don't know why he'd want more."

Lotus blinked. Well, she could understand why Elea was upset, then.

"Yeah, that would be why Elea isn't pleased," she commented. "She kind of liked him, up until now. I'm betting she's pissed off now."

"Can't say I blame her. I personally think it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, yeah, there are many more female selkies than male, but even still." He shrugged. "I don't agree with it."

"We're different," Lotus pointed out. "Our kind is split pretty much fifty-fifty, so we don't need harems." She made a face, "But I don't like the idea, either."

Rory shook his head. "Tristan isn't bad, for a selkie, but he does have a harem. I still say it's ridiculous, but it's not my place to say." He paused briefly. "Unless, of course, he brings them over. In which case I complain. A lot."

Lotus snickered.

"Too much estrogen for you?" she teased.

"Good god, yes," Rory groaned. "They watch awful shows and movies and gossip and paint their nails and it's just horrible."