When Lyssa was seven, she watched The Little Mermaid and was disappointed that Ariel would give up her whole life for a man. Now 30, she notes how the only interaction she has ever had with the sea is at her current job; she works in the gift shop of a museum that features a replica of the Titanic.

The museum makes most of its money from birthday parties and weddings held on the upper decks. Near the end of the summer, a pop star rents the entire Titanic for a music video. When the director sees Lyssa, she is chosen to dress up as a sea monster and work in the gift shop in the background of the video shoot.

Typically, her coworker, Mackenzie, is the one who dresses up and participates in parties and events, usually as a princess. Because she is Black, Lyssa usually doesn’t dress up; her boss claims that he wants to maintain “historical accuracy.” Now, Mackenzie is jealous and unsuccessfully attempts to get the director’s attention. Mackenzie tells Lyssa that she was probably chosen for the shoot because the director wants to sleep with her. This turns out to be true, as the director asks Lyssa back to his hotel after the last day of shooting.