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“It is.” He felt the need to reiterate that. “Definitely a date.”
Caroline bit her lower lip and nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Dune winked. “Me, too.”
“Yo, Captain. What’s the deal?” Speed came toward Dune with a clipboard interrupting them, which Dune was thankful for. As much as he enjoyed staring at Caroline, they had this odd moment between them, and he didn’t know how to get past it. With Speed in the mix, they were all work now, and they’d play later. Dune took it and looked at the list of tours they had going on today. He needed for the rest of his crew to get home from college and out of high school, so his current staff wasn’t spread so thin. He handed the clipboard back to Speed.
“Caroline and I will take the mimosa tour. Whoever does the whale and dolphin tour, take Randy with you. We’ll switch it up at lunch so we’re not all doing the same runs.”
Dune motioned for Caroline to follow him. They boarded, and each grabbed a crate to carry to the top deck. “Are you okay doing mimosas?” he asked.
“I think I’d rather drive the boat.”
Dune laughed hard. “Maybe by the end of the summer you can captain.”
Caroline’s eyes went wide. “Seriously?”
“Of course. Between Speed, Wilson, and me, you’ll be able to run your own tour.”
“And you’d let me?”
“I mean, I’d be there to help in case something went awry. But yes, I’d let you.”
“Wow, thanks!”
Dune busied himself with making sure he accounted for all the life jackets, and nothing was amiss on his boat. He signaled to Randy to let his guests come through the gate. Caroline came down from her top deck bar and stood next to Dune. Together, they greeted each person who came on board, and she told them that once they set sail, she’d have mimosas ready for them. Dune watched Caroline as she helped people, showing them where the life jackets were, the bathroom, and answering questions. After only a few days of working with them, she was fairly knowledgeable. Whoever she would be working for in September was lucky to have her. That thought twisted Dune’s stomach into a knot.
Before Caroline went to the top deck, she helped Dune release the boat from the slip. As soon as he started in about the scenery, he saw her give him a little wave and disappear up the ladder.
“Make sure you head upstairs and get your mimosa before we start. It’s a beautiful day today and I don’t want you to miss anything. When you get back, find your spot, and get your camera ready. We’re going to head out to the bay, go by some lighthouses, and maybe we’ll encounter a pod of whales or dolphins. You never know what you’re going to find,” he said.
And then he added, “I’m Dune and I’ll be your tour guide today while Caroline will serve you eight different kinds of mimosas. Sit back, drink, and enjoy the ride. Thank you for choosing Blue Lobster Adventures.”
caroline
Caroline rushed home after work to get ready for her date with Dune. She showered, shaved, plucked, and moisturized every inch of her body with her glow lotion. It gave her skin some shimmer and a bit of sparkle, and she loved the coconut smell. It made her love summer even more than she already did.
She stared at her clothes. One of her favorite dresses, a cobalt blue dress, hung on the door and a pair of jeans laid on the bed. Caroline went back and forth on what she should wear. Dune said they were going to a clam shack to get food and then would drive out to the state park—in a car she didn’t even know he owned.
“Why would you?” she muttered.
Caroline reached for her phone and tapped on the weather app to check the forecast. It was still warm out and the sun wouldn’t set for some time still, although the wind coming off the ocean could cause her to chill. She opted for the jeans, with a pair of sandals, and a flowy top. She’d take a sweater in case she got cold, especially since Dune’s car—whatever it was—didn’t have a top. It was probably a Jeep or something equally rugged.
She gelled, braided her wet hair, and let it sit while she did her makeup, keeping her look natural. Now that Caroline was out of school, this was the look she preferred. She hated having to get “dolled” up every time she went out. It was a chore and sometimes a hassle, and it annoyed her to no end when she’d have to spend a god-awful amount of time removing it all at night.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, she moved side to side to check her makeup. After applying the finishing powder, she deemed herself date worthy, and turned the blow dryer on. Time was of the essence and while she would normally love to curl her hair, this method would give her hair some beach waves. After she finished, she gave her hair a quick finger comb, and she was perfect.
