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His feelings were irrational, at best. He never cared about anyone’s financial status until they sat on one of his boats. Then he worried. People like the woman who was clearly alone, looking as if she was lost, scared him. More often than not, they had higher expectations of the things they partook in, like his tours.
What if they didn’t like the seats? The leather or coloring? What if the faux teak flooring was too faux for them?
What if they didn’t like the way he drove or spoke? He had an accent and joked a lot, that’s who he was.
What if they didn’t like Speed or Wilson and left a bad review?
The woman sat down and pulled her Chloé bag to her lap, hugging it tightly. She tilted her head slightly and the sunlight beamed off the diamond earrings she wore. Dune swore she made eye contact with him, but he’d never know for sure unless she removed her glasses.
“Her scarf is Hermes,” Wilson told Dune quietly.
Dune turned away from looking at her. “How do you know?”
Wilson held his phone up. “Ana texted. Said her shoes are Chanel. She also said she asked her where she got her scarf. It’s all legit, no knockoffs.”
“Excellent,” Dune said. “I like a challenge. Five-star rating, here I come.” This was the only thing he could think to say because his irrational fear of failing this particular tourist had somehow turned into an attraction he wasn’t expecting. Dune hadn’t even seen her eyes or spoken to her, and yet he wanted to know how soft her skin was or what kind of perfume she wore. Hell, he wanted to know everything about her, and that wasn’t something he was accustomed to.
As Speed, Wilson, and Randy untied the boat, Dune slipped his microphone over his ear, turned on the headset, and directed his craft out to sea. Once he was away from the harbor, he turned the boat over to Speed and addressed the guests.
“Good morning everyone, I’m Dune. Thank you for choosing Blue Lobster Adventures. We’re a family-owned business that has been around for generations and have a number of businesses here in Seaport. If you’d like to know what else we offer, Ana will help you once we return to the dock. My mates on board with us today are Speed and Wilson. Under the seats, you will find flotation devices. If at any time you feel you need one, please put one on; they are there for your safety. Also, if at any time you don’t feel well, please let one of us know. There’s no shame in being queasy. We may hit some rough waters, and it’s best to stay seated until we slow down. Let me, Speed, or Wilson know if you have questions or need something.”
A young boy raised his hand. “Are we going to see whales?”
Dune nodded. “That’s the plan. Sometimes they scatter off, but lately they’ve hung around. The water temperature here is perfect for them right now and they like to hang out.”
“Can I touch one?”
“If one gets close to the boat, you can definitely put your hand in the water as long as it’s okay with your parents.”
Dune took over and steered the boat toward their destination. Twenty minutes later, Speed called out that he spotted a pod. Of course, everyone stood to take a look. All except Prada—it was what he’d call her until she gave him her name.
“Okay, folks. Slowly make your way to the starboard side. There’s enough room for everyone.” As soon as Dune finished his sentence, a whale made its appearance. Everyone ooh’d and awe’d. Some clapped, and another exclaimed they got it on video if anyone wanted a copy. The entire time, Dune watched Prada to see her reaction. He wanted to talk to her, but now was not the time or place. If she were on a different tour, he could get to know her, but this one was specific—find the whales.
By the time the tour was almost over, they had seen a very generous pod who weren’t shy about showing off their jumping abilities. On the trek back to the dock, Dune chatted to the guests on board. He pointed out houses, landmarks and told tall tales about pirates, which the young kid on board wanted to dispute. Of course, his only knowledge was that of Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean being a movie and not real life.
They reached the dock, and Dune jumped off to tether the boat to the cleat. As each guest disembarked, he offered his hand to help them if needed. This normally wasn’t his job, but Prada didn’t seem too excited to see the pod of whales and hadn’t really paid him much attention while on board. He wasn’t used to this kind of indifference and was intrigued about her.
