Page 51 of Cocky Cruiser

I found it amusing that so many of our excursions involved getting off one boat to take a shuttle to hop on another. The pier we were dropped off at was lined with different tour shacks offering whale-watching, dolphin tours, and deep-sea fishing, among other things.

I was glad that the cruise line organized the excursions because I would have no idea what company to choose.

We boarded a catamaran with an upper deck and lower inside deck. Adele wanted to sit outside on the top for a better view, so we headed to the upper deck before the seats were filled.

As with all of our other water-related excursions, the guide went over safety procedures and the location of life jackets and emergency exits as we left the harbor.

“Every year, approximately two-thirds of North Pacific humpback whales, estimates range from four thousand to ten thousand whales, migrate to Hawaii's warm waters to mate and to bear and nurse their calves. Because Maui has deeper waters than the other Hawaiian Islands, this is the ideal environment for the humpback whales,” our guide explained. “These amazing giants cover nearly three thousand miles of open ocean in less than two months time, arriving in Hawaii around mid-December and staying until late-April.”

Of course we had to go pretty far out in the ocean before we spotted a whale. Everyone crowded on the right side of the boat as the guide pointed it out. “Look, that one just came up for air!”

There were gasps and awes all around as we saw the blowhole of the whale and the water spurting up into the air, followed a few seconds later by a tail fin.

“An adult humpback whale can hold its breath for up to forty-five minutes, but on average, they come up every five to ten minutes for air.”

Everyone watched with rapt attention on the water, waiting for the next whale to surface. A few minutes later, we saw another spout of water.

“I can’t believe how close to the boat they get,” Adele stated giddily. “I wonder if they ever knock the tour boats over.”

I shrugged. “I’m sure it’s happened, but it’s probably rare. Whales are peaceful creatures.”

Then the moment we’d all been waiting for happened. My jaw dropped as the humungous whale leaped out of the water. “Holy shit.”

Water splashed us from the impact of the whale going back under the surface of the water. Adele looked at me with wide eyes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face. “Oh my God, that was amazing!” she squealed in delight.

It really was something. But the magnificent display had nothing on Adele’s gorgeous smile. That woman did things to me with just a look that I couldn’t explain.

And that would get me in trouble.

I tore my eyes away from her to focus on the enormous creature swimming just below the surface of the water around us. I’d probably never be that close to a whale again, especially in its natural habitat.

“Let’s take a selfie,” Adele said, coming up next to me. She angled her phone up as she pressed her face against mine. I could feel her smile against my cheek as she said, “Smile.”

After she took a couple of pictures, she suggested, “Let’s try to get one with the whale in the background.”

After a few failed attempts, Adele sighed in defeat. “I can’t get the angle right. I’m too short.”

I took the phone from her and positioned it so we could see us with more of the water in the background. “Now let’s just hope the whale comes into the frame.”

Adele wrapped her arms around my middle, posing for the photo. As I draped an arm around her, I couldn’t help but think about how good we looked together. I thought about all the happy couples I saw on social media and how we looked like one of them.

She looked perfect by my side, and I couldn’t deny how much I wanted to keep her there.

Before I could spiral deeper into my thoughts, Adele tugged on my shirt. “Cohen, the whale! Take the picture.”

“Oh, shit.” I quickly came back to reality and snapped a couple of photos. When I was finished, I handed Adele back her phone, and she quickly looked through them.

A smile spread over her face as her eyes scanned the pictures. “These are amazing. Want me to text them to you?”

“Sure,” I said. Photos would be the only keepsake I had of her once the cruise was over, and I wanted to have something to remember her by when we went back to our everyday lives.

I opened up her message and scrolled through the photos. I couldn’t help but smile at them. We looked like a happy couple in love.

Love.

I stiffened, my chest constricting. Thinking about that word made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to consider that I could be in love with Adele.

Clearing my throat, I quickly put my phone away. “Thanks,” I said, avoiding her gaze.

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