Dean huffed with a little pout and Colton snickered. “Relax, Dean. You’ll love the surprise. I promise.”
Colton took the Bayshore Freeway all the way downtown, then merged onto the Eisenhower Highway.
Dean quickly turned in his seat to face Colton. “Oh, God. Please tell me you’re not taking me to Oakland.”
Colton snorted. “I’ll have you know, Oakland is the most romantic place on Earth! But no. Patience, sweetie.”
Dean melted. Colton had never called him ‘sweetie’ before, and he felt a heavy swoon coming on.
They quickly exited off the Eisenhower, putting Dean’s mind at ease that they weren’t actually heading to Oakland. Colton drove them through Union Square and the Financial District, then took a left turn onto The Embarcadero. They finally reached their destination, Pier 40 on the San Francisco Bay.
Dean turned to Colton with a huge, excited grin. “Are we going to Alcatraz?”
Colton tittered. “I actually thought about that, but I wasn’t sure you’d be interested.” Dean deflated a little. “But maybe we can make that our second date?”
“Then what are we doing?” Dean pleaded.
“God, you are impatient!” Colton laughed. “Come on, it’s this way.”
They walked toward the end of the pier, and Dean saw a classic Tall Ship in the distance, the kind of ships you’d see in period pieces and pirate movies. Dean’s heart began to race at the sight of the huge sailboat straight ahead.
He didn’t…did he? Dean thought.
Colton stopped in front of the ship with a huge shit-eating grin. “Here we are!”
Holy fuck, he did!
They walked up the gangplank and were met by a stately older gentleman in a naval uniform.
“Gentlemen. Welcome aboard the Bay Beauty. I’m Captain Thompson,” he greeted them with a smile.
“Our crew is ready to serve you, and we hope you have a wonderful evening.”
With that, he nodded and headed toward the ship’s bridge.
A younger man dressed in a black tuxedo strode up to replace Captain Thompson. “Good evening, my name is Felix. I will be taking care of you this evening. Right this way to your table.”
“Thank you, Felix.” Colton grinned and took Dean’s hand.
Felix led them to the bow of the ship, where a single dining table sat with a white linen tablecloth and candles. White twinkling lights crisscrossed above the table across the bow of the ship. Warmth spread across Dean’s cheeks as he took in the magical, romantic setting, and his heart thumped in his chest. He wanted to grab Colton for a kiss right there, but Felix probably would not approve.
“Did you rent anentireship for our date?” Dean whispered as they were seated.
“Yep.” Colton popped the P. “I sure did. Nothing is too good for my baby.”
Dean felt his cheeks blush, and a big smile stretched across his face. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
Felix poured each of them a flute of champagne. “We will begin with cocktails and appetizers, and you can explore the deck and enjoy the sights,” Felix explained. “Please, let me know when you're ready for your dinner.”
“Excellent, Felix. Thank you.” Colton smiled as he raised his glass to toast Dean. “Cheers, Dean. Here’s to the first of many dates.”
***
Colton
They set sail as the sun was setting over the bay, creating a stunning backdrop of orange and purple over the water. He had chartered the ship to sail around Alcatraz and Angel Island before slowly heading back to the pier, allowing for breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge.
They walked to the front of the bow, taking in the beautiful scenery, sipping their champagne.
