Dating Dolphins: What is Acceptable Behavior?

What started out as a water fight (she was just flirting, I guess), ended up with a joyride and a kiss.

I came down to the Florida Keys to help out my brother and his companion who live/work at the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key. They had to leave town for a couple of weeks and they needed someone to take over as "caretaker" while they were gone. My duties are minimal: be here at night in case something happens; just sort of keep an eye on things after the staff has gone for the day. That being the case, my plan was to write and read--and I have been doing just that (I'm 144 pages into the next novel, really). But when one gets invited to socialize (a closely supervised date, rest assured) with a couple of pretty lady dolphins, who would say no?

I must have charming water-fighting skills because I was invited to go for a ride. I don't know how it was for them, but it felt finny to me.

After a hot afternoon with the girls, we came to that always-awkward moment: do you try to kiss her goodbye? And which one do you kiss? I think I chose the prettiest one although I couldn't tell them apart. A small peck on the cheek could be the start of something big (Notice her eyes are closed--always a good sign that things went well. In fact, she seems to be a state of ecstacy. Really! Just look at her. She doesn't know I'm 62 and take blood pressure medication).

I'll be here until Tuesday the 12th when I fly back to home and hearth and waiting/working wife. Then it will be time to finally drive up to Long Island to get our new sailboat in the water and start the long sail home to the Chesapeake. And the next novel, Book II in The Eye of the Stallion trilogy (The Mirrors of Castaway Time) should come out this summer. As far as my new friends are concerned, I'm not taking the relationship too seriously. Today I saw them cavorting with other men. Have they no shame?