"Siesta is only so long, Danakin." I called out to Dan who was carrying two wake boards down the docks to the boat. "Vamos!" I turned up the radio on the boat and and nodded my head to Avril Lavinge's "Here's to Never Growing Up."
"Well if you grew a little then I wouldn't have to drag two wake boards everyday." He teased and placed the boards in the boat. "Oh wait I forgot, Squito doesn't grow. You've been the same height since you were a camper."
"I'm gonna leave without you if you don't get your ass in the boat this second," I threatened and revved the engine.
"Don't make me fire you," He warned and hopped into the boat.
"Now that's low." I said.
"That's the beauty of being your boss. I can always play that card." I could see him grinning as he untied the boat and we drifted from the dock.
"You are the most un-boss I've ever met." I told him. "Not once have you ever used the counselor voice on me…not even when I caught you and Zack drinking in your car that time." I said and started to slowly pull away from the shore of Panther Pond and the camp we worked at.
"I didn't have to use the councilor voice on you. You were scared shitless!" He laughed. "You should've seen your face! Oh God, I remember it like it was yesterday!"
"You made me feel so awful!" I remembered, "You and Zack sat me down and gave me this long talk and I…I thought you were mad at me. I had never seen you so serious."
"Aww, Squits, don't cry," He teased.
"That was four years ago," I said blankly. "Four years."
"Was it really?" Dan asked. He leaned up against the side of the boat and looked like he was doing the mental math. "Wow. Insane isn't' it? That means this is my ninth year here. Five as a camper, four as a councilor. And it's your…" He paused again and started counting.
"Seventh." I said and finished his thought for him. "Six as a camper and this is my first as a councilor."
"I can't believe this is your first councilor year. It feels like you've been a councilor all along." Dan said.
"Well my last two years I was basically a councilor. I hung around you guys much more than the campers." I reminded him.
"But that's because you just had the title a camper. I think everyone knew you were much more than that." Dan said and looked out onto the peaceful water.
"What does that mean?" I asked and looked his way, but he wouldn't look at me.
"You've always been mentally older than your age group. You're much more intelligent, compassionate, understanding…" He drifted up then looked over and met my eyes. "Remember those talks we used to have on the beach?"
"Of course," I said. "That started when I was fourteen right? Because it was my third year." I subconsciously smiled. "I remember we used to sit on the beach and I used to ask you everything from stocks to sex." I laughed. "Did you ever get sick of my questions?" I asked.
Dan laughed. "Never," He admitted. "In fact i loved that you wanted to know all about me. No one had ever showed the kind of interest before," He said and looked back out to the water. A few moments went by then he said slyly, "I also remember you checking me out at dinner."
"I did not check you out at dinner!" I defended myself. "If I was checking you out anywhere it was during wake boarding when you were shirtless,"
"Oh did you?" He asked and I nodded casually. "You like me shirtless?"
"I was a teenage girl, Dan."
