“I can’t wait to try it now.”
“Where are you visiting from?”she asked as the man served up a bowl of the premade salad for him, then handed him the bottled water unopened.
“Thank you.Nevada.”Barry opened the water first and downed half of it in one swallow.He was thirstier than he’d thought.
“Oh,” she said, looking excited.“I’ve never met a traveler from there before.I’ve met people from California, Colorado, and all along the east coast.We’ve had plenty of Canadians and even Europeans.Right, Jalen?”
“Right,” Jalen responded in a monotone voice.The kid looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.
“Are you here with a lady?”Elsie asked coyly.
“No, I came by myself.”
“By yourself?”she asked, shocked.
Barry just shrugged and took a large bite of his salad, groaning as the flavors melded onto his tongue.It was bright and citrusy.There was sweet from the meat and heat from the peppers.He had never tasted anything like it before.
“I told you.”Elsie grinned, nodding her head up and down.
“It must be nice meeting so many new people.Introducing them to your food.”If he ate like this all the time, he would have to double up his workouts to keep in shape.
“It is, though I have yet to meet someone who has come alone.Did your lady break up with you before the trip and you still came?”
“Grandma, leave the man alone and let him eat in peace,” Jalen scolded her.
“She’s fine,” Barry assured Jalen.Elsie was harmless with her questions.Probing, but harmless.“There was no lady before I came here.Work keeps me pretty busy; I just wanted a break from everything.”He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had taken a vacation.When he wasn’t on a mission, he sat around at home.He still had some family around, but he didn’t make it out as often as he should.Most of them treated him differently after his accident.They all tried to act normal, but he saw the glances at his arm and the sympathy in their eyes.He didn’t want their pity, so he didn’t visit very often.
If he had to pick somewhere to go on vacation though, this would be the place.The weather was perfect; he loved being near the sea and hearing the calming sounds of the ocean waves breaking at the shore.This was the place to hang one’s hat.The food was pretty good too.
“This is a beautiful place to recharge.”She beamed before her face turned sour.“But then, some like it here so much they stay.”She sneered as if she’d tasted something nasty in her mouth.
“I take it that’s a bad thing?”he inquired, wondering if she meant anyone specifically or if she was just saying in general.
“It is when they destroy the land my people helped cultivate for thousands of years.”
“Grandma,” Jalen warned, but Elsie waved him off.
“Are you referring to the hotel being built?”Barry asked, hopeful that was what she was suggesting.Her accusation seemed very specific for it to be just anyone.Miles seemed to be the only outsider that was destroying the landscape around them.
Elsie reared back and looked at him as if he were a bug she’d like to squish under her heel.“Do you work for him?”
“No, I’ve never met him before.I’d never even heard of him until I came here.”
“Then why bring him up?”Jalen asked, coming up to the counter and looking skeptical.These people were either paranoid by nature or Banks had instilled this on the island.“Mac Grant mentioned him last night.She was very evident in her hatred of the man.I was only curious if it was the same person.”Hopefully using Mac’s name would soothe some ruffled feathers.She had said to use her name for the boatman, maybe it would work on these people too.
“You know Mac?”Elsie’s face morphed into pure joy, and a broad smile crossed her face.Just as he’d hoped, the suspicion was gone.He’d have to remember that little nugget in the future.
Jalen snorted in disbelief.“You don’t know her.”
“Mac, light brown hair, brown eyes, shark biologist.”He could use a few more adjectives, but that was best kept from young years.
“See, he knows her.”Elsie lightly punched Jalen in the arm.
“Know is a relative term.”He knew her in an intimate sense but not on a personal level.“I met her last night when she was glaring daggers at the man.I used that as my opening to talk to her.”
Elsie nodded in understanding.“She’s never made a secret she doesn’t like that man.”
“And you?”
