Mac heard footsteps coming up behind her.
“Tha kin ov reser?”Burt chuckled, stopping next to them.
Mac gasped in shock and turned to Burt.“Burt,” she stuttered before looking away.“Bye, Burt,” she said louder than necessary, being more embarrassed by Burt’s words than getting caught kissing Barry.
After all, they were adults and not doing anything wrong, though she had wanted to keep her and Barry private.
“Hi, Burt, I’m Barry,” Barry introduced himself and held his hand out.
“Nictomeya.”Burt shook his hand and tipped his head at Mac.She felt her cheeks turn crimson from embarrassment and stared straight at Barry’s chest.
“Uh…” Barry seemed at a loss for words.Burt got that reaction a lot from people that didn’t know him.
“He said nice to meet you,” Mac interpreted for him.
“Oh, likewise.”He turned to Mac.“Did you want to get a drink and have some dinner, or did you want to go home and shower first?”
It took Mac a moment to figure out he was talking to her.She wanted to be alone with Barry, and a shower was required first to get the smell of shark off of her.But once she went home, she wouldn’t want to go back out.“I desperately need a shower.I smell like shark and sea water.”
Barry leaned closer and sniffed.
“What are you doing?”Mac reared back.
“Trying to figure out what sharks smell like.Smells like fish,” he commented after a moment.
It was pretty close, but still not an attractive smell.“Well, don’t get too close until after I’ve cleaned up.”And run a comb through her hair to get the windblown effect under control.She’d been in such a hurry to leave this morning, she had forgotten her hair tie.
“Shower first.”Barry turned to address Burt.“Burt, would you like to join us for dinner later?”
“No, he would not,” Mac answered for him.Burt would do nothing but embarrass her the whole evening.
Burt gave Mac a look that said he was going to contradict her before he turned to Barry.“No tang.Neta tim.”
“Okay.”Barry nodded.Mac wasn’t sure if he understood or just assumed the answer.
“Night, Burt,” Mac muttered then took Barry’s hand and dragged him away.
“Alright, lovely, let’s go to your house then to dinner.”Barry held his hand out for Mac to take.
“Let’s.”She led the way to her house.
“He seems like a nice guy,” Barry remarked on the way.
“Burt’s great.”The best really.She didn’t know what she would do without him.His knowledge of the island had been indispensable.
“Is he part of your team?Crew?Biologists?”He seemed to be struggling for the right word.“What do you call yourselves?”
“We’re researchers, but Burt is the captain of the boat.”
Barry looked surprised.“He’s a captain?”
“Yes,” Mac chuckled.“He’s lived on the island pretty much his whole life.He knows everything about it.”
“I can see why you made him your captain then.”
“I didn’t make him.He had a boat, I asked him to charter us around, and he agreed,” Mac explained.
“I feel there’s a story there,” Barry replied.
