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ChapterSix
After a restless night’s sleep on the world’s least comfortable camp cot, Olivia hoped her first day of work wouldn’t be too arduous.
She was wrong.
While she was spared the physical labor of helping Rick and Stuart construct the outdoor showers and tables, she was put to work with Dusty and Juno preparing the lab classrooms. All the rooms were hot, stifling, and in need of a deep clean. The heavy layer of dust sent the three of them into sneezing fits and triggered Olivia’s asthma. When nightfall came, she was too tired to do anything but collapse on her cot.
The next day was much the same but with the bonus of the undergraduate students, who arrived in groups over the course of the afternoon. Fifteen in all—seven men and eight women, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-three. Despite their obvious exhaustion, the students had been forced to sit through a lengthy welcome dinner at Spyros Taverna. Halfway through the evening, they’d started to droop. Olivia didn’t blame them.
Now it was up to her to make them feel comfortable without being a total downer. Or, as Sofia had put it, without killing their dreams.
Olivia led the eight female students to the wide wooden porch that ran the length of the sleeping quarters. They scattered themselves around her, waiting for her to begin. She cleared her throat. “I’ll keep this quick since I’m sure you’re tired. Before I start, are there any questions?”
Three hands shot up. Olivia was grateful Dr. Roth had sent her files with the students’ names, photos, academic backgrounds, and health issues. She pointed to a tall, blonde girl who looked more suited for six weeks at a luxury resort, what with her flawless makeup and perfectly manicured nails. Designer sunglasses perched atop her lustrous mane of thick, golden hair.
“Okay, Courtney, what’s your question?” Olivia asked.
Courtney let out a pained sigh. “I heard we’re supposed to be sleeping outside? Like, in the open? What’s the deal with that?”
“Sleeping outside is optional, but it’s cooler there than inside the classrooms,” Olivia said. “Just drag your cot onto the field when you’re ready for bed and bring it back here in the morning.”
“That sounds totally rustic, and not in a good way,” Courtney said. “No one warned us ahead of time.”
No one warned me, either. “Sorry about that.”
Courtney let out a huffy breath, leading Olivia to suspect she might be one of the more demanding students. Beside her, another blonde spoke up. Brynn. From the way she’d been glued to Courtney’s side, Olivia assumed the two women knew each other or had bonded during the flight from Los Angeles.
“I heard the legal drinking age in Cyprus is seventeen,” Brynn said. “Does that mean we can drink?”
“Sorry, but no,” Olivia said. “Since the field school is affiliated with the UC system, we have to stick to the legal drinking age in the US. For that reason, there’s no booze allowed at camp. Getting caught with it could result in expulsion.”
Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.
Brynn gave a giant eye roll, then whispered something to Courtney, who snickered.
Fine. Olivia couldn’t please everyone. Time to move on.
A woman with her hair woven into a series of box braids raised her hand. Unlike Brynn and Courtney, she seemed easygoing. All through dinner, she’d entertained Olivia and Dusty with her sly asides and off-color jokes. “Two questions. One—are there actual showers? Because I’m not a fan of bucket baths.”
“Good question, Alisha. The guys on the team built the outdoor showers yesterday. If you’re modest, you might want to wear a swimsuit while you shower since the curtains aren’t completely opaque. The water’s cold, but it’ll be a welcome relief after a hot day in the sun.”
Liar. Olivia had tested the showers yesterday. At first, the water wasn’t too bad. A little lukewarm but bearable. Within five minutes, the spray turned brutallycold. Like diving into an icy pool headfirst. But she hadn’t complained. According to TJ, they were lucky to have running water at all.
“Second question,” Alisha said. “The curriculum said we’d each have to do a presentation at an archaeological site, and I got assigned Sotira-Katta-Nudey or whatever. Never heard of the place.”
Olivia couldn’t help but laugh. “Sotira-Kaminoudhia. It’s not a well-known site outside of Cypriot archaeology. Fortunately, the camp library is stocked with books and articles. You’ll also have access to all the online journals in the UC system.”
“That sounds like a lot to wade through.”
“It is, but I’ll be glad to help you. Same goes for the rest of you. We can set up times to meet and work through the material until you get what you need for your presentations.”
Alisha’s nod boosted Olivia’s confidence. If there was one thing she was good at, it was helping students wade through the sheer mass of data and articles about the ancient world.
But if there was one thing she wasn’t good at, it was talking about sex. “So…I was asked to address this issue by Dr. Nilsson. I realize you’re all legal adults, but if you…um…”
If you what? Want to sneak off and have sex?
Alisha laughed. “Is this about hooking up? There aren’t any rules, are there? Other than making sure we have consent?”
