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“Maybe notfully. Those camp cots are uncomfortable as hell. I’m not a fan of cold showers, either, but…” She snitched a slice of halloumi cheese. Salty and delicious.
“But what? You’re into it, right? You know how I can tell? Because you’re literally glowing right now.” Sofia grinned. “You haven’t done that in years.”
Olivia opened a container of fried calamari and arranged it on one of the platters. “To be fair, you haven’t seen me in person for years.”
“You know what I mean, though. Is it because of Mr. Hottie?”
“Sort of? But also because I really like working at the field school. I forgot how much I love archaeology. Did I tell you I found a site? Dr. Roth thinks it might date back to the eighth century BC.”
“Awesome. And you’re having fun with the students? Not crushing their dreams or telling them Indiana Jones is a poor excuse for an archaeologist?”
“Technically, he is a poor excuse for an archaeologist, but I still love those movies.”
Sofia tossed an olive at her. “You know what I mean, silly.”
“I do. I like working with the students. Maybe I’m not as fun as Rick, but I was able to help most of them with their site presentations.”
All the hours she’d spent with them had paid off, as they’d shone with confidence when they delivered their talks in front of Grant and Dr. Roth. Even Marisol had outdone herself, infusing her speech with her passion for ancient history. Olivia had been so damn proud—not just of them, but of herself, as well.
“That’s fab,” Sofia said. “Have you found anything interesting yet?”
Olivia flashed her a cheeky grin. “I dug up a skeleton. How’s that for interesting?”
“A human one? Wow. Was it freaky?”
“No, it was totally fascinating. We had to be super careful, and we used dental picks and toothbrushes to reveal the bones.”
“I told you it would get better. Does this mean you might go on more digs?”
If anyone had asked her at the beginning of the field school, Olivia would have said no. But now that she’d had another taste of archaeology, she wanted more. “I still need to get my doctorate and land a teaching job. But once I do, there’s no reason why I couldn’t assist on excavation projects in the summer or eventually lead my own dig. Classical history isn’t just about archival research.”
“Did those words come out of your mouth?” Sofia lifted her glass. “Let’s toast. To archaeology, love, and more digs with Mr. Hottie.”
As Olivia clinked her glass against Sofia’s, an uneasy feeling spread through her. “I don’t think that last one’s going to happen. This is just a fling.”
Sofia snorted. “You don’t do flings. None that I’ve heard about. Or do you have a wild side that you’ve been hiding?”
“Well, Rick and I did have sex in the ruins of a temple dedicated to Aphrodite.” At her sister’s wide-eyed look, she laughed. “It was amazing. But after field school ends, Rick isn’t sure what he’s doing next. He’s talked about going back to California to work in rescue archaeology, but—”
“That’s perfect. Then you guys could stay together.”
“Let me finish.” Olivia topped up her wine. “He also might go on another dig. Or work on a shipwreck. Right up front, he said he couldn’t promise me anything, and I agreed to it.”
At the time, she’d thought she could have fun without getting her heart involved. But the longer she spent with Rick, the more she realized that wasn’t possible. She was falling just as hard as she had at Clear Lake.
“You want more than a fling, don’t you?” Sofia asked.
Olivia let out her breath in a rush. “I’m such an idiot.”
“No, you’re not. You’re following your heart.”
“I’m being unrealistic. Like, I’m already imagining this made-up future where we’re working together on other digs. Or sharing a cozy apartment in Santa Monica. Or planning more adventures. But it’s a complete fantasy.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Can’t you talk to him about it?”
Not wanting to meet her sister’s gaze, Olivia focused on arranging the mini spanakopita triangles into a pyramid. She knew she was being a coward. At the very least, she should ask if he’d heard anything from his family. Depending on the news, he might be headed back home. But even if he was, he hadn’t said he wanted an actual relationship.
“You need to tell him how you feel,” Sofia said. “Guys can be so freaking oblivious.”
