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"That's the third time you've said that in twenty minutes," I pointed out.
"I mean it this time." He reached over and snagged an uneaten crust of fried bread from Vanessa's plate. "I'm beat. Ready to head out?"
Vanessa tipped her head back and downed the last swallow of her wine. "Big day tomorrow," she said. "Radar. Italian movie stars."
"Abs and delts," I said, and laughed.
By seven o'clock the next morning, jet lag had kicked in full force. I'd fallen into bed right after dinner and had been up for hours by the time Vanessa's alarm went off. The dorm rooms were small and cramped, with two beds, a tiny desk, and an attached bathroom. I'd done my best to try not to wake my roommate, but by the glare she shot me as she dragged herself out of bed, I was pretty sure I hadn't succeeded.
A small shared kitchen was located halfway down the hall, and Raheem met us there with a bag he'd brought from a local bakery.
"Spurgos," he announced, dropping the bag onto the table. "Basically Velartan donuts."
"How early did you have to get up to get these?" Vanessa asked, digging greedily into the bag and pulling out a large sphere of powdered-sugar-covered fried dough.
"You're welcome," Raheem said with a smug smile. "Besides, I figured River would need the sugar for when she crashes halfway through the morning."
"Hey, you've only been here one day longer than me," I griped, helping myself to something covered with chocolate. "How are you already used to the time change?"
"Who said I'm used to it?" Raheem said through a full mouth. "I've been awake for hours. I just used my time more efficiently." He gestured to the rapidly-disappearing bag of spurgos.
Half an hour later we were on our way to the site. I could still hardly believe my eyes as we made our way through the deserted streets of campus and out into the fields of the countryside. The view was lovely, rolling green hills framed by the dark backdrop of pine forests far in the distance. Above it all, a vivid cobalt sky swept to the horizon. I took another photo, carefully saving it to my phone and not sending it out to any unintended recipients. I still hadn't called Theo. Or answered his texts. If only I could stop thinking about him, too.
When we pulled into the gravel lot at the site, Dr. Blanton was already there, flanked by muscle-bound grad students—seriously, did all the men in Velarta look like that? She had a heavy-looking box in her arms.
"River, you made it!" She set the box on the hood of the car and pulled me into a quick hug. "I assume Vanessa and Raheem have been giving you the lay of the land?"
I nodded. "Thanks again for inviting me along," I said. "It really is such an amazing opportunity."
She pushed up her glasses, leaving a smear of dirt on the bridge of her nose, and dismissed my words with a knowing laugh. "You might regret those words once the dig is in full swing. We'll see how you feel at the end of the summer." She hefted her box once again. "We've got one more load to take to the lab, and then we'll be in there getting things processed for the rest of the morning. I'll be back on site later to help you three get started. If Luca needs anything, can you help him out?"
"Yep, we'll help him out all right," Raheem said.
I cringed, but Dr. Blanton either didn't notice or chose not to acknowledge the innuendo, and a few moments later she had her car loaded and the tail lights were dwindling in the distance.
"So, where's this Luca?" Vanessa said, glancing around.
"Oh my God, you two," I groaned. "Focus, please. We're supposed to be moving equipment, right?" I didn't wait for them to answer, turning and heading toward one of the two large tents flanking one side of the field. I heard a huff of breath behind me, then footsteps catching up.
"Fine," Vanessa said. She headed toward the closest tent. "Raheem, help me break down the tables in here. River, you can start grabbing the sifting screens in the other tent. There should be a cart in there somewhere. Everything's going down to the southwest quadrant."
I nodded, turning around to walk backwards and grin at them. "Besides, he's probably in his sixties, with a beer belly and yellow teeth."
I just caught sight of Raheem sticking his tongue out at me before the two of them disappeared into their tent. Laughing, I turned around, and ran directly into a brick wall.
"Oof."
The brick wall reached out and grabbed my arms, stabilizing me before I could fall.
"I am not quite in my sixties, though you are right, I do probably drink a little more beer than I should," said the brick wall in a deep, smooth Italian accent that made my toes curl.
I looked up. And up. And up some more. Into a pair of startlingly green eyes, which were currently twinkling with amusement. He released me and stepped back, revealing a University of Kulmeira T-shirt stretched tightly over a defined chest. He crossed his arms as he tipped his head to the side, clearly waiting for the snarky comeback I should have been able to come up with.
Instead, all I managed was a somewhat squeaky, "Um."
My cheeks were hot. Despite my embarrassment, I couldn't bring myself to look away. It wasn't his appearance—although he was inarguably incredibly handsome—and it wasn't his expression, which was caught somewhere between amusement and curiosity. There was something compelling in his eyes, as though he carried knowledge beyond his years.
"Luca Renaldi," he finally said, clearly in an effort to save me from myself, and held out a hand. I wasn't at all sure that touching him again was the right move, but I gripped his hand anyway and shook it. His skin was warm and dry, his palm rough with calluses, and I had to force myself to let go before the moment stretched too long.
