On Sunday, the students and staff were given the opportunity to spend their free day on a six-hour tour of the Akamas Peninsula. Olivia declined since she wanted to visit Sofia, who’d just arrived in Cyprus. She’d invited Olivia to join her at the Aphrodite Gardens Resort and told her to bring “Mr. Hottie,” along with anyone else who wanted to come. Since Grant was on the tour with the students, Rick had no trouble snagging one of the rental cars. Stuart, Dusty, and TJ joined them. The resort was a ten-minute drive up the coastal road, then another mile inland.
As they passed through the security gate, TJ let out his breath. “Holy shit. Your sister must be loaded.”
Stuart gaped as they drove by a gigantic pool. “No kidding. This place is wicked.”
“Sofia isn’t paying for it,” Olivia said. “It’s part of a deal she made with the tour company. She’ll be promoting the resort on all her social media platforms.”
“Must be nice,” Dusty said. “I wish my life were that easy.”
Thanks to the image Sofia presented, everyone thought she glided through life with little effort. Olivia was one of the few people who knew how relentlessly her little sister hustled. She pursued every angle, reached out to sponsors, created nonstop content, and worked her charm whenever possible.
Aphrodite Gardens was the size of a small town, with winding streets, sumptuous villas, huge swimming pools, a golf course, and a faux-village square with shops and restaurants. Sofia’s rental unit was located inside a three-story building made of cream-colored stone with spacious balconies. Potted plants and bougainvillea livened up the front of the property. Behind the villa was a large pool shared by the complex.
When they went up to Sofia’s apartment on the second floor, she greeted them at the door, engulfing Olivia in a giant hug. “Liv! It’s been too long!”
Olivia hugged her tightly. Though she rarely went a week without talking to her sister, seeing her in person kindled a rush of euphoria.
After Sofia finally released her, Olivia introduced the others. “You already met Rick on FaceTime. These are my fellow archaeologists—Dusty, Stu, and TJ.”
“Nice to meet you! And so nice to see you in person, Mr. Hottie.”
Dusty raised her eyebrows at Rick. “Did she just call you Mr. Hottie?”
He flashed her a shit-eating grin. “Suits me, doesn’t it?”
Olivia cringed. “Sofia, remember what I said about Rick’s nickname?”
Her sister beckoned them inside. “Sorry. I’ll behave. At least Mr. Grumptastic isn’t here to ruin the party. I hope you brought your suits because the water’s perfect. We can hit the pool first and eat after. I’ve got beer, wine, and hard seltzer, and I ordered appetizers from the taverna in the village square.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said. “This is great.”
Sofia squeezed her arm. “Anything for my big sis. We have to take some pics together for the fam. When I called Mom last night, she was so jealous she couldn’t be here.”
Olivia followed the others inside. The apartment was light and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked onto the golf course. A blast of air-conditioning made goose bumps rise on her arms. She’d been living without central air for so long it felt unnaturally chilly. Though the kitchen was small, she caught sight of a Nespresso on the counter and a compact washing machine tucked into one corner. She was more envious of the coffee maker than anything else in the apartment. Except the washing machine. For weeks, she’d been washing her clothes by hand in a pottery bucket.
Once they got down to the pool, Olivia dove in right away, relishing the feel of cool water on her skin. Sofia grabbed a couple of bright pink pool floats and tossed her one. They drifted across the water together, catching up on family gossip while the others engaged in a fierce game of volleyball. Whenever Olivia got too warm, she slipped off her float and dunked herself in the water again.
Cocooned in her state of sun-warmed bliss, she had no sense of time passing until her sister’s phone buzzed. Sofia hopped out of the pool and grabbed it from a chaise lounge. “The food’s here. I’ll go get it. You all can stay in a while longer.”
Olivia paddled her float to the edge of the pool. “I’ll come help you.”
After changing in Sofia’s bedroom—and drooling over the enormous king bed—Olivia met her sister in the kitchen. Sofia was opening containers of appetizers and setting them on colorful ceramic platters. The savory smells made Olivia’s mouth water.
“There’s wine in the fridge if you want to get started,” Sofia said. “Glasses are in the right-hand cupboard.”
“Perfect.” Olivia opened a bottle of rosé and poured them each a glass. Crisp and delicious, tasting slightly of raspberries, the first sip made her sigh in contentment. “This is unbelievable. I’d give anything to stay in a place like this.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You’re perfectly happy right where you are.”
“Seriously? You know I’m not the outdoorsy type.” Olivia grabbed a green olive and ate it in one bite. The sour taste made her mouth pucker.
“You used to be. Remember? When we went on those camping trips with our cousins, you always got so into it, with your star charts and hiking maps.”
Olivia thought for a minute, recalling how she’d pore over the maps to find the best hiking trails. Even back then, she’d been a sucker for maps. “I forgot about that. I guess I changed after I messed up at Clear Lake.”
“But now you’ve fully embraced it?”
“Maybe not fully. 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.”
“It’s not that easy. For now, I’m trying to live for the moment. That’s what counts, right?”
“Maybe for me. I think you deserve more than that.”
When Olivia’s phone buzzed, she wiped her hands on her shorts and picked it up. “Rick just texted. Should I tell them to come up?”
“Sure. If they need towels, there’s a stack of them on a shelf next to the pool entrance.”
Olivia was relieved to set the subject of Rick aside. Talking about him roused too many feelings. If she admitted she was falling in love with him, she wouldn’t be able to take the words back. They’d be out there, reminding her of how badly she’d misjudged her heart. And how much it would hurt when she left Cyprus with no guarantee she’d ever see him again.
For the rest of the evening, she put the conversation out of her mind. She had fun with the others, swapping stories, drinking wine, and feasting on delicious appetizers. Only when she was back at camp, lying on her cot, did her thoughts return to her talk with Sofia. She glanced at her sister’s last text, sent after the group had left.
Remember how worthy you are. Never be afraid to ask for more.
Though it sounded like one of Sofia’s feel-good Instagram quotes, the words lodged in Olivia’s brain. She wished she could be that brave. But if she pushed too hard, she might drive Rick away.
If a few more weeks were all she’d get, then she’d take them.
Better that than nothing at all.