Page 17 of Tour Wars
While Paulo’s answer was disappointing, it wasn’t an outright no. “Saturday night would be great. But…um…I was kind of hoping we could get away sometime. Just the two of us? How about next weekend?” The neediness in her voice made her cringe.
“That’s the start of our break, remember? Aren’t you coming on the Greece trip?”
Damn. She’d totally forgotten. The Via Stabiana Project was taking a weeklong hiatus in mid-September because their boss, Dr. Roberti, had to attend an international conference in Zurich. Most of the Pompeii archaeologists were traveling to Greece on a trip organized by Marie and her friends.
“I’m not going to Greece,” Emilia said. “I’ve been on a couple of digs there, so I’ve already seen most of the sites.” She paused, hesitant to admit she couldn’t afford the cost.
“Who said anything about visiting archaeological sites?” He chuckled. “This is a vacation. We’re going to Mykonos and Paros, which means lots of beach time and clubbing.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.A trip like that would eat into her savings, especially since Marie didn’t understand the concept of low-budget travel.
“Come on,” Paulo said. “Everyone’s going. Even TJ.”
“He is? The last time I talked to TJ, he said he was staying behind.”
“I’m what now?” TJ approached their table, followed by two other archaeologists from his lab. He ambled over to Paulo and Emilia, flashing his usual cocky grin. “Admit it, Em—you were talking about me. Can’t stop thinking of me, can you?”
Even if his comment was eerily accurate, she wasn’t going to admit it. “It wasn’t like that. Paulo said you were going on the Greece trip. I thought you planned to stay here.”
“I thought so, too, but Marie talked me into it.” He winked at them. “She can be very persuasive.”
Emilia bristled with irritation. The news annoyed her more than it should have.
“You see?” Paulo said. “Think of all the fun we’ll have. If you need to save money, you can share a room with me.”
When he caught her eye, there was no mistaking his implications.
Sex on a Greek island? With a hot Italian guy? Maybe it was time to stop obsessing over her budget and have a little fun.
Before she could reply, her phone buzzed with a text.
Giada: You’re needed for a meeting with the brothers in Dr. Roberti’s office. NOW.
Shit.Was she in trouble? She couldn’t think of anything she’d done wrong.
Emilia: Be right there.
Giada: BRING TJ. That idiot isn’t answering his texts.
If TJ was being summoned, then they must have screwed up on one of their tours last weekend. She stuck her phone in her back pocket and turned to TJ. “We’re needed in a meeting with Dr. Roberti and his brother Angelo. I think it’s about our last set of tours.”
TJ gawked at her. “Why? What did you do?”
“What didIdo? Nothing. It’s probably because you made us run late on Sunday. Come on.” Before leaving, she turned to Paulo. “Can you clean up my station? In case I don’t get back in time or end up getting fired?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You won’t get fired. He probably wants to praise you for doing a good job.”
“That’s not what Giada’s text sounded like.” Then again, the woman’s tone never changed, regardless of whether she was delivering good news or bad. Emilia gestured to TJ. “Let’s get it over with.”
Dr. Roberti’s office was located on the other side of the House of Venus. Like the labs, it was a temporary structure, containing storage shelves crammed full of artifacts—pots, vases, ceramic lamps, coins, iron tools—and buckets of mosaic tiles. Along another wall was a bookshelf lined with historical tomes and excavation reports. A noisy box fan stood in one corner, offering a semblance of a breeze. Dr. Maurizio Roberti—their boss—sat behind his desk. Standing beside him was his brother Angelo, the owner of Buon Viaggio Tours, and Giada.
Emilia had never warmed up to either of the Roberti brothers. Both were tall and thin, with bristling mustaches and a sleazy air about them. So far, they’d treated her respectfully, but they had a reputation for being petty and vindictive. At least that’s what she’d heard from Paulo, who’d worked with them in Pompeii two summers ago.
“Have a seat, please.” Dr. Roberti pointed to two folding chairs facing the desk.
Yep, they were in trouble.
She felt like a kid being called into the principal’s office. Not that she’d been much of a troublemaker. She was the type who got straight As and followed the rules. The one time she’d been suspended was because she’d given a beatdown to a sixth-grade bully that had been harassing her friends. It had happened shortly after her mom died, when her rage had been so intense she’d had a hard time channeling it.
