Page 2 of Just Do It
‘I do think you’re over reacting about insisting on contact lenses all the time. Lots of people – millions in fact – who aren’t archaeologists wear glasses. It’s not like we have dibs on them.’
‘So, fine. You wear them!’
I’d frowned. ‘I don’t need them.’
‘And now you’re going to rub in the fact I have myopia?’
‘No! I wasn’t… You know I wouldn’t do that. I just don’t…’
‘Just don’t what?’
‘Think it’s as big a deal as you’re making it out to be.’
‘Then we will agree to disagree and move on with our evening.’
And we had. That time and all the others. It’s kind of a thing with academics, whatever the field. Hardly anyone wants to agree with anyone else. I don’t know why. I’ve always thought that we’d probably know a lot more about a lot more things if we all just tried to get along.
‘Are you OK?’ Inis brought me back to the present.
‘Yes. Well, no. I’m disappointed, obviously.’
‘Obviously. We all are. It would have been great for the museum as well as you personally. And off the record,’ she gave a furtive look around, ‘I think it’s a shitty decision.’
Despite the crushing disappointment that had taken up residence in my chest, giving me severe indigestion pains, I felt the corners of my mouth tingle as they fought a smile. My boss never swore. She didn’t like anyone else to. I’d smacked my shin against a stone sarcophagus lid one time whilst working with her. I’d cut my leg open and achieved a bruise from ankle to kneecap and the most I felt I could let out was ‘Oh! Fudge!’ It really had been most unsatisfying.
‘Inis!’ I said, the smile forcing its way through despite having just lost, quite literally, the opportunity of a lifetime.
‘I know.’ She blushed and the tips of her ears went pink. ‘Extreme circumstances call for extreme language.’
This was not extreme for me and I could guarantee I’d be letting loose a whole string of expletives at the top of my voice the moment the opportunity arose. But for my boss, this was huge!
‘Don’t you tell a soul I said it.’
I drew a cross over my heart and made a zipping motion across my lips.
She put her hand across the desk and laid it over one of mine. ‘And I really am sorry.’
I nodded, pushed the chair back and went back to my office.
‘So? When are you going?’ Bella, perched on a pile of books, whispered excitedly as I entered the room.
‘I’m not.’
She straightened. ‘What?’
‘I’m not going.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘The board chose someone else to lead the dig.’
‘Who?’ she snapped. ‘You’re the best person for that job and everyone knows it.’
‘Apparently not.’
‘So who got it?’ she asked again.
‘Friedrich.’ I replied without looking up.
