Page 47 of Just Do It
She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s past twelve now so I’ll start to feel more human again soon.’
‘Morning sickness can be rough from what I understand. I know my sister went through the mill with it. Anything you need? I’m heading out to get a sandwich.’
‘Would you mind? I’d love some Peperami sticks.’
‘No problem. Large pack?’
‘Could you get me three large packs?’
Finn’s laugh wound around my senses and ended up in areas it had no place being during working hours. ‘That’s quite the craving.’
‘You think? They’ll be gone by the end of the day.’ She handed him a bank note from a pocket in her dress.
‘Consider it done. Do you want anything, Elizabeth?’
I shook my head. What I wanted wasn’t something you could buy and certainly not something I could say in front of my boss. But apparently I didn’t need to voice that to Finn, he could see straight through me, and the private smile he gave me as his back turned briefly to my boss confirmed it. I only hoped that Inis couldn’t read me as well. Finn nodded and left the room.
‘Well, that’s brightened up my day.’ Inis laughed. ‘What was he doing down here?’ Her question sounded innocent but I hadan underlying feeling that it was as loaded as Tutankhamun’s tomb back in 1922.
‘Just querying something about a display area on the plan.’
Inis nodded. I was such a shit liar. ‘Bella has quite the crush on him.’
‘Mmhmm.’ I was ostensibly concentrating on the exhibit but in truth trying to regain my studied air of calm.
‘Personally I think she’s a little young for him. And I get the feeling he has the same opinion.’
‘Oh?’ I said, trying not to sound too interested when in fact I wantedallthe gossip she had.
‘Don’t you think he would have reciprocated the attention if he was interested? It’s pretty hard not to notice she likes him.’
‘Maybe he just wants to keep things professional at work,’ I said with a casual shrug.
Inis sat down with a relieved sigh. ‘I wouldn’t have any objections to it, so long as it didn’t interfere with work.’
‘I’m sure it wouldn’t.’
‘I agree. And Finn seems like the sensible type.’
‘Yes, I suppose so.’
‘He’s very nice. Thoughtful. Did you know he had a sister?’
‘No,’ I replied. I knew a whole lot more intimate things about him but that was something he’d yet to share. Was that odd? I’d told him about my parents and he’d made a comment about us being a very cerebral family, teasing me that I might be ashamed of dating anyone without an Oxbridge education. But was he keeping his own secrets from his family? See? This was why I’d been determined to avoid relationships. They messed with your head – and heart. I redoubled my efforts on my studies, taking notes and comparing them to those that had already been made on the mystery mummy.
‘Lizzie?’
I jumped, caught up in my own muddled thoughts.
‘Sorry!’ I straightened quickly, for a moment forgetting my boss was there.
‘Perhaps it would do you good to have some distraction?’
My brows pulled together.
‘All work and no play, Lizzie…’ She let the sentence hang. ‘You’re an excellent archaeologist and a wonderful curator.’
‘I sense a but coming.’
