corner of the pit with a grunt, a cloud of dirt erupting around him. He drank slowly, relishing the sensation of the cool water running down his throat, sating his thirst. He doused his headcloth in water and used it to wipe his face. His nighttime activities, combined with the early-morning dig, were killing him. He managed to get a couple hours of sleep a night, and if he was lucky, he snuck in a nap between lunch and lab.
"You okay?" Marya asked. She kneeled beside him, her eyes hidden by her hat. Dirt was smeared across her chin, and she looked adorable. Luke felt an ache in his chest, wishing he could reach out and rub the dirt from her face with his thumb. He imagined the look of shock she would give him if he did. She'd probably bite me. No doubt she had sharp little teeth.
He forced his thoughts away from her mouth. "Yeah, I'm good," he lied.
"You should get more sleep," she said, and there was no mistaking the bitterness in her voice.
He took another swallow of water. "You're probably right."
She'd been cold to him since he'd caught her following him. Not that he blamed her -- she could never guess what he was up to, and to her it must have seemed insane that he would want to be completely alone. She probably suspected he was up to no good.
He tossed the kerchief to the ground. This sucks. What sucked most about it was that he wanted to hang out with Marya. If he had met her under different circumstances... He'd never been much inclined to get serious with a girl, but then, he'd never met a girl he wanted to get serious with. Marya, however, did something to him. He thought about her all the time. Even when he was negotiating for AK-47s with the shady Iraqi in Jabal Al-Natheef, a destitute district in East Amman.
But now... Now was not the time for him to fall for a girl. God, not now.
When they got back to ACMER, Ducharme pulled him aside, looking him up and down with concern. "Edward, you haven't been sleeping enough," she said sternly. She knew he went out at night -- how could she not know? But she turned a blind eye because he was a man and her favorite volunteer.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Ducharme," Luke said, rubbing his face. "I have some friends in town who need my help." Not a complete lie.
She shook her head briskly. "You can't keep up with the work if you don't get enough sleep. Eat your lunch, then skip lab today. Go straight to bed, do you hear?"
He grinned at her. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
Margot Ducharme blushed like a schoolgirl and looked away. "Oh, pish. Don't thank me. Just go."
He had no problem doing as he was told. After eating his fill of oddly-spiced lasagna -- did Arabs have to put cumin in everything? -- he headed straight back to his room and crashed. He managed to get his boots off, but was fast asleep before his head hit ACMER's sorry excuse for a pillow.
He awoke to the sound of scraping. In the moonlight, he saw Liz's long legs stretch down from the window above his bed. He shifted, making room for her as she climbed down onto him, a wide smile on her face. "Hey, baby," she murmured, covering his mouth with her own.
Luke turned his head away, his brain foggy with sleep. "Liz, I'm too tired," he mumbled.
" Shhh, you don't need to move a muscle," she said, slipping her hand into his pants.
She'd done this before in the past -- climbed in through his window and had sex with him while he wasn't fully awake. He'd enjoyed it then. But tonight was different. Tonight, he was numb with exhaustion. And Liz is not Marya. He pushed her hand away. "No, Liz. I'm sleeping. You can sleep with me if you want, but that's all we're doing. We're sleeping."
"Fine," she snapped. He knew she was mad, but he turned to his side and fell back asleep before she could say anything else. When his alarm clock woke him up at four, she was gone.
7.
" So Marya," Shannon said loudly, a smirk on her face, "who was the hottie you left with last night?"
Somehow, Marya knew Shannon would blurt something like
"You okay?" Marya asked. She kneeled beside him, her eyes hidden by her hat. Dirt was smeared across her chin, and she looked adorable. Luke felt an ache in his chest, wishing he could reach out and rub the dirt from her face with his thumb. He imagined the look of shock she would give him if he did. She'd probably bite me. No doubt she had sharp little teeth.
He forced his thoughts away from her mouth. "Yeah, I'm good," he lied.
"You should get more sleep," she said, and there was no mistaking the bitterness in her voice.
He took another swallow of water. "You're probably right."
She'd been cold to him since he'd caught her following him. Not that he blamed her -- she could never guess what he was up to, and to her it must have seemed insane that he would want to be completely alone. She probably suspected he was up to no good.
He tossed the kerchief to the ground. This sucks. What sucked most about it was that he wanted to hang out with Marya. If he had met her under different circumstances... He'd never been much inclined to get serious with a girl, but then, he'd never met a girl he wanted to get serious with. Marya, however, did something to him. He thought about her all the time. Even when he was negotiating for AK-47s with the shady Iraqi in Jabal Al-Natheef, a destitute district in East Amman.
But now... Now was not the time for him to fall for a girl. God, not now.
When they got back to ACMER, Ducharme pulled him aside, looking him up and down with concern. "Edward, you haven't been sleeping enough," she said sternly. She knew he went out at night -- how could she not know? But she turned a blind eye because he was a man and her favorite volunteer.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Ducharme," Luke said, rubbing his face. "I have some friends in town who need my help." Not a complete lie.
She shook her head briskly. "You can't keep up with the work if you don't get enough sleep. Eat your lunch, then skip lab today. Go straight to bed, do you hear?"
He grinned at her. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
Margot Ducharme blushed like a schoolgirl and looked away. "Oh, pish. Don't thank me. Just go."
He had no problem doing as he was told. After eating his fill of oddly-spiced lasagna -- did Arabs have to put cumin in everything? -- he headed straight back to his room and crashed. He managed to get his boots off, but was fast asleep before his head hit ACMER's sorry excuse for a pillow.
He awoke to the sound of scraping. In the moonlight, he saw Liz's long legs stretch down from the window above his bed. He shifted, making room for her as she climbed down onto him, a wide smile on her face. "Hey, baby," she murmured, covering his mouth with her own.
Luke turned his head away, his brain foggy with sleep. "Liz, I'm too tired," he mumbled.
" Shhh, you don't need to move a muscle," she said, slipping her hand into his pants.
She'd done this before in the past -- climbed in through his window and had sex with him while he wasn't fully awake. He'd enjoyed it then. But tonight was different. Tonight, he was numb with exhaustion. And Liz is not Marya. He pushed her hand away. "No, Liz. I'm sleeping. You can sleep with me if you want, but that's all we're doing. We're sleeping."
"Fine," she snapped. He knew she was mad, but he turned to his side and fell back asleep before she could say anything else. When his alarm clock woke him up at four, she was gone.
7.
" So Marya," Shannon said loudly, a smirk on her face, "who was the hottie you left with last night?"
Somehow, Marya knew Shannon would blurt something like
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