Page 19 of The Love Position

‘Nadia! That’s the wrong area.’

The young woman looked up, her cheeks colouring. ‘I… I was told to do this bit instead.’

‘By whom?’

Nadia glanced towards Darcie, who was posing whilst Kiera took a photo of her.

Sophia gritted her teeth. ‘Well, I’m the one running this dig and I’m telling you to mark out the first trench over there.’

Nadia didn’t move.

Panic tightened Sophia’s throat, and she opened her mouth to breathe quicker. Day one, and she was already being contradicted by her own students.

‘Stay there,’ she said, then marched up to Darcie and Kiera. ‘Why did you tell Nadia to dig in the wrong place?’

Darcie shrugged. ‘Marcus said you’ve interpreted the data wrong, so he’s changing the location of the trenches.’

‘But… This is what was agreed in the excavation brief! He can’t do this! It’s my dig!’

Darcie gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘It’s the department’s dig.’

Turning her back, hands trembling, Sophia pulled out her phone and rang Marcus.

‘How’s it going?’ he drawled when the call connected.

‘You can’t change my plan. I’ve spent months surveying the site, going over the data and submitting the grant proposal. I—’

‘You’re wrong, and I’m not wasting public money proving it. I’m the Head of Department and I’m changing the dig locations and research objectives. I can’t believe you didn’t want to excavate the barrow. That’s a schoolgirl error I can’t overlook.’

‘It’s not a barrow, Marcus! Richard told me it’s a pile of rubble from when he levelled the ground in the next field to build a barn. Have you lost your mind?’

‘Don’t take that tone with me. Do you want to be a laughingstock? I’m doing you a favour here.’

Sophia bit the inside of her cheek to stop her tears from flowing.

‘Honestly, Soph? It would be nice if you could show some gratitude. I’m the one giving you the opportunity to pursue a passion project and helping you save face. You need to back-off and respect my experience. You can remain on site to oversee the excavation, or hand it over to Darcie—’

‘Are you insane?’ Sophia choked out. ‘She’s a first-year student, for goodness sake!’

‘And also capable of following directions. Look, I’ve spent my precious time going over the raw data and your conclusions are wrong. Dig where I say, or hand the job over.’

Sophia cut the call, lights flashing in her vision.

Get a hold of yourself! Don’t fall apart!

A warm hand took hers and walked her to the edge of the field. ‘Don’t talk, just breathe,’ Maggie said.

Sophia stared numbly at her wellies as she stumbled over the ground. When they were a distance from the group, Maggie handed her a hip flask.

‘Brandy. Drink as much as you can.’

Sophia took a sip, then coughed as it burnt its way to her stomach.

‘Have some more and listen to me. You will not allow that pitiful excuse for a human and his barely legal fuck-buddies to get to you.’

‘He’s changing the dig sites.’

‘Of course he is. Honestly, that man needs a team of people to find his own dick. But we still could get lucky. You’ve come this far. Don’t walk away.’

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