Page 13 of A Perfect Discovery

‘I do.’

‘But there’s nothing wrong with your figure. You were always the pretty one in our group.’

‘Aw, thanks, do you think so?’ She skimmed over her hourglass shape in the mirror. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. But clothes never sat right. Her waist was trim but her hips and boobs were wide so that tops stretched and waistbands needed cinched or they hung loose. Her last boyfriend hadn’t been a fan of curves. He hadn’t said so but it was obvious. ‘That’s kind. Annike made me feel so inferior.’ And she was a thief.Must exercise more caution in future.

Kirsten smirked. ‘I was always jealous of you at school. Remember I had those big glasses and I was petrified of speaking to guys?’

‘Haha, yeah, I remember. But it hasn’t stopped you getting the most gorgeous fiancé.’

Giggling, Kirsten started to undress. ‘What happened to you and Marcus? I never heard why you split up.’

‘The distance.’ Rhona took one last look at her reflection and whipped off her top. Marcus would have averted his eyes if she’d done that in front of him, perhaps muttering how they “got in the way”. Laughable really. Silly man. Thank god, they’d split before things went any further. But it left a gap. A lonely place. The companionship had been good. ‘I was working in continental Europe and he had a contract in England. It was logistically impossible.’ She adjusted her bikini top in the mirror. Maybe it was too revealing, or was that Marcus’s silly mutterings again? What if it popped off in the jacuzzi?Hell.She tied it tighter.

‘That’s a shame.’

‘It’s fine. I’m over it. We weren’t exactly crazy about each other. We just rubbed along.’

‘After what happened to Fraser and me, I believe when it happens, you’ll know.’

‘You mean it’ll hit me like a bolt of lightning?’

‘Pretty much.’

Keeping her back to Kirsten, Rhona shimmied her bikini pants over her hips and curvy bottom, remembering – not for the first time – that buzz she’d experienced when she’d spoken to Calum a few days ago. Just the remnants of the old crush. It had to be that.Cannot afford to reopen that box. Do not think about it.

‘When did you get the tattoo?’ Kirsten eyed Rhona’s reflected shoulder in her mirror.

Rhona fixed her hair in a knot atop her head. ‘Our whole team got one after I found an ancient piece of pottery shaped like a shell.’

‘It’s cute.’

‘Is it? I’m still not convinced.’ Memories of Crete were always accompanied by the knowledge she’d been screwed over.

She and Kirsten stepped out wearing their fluffy robes. Gentle panpipe music floated on the warm air and a delicate fragrance tickled Rhona’s nose. ‘Looks empty. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves.’

‘The benefits of a Tuesday morning,’ Kirsten said. ‘It can be a pain working weekends but these kinds of things make it worthwhile. Shall we go in the jacuzzi?’

‘Sure.’ Rhona hung up her robe and tweaked her bikini straps making sure everything was still in place before lowering herself in. The water bubbled around, instantly calming her. And that aroma. Sea salt? She breathed it in. Perfect bliss. ‘We’ve got a while before the hot stone massage. I don’t think I’ll move; this is so relaxing.’ She lay back her head as the tension left her body.

For several minutes, neither spoke. Rhona soaked in the warmth.

‘How’s your work?’ Kirsten asked.

‘Fairly crap.’ Rhona dabbed water on her hot cheeks. ‘I get emailed pictures to research. It’s so dull, worse than being a student.’

‘Do you miss the digs?’

‘Yes and no. Sometimes they’re fun and if everyone gets on, it’s a great team feeling. But the last team I worked with wasn’t like that. My trench manager, Simon, was lovely and Jay was good fun but that was it. I don’t miss the back-breaking work or the dirt.’ A sigh escaped her but the bubbles soothed her shoulders. ‘I’m kind of at a crossroads. I don’t want to go back to that but I’m not sure how to get out. My dad thinks I should go into consultancy but I don’t have a lot of experience.’

‘Aren’t you qualified to do it?’

‘I am. Scottish history has always been an interest of mine. I grew up with it and I’ve always liked to know where it fits in to the rest of the world. I could set up something here but it would take a long time to build a name for myself. There are a lot more qualified people out there, which means I’d either have to charge super low and not make much money or do lots of volunteering until I make a name for myself.’

‘Hmm. That doesn’t sound great. You should do tours like me; you could focus on archaeology.’

‘That’s not a bad idea. I’ve done things like that before, one-off trips to dig sites and the like.’ She splayed out her fingers, catching the bubbles between them. ‘How’s Beth?’ Her curiosity about Kirsten’s sister cloaked a hidden agenda. Beth was an old school friend of Arran. And Will. And Calum.

‘Fine. She’s getting married this summer.’

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