Tour Wars

Chapter 1

Emilia Flores had twenty minutes to pull herself together. Twenty—no, nineteen—minutes to cool down, fix her appearance, and get in the right headspace before her first set of job interviews. Three interviews back-to-back, all for teaching posts at prestigious colleges. No easy feat, especially when she was still reeling from a panel session that had gone wildly off the rails.

Why had she ever thought she liked academic conferences? Right now, this one felt like the seventh circle of hell.

As she opened the door to the women’s restroom, she recoiled at the reflection that greeted her in the mirror. Her long dark hair had come loose from her braid, leaving messy wisps straggling around her face. Little remained of her artfully applied makeup except a smudge of mascara under one eye. And the beads of sweat glistening on her forehead made her look like she’d just returned from a five-mile run.

All because she’d lost her temper during that disastrous panel session. When challenged by her rival, fellow archaeologist TJ Mayer, she hadn’t responded with calm professionalism. Instead, she’d disputed his claims in a heated exchange that sent her blood pressure soaring.

Grabbing a paper towel from the dispenser, she moistened it, wiped off the smudge, and blotted the sweat from her face. She undid her braid and ran her fingers through her hair, only to remember she’d left her hairbrush in her hotel room.

“Dr. Flores?” A timid voice caught her attention.

She whipped around in frustration. With so little time to spare, she didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with any distractions. Standing behind her was a petite young woman, who looked college-aged, with curly black hair and light brown skin, a shade similar to hers. No doubt an undergrad, possibly attending her first big conference.

Emilia replaced her frown with a welcoming smile. Even at age twenty-eight, she could still remember how it felt to be so young and inexperienced. And she was always happy to see more women of color pursuing archaeology.

“As much as I appreciate the title, I’m not officially Dr. Flores yet,” she said. “I still have to defend my dissertation.” If all went well, she’d finally be done with grad school in a few months. “Was there something you wanted to ask me?”

“I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your presentation on the collapse of the Late Bronze Age in the Mediterranean. Your paper was the best one there.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to hear that.” Up until the last twenty minutes of the panel, Emilia had felt the same way. Like she was crushing it. Until TJ had derailed her.

“Once I’m done with college, I was thinking of pursuing a PhD in archaeology like you. My parents said I’d be wasting my time because it’s so hard to get a teaching job. Is that true?”

If the woman hadn’t seemed so earnest, Emilia might have laughed at the question. It wasn’t just hard. It was nearly impossible. But it wasn’t something she had time to explain.

She reached into the front pocket of her briefcase and pulled out a business card. “I’ve got to rush, but my email address is right here. Send me your questions, and I’ll answer them once I’m back at Yale.”

The woman smoothed her hand over the embossed card. “Thanks, and…um…this is just my opinion, but I think the last guy on the panel was totally disrespectful. He acted like he was trying to show you up. I don’t blame you for getting mad at him.”

Emilia took a deep breath, not wanting to succumb to the anger she’d shown earlier. During her talk, she’d presented archaeobotanical evidence—ancient seeds and pollen grains—to prove that the fall of the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean had been brought about by drought and famine, mainly due to climate change. Given that she’d written her dissertation on this exact topic, she knew the material inside and out. She always felt confident presenting it.

But when it was TJ’s turn to present, he didn’t just counter with his own theory, he claimed it was superior to hers. Rather than blame the collapse on natural disasters, he insisted a marauding group of invaders, known as the Sea Peoples, had triggered the devastation.

Wasn’t that just like a man to blame everything on warfare?

If the panelist had been anyone but TJ, she might not have responded as forcefully. But whenever he provoked her, all her self-control went out the window. As a result of their argument, the session had run overtime, she’d gotten overheated, and now she was woefully behind schedule.

“It’s all right,” she said. “That sort of thing happens in academia all the time. I’ve got to run, but it was nice to meet you. Good luck with the rest of the conference.”

With a quick wave, she dashed out of the restroom and headed down the hall, but speed walking in heels wasn’t in her skill set. As the heel of her right pump twisted under her, she stumbled and smacked into a wall, bruising her elbow. Wincing in pain, she took a minute to get her bearings, only to be accosted by a sarcastic male voice.

“Em. I didn’t realize I’d thrown you that much off-kilter.”

She grimaced. TJ Mayer. The same jerk who’d attempted to upstage her on the panel session. Who’d aggravated her all last summer when they’d worked together, excavating the site of Troy in Turkey. “I’m fine,” she snapped. “Just in a rush, that’s all.”

“Headed for your first interview of the day? Georgetown, right?” Before she could answer, he barreled on ahead. “Mine’s with Cornell University. I figure I’ve got a decent chance since I spent a summer digging at Sardis as part of a joint excavation between Harvard and Cornell. Never hurts to use those Harvard connections.”

Of course he would mention Harvard. He boasted about it every chance he got. If she had a dollar for every time he brought it up—and dismissed Yale as second-rate—she’d be halfway to paying off her student loans. Equally vexing was his insistence that his hometown of Chicago was culturally superior to hers in Milwaukee. Sure, his city had more museums, but she’d pick Wisconsin over Illinois any day, especially when it came to sports.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that he was her academic rival, what irked her even more was that she found him attractive. Though he wasn’t as jacked as a lot of her dig buddies, he had a lean, muscular frame—a runner’s build. He was only a half-inch taller than her, which gave her a decided advantage whenever she wore heels around him. Last summer, his light brown hair had been a shaggy mess, but he’d had it trimmed, and it curled, ever so slightly, at the back of his neck. Sealing the deal were his vintage glasses, which drew attention to his warm brown eyes. Why did guys with old-school glasses always get her hot and bothered?

But even if he was hot, he was a giant pain in the ass.

“I’ll go with you since I’m headed that way,” he said. “If you want, I could toss you a few practice questions. Or vice versa. Couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Keep your distance,” she muttered. “You’ve already done enough damage.”

“All I did was present my own research. My evidence is solid, and you know it. From the analysis of the bronze artifacts and other lithic material found in Cyprus and Greece, I—”

“Just stop. Like I haven’t heard about your damn Sea Peoples a dozen times already? Today was even more painful than usual. Not only was I forced to listen to your outdated theories, but then you had the balls to single me out for criticism to make yourself look good.”

He crossed his arms. “If you can’t handle a little competition, then you’ll never survive in academia.”

Jerk. He was baiting her, like he always did, no doubt hoping to push her over the edge again. “I can handle anything, but your attitude sucks. All you cared about was messing with my head so that I’d screw up my interviews.”

“That’s not why I did it. Actually, I—”

“Save it. I’m going to be late.” She was about to make a hasty exit, but he placed his hand on her arm.

“Hang on. You have something on your face.” He leaned in closer and brushed his finger across her cheek. Just the slightest touch, but it made her nerve endings tingle.

She wanted to push him away but couldn’t make herself move. Only after he withdrew his hand did she regain the power of speech. “What the hell?”

“Sorry. Shouldn’t have touched you without your permission, but you had a smudge on your cheek. Maybe pen? Or… mascara? I didn’t want you to go into your interview that way.”

How had she missed it? She’d probably made matters worse when she’d cleaned up in the restroom. But her unexpected reaction to his touch only added to her discomfort. “Thanks. I have to go.”

She didn’t spare him a backward glance as she strode down the corridor. All she cared about was getting to her first interview on time.

I just want this to be over.

In all her years of grad school, she’d never missed the annual conference put on by the American Institute of Classical Archaeology. This year, it was being held in Philadelphia, which meant she’d been able to save money by taking the train from Yale University, which was less than four hours away. Since the conference always took place in January, it was the ideal time to catch up with her colleagues between summer dig seasons. In addition to the social aspect of the meetings, she enjoyed attending panels on groundbreaking research and debating topics like the impact of racism and colonialism on the field of archaeology.

But with her doctorate so close at hand, this year’s conference took on a whole new urgency. Namely, the painful prospect of finding a full-time job in her field. Even if a lot of colleges now conducted their first-round interviews via Zoom, some still hosted them in person at conferences like this one. After applying to dozens of places, she’d lined up six interviews for the upcoming academic year. Though the teaching jobs wouldn’t start until late August or September, the sooner she secured one, the sooner she could relax.

Maybe she’d get lucky, like her friends, Stuart and Olivia. They’d gone through this hellscape last year and emerged with tenure-track teaching positions. But she suspected the odds weren’t in her favor.

As she approached the wing of the hotel where the interviews were taking place, she paused and gave herself a quick pep talk.

You’ve got this. You’re a badass archaeologist with tons of field experience, you speak four languages, and you’ve published three papers. Go in there and give them hell.

Even if TJ had thrown her off her game, she wouldn’t let him get to her.

***

Emilia sat at the hotel bar, drinking her second mojito of the night. To say her interviews hadn’t gone well was putting it mildly. When the first hiring committee had asked about her long-term research goals, she’d floundered. She’d been awkward and anxious, nothing like the image she usually projected in the field or the classroom. By the time her second interview rolled around, she was a hot mess.

As would be expected with a gathering of archaeologists, the bar was packed. On her left, raucous laughter from a noisy group made her bristle with irritation. The four guys clustered together didn’t appear to have a care in the world. All male, all white, all smug as hell. If she had to guess, she’d say they were full professors secure in their jobs.

At least she wasn’t drinking alone. Her friend, Dusty Danforth, perched on a stool beside her, sipping a glass of white wine.

Though Emilia had met dozens of archaeologists during her seasons in the field, she regarded most of them as colleagues. She’d always struggled with letting people in, which was why she only had a handful of close friends. Dusty was one of them. Like Emilia, she was an archaeologist by training, but she’d left academia last year and had no regrets about it. She’d come to the conference to support her boyfriend, Stuart Carlson, who was giving a presentation on recent archaeological discoveries at the legendary site of Troy.

Dusty nudged her. “Stop moping. I’m sure your interviews weren’t that bad.”

“They were abysmal. I kept choking up. Like I couldn’t remember a damn thing I’ve ever written. All because TJ pissed me off when we were on that panel.”

“What happened between you two? When we left Troy last summer, you were getting along. When did you turn into enemies again?”

At Troy, Emilia and TJ had spent most of the summer squabbling. But they’d bonded while playing matchmaker between Dusty and Stuart. Then, after they’d teamed up to take down their scheming boss, they’d become allies.

Their truce had lasted less than a month.

“Once the academic year started up again, we were back at each other’s throats,” Emilia said. “It doesn’t help that we’re always competing for the same opportunities, and he’s usually the one that gets them. It’s so unfair. Do you remember when he got accepted to be a panelist at that big archaeology symposium in DC?”

Dusty nodded. “You applied too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I got rejected. Then I found out TJ was super tight with the professor who organized the panel. When I accused him of having an unfair advantage, he insisted he’d gotten accepted on his own merits. Which is total bullshit. What made it worse was that he kept bragging about all the amazing connections he made at that symposium.”

To be fair, a lot of academics were just as boastful as TJ, but none of them grated on Emilia’s nerves like he did.

She continued. “Then, in December, we got into a month-long debate on ArchForum.”

Dusty groaned. “No. That online forum is full of toxic archaeology bros.”

“No kidding. I made the mistake of starting a discussion about Bronze-Age climate change. Naturally, TJ came at me with his own theories and got his buddies to take his side. He’s always looking for ways to undermine me, like at today’s panel.”

What made it infinitely worse was that TJ never got riled up the way she did. He was so sure of himself that he sailed through life with a smug confidence she secretly envied.

When Dusty didn’t reply right away, Emilia’s hand tightened around her cocktail glass. “I sound paranoid, don’t I? Do you think I’m blowing things out of proportion?”

Her friend gave her an impish smile. “What I think is that you mention his name a lot. I get that you’ve decided he’s your personal nemesis, but…”

A rush of heat flooded Emilia’s cheeks. “But what? I’m not secretly pining for him and trying to cover it up by acting like he’s my sworn enemy.” The words tumbled out with more fury than she’d intended, but Dusty’s grin only widened. Like she knew she’d hit her mark.

Dusty raised her wineglass in a salute. “You said it, not me. For what it’s worth, I don’t think TJ was trying to sabotage you today. Sounds like he was just presenting his own research. I mean, the topic of the session was contrasting theories on the collapse of the Bronze Age.”

While her logic made sense, Emilia couldn’t bring herself to agree. “Sure, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it. Now I’m worried I screwed up everything.”

“You have more interviews tomorrow. Maybe then you’ll be in a better frame of mind.”

“Maybe.” Pushing aside her anger, she tossed back the rest of her drink and crunched the last bits of ice between her teeth.

Dusty drained her wine and set down the glass. “If it helps, last year when Stuart did his interviews, he was sure he’d tanked. Then he landed an awesome teaching job at the University of Boston.” She scanned the room. “This whole scene makes me so grateful I dropped out of grad school last fall. I’m just happy to be here as Stuart’s plus-one. Speaking of which…” She waved him over. “He must be done schmoozing.”

In Emilia’s opinion, Stuart was a little too tightly wound, but Dusty adored him, and he treated her like a queen. The two of them had known each other since childhood, but they’d only started dating last August, after they’d worked together at Troy.

Stuart came to stand beside them at the bar. He placed his hands on Dusty’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Having fun? Or plotting future shenanigans?”

Dusty grinned up at him. “What makes you think I would ever get up to any trouble? I’ve only had two glasses of wine.”

“Do you want another round?” he asked. “Or are you ready to call it a night?”

Emilia couldn’t miss the way he caught Dusty’s eyes, and the smile she gave him in return. That secret, knowing smile of a couple that can’t wait to get into bed and start screwing like rabbits. She waved them away. “Get going. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Dusty asked.

“Yeah. I’m just about done for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Definitely. Let’s meet up for lunch. I’ll text you.” She pulled a few bills out of her wallet and left them on the bar. “Have a good night. I’m sure you’ll crush those interviews.”

Emilia fought off a pang of wistfulness as she watched them walk away. Her romantic life was nothing like Dusty’s. For the past year and a half, she’d been on a self-imposed dating hiatus. All because her last partner had broken her trust and left her emotionally gutted.

Rather than go up to her room, she ordered another mojito. She sipped it slowly, savoring the taste of mint and lime. If she was lucky, the buzz would ease the negative voices in her head.

Until another, more annoying voice broke into her thoughts. “Anyone sitting here?”

And because fate was such a fickle goddess, of course it was TJ.

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