Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 2.2 - Living the Dream

Alice glanced at the surveillance camera while typing on her computer. She hated that damn thing. What she wouldn't give at that moment for a frappucino. But Freider had the nasty habit of actually checking the security footage, so playing hooky was out of the question.

With a deep sigh, she waited for the page to load and started scrolling through the online newspaper. Some celebrity suffering from bulimia, some professor dude recruiting for a study-camp and, finally, there it was, the article Freider had her look up: tax increase on small businesses. Ugh, she'd have a lot of recalculating to do. And it was all so tedious and boring.

Her head already hurting at the sheer thought of starting her task, Alice decided a messenger break was in order. So many of her friends had much more interesting lives. The only highlight in hers was when Freider brought his sons along. And even if today was one of those days, she'd have given anything for Jerry to have come instead of Sam. Not that Sam wasn't nice and sweet and everything, but he was a little too young for her. Jerry, on the other hand, tall, handsome beyond belief, with those chocolate-brown eyes she could melt into... She shivered. Way to have inappropriate thoughts about the boss's kids!

Someone cleared their voice and Alice jumped, shuffling her papers and knocking them off the desk.

"You okay, miss?" The man asked, tilting his head.

"Nice moustache, mister." Ugh, she did not just say that out loud. If Freider ever found out, he'd certainly cut her pay for being rude. "What I actually meant was, hello and welcome to the-"

The moustached man chuckled and waved his hand. "I'm here to see Sam."

"Sam?" What the-? Alice glanced at his dark brown suit, the dull tie, the black hair, strong jaw and the kind twinkle in his dark eyes. He didn't seem remotely dangerous, but she could be wrong. "Why would you come looking for him here?"

The man's smile widened. "I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself." He reached out his hand. "I'm a professor, here to see Sam about an archeology camp."

"You're...?" Alice glanced back at the screen of her computer. "Yes, I've read something about that." But that didn't mean that Freider would gladly allow a stranger in his office to talk to his under-aged son. She stood, rounded the desk and placed herself in front of the door. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to get Mr. Grant."

Professor Moustache cocked his head again, watching her as if she were a delectable toddler. "You're pretty protective of Sam."

I'm protective of my job, but whatever. "Of course. He's a good kid."

"He could use someone like you on this trip, to help him out."

"What trip?"

"We're planning to go to a digging site." He paused as if waiting for her to answer, but what could she say to that? Good for him? "In Mexico," he added. "Cancun, to be more precise."

"Wait, isn't Cancun the one with the Riviera and hotels and stuff?"

"Exactly. Well, the dig will be in the nearby jungle, but the assistants will stay at the hotel. No use dragging them around in the heat."

Holy mother of God. If this wasn't an opportunity to get out of the recalculation, she didn't know what was. A long shot, but worth trying. "So, do you think Sam would need an assistant?"

"I know he would. I'll ask him if he'll consider you."

"Awesome. I mean, thank you very much," she said to the professor's retreating back. He'd slipped past her and toward the office, but who cared? If this could get her a vacation from Freider, the man could have all the time in the world with Sam.