Of Love and Everything After (A steamy Love)

ing more clothes? You're going

a jumbo bag of "Feel the Heat" kettle-cooked barb

. They should really have called it Learn Arabic or Go Blind Trying because anyone who valued their sense of sight the least

he airports in droves in their shorts and flip flops. International travel was already a lengthy process, and the last thing that I wanted to do

didn't want to waste a single minute that could

hot sun. You're surely going to need more than a couple of pairs of pajamas to change

ed seasoning dust on my sheets, or I'd be bunking with her tonight, and I knew how she hated my habit of watching Turkish dramas-subtitles on but the volume

'm sure I'll be okay. People go backpacking for like six

as were quite enough for the trip. As far as underwear, I'd opted for my most comfortable, made of cotton. The desert sun w

as she stared into the chip bag. She had evidently blazed through the contents alr

well-seasoned potato shards. "And I'm going on a dig, not to party it up with Egypt's finest." In about

d position before dusting her hands off on her chinos with no regard for my warnin

untry for the first time. This visit is more than just an internship. It's a chance to reconnect with your h

in the "Stanford Archaeology newsletter in my email, my heart had throbbed in my chest. It w

he had migrated from Egypt to California to study computer programming in college and had ended up meeting another aspiring programmer named W

Sanura, which meant "kitty." I'd ended up going by Kitty

brother, Yusuf, to be raised by family. Yusuf had planned to visit us while my father was sick, but according to Mom, Baba hadn't wanted anyone to see him sick. "The hair loss and constant nausea from chemotherapy and radiation and tumul

le Eastern with my olive skin, large almond-shaped eyes, and long, thick, curly dark hair that reached just above my ass. And speaking of ass, that was definitely not something I'd gotten from my mom's

I could have pretty blue eyes and blonde hair like Mom so I could fit in better with the Ambers and

asterners I had met on the university campus-but if learning a foreign language hadn't been on

I was in her knowledge. She didn't have any contact with Baba's family, and his brother Yusuf had never reached out again after Baba's death. So, when it had come time to choose what I wanted to st

n-a-lifetime trip, and I want you to make the most out of it." Mom dabbed at her eyes

wasn't he

swear to party like an Egyptian rock star in an effort to make this the most memorable trip of th

ew past my head. "That's no

o smoking hashish while

nura Taha, if I have to bail you out of an Egyptian jail, I'm

d my eyes.

ell into fits

e two of us when I was growing up, so we had forged a bond that

a time when tech was solely a bros' club, so her managers had been less than understanding every time she had to rush home earl

n it as she spoke. Candy Crush, no doubt. "So, who

his research papers for classes. His write-up on statistical models for establishing morphometric taxonomic identifications was breathtaking, if you

Googled him ye

probably just like every other legendary archaeo

s? Wouldn't you want to at least do your research before you meet him-to give yo

e ever since I'd begged Mom not to send me to Camp Culkin when I was eight. Apparently, the entire operation had had to be cancelled only three days in due to a widespread outbreak of Hepatitis A. Now,

s were known to bias a person's impression before first words were ever spoken. Research would only lead to preconceived notions and false judgments about my preceptor or internship fellows, and

yebrows nearly jumped off her forehead as she brought

eology was a male-dominated field, and most of the men looked similar acro

r to get a look at w

k. "I thought you didn't want to see?" She jutted her chin out at me, using my words against

. "Fine. I don't want to see whatever it is you're looking at anyway." I was failing miserably to "salvage my ego-I soun

packing my suitcase for a long trip was too much for her

xcitement spilled over. I had never left Mom for longer than a week.

my eyes. "I'm going t