"What do you mean you don't have two rooms? I made the reservation a month ago!"

Standing at the desk of the small hotel in Rockle, the Czech village near the dig site, I could hardly contain my anger. I was tired and exhausted, and judging by the worn-out, blank expression on Roxanne's face, she felt the same way. The flight was long and uncomfortable, and the less said about the van into town, the better.

"I am sorry, sir," said the slobbish, heavy-set man behind the counter, his voice coming out in a thick, Slavic accent, "but it appears there was some sort of computer error; that’s the only reason I can think for why your reservation isn’t here."

"What? How does that happen?"

"I am very sorry," he said. "We're booked up nearly full, but I can offer you the presidential suite. It should be more than spacious enough for you and your wife."

"Student," I said, correcting him quickly. "She's my student."

The clerk flashed a glance at my right hand, noting the absence of a ring.

"One never knows what the future holds," he said with a sly smile.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Thankfully, Roxanne seemed to be barely paying attention.

"Fine," I said. "The presidential suite."

"I'm sure you will be more than happy with the accommodations," said the clerk, handing me the key. "Up the stairs, and you'll know the room when you see it."

Know it when I see it, I mumbled under my breath. I picked the bags up from the floor and began to trudge up the stairs, Roxanne following close behind. We soon arrived at the second floor, and sure enough, an ornate set of double doors made it clear which room was our suite. Dropping the bags on the floor, I turned the key and opened the doors with a gentle push.

Well, he was right about the room.

It was a large, spacious room appointed with antique furniture, a large double bed made up with white and blue sheets the centerpiece of the space. A set of glass doors opened onto a large balcony, the view affording a sweeping view of the town below and the countryside beyond. Above it all hung a large, silver moon.

There was a small kitchen, along with plenty of modern amenities. Taking a peek into the bathroom, I saw that there was even a bath big enough for two. It would be a lovely place to stay, were the circumstances not what they were.

"It's big," said Roxanne, looking around, her voice tired.

"Sorry about the screw-up," I said, making it clear that I knew just how awkward this must be.

She waved her hand dismissively as she made her way over to the bed, letting herself fall onto it.

Looking over Roxanne, who was now nearly asleep, I considered the wisdom of riding her so hard during the semester. I knew that it was only my way of testing her, to see just how much potential she had. Even the final exam, one of which I designed to be as difficult for her as possible, was a way to find out just how good she was. But as far as she was concerned, I was just some asshole prof, and one that she was going to be joined at the hip with for the next few weeks.

"I'll take the couch," I said, as though there were any question about it.

I sat down on the couch, kicking off my shoes and slipping my phone out of my pocket. I checked it, seeing there was a response from Darla, letting me know that things were good back home, and that her aunt –my sister Alice who would be staying with her for the duration of my trip- was taking great care of her. Relived at this, I slumped over onto the couch, my fatigue taking hold of me within seconds.

I woke up the next morning to the sun rising over the hills beyond the windows. A crack of light under the bathroom door let me know that Roxanne was already up. Checking my phone, I saw that it was seven in morning. Our ride was going to be here at eight, so we needed to get ready soon.

Before I could consider the matter for too long, however, the bathroom door opened, and Roxanne stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. Her fair skin was shiny with water, and ample cleavage was visible just above where her towel was tied. And the towel was short enough to show off her long, shapely legs. Her dark, thick hair hung heavy on her bare, slim shoulders. For a few moments, I looked at her in the precise way that a professor shouldn't look at a student. But I couldn't help it- she was stunning.

"Morning," she said, a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth as she walked over to her bag, grabbing out a handful of clothes.

"Morning," I said, turning my eyes away from her.

"I'm gonna change, so the shower's all yours. Knock before you come out," she said, her tone brusque.

It was clear that she was still unhappy with the arrangement, but rather than try and convince her to be more reasonable, I decided not to press the point. Instead, I hopped in the shower, letting the hot water wake me up. After a quick shave, I dressed in the bathroom and gave the door a quick rap.

"You decent?"

"Yeah."

I stepped out, and she was dressed in a pair of skin-tight jeans and a simple, baby blue V-neck shirt. We grabbed a few essentials, and once eight rolled around, my phone went off with a text from the team, letting us know they were out front.

The drive through the countryside was beautiful. The hills were verdant and rolling, and the sun was as a cloudless blue overhead. Despite the awkwardness of the trip so far, I was looking forward to getting into the work that lay ahead.

Once we arrived at the site, which was a half-excavated stone-age village that stuck out of the side of a steep hill, I introduced Roxanne to the rest of the team, which was a small collection of professors and their assistants from other colleges around the US. I introduced Roxanne to the team, and though she seemed a little intimidated and shy in the face of the all-star crew we had on staff, she slowly became a useful member of the team.

Three weeks ahead, I thought to myself as I watched Roxanne work, my eyes lingering on her body once again. Let's hope things all go well.