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“You do remember that I was planning to ask him to be on my dissertation committee, right?” Montana asked.
Dr. Cholak was a world-renowned paleoarchaeologist and having him on the committee would be amazing. The blackmail had given him a reason to go looking for people to meet with, but he couldn’t deny that this “cover story” was actually thrilling for purely academic reasons.
“Were you?” Dahlia blinked in mock surprise.
Vadisk started to laugh.
“You both suck.” Montana rose to his feet.
“Yes, I do,” Dahlia murmured.
Montana and Vadisk both whipped around to face her.
Dahlia rose smoothly, arching a brow at them, before speaking to Dr. Cholak.
“Vadisk, do you want to translate or film?” she asked after a moment.
“Those are my options?”
“Yes.”
Vadisk sighed and held his hand out for the camera. Dahlia took off the harness that held the camera to her chest, fitting the camera into a frame that made it easier to hold, then passed it to him.
Being in front of the camera wasn’t as bad as Montana had imagined because Dahlia not only translated but played host, guiding him and Dr. Cholak with questions. Montana quickly warmed up to his topic, excitedly talking about the accelerator mass spectrometry carbon dating techniques used on the bones—both of humanoid remains and other fauna. He and Dr. Cholak seamlessly alternated as they explained the significance of places like Buran-Kaya III, both for specific artifacts and remains, and how the layering at the site told its own story.
Vadisk had a funny look on his face by the time they wrapped up the filming, and Dahlia’s smile had a softly amused edge.
Dr. Cholak went to roll up his laminated maps, and Montana stepped closer to his spouses.
“Why are you two looking at me like that?” he asked.
“You’re a nerd.” Dahlia’s eyes sparkled as she grinned.
“I am not,” Montana protested.
Vadisk frowned. “Nerd is not a bad thing in English, right?”
“No, not really,” Dahlia said.
Vadisk’s frown turned into a grin. “You’re a nerd.”
Montana tried to fight his own smile, to maintain the protest, but this moment of shared amusement made him damned happy.
“That was verra much fun,”Dahlia slurred as she staggered into the villa. If she hadn’t been clinging to his arm, Montana was fairly certain she would have fallen on her ass.
He chuckled as she patted her hand on his chest.
“Verrrra much fun,” she repeated slower, clearly trying to slur her words less. Hilariously, she slurred them more.
Vadisk shut and locked the door behind them, the grin he’d been trying to hold back escaping. He chuckled. “You’re drunk.”
Dahlia waved her hand toward Vadisk, dismissing him. “Pssh. Tipsy at best.”
“You and I clearly define tipsy differently,” Montana joked.
“It’s not my fault,” Dahlia insisted, dropping heavily down onto the couch. “That man kept filling up my glass.”
Montana couldn’t fault her there because she spoke the truth. After the visit to Buran-Kaya III and meeting with Dr. Cholak, they headed to Massandra Winery. She’d scheduled a private tour while back in the States. Upon their arrival, they’d been met by the vintner and the winery manager, both thrilled by the opportunity to be featured in Dahlia’s documentaries.
