His handsome smile widened. He tugged the end of her side braid then pivoted on his heel and sauntered toward the parking lot.
“Nine pm at the train station,” he called over his shoulder.
Leila was still gaping after him when she was joined by her father a few moments later. She put on her best attempt of an innocent smile and turned to him. He frowned.
Her smile vanished. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I’ve been hearing some talk. Some party tonight?” He raised his eyebrows. Like he knew what she was up to.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess the others are all going out.” She hoped it sounded like it was no big deal. While it wasn’t a lie, a pang of guilt hit her gut for not telling the whole truth. But what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt. She would be able to sneak out when it was dark, check out the artifacts, and make it home before it got too late.
• • •
Leila threw another glance at the clock in the living room. It was finally 8:30. She would need fifteen minutes to get to the train station on foot, so it was time to get going. Even though she could burst from excitement, she stretched and yawned in her seat. She’d show Xander she could be fun. She wasn’t always going around with her nose in a book.
Her father was engrossed in writing an article on his laptop at the desk. Occasionally, he would reach up and scratch at his neck, as he usually did when deep in thought. He’d hardly said a word all evening, though he did keep checking the cell phone that hadn’t left his sight for hours.
Maybe he’s texting a girl. Good. About time he started looking around. It’d been twelve years. Her eyes flickered to the framed photograph standing halfway behind the laptop screen. A dazzling smile, dark wavy hair, exotic ceremonial clothing, and a faint scent of olive oil drifted in the pool of forgotten memories.
Her mother was nothing more than an idea. She had passed away when Leila was too young to remember much about her. Though she’d memorized the face in photographs, she couldn’t recall the sound of her voice. Only random Arabic melodies that would get stuck in her head at indiscriminate moments.
Pleased her dad’s mind was elsewhere, she bid him an early goodnight and went upstairs. She made a point of brushing her teeth noisily to make him think she was getting ready for bed.
After locking her bedroom door, she slipped into her favorite outfit, ran a brush through her dark waves a few times, then forced the window open. As her fluttering heart overrode any feelings of guilt she might have had, she crawled from the window and onto the overhang. She clattered down the awning, cringing at the noise. Holding her breath, she crouched on the lawn as she waited for a sign of movement in the house. When nothing happened, she made her way down the street, drawing in the moist twilight air with outstretched arms and a smile on her face.
Chapter Ten
Leila found Xander waiting for her in the cobblestone parking lot, just like he said. Except he wasn’t alone. The platinum blonde girl from the dig, Jade, stood with him, as well as another boy Leila had never seen before. She hadn’t expected to be going in a group, but she shrugged and walked toward the small gathering.
“You made it,” Xander said as she approached. “I didn’t think you’d actually come.”
“Yeah, thought Daddy had you locked up.” Jade snickered.
“Well, I guess I’m unpredictable like that.” She flashed Xander a smile. “When does our train leave?”
“No idea,” Xander said, lifting one shoulder. He opened the trunk of the car he had been leaning against.
Leila frowned, skeptical. “We are going, right? Are we taking the car?”
“Of course we’re going. The train will be here in a half hour or something. So first, a drink.”
They began passing around bottles of beer, and Leila shook her head as the cool glass was thrust into her hand. She’d never had a drop of alcohol before.
“Come on,” Xander protested, popping off the lid. “You’ve gotta try it before you can say you don’t like it.”
He had a point. She studied the bottle. A taste wouldn’t hurt, would it?
“Oh, Leila, the good little school girl,” Jade sneered and laughed loudly, waving around her half-empty bottle. Without another word, Leila put the opening to her lips and took a sip, despite the bitter taste and the burn of the alcohol.
“Bottom’s up!” The others cheered her on.
Unfortunately, the more she drank, the less she cared about the taste. Before she knew it, she had already downed two entire bottles. After a contest to see who could throw the empty glass the farthest, the group wandered from the parking lot, gulping down more drinks as they walked. The train stopped for a minute at the platform and continued without them.
Xander approached the brick wall of the bridge under the tracks, having now replaced his drink with a can of spray paint. Giggling wildly, Leila went up to him and laughed as he shook the canister, giving him suggestions of various Celtic patterns.
As the evening wore on and two drinks became who knew how many, they found countless ways to do damage throughout the city: throwing rocks through windows, using a board to break a mailbox, and throwing an abandoned shopping cart into the river were only a few of their antics. Eventually, they roamed into a part of town with gated villas and mansions.
Xander peeked through the fence of one such mansion, holding an iron bar of the fence in each hand. With a glance over his shoulder, he called Leila over to him.
“The Weston Manor,” Xander whispered. “What do you say, think you can climb the fence?”
“Of course. Easy. Just over the top!” She ended with a giggle, leaning against the bars to catch her balance.
“Would you help us get into the house? There’s a massive collection of Egyptian artifacts in the basement.” His eyes twinkled from the street lamp, demanding her complete attention. “How about we go inside and look around?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful.”
“I heard they have a map for a tomb. I’m going to find it and be the first to excavate it,” he promised, treading nearer.
Leila couldn’t tear her gaze away. The embers in his eyes glowed brighter and his voice filled with a passionate conviction.
“A tomb? Full of artifacts?” she breathed, very aware that his face was inches from hers. Unfortunately, her stomach decided to retch, making her clasp her hands over her mouth.
Xander jumped away just in time. Jade and her guy friend burst into laughter.
“Leila is plastered,” Jade said, laughing so hard that she was crying and had to lean against the lamppost for support. “What a lightweight!”
Powered by the alcohol simmering inside of her, Leila whisked around and clutched the iron bars to lift herself up. She swung her leg over the top of the fence and let herself drop down to the other side, landing on both feet in a crouch. She spread her arms in triumph. She wasn’t about to ruin her chances with Xander by some little thing such as nearly throwing up on him.
