Free The Crystal's Curse by Vicky de Leo Page A

for back up.”
    “Thanks for the heads up. Are Sara and Frank an item?”
    “He seems to think so. The only time I’ve seen them together is when he stops by after class and walks with her. It always looks to me like she’s trying to get rid of him.”              
    Nathan parked the car in student parking. They walked around campus and Nathan pointed out the buildings where Joshua had classes. When he pointed out the Peabody Museum of Archeology, Joshua told him his father was an archeologist working on a dig in Guatemala. As they passed the Science Center, Nathan suggested they stop in the cafe for a drink. While waiting in line, Joshua spotted Sara sitting at a table by herself reading. He pointed her out to Nathan and asked for an introduction.
    “You like to live dangerously, don’t you?” asked Nathan, shaking his head. He led Joshua over to her table. “Hi, Sara, mind if we join you?”
    Sara looked up, smiled, and motioned for them to sit down.
    Joshua pulled out the chair across from her.
    Nathan pulled out a chair next to her. “I’d like you to meet Joshua Carson. This is his first day.”
    “Nice to meet you,” she said extending her hand. “Didn’t I see you two at the Seafarer the other night?”
    Joshua set down his drink and reached out to shake her hand. “Yes, I just got into town and my grandfather wanted to introduce me to some of the other students. Fortunately, for me, one of them was Nathan. He has been kind enough to show me around.” Her hand felt small in his. She had the most amazing green eyes he’d ever seen. It didn’t seem possible, but she was even more breathtaking up close.
    Nathan was about to sit down when he noticed a girl he knew and liked waving to him from across the room. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to talk to someone.” Nathan left Joshua and Sara sitting alone.
    Releasing her hand, Joshua sat down. Sara looked at him and smiled. He couldn’t help but stare at her until she started to blush. He searched for something to say, but his mind refused to cooperate. The room suddenly felt too warm. He shrugged off his jacket. He wore a white t-shirt underneath that he knew showed off his tan. He took a deep breath hoping she would notice his muscles. The silence had gone on too long. Joshua looked around the room, hoping for inspiration. He saw Frank and Clay enter. He knew the minute Frank spotted him sitting alone with Sara. Frank’s eyes narrowed and a scowl replaced his usual smirk. Absently fingering the crystal, Joshua returned Frank’s look with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile.
    Sara turned to see what had caught his attention. “Friends of yours?” she asked.
    “We’re not friends. In fact, I seem to piss him off,” Joshua said with a smile. He turned back to her and picked up his glass. “What are you reading?”
    Sara smiled and held up the book so he could see. “ The Iliad .”
    He asked, “Did you know that most scholars now believe a lot of what Homer wrote was based less on legend and more on actual history?” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Frank shoved people aside to move out of line.
    “You’ve read this?”
    Joshua nodded. “In my family, anything to do with ancient history was required reading. My father’s an archeologist.”
    Frank marched over to their table with Clay tagging along behind. He stood next to Sara and placed a proprietary hand on her shoulder. Glaring down at Joshua, he growled, “I thought I told you to stay away from her.”
    Sara’s face turned red. She threw off his hand and jumped to her feet sputtering, “What . . . you arrogant . . . how dare you!”
    Frank continued to glare at Joshua. Seemingly oblivious to Sara’s anger, he put his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, babe, let’s get out of here.”
    Sara’s face turned even redder. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Very quietly, she said, “Take . . . your . . . hands . . . off . . .