Sydney sat in her favorite spot in the University Student Center. In the corner surrounded by walls of glass. The Center sat on the top floor of a four-storied building, and the views of the mountains in which the University lay was stunning. It was a peaceful and quiet evening as it usually was after eight o'clock when the majority of the students had moved on to the local bars.

The lights were subtle, and the only sound was the barista behind her making cups of coffee for the occasional customer. Heat lightning had moved into the area, and the visual of it behind the mountains kept pulling her attention away from her short story. There was no thunder, it was too far away, there were only soundless streaks of light making the sky turn pink and purple.

Sydney was listening to one of her favorite bands through her earbuds, and the effect of the music and lightning was causing her to feel unsettled and insignificant. In just a few short weeks when she graduated, her life would be changing dramatically, and the fact that she still had no concrete plans for her future and a mountain load of debt was weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Sydney's reflection looked back at her from the window. Her large brown eyes looked serious. It was a time in her life when she should be excited, but the sad fact was that there had been no stages in her life where excitement had ruled the day.

Studying her reflection, she refused, as usual, to give into the self-pity that wanted to rise and choke her. Her life had never been fair, but she had more than others did. No one would ever call her a beauty; her hair was long, fine and mousey, she had dull brown eyes and unremarkable features. She did, however, have beautiful skin and a terrific figure, even if her tiny stature was not imposing. At the height of five foot one inch and weighing less than one hundred pounds many thought she was ten years younger than she was.

Looking at the clock and realizing that she only had about half an hour before her roommate and best friend, Paige, joined her, she tried to force herself back into her short story. It was the final grade of her collegiate career, and she was on her last edit before it was due in a few days.

Sydney had just fallen back into the editing groove when she felt it. It was similar to the lightning storm raging in front of her. Instant electricity filled the air. She was aware of her heartbeat and every breath she took. It was as if everything in her environment was amplified. Dr. Cole Easton had entered the Center. She didn't have to look up from her paper to know he was there. Sydney focused all of her attention on the words that were now swimming around the screen, praying that he would get his coffee and leave without having taken notice of her. He never took notice of her, and that was a something for which she was very grateful.

Dr. Easton was a professor of Archeology and had taught her her freshman year before she had decided to change her major from Anthropology to English. It was a decision made because of him. Sydney was nothing if not a realist, and her reality was that she had an almost obsessive crush on the man. It had overpowered her to the point that he was all she thought of, and at the tender age nineteen she had decided that it was not good for either her health or her scholastic career.

Then the incident at the party had happened, and her the crush was still as strong as ever. She was mortified while being drawn even deeper into her obsession. The simple thought of that evening was enough to bring color to her cheeks. Although she did her best to hide her unease whenever Dr. Easton was around. After the party, when she and Dr. Easton has crossed paths, she gave him one of her vague polite smiles and nodded as if none of it had really bothered her and she could hardly remember it. But remember it she did, every single wonderful and humiliating moment. Hiding her true feelings was something that she was a pro at after being raised in a family that manipulated weaknesses, and so far, she had been successful.

Sydney wasn't so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice his movements, especially when he started moving towards her. She couldn't help looking up at the window to watch his reflection as he approached. He was, words always failed her. Whatever 'it' was, he had it in droves.

The canned lights from above showed the auburn highlights in his hair, highlights that he came by naturally from the sun. His face was square with a sharp jaw with golden stubble that always needed a shave, his reflection didn't give away his eye color, but she knew they were a deep cobalt blue almost violet, a striking foil for his tan skin. He was wearing a pair of well-worn blue jeans, a button-down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up showing his tan and muscular forearms, and the first few buttons of the shirt were undone revealing his strong neck. She knew for a fact that the muscles that were hinted at by the fit of his shirt were as impressive as one would guess them to be.

Cole Easton was a man who claimed his space and was unaware of the admiring glances that he got from women. Why he never noticed the glances, Sydney couldn't say. But she liked to think, in her little dream world, that it was because he was a man for whom appearances didn't matter, even though cold reality and harsh words had taught her otherwise.

Sydney watched as Dr. Easton kept moving towards her, and her stomach rolled over when he sat down next to her. She could sense his hostility, and it made her curious as to why he had even bothered to approach her.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" he asked as he leaned back in the chair next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him with his coffee resting carelessly in his hand.

Sydney pulled out her earbuds and set her laptop on the table. "Yes." She felt the less said in any circumstance involving Dr. Easton, the better. She had learned that the hard way.

His casual manner didn't fool her. She reached out a steady hand, thank goodness, and picked up her hot chocolate, curling her legs under her as if she had all the time in the world for a friendly chat.

"You're an English major, right?" he asked, pushing her computer a little so that it faced him as he skimmed it.

He was angry about something, and he was trying to bait her by rudely stepping out of bounds, but she was not one to be baited. Otherwise, she never would have survived her childhood. Sydney pushed the laptop towards him. "Let me know if you see any mistakes. I'm in the editing mode now, so any comments from a well-published author such as yourself would be greatly appreciated."

She swore she saw his cheek twitch.

"Always so cool and composed, aren't you?" Dr. Easton muttered, "I'm sure it's fine. If I recall your work in my class was always excellent." He turned the screen back towards her.

Sydney was not at all pleased by her win; she had the feeling that he was just getting started. "Thank you." She did her best to keep her wandering gaze from his profile and focused on the scene outside the window.

"This is nothing like a storm in the desert." He motioned to the window with the hand holding his coffee cup. "But you'll find that out soon enough, won't you?" He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. It seemed almost menacing.

"Will I?" she asked, hiding her confusion. As far as she knew she didn't intend to visit the desert anytime soon.

"Tell me, Sydney," he drew out her name, "why on earth did you switch majors if you're still so interested in Archeology? I doubt if it was my overly challenging syllabi, you always excelled in my class. In fact, I had high hopes for you."

"I excel in English as well, Cole." Finally goaded, she drew out his name as he had hers, a name she had only called him once when the teacher-student role had been blurred. Her jab hit home as she noticed his hand tighten on his coffee cup.

"I'm sure you excel in everything you do." It was like a slap. He evidently remembered the one time she had used his first name as well. It was a non-direct comment that could mean so many different things. It could be taken at face value as a sincere compliment, but she knew that wasn't how it was meant. It was his jab at her. He had been judge, jury, and executioner that night, and it seemed he still felt the same disgust he had felt then because she heard it in his voice.

But it was her fault. She had opened that door.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sydney said, keeping her voice unconcerned and looking him square in the eyes as she said it. She had the pleasure of watching his lips narrow frustration.

"I'll come to the point Miss Mitchell, since I'm not fond of games."

"You mean since your games don't work on me?"

He paused. "Games don't work for me in general, Miss. Mitchell."

"Hmmm," she nodded, taking a sip of her chocolate, "I recall you mentioning it before." Why was she so insistent in bringing up that night? Was she a glutton for punishment? Perhaps it was because it was the only intimate moment she had ever spent with the man.

"Why did you apply for a summer internship on the University Archeology dig?" he asked, ignoring her comment completely.

Sydney was completely confused, she hadn't applied, the mere idea of spending ten weeks with this man in the desert would be her idea of hell, but he didn't know that. Her self-preservation instinct kicked in, and she hid her confusion as best she could.

"Did I win a spot? I am guessing by your earlier comment that I did." Well, that was one mystery solved.

"You know you did. Your father pulled the necessary strings, assuring your space. I was told in no uncertain terms that you were to be included on the trip." His hand was crushing his empty coffee cup as he spoke.

"My father?" Sydney shook her head in disbelief, knowing it wasn't true, but he couldn't know. To everyone outside of their nuclear family she was a treasured daughter. She knew what had happened and it had nothing to do with her father, she sensed her friend Paige's influence. Her father had only ever given her the bare minimum her whole life, so he wouldn't bother to secure her a place on an Archeological dig. Sydney reached over and gently took the cup from his hand before he spilled the remains on himself.

"Tell me, Dr. Easton, was I the only one who was bought a spot on your dig?"

Either her question or her motion caught him off guard, and he released the cup.

"No, but you're the only one who is not an Anthropology major, which means that I had to choose you over one of my more qualified students."

"I see," Sydney said setting the cup on the table.

"Good, so you'll back out and decide not to take the internship so that I can take on a more qualified student." He nodded and stood up as if he couldn't wait to get away.

"I'll think about it," she said as she noted a motion over at the door and saw Paige enter the Student Center. She would do everything in her power to get out of the trip, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"You're just like all of the other trust fund kids. You think the world owes you something and that money will buy you anything. You really don't care do you?" He was angry enough to fist his hand, but his voice sounded almost bored.

Dr Easton wouldn't believe her if she told him that she did care. "If I remember correctly, your family is even better off than mine, so isn't it the pot calling the kettle or at the very least a gross generalization?"

"Then you're trying to get even for that night at the party, either that or you still think you stand a chance. Maybe it's your father who hopes you stand a chance." The look of disgust was back, but there was something else too. Something that made Sydney's blood run cold. He would never think well of her again. She had done more harm than she had thought that night and Paige, with her internship applications, hadn't helped matters.

Sydney held his gaze giving nothing away as she silently curled up inside of herself and died a little bit. There had been a time when she had taken his classes that they had had mutual respect for one another. Because of that fact, she had thought that after that night he might be somewhat understanding, but now she saw it was all a hopeless cause.

After a moment more he turned away from her and walked out the door, walking right by Paige, not even giving her nod of recognition and she had been in his classes for four years.

Sighing, Sydney noted Paige's confused look at the direct snub. She knew that Paige had just as big a crush on Dr. Easton as she did; there probably wasn't a female student in his class who didn't.

Paige was one of those rare people who was liked by everyone she met. She never had a mean thought about anyone, and she was always ready to be a friend, trusting instantly. It made her an easy mark when it was all added to her father's millions and her stunning beauty. She had deep warm brown eyes, black hair and her skin tone was a natural honey tone. She was also naturally statuesque at 5'10" making her stand out in a crowd.

The fact was that she had landed herself in some precarious situations in the past, situations that Sydney had had to help her out of while swearing not to tell her parents. Sydney hadn't been surprised when Paige had called and asked to meet that evening, but there hadn't been anxiety in her voice, instead Sydney had heard  excitement, and now she knew why.

Paige had spoken often of wanting to be chosen for the University's summer Archeology dig, but Sydney had always tuned her out because she had been talking about Dr. Easton, and the last thing Paige ever needed to know about were Sydney's feelings for Dr. Easton. If she knew she would try to fix it which would only make it worse.

When Paige turned away from Dr. Easton and saw Sydney, she ran towards her. "We're in!" Her excited voice sounded a bit giddy. "Here, I got you your favorite, hot chocolate," Paige said as she pushed the warm Styrofoam cup towards her.

"Please say yes," Paige begged, but she suddenly changed the topic as she looked at her hard, "You look tired, Syd," Paige said, reaching for her hand. "Are you almost finished?" And that was Paige. Her concern for others always won out over everything else. How could anyone stay mad at her about anything?

"Yes, just one more final edit." Sydney smiled.

"Oh good." Paige gave another squeal as she sat down. "Guess what?"

"You've been chosen for the dig and so have I," Sydney said, keeping her voice neutral.

The pout on Paige's face was charming. "How did you know?"

"Why else do you think Dr. Easton was talking to me? He was not happy Paige."

"Why not?" She couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't be happy with her. Some would say it was conceit, but with Paige it was just honest personality. She had been spoiled and was still very childlike.

"I am not a student of Archeology. He had to choose me over a student who could have benefited more from the internship." Sydney was speaking gently. "That's why I can't go."

"You have to go. Father said I couldn't go unless you do." Paige pleaded with her eyes. "I'll talk to Daddy, he'll pay for another internship," she insisted, and Sydney knew that that was the end of it. Paige would call her Father, and he would pay more money to the University, allowing Dr. Easton to hire another intern for the summer.

Sydney had always felt beholden to the Dunning family. They had treated her like a second daughter since she and Paige had been in the first grade together. It was an ongoing joke in the family that Sydney was the level-headed one out of the two, and it was she that kept Paige from getting into too much trouble. It was something that Robert and Julia Dunning had come to depend on Sydney to do.

They depended on her to do this so much that they had convinced Paige to attend the same school as Sydney and then bought a house for them to live in together. Sydney was extremely grateful to them because it had enabled her to pay for school. If she had had to find loans, not only for her school itself but her room and board, it would have been impossible for her to have finished as early as she did, and as it stood now, she was already one year behind where she should be.

All of this meant that she would go on the dig with Paige, but she would do her best to try to create a distance between them and push Paige from the nest a little because in less than two weeks they would both be graduating, and Paige needed to learn to be independent and depend on herself.

Shaking her head, she smiled at Paige. Sydney did love her like a sister, but she was a little too old to continue to act as a babysitter.