I seated myself at the back of Finelli's in the hidey corner. The rest of the guests could not see me, and I could not see them, and it suited me.

The restaurant belonged to my father, but only Fred, the manager, knew who my dad was and thus who I was.

My jeans, tank top, and sneakers were inappropriate attire for this fancy restaurant, and they usually would let no one past the door dressed in such a way, but my platinum membership to any restaurant in the chain meant that I never had to make reservations and didn't have to observe the dress code.

His face had been a comical study in disdain and disapproval. He was new to the staff and just the tiniest bit confused when Fred waved at me from the rear with a huge smile plastered on his face.

The lunch crowd would arrive in an hour, and there were few people in the restaurant—it was the best time to be early, and my stomach grumbled. My road had gone straight from the beach house to get my backpack and almost five hundred miles by airplane to the airport, then the apartment in the highrise my father had just bought. The cupboards were still empty and the fridge bare.

The apartment was legally mine, a gift from my father when I returned from my holiday. My dad was still hoping I would let go of my foolish dreams and join his company. He also knew, as well as I did, that I would never fit in.

Finelli's had two things I loved: The lobster and crayfish starter followed by the perfect cheese and mushroom slathered rump steak (not the lady-sized one) with a divine potato salad. Mermaids ate meat—I needed both my seafood and my proteins. Despite my rather unladylike appetite, I had an excellent metabolism.

It was the reason stepmother number two still hated me to this day. She even refused to have dinner with my father if I was home. Probably one of ten thousand reasons their marriage only lasted two years. Oddly, now that she was married to another man, she and Ronald were friends, plus she was less of a bitch. To him anyway.

I had just finished my main course and awaited the dessert Fred ordered for me when he finally managed to squeeze in a moment to chat before my meal arrived.

A man and a woman I didn't know from Adam walked up to my table, and, although I wasn't in the mood for company, I would not be rude either. My father did not raise me that way.

"Hello! Sorry to intrude on your dinner Britney, but we've been trying to get a hold of you for two days now, and your father said we might find you here. I am Nora Walker, and this is my brother, Andrew," Nora introduced herself.

I got to my feet and shook their hands, taking stock of them. Their clothes marked them as wealthy in that subtle, subdued fashion of those in my father's league, and the striking resemblance between the two seemed somehow familiar, like a word on the tip of my tongue.

"Please sit," I invited as Fred arrogantly waved the waiter off, seeming to know the Walkers.

I didn't have to be a detective to know Fred was the one who informed my father I was in town, and this restaurant was usually my second stop before searching out my dad.

"Sorry to approach you like this. We were at a benefit a few days ago, and your father mentioned that you just finished your master's degree in marine biology," Nora broached the subject, pouring herself some water.

"We looked into your qualifications and noticed that you also have a degree in archaeology. You are a qualified diver with a helicopter license, and not only are we impressed, but you're also exactly who we need. When your father said you were unsure what you wanted to do, we realized you would be perfect for our project." Nora took a careful sip of water.

"Yes, we own several exploration and archeological enterprises, and we just acquired a large deep-sea boat that a previous owner equipped to find marine wrecks." Andrew's charming smile seemed cheeky as he toyed with one of my forks. I had a feeling that despite his current serious attitude, he was an incorrigible tease.

"This is an area we've been itching to explore, and although the vessel is not huge, it is well equipped. We believe you would fit in nicely with the rest of the crew," Andrew continued, and looking at them, I realized they were twins.

"Treasure hunting? You're kidding me. My dad put you up to this to make fun of me, and you can tell him I am not amused," I said quietly but firmly, perfectly imitating my father's controlled manner when something annoyed him.

I didn't anger easily, but it was not pretty when I did. After years of listening to my father's opinion on this matter, I was very close to being furious at him.

"May I call you Brit?" Nora asked, and I nodded somewhat reluctantly. My friends called me that, and these two were not my friends.

"This isn't a prank, and we're not spoofing you. We can start with a three-month probation period. If you don't like it or don't like how we do things, then fine; when your time is up, you can move on. No harm done."

It occurred to me that Nora was serious.

"If you like this job, we can offer you a five-year contract, which will allow you to do the work you want to do and do archeology. We're not in it for profit, although we usually make a lot from our research or whatever we find." Fred and Nora's minds seemingly worked in tandem, and it might have amused me on any other day.

"We're in it for the history, the stories we uncover and setting the record straight on the truth. We, or at least our family, have been doing this for the last fifty years and longer." Nora leaned forward, catching my eye.

"We have uncovered many marvelous secrets, debunked many wild theories, found unexpected truths, and we like to do it all the right way." Her passion declared the truth of her words.

"We approach every project from all angles and learn as much as possible from the artifacts we uncover. We even study their effects on their environment and that their environment had on them." This was obviously Andrew's area of expertise, and his eyes glittered with enthusiasm.

"We're not pirates or treasure hunters, only in it for money and fame. We have enough of both; this is in our blood. Our passion is to learn from the past and see into the future," Nora said, staring me down as if she wanted to impress her sincerity upon me.

"We develop technologies, design software, and create algorithms, but we do not limit ourselves to any specific field. We use the opportunities we come across to benefit us and the world." Nora's solemn, stern belief and enthusiasm for the subject colored every word.

"You sound as if you had given that speech before," I challenged them, and she laughed. It was a gorgeous unaffected sound, and her brother smiled, but his eyes were laughing at her as if he had predicted my reaction.

"I may have, but I still mean it," she admitted with a smirk, and despite my best efforts, it was hard not to like them. There was just something about them that felt oddly familiar and approachable.

"We'll leave the contract with you. Please read it, think about it, and call us when you're ready. The number is on the back," Andrew concluded.

"Enjoy the rest of your meal, and again, our apologies for intruding," Nora said as they rose and nodded at me.

I watched them walk away before picking up the contract and staring at it. It seemed surreal as if my mind played tricks on me.

"Dessert?" The waitress asked, and I was so lost in thought that her voice startled me.

I nodded. She put the plate down and left with curiosity glimmering in her eyes. I suspected she knew my unexpected guests and wondered what they wanted with me.

Did I imagine her trying to glimpse the contract's cover page with the words "Contract of employment on a trial basis" emblazoned in big, elegant letters? With nothing to lose, I read through it while eating my dessert, and even as I stowed the file in my bag before leaving the restaurant, it still seemed like a hazy daydream.

This could be such an opportunity, but was I ready for it? Why couldn't I shake the idea that it sounded too good to be true? Was I just paranoid?