“You had me convinced for a minute there. Who knows? It might be a real job.Someone’sgot to test out backpacks, right?”
Miri put her hand on his arm, which sent a jolt through her body. “See? I’m right, aren’t I? Ithasto be a real job.”
“But notyourjob.” He tipped his head to her with a knowing look in his eye.
“Correct. Notmyjob. So then…should I assume you’re not here meeting your uncle and cousins?”
“Also correct. Although, my mother was Brazilian, so that part was true.”
“What is it that you do? What is it that you’re going to be doing on the expedition, I mean?” She leaned forward and propped up her head with her arm resting on the bar.
“I’m a journalist forGlobal Geography. I’m supposed to document this expedition from start to finish.”
“And when we met, had you already learned what you’d signed up for? For the”—she leaned in and brought her voice to a whisper—“search for the Lost City of the Moon?”
He took another sip. “Yes, I knew. But I was told not to tell a soul.”
“Same. Though I had no idea that I’d—” His eyebrow quirked, and she paused. No. She didn’t want to talk about that. Not yet. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“You don’t need to apologize. We were in the same boat. And if it makes you feel better, I didn’twantto lie to you.”
Warmth washed over her cheeks. “I didn’t want to lie to you, either.”
“Well, at least we’re not a couple of dirtbags, then, who get off on lying to other people.”
“Unlessthat’sa lie, too,” she said.
He smirked. “Fair point. Okay…ask me anything and I promise to tell the truth.”
“How will I know if you’re lying?”
Rafa shifted in his seat, like he was suddenly uncomfortable. “You won’t. You’ll have to use your intuition.”
Miri laughed to herself. Her intuition?Ha.Her intuition hadn’t thought he’d show.
Though shehadsensed something wasn’t quite right when he’d said he was in Brazil visiting family after that long pause in the taxi.
“All right. How long have you worked forGlobal Geography?”
“Seven years.”
“Have you ever been on an expedition like this before?”
“Exactly like this? No. But I’ve been assigned to plenty of unusual and somewhat secretive jobs.”
“Such as?”
“Let’s see…” he said, looking up to recall and keeping count on his fingers. “An ivory-poaching story in Africa. Aclimate change piece down in the Antarctic. A prehistoric settlement discovered in northern Europe.”
“Where were you born?”
He looked at her. “São Paulo.”
“But you live in the States?”
“Yes.”
“Are you really French-Canadian?”
