Chapter 3 - New Friends
When the sun began to descend the group gave up digging, and Lara was shown to a clearing in the trees where a large tank of collected rainwater was suspended, a tap underneath providing primitive shower facilities. Lara shivered as she washed under the stream of cool water. She heard a twig snap behind her as she finished rinsing soap out of her long hair and spun around, grabbing a thin towel from the nearby tree branch and using it to cover herself. "How long have you been there?" she asked Alex, who was leaning against a tree trunk with a smile playing on his lips. He shrugged. "I've come to tell you that dinner's ready" he said with a cheeky smile. Lara found it impossible to be angry with him, although she felt vaguely that she ought to be. "Let me guess.rice again?" she asked, tying the towel around her chest. "Afraid so. Although I did hear a rumour that the boss picked up some beers in town today as well as a beautiful young woman." "I happen to know that's true," Lara said smiling inwardly at the complement, "now turn around so I can get dressed."
They walked together back to the camp to find a fire already blazing in the centre of the haphazard circle of tents. Robert Palmer handed Lara a bottle of beer and left her with the group of archaeologists while he led Alex off to one side. She looked across at them and saw them having a heated conversation in hushed tones. Lara frowned to herself, but before she could think about what they might be discussing she was cornered by a bespectacled man she remembered was called Jack. As she talked politely to him over dinner she worked her way through three or four bottles of beer, partly because she was thirsty after the days work and partly to relieve the boring conversation. Lara glanced across the fire and saw that Alex was watching her with an amused expression so she gestured to him to come and rescue her. He had obviously just taken a shower because Lara noticed he was looking clean for the first time, as he crouched down beside them and told Jack that Robert wanted a word with him. "Thanks," Lara said in a low voice, leaning in towards her rescuer as the other man got up to leave. "You're welcome," Alex said, "would you like another beer?" he asked, handing Lara one of the two bottles he had in his hands. She shrugged and took one. The other people around the fire gradually retired to their tents as they talked, and the collection of empty bottles in front of the pair grew. Alex told her about everyone who was working on the dig and about some of the other jobs he'd done and then listened with interest as Lara told him about the places she had been to in the last six months. They stopped talking for a while, both staring into the flickering flames. The silence was broken only by the occasional pop or crackle of a log on the fire. "Why are you doing this?" Alex asked suddenly. Lara was taken aback. "What do you mean?" "You know, travelling the world on your own, writing a book." "I hope your not going to tell me it's too dangerous," Lara said threateningly. "I wouldn't dream of it," Alex placated her, "I just wondered where you got the travel bug from." Lara was silent for a few moments. "My plane crashed in the Himalayas in February this year. I was the only survivor, and I had to trek for two weeks to get back to civilisation." She looked at Alex to see his reaction, but he merely nodded at her to continue. "At first I felt like every step I took would be my last, but after a few days I actually began to enjoy myself, I just felt so. so alive. When I returned home everything seemed so boring and claustrophobic and I realised that travelling alone was the only thing that could make me feel truly alive again." Lara blushed - she had never spoken to anyone so candidly of her feelings about the episode before. She looked up and Alex was nodding. "I know exactly what you mean," he said with a warm smile. Lara stood up to put another log on the fire and suddenly felt rather light headed. She tripped over the pile of wood and giggled as Alex caught her. The electricity in the air was palpable as he continued to hold onto her and they both suddenly felt more sober as they looked into each other's eyes. Alex leant forward and his still-damp hair brushed against Lara's forehead. She grazed his lips gently with her own and Alex growled softly, gently biting her lower lip to stop her pulling away. Suddenly they were kissing passionately and Alex ran his hands through her long hair which hung loose down her shoulders, as Lara snaked her arms around his waist. "I think I preferred it when this was off," she said, beginning to unbutton Alex's shirt. He grinned and tugged at her belt "and I preferred it when these were off" he countered. "You know, you really shouldn't have been watching me shower." "I know," he admitted. They began kissing again, this time slightly more urgently than before. "So would you agree that it's only fair that I should get to see you naked in return?" Lara suggested flirtily. Alex laughed. "Not out here though." "Why not?" He rolled his eyes at her then took her hand and began leading her towards his tent.
When the sun began to descend the group gave up digging, and Lara was shown to a clearing in the trees where a large tank of collected rainwater was suspended, a tap underneath providing primitive shower facilities. Lara shivered as she washed under the stream of cool water. She heard a twig snap behind her as she finished rinsing soap out of her long hair and spun around, grabbing a thin towel from the nearby tree branch and using it to cover herself. "How long have you been there?" she asked Alex, who was leaning against a tree trunk with a smile playing on his lips. He shrugged. "I've come to tell you that dinner's ready" he said with a cheeky smile. Lara found it impossible to be angry with him, although she felt vaguely that she ought to be. "Let me guess.rice again?" she asked, tying the towel around her chest. "Afraid so. Although I did hear a rumour that the boss picked up some beers in town today as well as a beautiful young woman." "I happen to know that's true," Lara said smiling inwardly at the complement, "now turn around so I can get dressed."
They walked together back to the camp to find a fire already blazing in the centre of the haphazard circle of tents. Robert Palmer handed Lara a bottle of beer and left her with the group of archaeologists while he led Alex off to one side. She looked across at them and saw them having a heated conversation in hushed tones. Lara frowned to herself, but before she could think about what they might be discussing she was cornered by a bespectacled man she remembered was called Jack. As she talked politely to him over dinner she worked her way through three or four bottles of beer, partly because she was thirsty after the days work and partly to relieve the boring conversation. Lara glanced across the fire and saw that Alex was watching her with an amused expression so she gestured to him to come and rescue her. He had obviously just taken a shower because Lara noticed he was looking clean for the first time, as he crouched down beside them and told Jack that Robert wanted a word with him. "Thanks," Lara said in a low voice, leaning in towards her rescuer as the other man got up to leave. "You're welcome," Alex said, "would you like another beer?" he asked, handing Lara one of the two bottles he had in his hands. She shrugged and took one. The other people around the fire gradually retired to their tents as they talked, and the collection of empty bottles in front of the pair grew. Alex told her about everyone who was working on the dig and about some of the other jobs he'd done and then listened with interest as Lara told him about the places she had been to in the last six months. They stopped talking for a while, both staring into the flickering flames. The silence was broken only by the occasional pop or crackle of a log on the fire. "Why are you doing this?" Alex asked suddenly. Lara was taken aback. "What do you mean?" "You know, travelling the world on your own, writing a book." "I hope your not going to tell me it's too dangerous," Lara said threateningly. "I wouldn't dream of it," Alex placated her, "I just wondered where you got the travel bug from." Lara was silent for a few moments. "My plane crashed in the Himalayas in February this year. I was the only survivor, and I had to trek for two weeks to get back to civilisation." She looked at Alex to see his reaction, but he merely nodded at her to continue. "At first I felt like every step I took would be my last, but after a few days I actually began to enjoy myself, I just felt so. so alive. When I returned home everything seemed so boring and claustrophobic and I realised that travelling alone was the only thing that could make me feel truly alive again." Lara blushed - she had never spoken to anyone so candidly of her feelings about the episode before. She looked up and Alex was nodding. "I know exactly what you mean," he said with a warm smile. Lara stood up to put another log on the fire and suddenly felt rather light headed. She tripped over the pile of wood and giggled as Alex caught her. The electricity in the air was palpable as he continued to hold onto her and they both suddenly felt more sober as they looked into each other's eyes. Alex leant forward and his still-damp hair brushed against Lara's forehead. She grazed his lips gently with her own and Alex growled softly, gently biting her lower lip to stop her pulling away. Suddenly they were kissing passionately and Alex ran his hands through her long hair which hung loose down her shoulders, as Lara snaked her arms around his waist. "I think I preferred it when this was off," she said, beginning to unbutton Alex's shirt. He grinned and tugged at her belt "and I preferred it when these were off" he countered. "You know, you really shouldn't have been watching me shower." "I know," he admitted. They began kissing again, this time slightly more urgently than before. "So would you agree that it's only fair that I should get to see you naked in return?" Lara suggested flirtily. Alex laughed. "Not out here though." "Why not?" He rolled his eyes at her then took her hand and began leading her towards his tent.