Chapter One

Dr. Sophie Winston has no patience for a stranger who requests her abilities.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Southwestern Colorado

"Sophie, there's a man here to see you." Charlie Bradford said as he came into her office. Charlie didn't like being the messanger. It made him feel unimportant when people just assumed because he didn't have a PhD he wasn't good for anything. Truth was he helped out on a lot of sights, he just never seemed to get the credit for any of the work done there.

Ever since Dr. Winston had come to Crow Canyon Charlie had been infatuated with the woman. She was gorgeous, smart, funny, and had an amazing reputation for one so young as herself. Charlie had never worked up the courage to ask her out, but he was going to, one day. He kept telling himself that but was always discouraged when Sophie turned away one suitor after another. She'd told him one time, "I don't need a husband or a boyfriend when I've got thousands of years of history waiting to be discovered." They had had several intimate talks such as these on late nights when they both stayed to work.

Sophie's brows pulled together in annoyance. She didn't like to be disrupted and sometimes flew off the handle when she was bothered too much. She didn't understand why so many people came to talk to her, it was almost as if she held the key of life. I'm going to have to set up in a cave one of these days, maybe that will keep people away. Of course she knew that would never work, how would she make any money? Her talents were languages, not surviving for long periods of time in caves. What would she eat? Bats?

"Who is it?" Sophie asked, her accented voice revealing her annoyance.

"I don't know." Charlie said, sounding slightly distressed. "He wouldn't tell me his name. He just demanded to speak with you; said it was urgent." He was kind of glad that Sophie was getting an interruption in her work. She worked to much and needed a break. She was going to work herself to an early grave.

"Tell him that if it's that important then he can wait until I'm finished with this. I'll be with him in about five mintues." That was all the time she spared for the subject. She went right back to her computer and began typing like crazy. Charlie had never known someone that could type as quickly as she could, it was amazing.

***

Nick Holt impatiently tapped his foot as the jittery man went to go find Sophie Winston. Finding her was crucial. If she didn't take up his offer then he didn't know what he would do. Okay, so maybe he did know what he would do if she refused. But truly, he didn't want to resort to that. Breaking laws wasn't something he enjoyed doing unless it was necessary.

What's taking so long? Nick thought, pretending to examine a picture of Hovenweep National Park. On the outside he looked like a tourist anxious for an experts opinion on the land, on the inside he was roaring with impatience. Finally the jumpy man came out from a back office.

"Sir," The man said twisting his hands in a nervous gesture. Nick was used to people being nervous around him. His size was intimidating and caused people to cast their eyes down. At six foot six inches he looked down on almost everyone. Women all but threw themselves at him, knowing he would make a good protector and be a nice little companion. He'd figured out that all of his past girlfriends had only dated him becuase they wanted to be able to say, "Look that's him." And see people's eyes grow wide at the handsome sight. Now, however, he was just enjoying watching this man cower, "Dr. Winston will be with you in about five minutes."

Nick could feel his rage build up. He'd been searching the world for a good archaeologist and language scholar and now that he'd found the perfect one he had to wait! "I told you that it is urgent. Did you reiterate this to her?" He asked harshly. Fear was a wonderful persuasive tool.

"Y-yes I did. Dr. Winston is very busy. She was very annoyed that I even went int her to talk to her. She doesn't like being interrupted." The jumpy man continued to wring his hands and bite his lip. He seemed like the type that when he was a kid the bullies always picked on him. It would explain the broken nose.

"Listen Charlemagne," Nick said trying to reign in his anger, it wasn't working. "I get what I want when I want it. I want you to go back into Dr. Winston's office and tell her that I want to speak to her now. If she doesn't come out I will go in there myself." Nick drew himself up to his full height and enjoyed the man's terror.

"Terrorizing the employees isn't necessary." A voice with an Italian accent said in annoyed tones. Nick looked in the direction the voice had come from to see a beautiful woman of about twenty eight glaring at him, her long light brown hair cascading around her shoulders and brilliant green eyes shooting fire at him. Her hands were balled up into fists at her sides, she looked like she would enjoy pummling him. Something about her made him believe that she would be able to do it too. Who cared if he was weighed over two hundred pounds and was pure muscle, if she was angry enough she could probably take down an elephant.

"And you are?" He asked coolly, not wanting to have to deal with a secretary.

"Dr. Sophie Winston." She said glaring at him. She was taller than he would have thought, younger too. Nick looked her up and down, she was wearing precariously high heels, a black pencil skirt, a white blouse, and her hair was pulled into a messy sort of bun at the back of her head.

"You're Sophie Winston?" He asked incredulous. "You aren't anything like I expected." He gave a little laugh as he studied her.

"I'm never what people expect. Now who are you?" She had enough venom in her voice to compete with a cobra.

"Holt, Nick Holt." He said holding a hand out to her. When she didn't take it he let it drop lamely to his side.

"What do you want Mr. Holt?" Sophie asked.

"I want your help. I'm going to be starting an expedition soon and I need someone with your expertise to help."

"What kind of 'expedition'?" She asked warily.

"I'm sure you've heard of Atlantis." Nick said, knowing that these words were the ones that would break the deal.

"Mr. Holt, I don't have time to waste going after a myth. Atlantis was washed away thousands of years ago by a Tsunami, nothing else exists. Have a nice day." With that, she walked back into her office slamming the door. The click that followed was enough to get her point across. Time for Plan B, Nick thought as he turned an walked out of the archaeological center.

 

Author's Note

Notice that both of these characters are type A people. They both are stubborn and like to get their own ways. Remember how this personality clashes with itself.