Mike Spar was only going to be in Sweden for twenty four hours. At thirty five, being one of the youngest yet most highly regarded archaeologists in the world had its drawbacks. Whereas it gave him the chance to view hitherto unknown parts of the world, it did make a drag on his time, when he was called on to provide his experience. Today would be no exception.
Much of his fame had come from his unearthing ancient sites in his own country but also as far afield as South America and China. Now, seated on the train out of Stockholm he was dreading that his time would be spent with a group of inexperienced student types, although the grey whiskered professor back at the university seemed to have a great deal of faith in them.
Outside of the window, he watched the rising hills and the pine clad mountains roll past. It was a beautiful country, but he was keen to get back home to attempt to establish his relationship with Angela, a biochemist, he had recently met. They had got nowhere physically as yet, but Mike was fairly confident that his own powers of seduction would soon overcome that.
But for now he was on his way north to show three young aspiring archaeologists how to set up the initial exploration of a tribal village that had appeared when builders started preparing foundations for a housing estate.
When the train pulled into his destination Mike took a taxi to the hotel where his room was small but comfortable. Since there was still some light he decided to catch a taxi out to the proposed site, so that he would have some idea of how to guide these three people. He found that there was only a small sections of stone jutting at a couple of points where the diggers had disturbed the surface. But he did some pacing out in preparation for what he might show these three beginners.
Next morning he had just finished a tasty breakfast when he was told that the three had arrived. Mike went to meet them and his first impression was one of surprise. For one thing the three, two women and a man, were older than he had expected, the man was twenty six and the two women weren't much younger.
The next thing to strike him was, that the warm covering of thick anoraks and woolly hats could not disguise the shining good looks of the two women. They both had full lips, high cheek bone, and blue eyes that made them extremely attractive.
The handsome young man, Eric. introduced the two ladies as Greta and Agneta, and once again, Mike was surprised at how good their English was. Mike felt a strange buzz as both ladies regarded him with an open, mind probing gaze.
Soon though they were engaged in a discussion of how the day might go. Mike was pleased to learn that they had plenty of archaeological experience working on a considerable number of other sites, but those sites had always been well established. The ladies in particular showed considerable excitement at setting up a completely new site. They seemed rather impressed to learn that Mike had already viewed the location.
"Not much to see, is there?" Agneta stated.
"You're going to have a lot of work on your hands," Mike agreed, and quickly added, "but I'm sure you'll find it very rewarding."
Mike looked towards Greta, who had looked as though she had been about to speak, but she smiled and that was something of a delight in itself. He was sure it was going to be a very pleasant, if bitterly cold day.
Within ten minutes they were in a taxi being taken out into the wilds, where the site lay close to a frozen stream.
For the next few hours Mike enjoyed showing them how to set about preparing and establishing the area that the settlement had covered. The three were all keen to hear of his methods and appreciated his advice. In his view, he was struck by their enthusiasm for the job in hand, and the sensible questions they asked. They were not at all what he had expected.
At lunch time they settled behind one of the builders diggers, to be out of the chill wind, and tucked into the delicious snacks supplied by the hotel. Eric, Agneta and Greta each spoke of how they had qualified and gained an interest in this particular field of the sciences.
At one point Greta, chewed delicately on a morsel, in a manner which Mike found intriguing. Then she asked about where he lived, and whether his wife minded him being away for long periods of times. When he told them there was no wife, he could not avoid noticing the glance the two women exchanged.
Eric observed, "I guess that's the best way to be." He grinned at the two women, as Agneta responded, "You would think that, wouldn't you?"
The three laughed in a manner that suggested that this was some private joke that he was excluded from.
They continued their research of the whole area throughout the afternoon, moving around vigorously as possible to exclude the chill of the air.
At last the taxi arrived to take them back to the hotel. His new companions went straight up to their rooms after agreeing they would meet for the evening meal at seven thirty. Mike went for a swift shot of whiskey at the small bar. Then he went up to his room, had a shower, and managed a quick nap on the cosy bed.
At seven thirty he was seated in a booth in the dining room, which was only half full. The two women appeared first, each wearing thick winter shirts and tight fitting jeans which, for the first time gave a clear indication of what trim figures had been hidden beneath their earlier lumpy outer wear. Even more striking was the blonde hair that they each displayed, cut to just above their shoulders.
As they sat down in the seats opposite Mike, Agneta told him that Eric had fallen asleep and was now some five minutes behind them. Mike, looking admiringly at the way the two women filled their respective shirts, Agneta in blue, Greta in green checks, had to ask the question that had come into his mind earlier.
"Are you two sisters?"
Greta laughed, "Whatever made you think that?"
Mike shrugged, not slow with paying a woman a compliment, "You seem to share a natural beauty."
Agneta bowed her head, in an act of false modesty, "Oh, thank you kind sir."
At that moment Eric arrived, looking very refreshed, and soon they were tucking ito a delicious meal of peppered beef, with parsnips, carrots ad sweet potato. To wash it down they had two bottles of good Chardonnay.
After a chocolate sweet in a delicious white sauce, they had coffee, when not surprisingly, Mike found himself being bombarded with questions about his discoveries in the Mayan temples he had unearthed.
After they had ordered another two bottles of wine, he wondered if it was his imagination that, whenever Greta asked him a question, or commented on something he had said, her eyes appeared to linger on his for just that rather unsubtle extra moment.
He decided that it had to be his imagination. After all he had been in the company of the three for the whole day, and knew from past experience that attraction to a fine looking female was always there to be sparked.
With the wine all consumed and their talk becoming more ribald, Agneta suddenly glanced at her watch and declared, "Five past ten. I think I'm ready for bed."
Mike was sorry to hear that, as he had been enjoying viewing the beauty of the two women. Anyway, with the geneal agreement of the others they left the dining room and walked together up to the first floor where all the bedrooms were situated.
As they moved onto the corridor, Mike was a little shocked to see that Eric and Agneta were walking with their arms around each other, snuggled quite intimately together. There had been no indication of that during the day. They reached a room door where Eric waved his card and as he and Agneta moved inside, he called, "Good night, you two, see you at breakfast."
Mike stood there, just a little stunned, and as he heard Greta's chuckle behind him he turned towards her smiling face.
