The mention of Hugh coming to Boston makes my heart race with excitement. Boston is a two-hour flight from Columbus, which means in four months he will basically be in my backyard. I shake the thought out of my head and force myself to focus on the issue at hand. ‘And that relates to the wrasse how?’

‘It actually is about the extinction of the wrasse.’ Hugh at least has the decency to start to mumble.

‘You have written an entire paper on the extinction of the fish I’m all the way out here to find?’ My voice is rising. I forget that this fight is Millie’s fight – suddenly, I’m all in.

‘We have to keep publishing to get promoted,’ Hugh says by way of explanation. ‘You know that. Even if we have to pay to do it,’ he grumbles.

‘You have a promotion riding on this?’ I exclaim. I launch myself off the platform like it’s made of lava. ‘This is unbelievable.’

‘Woah, Millie. What is going on? You knew I didn’t believe the wrasse existed.’

‘I didn’t know you had a promotion depending on me not finding it!’ I retort. ‘No wonder you’re doing all of . . .’ I gesture at Hugh wildly with my hands. ‘All of this!’

‘All of what?’

‘Don’t act all innocent,’ I say, half-heartedly lowering my voice in case the crew can hear us from their mid-level bunk room. ‘You’ve been pulling the seduction act on me practically since we arrived! All that ridiculous teasing! Making the others think we’re flirting!’

‘Me seducing you? You accosted me in a towel! You were naked!’

‘That was an accident,’ I say through clenched teeth.

‘Like I’m supposed to believe that. You like me, Millie. I can feel it, just like I know you can.’

‘You know, Hugh, I wish I could say you were right, but unfortunately it’s hard to like someone when they change personalities every five minutes.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘First you’re combative, then you’re rude, stand-offish, and stuck-up,’ I say, counting with my fingers, ‘and then you’re nice, and helpful, and caring and thoughtful. I don’t even know who you are!’

‘Millie, we’ve been over this. Being rude to each other was our thing. I thought we were flirting. I am nice and helpful. And yeah, I’ve been hitting on you, but it’s because I think you’re cute. You’re easy to talk to. I feel like I can trust you. So what if professionally we don’t exactly match up. It’s not like I’m out to sabotage you.’