“What?” Brad exclaimed. “Already?”
“Mate, the nanotubes practically mesh by themselves,” Jodie said. “They’re not yet mounted on the sol-gel substrate, we haven’t hooked it up to a collector or even taken it outside yet, but the first optical nantenna built out of inorganic nanotubes is sitting in the lab on the other side of this very campus . . . on my workbench! It’s even thinner and stronger than we predicted. I’m getting e-mails from scientists all over the world who want to get involved. It’s turning out to be one of the biggest advances in nanotechnology in years!”
“That’s incredible!” Brad exclaimed. He took her hands in his, and they exchanged a kiss across the kitchen counter. “Congratulations, Jodie! Why didn’t you call me?”
“You were already at your workout, and I didn’t want to disturb you,” she said. “Besides, I wanted to tell you in person, not over the phone.”
“That’s great news! We’re a shoo-in to get the lab space and grant money now!”
“I hope so,” Jodie said. “I might even qualify for a scholarship from Cal Poly—they wouldn’t want me going back to Australia taking a breakthrough like this with me, would they?”
“You’ll get a scholarship for sure, I know it,” Brad said. “Let’s go out and celebrate. Some place not too fancy—I still smell like a gym.”
A sly smile crept onto her face, and she glanced very briefly at the hallway to her bedroom, obviously signifying the way she wanted to celebrate. “I already have dinner started,” Jodie said. “It won’t be ready for about fifteen minutes.” She took his hand again and gave him a sly smile. “Maybe we can soap each other’s backs in the shower?”
Brad smiled broadly and looked into her eyes, but shook his head. “Jodie . . .”
“I know, I know,” she said. “I told you I was going to try again, and maybe again and again. She’s lucky to have you, mate.” She went to the refrigerator, retrieved the bottle of Chardonnay, and refilled his glass.
Brad heard his smartphone vibrate in his gym bag, retrieved it, and read the text message. “Well, how about that?” he remarked. “This is turning out to be a really great day after all.”
“What is it, love?”
“I got a room at Poly Canyon,” he said. Jodie wore an absolutely stunned expression. “Fifth floor at Aliso. I can move in tomorrow, and I can stay through the summer if we get the summer lab grant, and I can stay through my sophomore and junior years.”
“What?” Jodie exclaimed.
“Is that good?”
“Aliso is the most sought-after residence building at Cal Poly!” Jodie explained. “They’re closest to the shops and parking garage. And the top floors always fill up first because they have the best views of campus and the city! And they never allow students to stay at Poly Canyon over the summer, and you have to reapply every year and hope you keep your room. How in bloody hell did you manage that, mate?”
“I have no idea,” Brad lied—he was sure his father and probably President Martindale pulled some strings and made it happen. “Someone must’ve taken pity on me.”
“Well, good onya, mate,” Jodie said. “You got yourself a pozzy there.” She noticed Brad smiling at her Australian slang again, picked up a towel, snapped it at him, then went over and gave him a light kiss on the lips. “Stop perving me with those baby blues, mate, or I might just drag you into the sleep-out and make you forget all about what’s-her-name in Nevada.”
FIVE
There never yet was a mother who taught her child to be an infidel.
—HENRY W. SHAW
MCLANAHAN INDUSTRIAL AIRPORT
BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA
THE NEXT MORNING
“Masters Zero-Seven, McLanahan Ground, you are cleared to operate in Romeo four eight one three alpha and bravo and Romeo four eight one six November, all altitudes, squawk assigned codes, advise Oakland Center when departing the areas, contact tower, have a good flight.”
“Roger, Ground,” Sondra Eddington replied on the number one UHF radio. She read back the entire clearance, then switched to the tower frequency. “McLanahan Tower, Masters Zero-Seven, number one, runway three-zero, ready for takeoff.”
“Masters Zero-Seven, McLanahan Tower, winds calm, runway three-zero, airspeed restricted to two-zero-zero knots while inside the Class Charlie airspace, cleared for takeoff.”