Still smiling proudly, Daniel shook his head. “I doubt it. The virus might have my name on it, but the government isn’t going to advertise it. No press conferences for me.”
Kal’s eyes narrowed as Trisk gave Daniel a comforting half hug. Bothered, he unthinkingly took a sip of that awful tea. Spitting it back into the cup, Kal set it on the coffee table.
“Please tell me it’s time,” Saladan said faintly when a tech came in, the expression on the witch’s long face as weary as Rick’s was annoyingly upbeat.
But the tech shook his head, eyes on Trisk. “Dr. Cambri. I need to adjust your mic.”
Immediately she turned to him with a helpful openness. Daniel went to get himself a cup of coffee, and Kal watched Trisk’s confidence return as the tech fumbled with her mic, the man able to take liberties that most would get slapped for. Kal didn’t like that, either.
Over the last couple of weeks, he’d gotten used to her dark hair, finding the silky strands in odd places to remind him she was around. Her strong cheekbones and narrow nose were far more attractive when she was smiling at him than when she’d been throwing curses, and her laugh was infectious.
With a start, Kal realized Daniel was watching him watch her, more than a sliver of jealous warning in the back of the man’s eyes. I’ve got time to take care of that, Kal thought, his gaze flicking to the clock.
Kal stood. Horrid tea in hand, he ambled over to Daniel at the coffee bar. “I don’t think I’ve said congratulations yet, Dr. Plank,” he said as he set his mug down on the return tray.
“Thank you.” Daniel looked at Kal’s extended hand, then shook it. “It’s odd, but now that the government has cleared it for trials, I’m as nervous as hell that it won’t work.”
Kal laughed, the pleasant sound filling the small room. “It will. It’s a beautiful piece of work from what I understand.”
“Thank you,” he said again, but his eyes were on Trisk as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Dr. Cambri had a lot to do with it. Her name should be on it as well.”
“No, it’s your project. Your baby.” Kal hesitated. “You’re right, though. Trisk is talented. What she did with the T4 Angel is amazing.”
Daniel nodded, both men still looking at her. “She’s better than I’ll ever be. If she were a man, she’d be my boss by now.”
“Funny you should mention that,” Kal said, stifling a surge of satisfaction when Daniel stiffened. “I’ve been talking with NASA, and they think they might have a place for her. I keep asking her to put in her application now that her tomato has been sold, but she won’t. She could shine there,” Kal added, feigning obliviousness to Daniel’s sudden disquiet. “If I could convince her to go, that is. I wouldn’t mind the chance to get to know her again, either. NASA is just down the road from where I work.”
“Seriously?” Daniel said, his voice rough. “She told me some of the things you did.”
Kal’s wandering attention slid back to Daniel, his lips tight as he lied. “Little boys often torment little girls to get their attention. I was a fool.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I will not be that same fool again.”
“There you go, Dr. Cambri,” the tech said, and Trisk straightened her skirt. “Gentlemen, we have five minutes.” he added loudly as he checked his watch. “If you have to use the bathroom, now’s the time.”
“I’m fine.” Rick stood before the long mirror and adjusted the drape of his suit.
“Can we just get on with it?” Saladan muttered, crushing out his cigarette.
Satisfied from the look of Daniel’s tight jaw that his words would fester, Kal surreptitiously pushed his tie off-kilter. “I’m good,” he said, then smiled at Trisk. “Do I look okay?”
“You look fine,” Trisk said, reaching to fix his tie. Behind her, the head technician vanished. The door shifted closed only a few inches before stopping. Faint in the distance, Kal could hear the current segment, a good eight seconds off from what was playing on the TV. “How come you’re not nervous?” she asked as she gave his tie a last tweak.
“I am,” he admitted. “But it’s not my baby in the beauty contest. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“Are you kidding?” Trisk said as Rick sniffed his opinion, the vain man continuing to primp in the mirror. “You’re a bona fide Florida geneticist. Everyone wants to meet you.” She shifted slightly to put her back to Daniel.
“Kal, I can’t thank you enough for clearing Daniel’s virus for live trials last week,” Trisk whispered. “And then making sure his name was attached to it. This is Daniel’s life. Thank you.”
Kal smiled, not a whisper of guilt in him. “Yes, well, he deserves everything coming his way. You too.”