Page 78 of Love in the Lab
Cough. NERD. Cough.
Molly:
You love it
Jonathan:
I absolutely do
Molly:
Now shush so I can pay attention [wink face emoji]
Jonathan:
I’m not making any noise! I hope your phone is on silent
Molly:
My phone is never not on silent
An hour later in the second session of the morning, he texts again.
Jonathan:
What do you want for lunch?
Molly:
Are you hungry already?
Jonathan:
I’m never not hungry
Finally, the break for “lunch on your own” arrives. I find Jonathan, and we head outside where several food trucks are waiting. We choose a truck that serves corn dogs, chicken tenders, and other comfort foods. The line’s long, but it moves quickly.
Almost everyone from the conference is out here in this courtyard for lunch. I can tell by the name badges everyone is still wearing on lanyards around their necks, including me.
As we wait, a middle-aged woman with long black hair approaches me. Her dark-blue suit looks too formal for this setting—or maybe I’m underdressed? I look around and see that no, my business casual is right on par with what most everyone is wearing.
“Hi, Dr. Delaney?”
“Yes,” I confirm, taking a step back.
“I saw your name badge and had to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Almay Jones. I’m the deputy director at the Hollings Marine Laboratory at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in Charleston, South Carolina.”
I glance quickly at Jonathan and feel his hand settle on the small of my back, calming my nerves. I take a steadying breath. “Hi, Dr. Jones. It’s so nice to meet you,” I manage to get out. The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science is the arm of NOAA—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—that focuses on coastal stewardship.
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” she enthuses. “Harmful algal bloom monitoring and mitigation is a huge area of interest for us. I’m looking forward to your presentation on Friday.”
“Thank you,” I stammer. One of the heads of a major research organization stopped to talk to me? And wants to see our presentation? My brain starts reeling with what this could mean for my career and everything that’s riding on a good presentation on Friday.
Jonathan presses his fingers into my back to remind me that he’s here. “Oh, I’m sorry. Dr. Jones, this is Dr. Jonathan Stanch, my … co-researcher.”
Jonathan pulls his hand from my back to shake Dr. Jones’s. I immediately mourn the loss of his touch, which was helping me feel more confident talking to Dr. Jones.
“Ah, the fieldwork director. Very important job,” she says, smiling. “I’ll let you two get back to your lunch, but I’ll see you at your presentation.”
