Tales of TIUWJ: Episode 1
I'd just gotten back from a four day trip out of town where I'd been guest speaking at an engineering expo. As my jeep was in a state of engine rebuild in our garage, Jill had dropped me off at the airport days before, and so had picked me up early that morning. A Saturday. She had a busy afternoon ahead of her, but was happy for the excuse to drive her new Infiniti sedan. She had it customized and picked it up from the dealer while I was away. I'm a '70's Land Cruiser kinda guy, but I had to admit, it was plush. Sexy. And totally Jill. Even dressed casually as she was: ball cap and ponytail, wearing an oversized sweatshirt, terry cloth shorts and tennis shoes; she looked good in it, her new car.
"It's so smooth," she said coolly, rounding the on-ramp and hammering it as we merged onto the freeway. I couldn't help but smile as I snuck a glance at her, all concentrated on the road while at the helm of her sweet new ride. She'd purchased it outright. A treat, after recently making partner.
"Powerful, too," I said, impressed with the buttery smooth acceleration.
"Mmm. It's a creampuff," she muttered, glancing at the rearview.
"You're a creampuff," I shot back, getting a big grin from her.
"It's loaded," she added, smiling.
"
You're
a loaded creampuff."
Jill laughed.
"You're
my
loaded creampuff."
"Aww..."
I looked around the interior. "This is nice. Good job, honey. You deserve it." I leaned over and smooched a kiss to the side of her head.
"Hmmm, thanks. Oh!...so...the seminar..."
"Expo. It was an expo," I said, being difficult on purpose.
"
Expo
.... Whatever. So how'd it go?"
"Mm, I think I might be looking at another term contract, just in time to pick up where my current one ends. Good money, too. More than double the last two combined."
"Oh my God! Really? Is it for that dental thing you've been working on?"
"No...that hasn't taken off yet. But...there were people there from Goddard...Space Flight Center."
Jill's gaze was fixed on the road but her eyes got wide.
"Oh my God, you contacted them like...what, a whole year ago?"
"Yeah. I guess hearing me talk about it in person jarred their thinking. One of the guys even said that."
"So what's it for, what is it they...I don't even know how to phrase the question... mm...were interested in?"
"To be honest I'm not sure what it would ultimately be for. But they were very interested in some of the designs I have for small drive mechanisms."
"Huh?"
"Mm,...little motors."
"Oh. Mm...well...what's..."
'Right, what's the big deal about those."
"That's not what I was thinking. I just..."
"I know I'm teasing. With my designs...they are ultra reliable. The 'motors' themselves aren't such a novelty thing. But on the scale I design them...small...they are ultra reliable. And that's what caught their interest."
"The space guys."
"Ha...yeah. Ha..."
Jill laughed, too, then muttered "Cool" as she stared ahead. "That's cool. So lots of people might make these, but not to last."
"Not like mine. I guarantee it."
"Hm'hmmm!" she hummed with a big grin as she stared ahead and gripped the steering wheel tight, pretending to shake with a hearty "Yeah, baby! Built to lassst. Woo-hoo! I like it!"
Her enthusiasm gave me goosebumps.
"Yeah..." I chuckled.
"Cool. So...what would they be used for?"
"Tools. Probably tools of some sort...but who knows. We didn't get that far. But if it comes through...it'll just be me they use. A contract for work exclusive to me. For like...five years?"
"NASA? Like, NASA, too?"
"Goddard is NASA, so...yeah."
"Holy shit!" Jill reached over to punch my left shoulder. "Honey that's so cool. Were you even gonna tell me??"
"I was gonna tell you. Just...we're in this sweet car and all, you know? That you just got? I mean, the big news is you."
"Awww...Louis..."
"It is. I mean...partner...at a firm that at one time told you, what... that it was never going to be more than the two of those guys, and to think hard about where you saw yourself in ten years because it won't be partner, not there, right?" Jill was smiling now and nodded. "And...and you said 'fuck it!' and stayed on because you liked the mission...and not only made partner, but you made it in six years. SIX, Jill. And hell, you made
them
want it."
"They were thoughtful about it," she said.
"Still. I don't know much, but I know that that's huge."
She smiled at me. "I love you..."
I smiled back.
"It's impressive, honey."
"Nicole was impressed," Jill said monotonely as she stared ahead. "She actually said that to me."
"I bet she was.... I
bet
she was... That bitch."
Jill burst out laughing, hunching over the wheel and looked over at me. There was a non-spoken sorta "love, hate" relationship between Jill and Nicole, her former mentor and one-time coworker. Nicole could be brash, insensitive even. Most times on purpose it seemed. But like Jill, she was also very smart and knew her shit. Of all Jill's peers, she had the most respect for Nicole. So any compliment from her meant something.
"I'm kidding," I said.
"I know."
"I bet that made you feel good, though. Her saying that."
Jill nodded.