“Well, I guess that I would be pretty disappointed. But I would move on. I’d continue my job search while I conduct research on the side projects that interest me." She paused for a couple of seconds before continuing. "I’d visit my dad. I’d go back to school, eventually.”
The doctor noticed that Laura’s face would light up when she talked about her personal interests, but would shut down as soon as she was done speaking of those things. Maybe she was just that timid.
Should he take her on, he wondered. He had a couple more impressive resumes on his desk. He then considered what Laura had to offer. She was passionate and mobile – qualities that he appreciated. But he then wondered if her good looks might…complicate things on the road. Still, she was smart if young at 26 to his 34 years. She also had a rolling office with Wi-Fi and an extra bunk in it.
“I hate to be crass here, Laura, but your rolling office is appealing. Would it offend you if I weighed that in my decision?”
She then leaned over on her desk. “Would that be the determining factor in your decision?”
He smiled as he shook his head. “No. I think that you are brilliant.”
That made her blush and smile. “Then it is okay to weigh that in.”
“Then you are in, Laura Reynolds. Welcome aboard.”
She smiled again, making him warm inside.
The memory still warmed him, which was a wonder. But now, as he stared at her while she sat down at the bolted down desk next to the dining table, he wondered if he should have hired her at all.
Laura looked over and noticed her boss, the doctor, staring right at her. She did a double take, wondering how long he’d been standing there. As she glanced back at her monitor, she stared at her mind’s image of him. He was so handsome; so very handsome. He had longish red hair and intelligent brown eyes. His red moustache hid beautiful lips from which emanated a deep, but kind voice. His arms and legs were also muscular, complimenting his six-foot frame. Laura did not want the doctor to know how deep an affect he had on her, so she took a few more seconds to compose herself.
“I just got an email from Cryptozoid Productions. They want to know if we are interested -”
He sighed and leaned against the bulkhead behind the driver’s seat before cutting her off.
“The Super Salamander thing? No. We are not.”
Laura deflated at that, but still he continued. “I got that e-mail too, Laura. It sounds good on the face of things, but it’s not.”
“Sam, the job would mean money. Publicity, too.”
They’d been working together for a year and a half already. Some of the research jobs they had taken on were fruitful – financially and academically speaking, but at other times they were not, Sam knew.
“Credibility is huge in our profession and is something that money and publicity cannot buy. We are turning it down.”
He stepped into the dining area then and set his laptop on the table before standing next to her chair.
“Are you okay?” He asked. She had retired into silence.
Laura’s heart started to beat hard in her chest at his proximity, so she took a few seconds to calm herself before looking at his face.
“I’ll be okay. I just really wanted to get to the Mid Atlantic to do some research there.”
“I know. Something will come up in the future. For now, just get back to researching -”
“-The weather patterns and migrations of the cougars,” she cut him off with a sigh. “I’ll get on it,” she added as she closed her laptop and went back to looking at the print-outs that she had made earlier in the day.
Sam watched her as she went back to work. He felt bad at disappointing her, but he was right. And he was in charge of their operation.
Later on that afternoon, Sam called Laura outside to look at the video he’d been watching. It was a video clip from a cable TV show they had done recently. In the video, the two of them were discussing footprints in the forest and debating on whether or not they were worth casting. Sam wasn’t for it, but Laura was. So they made a cast. Reviewing it later, Sam was proved correct when he said that it was not a humanoid print, but was a distorted bear print.
Laura sat next to Sam on the camp chair under the rollup shade of the Winnebago, which really wasn’t necessary, that late in the afternoon in the mountains of Oregon. After watching the video, Laura sighed.
“I’ve seen this, Sam. I was wrong – we both know that.” She didn’t sound angry, just kind of embarrassed and confused.
It was a Geek TV video clip that they had just watched that also featured a commentary section on the bottom of the page, which was what Sam scrolled down to.
“It’s right here on the first page. No need to go further. People are questioning your credibility because of a mistake that only took up six hours of your seven year career.”
Sam watched Laura’s face pale as she read some of the commentary. Some read, “She’s just there for looks.” Another one said, “I’d do her in a minute – I don’t care how stupid she is.” Another one said, “I bet the Doctor hits that every single night.” With some pity, Sam watched as she covered her mouth with her hand. “She seems stupid," said another comment.
“Stupid?” She quietly asked as she glanced at him. “Do I come off as being stupid?” She asked in a panicked voice.
“No,” he vehemently replied. “You are not stupid. You made a mistake – one that I caught onto because I am a Doctor with many years of experience." Softening, he continued. "But the audience doesn’t care about that, Laura.” She went from staring at him to glancing at the monitor again. “This video clip will live forever for TV watchers, students, professors, scientists and college faculty to see. Do you understand why we have to guard our reputations?”
She said nothing for a full minute. “Yes,” she finally replied.
She stood up rather abruptly after that and went back inside. Crap, thought Sam. He felt guilty about making her feel stupid, but he had to prove a point.
A few seconds later, he leaned back to look into the windows of the Winnebago from where he sat. Satisfied, he saw that Laura had gone into the bedroom and had closed the door. When he was sure that she was out of viewing and hearing range, he clicked on another video on Geek TV. He hit pause as soon as it started and then clicked on page eight of the commentary section. Once there, he played the video of the both of them discussing their opinion of Sasquatch for the cameraman as they walked through the woods of Washington State. He sighed as he caught the end. He then scrolled down to the middle of the comments page to look at the entry there. “Did you see how the Doctor stares at his assistant as she walked behind the trees? Something is going on there.”
“Shit,” the doctor softly said.
***End of Chapter One Preview***
Nice Shootin' Tex Page 32