Chapter Thirty-Eight #2
The thought made Alexandre shift uncomfortably in his seat.
They chatted some more, then Sam had to get ready for a class.
“Would moving here be a big deal?” she asked.
Alexandre set down his empty mug. Somehow, he hadn’t even asked himself that.
“It would.” He adjusted the cup on the table. “I grew up in New York, then spent most of my adult life in Eugene. I never thought about living in North Dakota, so I’m still getting used to the idea.”
“What about your family? They’d move here, too, right?” Sam’s tone barely changed, but she lowered her eyes.
Oh. Alexandre flushed. “It would just be me.”
A little smile appeared on Sam’s lips. “I see.”
· · ·
On Wednesday afternoon, Alexandre met with Chris and three other professors.
For one hour, he answered their questions and detailed his vision for the lab.
He spoke of experiments he’d run, grants he’d apply for, and collaborations he’d pursue within UND and with other universities.
At the end of the interview, the professors were visibly pleased.
“I hope we’ll see a lot more of you soon,” said the associate chair as she shook Alexandre’s hand.
Alexandre took himself out to dinner to celebrate. He sat at the bar of a nearby restaurant and ordered a beer and a walleye sandwich, savoring the perfect combination of local fried fish, tangy tartar sauce, and crisp lettuce.
He checked his phone. Still nothing from Luc or Mei.
Well, maybe I don’t need them. Alexandre picked up his sandwich. Maybe in a year or two, he’d be a regular at this joint, coming here to celebrate every time he published a big paper or secured a substantial grant.
Then Alexandre frowned, thinking of everything he’d need to do to get to that point: Recruiting and hiring a lab team.
Supervising grad students and postdocs. Applying for national grants, with their impossibly high rejection rates.
Managing more populations of zebrafish than he’d ever had in a single lab, while using new equipment he’d never handled.
He’d be back to working late nights and long weekends. His career would once again hang on every experiment as he anxiously waited for it to run to conclusion.
And he’d be here. In Grand Forks. Thousands of miles away from his loved ones.
Alexandre took a long sip of beer to tamp down his mounting dread.
· · ·
Alexandre spent Thursday having one-on-one meetings to learn about the biology faculty’s research. He was back in his element, asking questions and reviewing data. The technical conversations fired up his brain, making him second-guess the doubts he’d had at the bar. Maybe I do belong here.
That evening, Alexandre went for drinks with Sam, Jamal, and a few others from the department. For hours, they bantered like old friends.
Somehow, Sam always ended up next to him, first at the bar, then at the table, her long legs angled toward him.
· · ·
On Friday morning, Alexandre made the rounds saying goodbye.
“You’re leaving already?” Sam asked when he rapped on her office door. She got up from her desk and grabbed her phone. “Let’s stay in touch.”
They exchanged contact information, then Sam smiled. “Is it weird if I hug you goodbye?”
“No, it was great to meet you.” Alexandre leaned in for the friendly hug that was customary with colleagues.
But Sam’s arms were tighter around his neck than he’d expected.
Her cheek brushed against his. Her hug took him back to another embrace he’d tried so hard not to think about.
Another woman pressed against him, her breath tickling his ear. Alexandre stiffened. He released Sam.
“Well, maybe I’ll see you soon.”
Sam’s smile was confused, then confident. “I hope so.” She winked. “I have a good feeling about you.”
· · ·
“Come in, come in,” Chris said when Alexandre appeared in his doorway. He motioned for Alexandre to have a seat. “This has been quite a week. We’ll make our decision in the coming days, but you should leave here feeling great. You made a strong impression on everyone, as I knew you would.”
Alexandre flushed. “Thank you. I enjoyed my time here. I can see myself fitting in while bringing my own ideas and expertise.”
“We’d be lucky to have you. Oh.” Chris slapped his palm to his forehead. “We didn’t talk about teaching. I know that’s what you’re doing now, but I assume you won’t want to spend a lot of time in the classroom here. Nor should you. I’ll give you a light course load and our best TAs.”
Alexandre’s hands felt icy. He nodded.
Chris peered at him intently from behind his glasses. “We have a reputation to build. First, we’ll establish UND as the genetics powerhouse of the Midwest. Then we’ll climb the national rankings. I’ll be counting on you for big wins. That’s one of the main reasons I’m recruiting you.”
“Because of my past wins?”
“Because of your work ethic. You are one of the most dedicated scientists I know. Even from your grad school days, you were in the lab, emailing me at three a.m. on weekends and holidays, thinking through your research while others weren’t.
That’s the kind of tireless devotion I want on my team, and why I immediately thought of you for this job. ”
Alexandre swallowed hard. “I won’t let you down, Chris.”
“Good.” Chris’s eyes glinted. “Alexandre, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll be in touch very soon.”