"Of course, baby girl. Your mom and I are so proud of you. We can't wait to hear all about it."
"Thanks, Dad. Oh, and remind Mom to make a few meatballs with no garlic or onion for Primmy. Love you!"
Bella quickly sent a text to the group chat she had with Angela and Madeline, asking if they could FaceTime tomorrow so she could fill them in, and headed to the car.
Pulling into the garage thirty minutes later, Bella closed the garage door behind her and walked into the house to hear the clickity-click of Primmy's nails on the floor as she ran to greet her, followed by the Corgi's "Arrrroouuu" when she saw her.
"I know, Primrose, I missed you too. Were you a good girl? Did you bark at anything today?"
"That dog barks at the wind, ha ha," said her friend Jackie as Bella walked into the kitchen.
"It's a Corgi thing. And honey, I'm home. I'm exhausted. What a day!"
"Then you definitely need this," Jackie said, handing her an Aperol Spritz—Bella's favorite.
Jackie Dalton and Bella had gone to high school together, and when Bella returned to Dallas, they quickly picked up where they left off. Jackie had a bawdy sense of humor and a heart of gold—a perfect combination in Bella's view.
Bella told Jackie all about the meeting, keeping some things to herself because she wasn't sure how much she was allowed to reveal, but she also knew the information wouldn't go any further than the kitchen.
"NASA. So that means you'll be meeting hot astronauts."
"Are there even such things as hot astronauts? I thought they were all nerdy types."
"Bella, you've got to come out from under the rock you've been living under. Of course there are hot astronauts. Lots of them. And you will be right there in Hottie Town Central."
"I'm going for work, not fun. Not that I even know what that is anymore."
"Well, you should. You know what they say: 'If you don't use it, you lose it.' Maybe you'll get lucky. I've heard astronauts have big rockets, if you know what I mean," Jackie said, comically wiggling her eyebrows.
Bella groaned. "Of all the astronaut jokes out there, you come up with 'big rockets'?"
"I had to. It was calling to me, and you walked right into it."
"Ha ha, I did, didn't I? Anyway, did you want to stay for dinner? Should I order in?"
"No, I've got to get going, but thanks. Are you going to need me to house-sit and Primmy-sit while you're in Houston next month? I've got nothing going on, the kids will be at summer camp, so I'm available if you need me."
"You are the best friend ever. That would be fantastic."
"No problem. But if an astronaut shows you his big rocket, then you have to tell me all about it, ha ha."
Laughing, Bella walked Jackie to the door and gave her a big hug. Once again, she found herself thinking how lucky she was to be surrounded by truly wonderful people, both at home and at work.
Chapter 5
IIt was Friday, and Bella had opted to work from home that day so she could prepare for the Houston trip. One month had passed faster than Bella anticipated. Everyone at Bella Pelle had fully committed themselves to the project. Luis had perfected the formula, adding the ingredients that would hopefully protect the crew's skin as requested. It had held up in stability testing, and the bulk product NASA needed for its own experiments had already been couriered ahead. Jerome had finished putting the final touches on the slideshow Bella would present on Monday, just two days away. Jerome and Carrie would accompany her for the meeting before heading back to Dallas, while Bella stayed in Houston to take part in individual meetings with various teams and the crew who would be going on the Diana IV mission.
Pulling her suitcase from the closet, Bella laid Spotty Dotty (her suitcase had polka dots) on the bed and pondered what to pack. Houston in the summer meant hot and humid weather. Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was Dr. Campbell.
"Hi, Dr. Campbell. How are you today?"
"Please call me Phil, Ms. Genovese."
"Only if you call me Bella. I'm looking forward to meeting the team on Monday. How can I help you today?"
"Well, Bella, there has been a slight change in plans regarding your presentation. You will be speaking to the full Human Research Program team, so we will need extra filled tube samples to hand out. Is it possible to get more before the meeting?"
"It shouldn't be a problem. It's not quite noon, so the lab is still open, and we always keep extra bulk product and fill components on hand. I sent twenty-five tubes. How many more did you need?"
