Catherine braked at the entrance to the airport and looked back at Erik’s reflection once more. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“Your grandfather told me no such thing, Dr. Blacke.” Erik’s mind raced to find something else--anything else--to talk about. “But he did tell me you spent some time working in the Soviet Union.”
“It’s ‘Catherine’, please,” she said. “And, yes, I was offered a scholarship as I was finishing up my premed in New York.”
“That’s where you did your work in viruses?”
“Yes. Much of what my grandfather and I do today came from my work at the institute.”
“That must have been quite a change of pace for you.”
“You’ve no idea,” interrupted Jurgis again. “Catherine got there just in time to witness the fall of the Soviet Union.” He gave his granddaughter a pat on the shoulder and glanced back to make a face at Erik. “One thing you’ll learn, young man, is that we Blackes have an impeccable sense of timing.”
Erik felt himself wince as the old man’s eyes took on a sudden sparkle. He steeled himself as he saw Jurgis make an exaggerated sniffing motion toward Catherine.“You smell like cigarettes and bacon,” he said.
“And you smell like a bothersome old fool,” she shot back.