The Big Bang Symphony: A Novel of Antarctica

51

304 51 When she reached McMurdo, Alice returned to Rasmussen ’s office in Crary Lab and called her mother. Her mouth, the feel of Jamie’s tongue, still burned, the flames licking through her body. “Mom, I wanted to ask you for advice.” “I had a date last night,” her mother reported cheerily. “That’s great. But Mom—” “With a doctor. And handsome.” “Wonderful.” “You would think.” “Mom?” “He was fatally boring.” Rosie was alive. She could do anything. Even humor her mother. So she said, “I’m sorry.” “Can you believe that he talked for forty-five minutes about skin disease.” “Yuck.” “Yuck is one thing. But the boredom! I thought I would pass out for lack of stimulation. I mean, I’ve given this guy three dates because of his credentials. He looks so good on paper, on paper and off.” “No sense of humor?” Alice prompted. “That man can take an hour to drink one martini.” “I wanted to ask you—” “What that means, Alice, is not that he doesn’t like to party, although it means that, too. It means that he can’t even finish a drink. Imagine. Let alone finish a sentence. Oh, and he seemed so promising. Well, all that glitters is not gold.” Obviously, Alice thought. The Ferrar Glacier glittered and it was ice. Besides, wasn’t gold usually a dull burnished yellow, not glittering at all? “I guess you can’t have everything,” Alice told her mother. “Oh, honey.” A long hard sigh. “I should introduce him to you. You’d probably love him. Science and all.” “Dermatology and geology are worlds apart.” “Still. It’s that slow way of thinking.” “How old is he?” Alice touched her mouth and looked at her fingers, as if she might find some trace of Jamie on them, while she indulged her mother by falling into the script. “Age isn’t important after you’ve passed thirty.” “I’m twenty-eight.” “So exacting.” “Will you go out with him again?” “That’s the question, isn’t it? I suppose I could tolerate anything if the extenuating circumstances were interesting enough. Oh, why can’t they make men who have good jobs and are fun?” Alice said, “I’ve met a man.” “I guess I could do worse, though. I mean, beggars can’t be choosers, can they? A doctor!” “I’ve met a man.” A long pause, then, “You’re not interested in men.” “Yes, I am.” “There at the North Pole? You’ve met a man?” “The South Pole. And actually, I’m thirteen hundred kilometers from the Pole.” Her mother chuckled. “I can picture him. He’s perfect for you! He probably chews seal hide to make clothes, am I right?” “No. But he is a seal biologist.” “I thought he was a geologist.” “That’s my professor.” “Two men?” Her voice got small, almost frightened. 305 “I’d like advice.” Now silence. “Mom?” “Honey, men don’t work out for women in our family. You’re just like me. Remember, the apple never falls far from the tree.” “Actually, the evolution of any species depends on seeds traveling far from their parent trees.” Another long silence, and then, “I’ve got a whopper today.” “Have you taken your pills?” “They hardly help.” “You were laughing when I called. About your date with the handsome doctor.” “He’s a dermatologist, Alice.” “So?” “And he’s married.” “Oh.” A big inhalation to demonstrate her bravery. Then, “I wish you luck, baby. I wish you all the luck in the world. Go get your Eskimo man.” “He’s a Caucasian American and he’s a seal biologist.” “Whatever,” her mother said, as Jamie’s big form filled the office doorway. Alice hung up on her mother and stood to face him. “The crazy thing is,” Jamie said, all hands and feet, leaning against the doorjamb. “I don’t even know you.” 306 ...