by Melissa Good
Dar laughed easily. “Well, you’re taller than she is.”
Kerry considered. “Yeah, I am, come to think about it. I knew there was something I liked about her.”
“You’re a lot prettier than she is, too,” the taller woman continued, her voice gentling. “On the outside and certainly on the inside.”
Her companion blushed and glanced down. “Thanks,” she replied softly.
“I’m glad you think that.”
Dar studied her for a moment. “Your mom was kind of rough, huh?” She reached out and covered Kerry’s hand with her own. “Sorry you had to go through that, I know it’s tough.”
Kerry looked at the hand over hers, and let her fingers explore its surface a bit. “Dar, I wasn’t going to say this but…you know, one of the things that is so bad between me and my parents is that we never communicate, and I don’t want to start off that way with you.” She looked up. “I’m really glad you didn’t go with her tonight. It was really bothering me.”
The blue eyes blinked. “It was?” The words were soft. “I’m glad you told me that.” Dar lifted their joined hands and brushed her lips against them. “I was kind of…surprised when you told me to go ahead. It made me feel…” She stopped and shook her head. “Kind of disappointed,” she admitted.
“Oh.” Kerry thought about that. “Really?”
Dar nodded. “Really.”
“Hmm. I…” Kerry bit her lip. “I didn’t think I should get all…um, like
‘don’t you touch her!’ I mean, we could end up on Jerry Springer or something.”
A sly grin edged Dar’s lips. “Kerry, lemme tell you something, I would have paid good, hard cash to see you smack her hands. Next time someone forces me to go out, you’re coming with me.” Dar paused a beat and then asked, “So, what happened with your mother?” She met the startled green eyes. “You hate talking about your family, don’t you?”
Kerry sighed. “Yeah, I do.” She gave Dar a wry look. “I wish I could just forget I had them sometimes.”
The phone rang, and Kerry almost jumped out of her skin since it was resting on her stomach. “Jesus.” She picked it up and pressed the answer button. “Hello?”
“Hi, sis.” Her sister Angela’s voice sounded halfway between nervous and amused.
Tropical Storm 335
“Oh, hi, Angela.” She mouthed ‘my sister’ at Dar. “Let me guess, I’m the topic of conversation tonight.”
Dar rolled over and pillowed her head on Kerry’s belly, her eyes on the smaller woman’s face.
“Oh my god, Ker, what in the name of the Lord did you do to them?
Mom’s about having a litter of kittens in the middle of the kitchen. You’re not pregnant, are you?”
Dar lifted her head, and poked the surface she was resting on, making Kerry giggle softly. “Nope,” she whispered.
“No.” Kerry reached down and tickled Dar’s nose. “I’m just happy where I am and don’t want to come back to Michigan. Is that a crime?” She exhaled.
“Good grief, Angie, I’ve got this great job and all my friends. The stupid airplane was an accident, for crying out loud.”
A sigh could be heard over the phone. “Ker, it’s not funny, okay. Dad’s already talking about things. Be careful, okay? You know how he gets.”
Kerry felt a familiar jolt of fear grab her chest. “Yeah, I know,” she answered softly. “How are things with you? “
“All right,” her sister answered quietly. “Same old, same old. Richard’s out with his friends. I’m here. You know how it goes.” She paused. “I miss having you around. But honestly, Ker, I don’t blame you for staying away.”
“Well, I’ll see you next week, I guess,” Kerry replied. “If they don’t lock me out of the house, that is. Maybe they’ll settle down by then.”
“I doubt it, but I’ll be glad to see you anyway. If they give you a hard time, you can stay with us,” Angela advised her. “How are things with you?
You find anyone…um, I mean…well, you know.”
Kerry knew. “Yes.” She twined her fingers with Dar’s. “I did find someone, as a matter of fact.”
“Ah.” Angela sighed. “So this doesn’t really have anything to do with your job, does it?”
Kerry laughed softly. “In a way, it does,” she admitted. “I’ll tell you about it when I get there. It’s a long story.”
“Bring pictures,” her sister advised her. “I want to make sure my sister isn’t running around with some crazy Latin goat-sacrificer.”
Dar’s eyes grew round as she listened, and she lifted her head in outrage.
“Goat-sacrificer?” she mouthed.
“Shhh.” Kerry put a hand on her lips. “No on both counts, Angie,” she assured her. “Honest.”
An awkward pause. “Are you alone?” Angela asked hesitantly.
Kerry let a breath trickle out of her lungs. “No.”
“Oh.” It came out awkwardly. “Well, I should let you go then. You must be…busy.”
Blue eyes and green met and dropped. “I just got back from skating, actually.” Kerry cleared her throat. “We’re just sitting around talking. But listen, keep an ear on the folks for me, okay? I’d rather know if I’m going to walk into Hell next week.”
Angela sighed. “Okay, I can do that. You take care of yourself, Kerry, okay?”
“I will. You too, Angie. See you next week.” Her sister told her. “ ’Night.”
336 Melissa Good She hung up, and let the phone rest on the floor. “My sister.”
Dar chewed on that. “She seems nice. You sure you two aren’t foundlings?”
Kerry snorted softly. “It’s crossed my mind, believe me.” She reached down and ran her fingers through Dar’s dark hair. “Want some chocolate milk? Some followed me home from the store today.”
“Sure.” The taller woman stood and extended a hand down to her.
“C’mon, I think the Crocodile Lover is on.” She grabbed Kerry’s arm and pulled her upright, smiling as the skates brought her smaller companion a good two inches higher than usual. “Mmm, nice positioning.” She leaned forward a little and kissed the waiting lips, feeling Kerry’s hands slip down and come to rest against her belt.
“Oh, great…” Kerry enjoyed herself, hooking her fingers in the loops and pulling herself closer. “I’m destined to be stuck on skates for the rest of my life.” Dar’s arms closed around her, and she gladly let her body relax against her companions.
“Goat-sacrificer? What kind of stories have you been telling your sister?”
Dar breathed in her ear. “You haven’t been scaring her with that stuff about Santeria and the Chupacabra, have you?”
Kerry let her head rest against Dar’s shoulder. “No, she’s been watching reruns of Miami Vice on cable again.” There was a pause while they both silently absorbed each other. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” she asked unexpectedly.
“You could invite me home with you,” Dar teased, watching a wistful look cross Kerry’s face. “I’m invited up to Gerald Easton’s house. He’s been a good friend, and sort of an uncle to me since I was a kid.”
Kerry patted her gently. “Good, I’m glad. I hated to think of you being all by yourself. That’s in Washington, right?”
Dar nodded. “Maryland, actually, just over the border. He’s promised me leaves other than green ones, and the chance of a little snow.”
“Mmm.” Kerry nibbled her jaw. “You’re taking your cell phone, right?”
Dar leaned back and studied her seriously. “If you get into trouble with your folks, you call me, Kerry. I’ll be there, okay?” She paused. “Cell phone, oh shit, that reminds me, I need to log in. Mark conveniently interrupted me as I was dropping Michelle off and told me we had a security breach.”
“Yikes!” Kerry sat down on the couch and started unstrapping her skates.
“Did he catch them?”
“Yeah. But they shot off a packet into the network, he was tracing
it when he talked to me. He was going to route it and find out where it came from.”
“Help yourself.” Kerry motioned towards her desk. “I’ll get some milk and cookies.” She got up and leaned on Dar’s back, watching her start up sessions. “And turn on the crocodile dude.” She got a gentle, insistent kiss for that, and closed her eyes as Dar half turned to continue the pressure . Bite me, Michelle. I hope you spend the whole night with your pillow and a breadstick. The night was definitely looking up.
Chapter
Twenty-seven
“LOOK, I DON’T much care what he’s saying, that circuit isn’t going to be completed in ten days,” Dar pronounced for the sixth time. “Not even if I drive to Tampa personally and kick the telco crew in the butt, so forget it.”
“But, Dar,” the voice on the other end of the phone protested, “it’s been two months, they’re screaming!”
Dar exhaled. “It’s not our fault they got hit with a flood and it took out an entire CO, Brendan. We’re pushing telco as hard as we can, all right?” She glanced at her watch. Only eleven thirty? Damn, it feels like I’ve been here for eight hours already. “They had to rebuild from scratch. Listen, tell them it’s a good thing, they’ll get brand new lines.”
Brendan sighed. “All right, I’ll see if I can snow them with that. But do me a favor, and push a little harder, huh?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Dar promised, then disconnected and went back to her mail. “Damn, must be three hundred messages in here.” She went to the next one, a report from Mark about the mysterious packet the previous night.
“Someone scoping the place out, eh?” She examined the trace. “From an outside link, huh?” It was a request for information searching on specific strings, and as she scrolled through the dump, she stiffened.
“Well, well.” Her name and social security number. “Son of a bitch.” She picked up the phone and dialed Mark’s number, waiting as it rang and gave her his voice mail. “Mark, it’s Dar. I need to know where this came from.” She hung up, then put that aside and went to the next message.
The phone buzzed. “Yes?” A touch of impatience entered her voice.
“Dar, it’s Miss Mariana on numero uno,” Maria said over the intercom.
“She says urgent.”
The dark-haired woman felt a twinge in her gut. “Okay, I’ll take it.
Thanks.” She drummed her fingers a moment, then pressed the button. “Hi, Mariana, what’s up?”
“Dar, I need to speak with you.” The formality of the tone sent warning bells off in Dar’s head. “Now, please.”
Shit. “Mariana, I’m in the middle of a dozen fires here. What is it?” she objected warily.
“Please just come down here,” the Personnel VP stated quietly. “I need to show you something.”
Dar sighed inwardly. “All right, I’ll be right over.” She hung up, then stood and shrugged into her jacket, running a hand through her hair to order it. “I can just imagine what this is about,” she muttered softly as she headed 338 Melissa Good for the door.
Moments later, she was knocking lightly on the frame leading into Mariana’s spacious office, giving the woman a nod as she looked up. “As you requested.”
“Close the door,” Mariana said in a quiet, serious tone.
Dar did so, then walked across the carpet and sat down in the visitor’s chair across from her, pretending a casualness she really didn’t feel. “So, what’s up?”
“I got these delivered via courier.” The brunette tossed a manila envelope over to her.
Dar reached across the desk and lifted the envelope, opening the top and slipping out a stack of 8"x 10" photos. She glanced at the first one and started laughing. “Well, that was predictable.” She leafed through the others, then tossed the pile down in front of her friend. “And?”
Mariana leaned forward. “Dar.” She put a finger on the pictures. “What’s going on?”
Dar also leaned forward. “With what? Ten pictures of two people at Disney World?” She let a touch of incredulity show in her voice. “Is there a problem with that?”
“That’s not two people, Dar. That’s you and an employee of yours,”
Mariana stated quietly. “I need to tell you this is a very serious matter.”
The taller woman let out a snort. “ Get a grip, Mari. It’s not against company policy to have a couple hours off.” Her heart was beating so fast it was making her lightheaded. “What’s the big deal?”
“Dar.” Mariana stood and leaned on her hands. “What’s going on with you? Do you understand what these pictures look like?” She pulled the first one off the top and showed it to her. It was a nice shot, if somewhat fuzzy, of her and Kerry on Space Mountain. Her arms were wrapped snugly around the smaller woman’s body and both of them laughing.
“It looks like two people having a good time,” Dar answered calmly.
“Which is what it was. I’m not sure I like what you’re insinuating.” She stood, letting a little anger show. “Look, I know it’s going to disrupt the entire corporate structure, but it’s just possible there’s someone in my OrgID who actually doesn’t hate my guts. It’s odd, but there you have it. What’s the goddamned problem, Mari?” She realized going on the offensive was her only chance here.
“You’re telling me there’s nothing going on between you?” Mariana shot back. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“No.” Dar answered, her tone dropping dangerously. “There is most certainly something going on. It’s called friendship, Mariana. Or don’t you think I’m capable of that?” she snapped back. “You think every time I talk to someone I have to be sleeping with them, is that it?”
Mariana edged back a little, staring at her uncertainly. “Okay, okay, hold on, Dar.” She put her hands up. “I’m trying to protect you, and more importantly, protect Kerry. It’s my job, remember?” She looked away from the ice cold eyes glaring at her. “So…you’re friends, is that what you’re telling me?”
“Yes,” Dar replied. “I don’t hit it off with many people, Mari. You know Tropical Storm 339
that. I just got lucky. I can actually spend time with her and not want to strangle her to death. Is that a crime?” Despite her brave words to Kerry earlier, she was shaking inside. Dar knew they were both on the edge of professional disaster, her friendship with the HR VP notwithstanding.
“You spend time together,” the brunette clarified cautiously.
“Sure, been to dinner a few times. We go to the gym together. She’s a nice kid, and I like her a lot,” Dar responded.
The personnel director relaxed a little. “I’m sorry,” she said simply, her hazel eyes finding Dar’s and projecting regret. “Dar, you and I are friends, and I know how isolated you keep yourself. It’s just…” She touched the pictures.
“I got scared for you, okay?” She sighed. “There are people who will take any chance to go after you, and I don’t want to see that happen.”
Dar now relaxed a little and exhaled. “I know.” She shook her head. “You know where those came from?”
Mariana blinked at her. “Disney World, I thought…not sure. Was someone taking pictures of you while you were there?”
“They’re a bit of spiteful malice from Michelle Graver,” Dar responded with a humorless smile. “I wouldn’t sleep with her, so this is her way of replying.”
Mariana jerked back and let out a soft gasp. “You’re joking.”
“No,” Dar answered. “I had to practically throw her out of my car last night,” she said. “She was down for some tourist convention and hooked me into buying her dinner.” Her eyes watched Mari closely. “Figured it came with a roll in the sack, but I wasn’t playing her game. She got pissed.”
“What a little…” Mariana picked up the pictures and looked at them.
“Dar, that’s horrible.”
Dar got up and wandered over to the window, leaning her hands against the glass and peering out. “Yeah, I know.” She snort
ed softly. “Imagine, I finally develop a conscience, and what do I get for it?” she asked. “I get accused of sleeping with my staff.”
Mariana studied her back, then got up and joined her at the window, putting a hand on her arm. “That wasn’t what I…” She sighed, perplexed at the situation. “Dar, listen, in a strange way, I was halfway hoping it was true.”
Shocked blue eyes turned and gathered her in. “What?”
“I’ve known you for years, and it’s like I hardly know you, Dar. You only let us see tiny bits and pieces of who you are. And I’ve been very worried about you,” the shorter woman said quietly. “They put an enormous amount of pressure on you, and it bothered me a lot to know you really had no one to share that with. Beyond this stupid job, okay?”
Warily, Dar regarded her. “What are you saying?” She crossed her arms and leaned against the glass, the sun slanting in on both of them and bisecting the quiet office.
“Don’t get mad at me.” Mariana put a hand on her arm. “But I’ve seen a big difference in you the last month. And to be completely honest, I was hoping you’d found someone.” She glanced across her office, then met Dar’s eyes again. “Even if that someone was Kerry Stuart.”
Oh, damn it. I don’t want to lie to her. Mariana has been my friend for years, but this… Dar sighed. She didn’t want the personnel executive to have her own 340 Melissa Good crisis of conscience, pitting her liking of Dar against her duty to her job. She thought quickly. “I’d had a lot of things on my mind lately…” She chose her words carefully, “…not the least of which has been my health.”
It threw Mariana right off the scent, now her eyes widened in real concern.
“I told you about the headaches. Well, when they checked for that, they found something irregular in my heartbeat,” Dar told her. “I went in for some tests. And believe me, Mari, I was damned scared.”
“Oh my god.” Mariana moved a step closer. “What happened?”
Dar shook her head. “It came out all right. Somehow, I’m not really sure how myself, but it was a cloud that had been over me for a long time. I was damned relieved to be rid of it.” She glanced at the carpet and nudged a bit of the pile with her foot. “I guess that’s why I’ve been a little more relaxed lately.
