Dar and Kerry Series - Short Stories

by Melissa Good

  He chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Kerry." His face crinkled into a smile. "When Alabaster heard what happened to you when you were a kid.. she insisted on personally sending a little gift down for you."

  Kerry had to stop, and think a minute. Her heart was beating so fast she could hardly distinguish the beats. This was more than a puppy. It was a commitment, on Dar's part, to her. To them. Kerry took a deep breath, and looked up at her lover. "I guess… with two people.. maybe it won't be so bad." She hugged the puppy a little, and it licked her neck. "Oh.. that tickles.. " Her eyes lifted to Dar's. "Thank you."

  Dar looked exceedingly pleased with herself. "Your welcome." She turned her head. "Jack.. you hungry? We've got enough food in here to feed half of Miami." She opened the door, and stood aside to let him enter. "Go on… there's a bar in the back.. you can stay over until tomorrow, right?"

  Jack hugged her. "Yep… otherwise I'd have to stick to club soda, and what a waste of your birthday party that would be." He moved past her, leaving them alone on the porch.

  Dar let the door close behind him, and then she leaned on the railing, taking a breath of the cool air and letting it out. "Picked a name yet?"

  Kerry walked over and perched next to her. "My brain hasn't stopped spinning yet.. are you kidding? Dar… " She stroked the puppy. "I don't know what to say… I never thought you'd.. even consider something so much trouble as this into your day to day life."

  Dar scratched the puppy's chin, then crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. "I've wanted a dog for a long time." She answered quietly. "My mother was badly allergic to fur, and we never had one when I was growing up.. but when I went to college, I found this mutt and I adopted him. Damn thing followed me everywhere…waited for me outside my classrooms.. I was his whole world."

  Kerry just waited.

  "Day after I graduated, he got hit by a car." Dar's voice was steady, and almost resigned. "I spent the whole day at the vet's office, but in the end, there was nothing they could do… I just held him while they put him down." She shook her head. "It's incredible how much you can become attached to an animal… it felt like it was a brother or sister that was dying."

  "Dar… " Kerry's voice ached.

  "My father said its because animals give you something humans never do…unconditional love." The dark haired woman concluded quietly. "They don't care how rich you are, or who your parents are, or what you do…it doesn't matter to them." She looked up at Kerry. "It's no trouble, Kerry… we'll find a way to work it out.. the worst problem is going to be getting someone in to suck up all the little bitty Labrador hairs… or we're going to end up wearing a lot of tweed to work."

  "Hm." Kerry regarded the puppy, who yawned, and licked her face again. "I like tweed."

  "I hate it." Dar replied cheerfully. "C'mon.. let's go introduce our new friend to the crowd." She reached for the door, and circled Kerry's shoulders with her other arm. "What are we going to call her?"

  "You're going to have to give me a little while to think about that, Dar." The blond woman advised her, as they entered the condo. "Wait…she's so creamy colored… how about Cappuccino?"

  Dar laughed. "Cappuccino it is…. Hey… " She raised her voice. "C'mere and meet Kerry's Christmas present… Cappuccino."

  "Oh… Calinde… " Maria quickly came over, cooing at the puppy, who woke up and looked around in bewildered alarm at the sudden sea of faces.

  Dar stepped back, capturing a miniature shish kebab from one of the chafing dishes and nibbling on it as she watched everyone fuss over her lover and the puppy. Kerry was steadily becoming more animated, and she quickly sat down on the tile and let the puppy run around, laughing at it's antics. The animal decided her shoelace was appropriate prey, and tugged it, growling and scrabbling on the slick surface.

  "I think I can report back to Alabaster that her daughter has a good home." Jack commented, balancing his full plate on one hand and attacking forkfuls of it's contents with the other. "She'll be happy as hell."

  "Yeah." Dar snagged a coconut shrimp and bit it in half. "Thanks, Jack… I owe you another one." She looked at her friend in quiet gratitude.

  "No problem." The aviator grinned. "I got me a good plate of chow, a way comfortable looking couch for the night, the company of two lovely ladies, and a damn fine home for one of Alabaster's puppies. Can't ask for better than that."

  Dar watched the puppy rush Duks fist, which was thumping across the tile. "How are things working out with you otherwise?"

  He hitched one shoulder up in a shrug. "I could use some advice tomorrow, if you have a few minutes."

  "You got it." Dar patted his arm, then went back to watching the best of her birthday presents.

  ******************************************************************

  "Close the door."

  Kerry took one more quick look around the now quiet, and mostly dark condo. Jack was snugged down on the couch, and she'd settled Angela and Michael upstairs, her sister in her room, and her brother in the spare room on the other side of her newly converted office. She shut the door to Dar's bedroom firmly, then turned and regarded her lover, who was sprawled on the waterbed, eyes closed.

  "Whew." Kerry yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I can't belive it's 3am…I haven't talked that much since the debating finals in college."

  "Mm." Dar nodded. "It was nice, though… good party."

  Kerry perched on the edge of the waterbed. "Yeah? You had fun?"

  One blue eye eased open. "Yes, I did." Dar sounded faintly surprised. "I think everyone did…and the picture you got of Duks falling asleep on the chair with that puppy is some of the best blackmail material I've seen in years." She remarked, lifting her arms over her head and stretching. "Killer dessert."

  The blond woman's eyes lit up . She'd personally constructed it, a cake with one layer of dark chocolate mousse, and a second of chocolate chip cheescake, separated by a layer of crushed Oreo cookies, and covered in a crispy, hard milk chocolate shell. "You should know.. you had four pieces." She teased. "And I saved you some in the refrigerator."

  Dar's eyes brightened. "Really?" She started to get up, only to have Kerry catch her shoulder and stop her.

  "You're going to be sick to your stomach, Dar.. come on now." She laughed. "And you'll wake up Jack and the puppy."

  The dark haired woman settled back down. "Yeah.. you're right." She agreed reluctantly. "There's always breakfast."

  "Augh." Kerry covered her eyes and winced.

  "What… I'll have orange juice with it if it makes you happier." Dar teased, then patted her leg. "Just kidding…we'll have it tomorrow night, after everyone leaves." She relented. "Did you type up the recipe for everyone? I think Maria wants to put it on the company bulletin board." Dar paused. "I hope she calls it something other than my birthday cake, though."

  Kerry laughed, then let herself slide into the waterbed, resting her head on Dar's stomach as she gazed up at the ceiling. "I think my brother has a crush on you."

  "Ah.. is that why he was babbling." The executive mused. "Is he prone to those?"

  "OH yeah." The blond woman snorted. "No offense to you, or anything.. but he goes gaga over just about every pretty woman he sees… " Her head turned, and she glanced up at Dar. "And you definitely qualify."

  The blue eyes warmed as Dar smiled back at her. "He's sort of sweet.. and your sister and I managed to have a nice conversation about the Miami area… she's funny."

  "Mm.. she likes you." Kerry found herself a little surprised by that. "I wasn't sure if… Angie tends to be a little on the conservative side."

  Dar rolled her head to one side. "But you said she knew about you… right?"

  "I said conservative, not blind or stupid." The smaller woman replied wryly. "A lot of people make that mistake… just because someone doesn’t want to see something, doesn't mean they can't."

  "Ah." Dar lowered a hand, and gently rubbed Kerry's belly, eliciting a contented murmur from her. 'Thanks for the party."

/>   A green eye rotated up and gazed at her. "Does that mean I can do it again?" Kerry inquired.

  "As many times as you like." The dark haired woman assured her.

  Kerry rolled over so she could look up at Dar. "That's a lot of birthday parties."

  That got a contented smile from her lover.

  They gazed at each other in peaceful silence for a moment or two. "I think Maria knows about us." Kerry finally commented, surprised when Dar started laughing.

  "Maria knew about us before I did." The taller woman admitted. "I should have realized when she asked me if I wanted one set of tickets or two for Thanksgiving, and whether to put us in separate rooms at Disney."

  "Really?" Kerry almost sat up in amazement. "She did that? No wonder she went along with me on….uh… "

  A low, sensual chuckle. "On getting us to stay in the park?" Dar's eyes sparkled wickedly. "C'mon, Kerry.. I'd figured that one out at least." She gave the smaller woman a gentle poke.

  Kerry blushed. "I was trying to get you to relax." She complained feebly. "If you'd figured it out, why'd you go along with it? " She glanced up at Dar. "You could have stopped it."

  Gentle blue eyes regarded her. "I know. But I didn't want to."

  "Oh." Kerry murmured. "Well, I'm glad you didn't." She smiled up at Dar. "Because I really like where it's taken us."

  "You do, huh?" The dark haired woman idly traced a finger across Kerry's face. "You know you're the best thing that ever happened to me, right?"

  Kerry slowly drew a breath in, and let it out, feeling the sudden, almost vibrant intensity between them. "Likewise." She let the word trickle out. "I've only known you for two months… but if it was legal, I'd ask you to marry me."

  Dar stopped breathing for a long moment, a look of muted delight crossing her face. "Would you?"

  "Yeah." Kerry put her head down on the warm surface and exhaled. "I sure would."

  "I'd say yes." A frank grin appeared, as Dar tangled her fingers in the blond hair spilling across her chest.

  "Would you?" Kerry felt happy jolt.

  "Yeah..I sure would." The dark haired woman reassured her. "It'll be legal someday, you know." She felt an idea germinate, and she set it aside for further development a little later.

  "I know.. it's just a matter of time." Her lover replied softly. "And we've got all the time in the world." She wrapped her fingers around Dar's, and lifted her hand up, pressing her lips against the back of it, then tucking it against her heart.

  I never expected to be living inside a fairy tale. Dar blinked slowly. That's just what this feels like.. no one says things like that in real life, do they? But she could feel the beating of Kerry's heart under her hand, solid and real enough. She lifted her other arm and stroked the smaller woman's face, watching Kerry's eyes flutter shut at the pressure in concert with the perceptible jump in her heartbeat. Just the lightest of touches.. Dar marveled. It's like we're a part of each other. She found that to be a very appealing thought, and a warm, speculative smile took over her face. "Do you believe in..destiny?"

  Sea green eyes slid open, and regarded her. "How do you mean?"

  Dar hesitated. "Like.. that some things are just meant to happen.. that some people are meant to meet, that kind of thing?"

  Kerry worked her jaw a little, thinking. "I don't know." She replied softly. "I'd hate to think we don't have a choice in life.. that things just happen and we have no control over any of it." She paused for a long moment. "But I'm pretty old fashioned.. I guess… and I'd like to believe that God intended each of us to…somewhere out there, have a…um… an other half, I guess.. someone who completes us, and makes us whole." She considered her words carefully. "I think most people never find that person.. but sometimes.. if you're lucky, or.. well, maybe if it's meant to be, now that I think about it, then you do."

  "That's an interesting theory." Dar mused. "It sounds like something my father used to say… when he tried to explain to anyone how he and my mother ended up together."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah…really." Dar replied in a thoughtful voice.

  "You think he was right?" Kerry squirmed up towards Dar's head and rested on her elbows, the soft surface of the waterbed shifting under her.

  They looked at each other. "I'm beginning to think just that." The dark haired woman answered evenly. "What do you think?"

  Kerry felt a gentle wash of utter relief go through her, and she dropped her head, breathing in the clean linen scent from the comforter. "I think I'm one of the lucky few." She looked up, and found smiling blue eyes looking back at her. "I guess I was just in the right place at the right time."

  Dar ruffled her hair affectionately. "Even if it didn't seem that way at the moment." She remarked wryly.

  "Yeah." Kerry inched forward and kissed her. "Guess we'd better get undressed."

  "Oh… sure." Dar replied agreeably, sliding her hands up over Kerry's hips and unbuckling the thin leather belt around her waist. "No problem."

  "Well… that wasn't what I had in mind but… " Kerry unbuttoned the top button on Dar's cotton shirt with her teeth. "But I guess it'll serve the right purpose." She felt the cool of the air conditioning on her skin as her pants were eased off and Dar's familiar touch circled her thighs then traveled up to start unbuttoning her shirt.

  "Mm.." Sheehad Dar's blouse open now, and the taller woman lifted her body up a little, letting her slip the fabric off over her tanned shoulders. Kerry let her hands go flat against the tensed abdominal muscles, leaning lightly against them as she nuzzled Dar's bare neck, then lowering herself down as the taller woman did, letting their bodies touch and slide against each other.

  The cool air now hit her back and she shrugged out of her shirt and a trail of warmth followed Dar's hands across her skin, sliding across her shoulderblades, and down her sides, then gently gripping her hips as the shifted, rolling over and tangling their limbs as she forgot the long day, and the fatigue that faded before the insistent nibbling along her neck that dipped to her collarbone, and beyond.

  It was, Kerry decided, the perfect end, to a darn near perfect day.

  *******************************************************************************

  The problem with waking up before the sun on the weekdays was, Dar mused. That you very often couldn't sleep any later on the weekends. She found herself easing into wakefulness just as dawn colored the window in her room, spilling soft pearly gray light across the bed and bringing out the shades of blue in the comforter tucked around them both.

  Kerry was sound asleep, her back snuggled against Dar's chest, with the taller woman's arms wrapped around her, and Dar knew the blond woman would, if allowed, sleep much later than she herself could. She didn't suspect any of her other guests would be up with the sun either, so she was left to ponder a course of action.

  She could just close her eyes and try to fall back asleep, of course. Or she could get up and slip into her office and catch up on her email. But Dar knew the chances of actually dozing off was pretty small, and she really didn't feel like reviewing her endless inbox. However, she glanced at the window, a run wasn't a bad idea… it looked like a nice morning, and her usual morning ritual usually allowed her to settle her thoughts. Dar slipped carefully out of bed, tucking the covers back around Kerry's warm body, and padded to the set of drawers, pulling a pair of running shorts and a cutoff shirt out and slipping into them. Then she went into the bathroom and pushed the door closed, running a light stream of water into the sink as she brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her hair, glancing briefly at her reflection in the mirror.

  Her image gazed back, and she cocked her head, noting that the shadows under her eyes and the lines of tension that had characterized her face for the longest time seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. She found herself smiling and almost didn't recognize the person looking back at her.

  Well. She finished her wash and turned the light out before she slipped out the door and padded across the dimly lit be
droom, easing out into the darkened main portion of the condo, and pausing to put on her running shoes. She managed to get out the front door without waking anyone, and she paused on the porch, taking a deep breath of the dewy morning air.

  It was a nice morning, with only a very few clouds in the sky, wispy and low to the horizon, making the breaking dawn a smear of pinks and corals across the shifting gray of the water. The temperature was a refreshing sixty eight degrees, and Dar found herself smiling in pure animal contentment as she headed off down the path, and headed for the water.

  Her steps against the rough concrete rose lightly over the soft hiss of the waves, and the soft, lonely cry of seagulls circling overhead, and she slowly increased her pace, as she gave her muscles a chance to warm up. As she passed the marina, she waved at the dockhands, who waved back as they went about their morning tasks of washing down the boats, and cleaning the dock area.