by Melissa Good
Kerry felt a sense of relief on hearing that. “It can wait for the morning, Mark. I think Dar’s got it now. We can pick up the details afterward so long as they’re good until after the weekend.” She paused, as she heard the sound of the datacenter pick up on the call and then cease with the bang of the door. “Hang on.”
“Okay.” Jack got back on the bridge. “That looks a lot better. The graphs have settled down, and my phone’s stopped ringing.” He sounded tired, but elated. “The ops center said the metrics are coming back into normal range.”
“Good.” Dar licked her lips. “So let’s hold it here for now, and we can do a complete review in a couple days to see if anything else needs adjusting. Call me if anything else wiggles loose.”
“Ma’am...ah, I mean, Dar, thanks a billion,” Jack said. “I really, really appreciate the help.”
“Any time.” Dar smiled. “Good night.” She released the speaker phone button and regarded Kerry, shaking her head when Kerry pointed at her phone.
“Okay, looks like we’re all right for now, Mark,” Kerry said.
“Sure. Big D touched it.” Mark sighed. “I have no fucking idea what we’re going to do without her.”
Dar’s ears twitched, hearing the words in soft echo. She sat back in her chair with her glass cradled between both hands, and sucked at the contents in silence.
“Hopefully we can make it a learning moment,” Kerry said. “You know, Dar had to learn it some way, right?”
“No,” Mark said. “She was born knowing that stuff. It’s organic. We were talking about that in the shop the other day. But we’ll have to come up with something. Maybe we’ll get her to code a virtual Dar in the ops console.”
Kerry watched Dar’s eyebrows shoot right up to her hairline. “Hm...that’s an idea,” she said. “Talk to you later, Mark. Have a good night.” She closed the phone and returned Dar’s somber gaze. “Yuck.”
“Yuck,” Dar repeated. “Let’s go to bed.” She got up and stretched, grimacing as her shoulders popped. “Did we have plans tomorrow?”
“Nope.” Kerry drained her glass and stood up to join her. “I vote we sleep in.”
“Unless someone else calls for help.” Dar took both glasses and headed for the kitchen with them. “The one bright spot of the whole night was that guy Jack. They found a good one there.”
“Let’s hope we don’t lose him,” Kerry muttered. “We’ve got to get this under control, Dar. All those times your folks and my family would ask why the hell the two of us were involved in every damn thing is coming back to bite us in the ass.”
“Mm.”
REGARDLESS OF THE late night, they only managed to stay in bed until 8. Kerry found herself a little after that on the porch in her bathrobe and slippers, enjoying the crisp air and bright sunlight of a calm Saturday morning. She stifled a yawn and watched a seagull soar overhead, trying to decide if there was anything in specific she wanted to accomplish.
She had several small projects going. Some planting in their small garden, sorting out her newly digitized photos into collections, and a barbecue brisket recipe she wanted to try. But right now, none of that seemed urgent, and she was content to listen to the rustle of palm trees in the winter wind and watch sail boaters heading out of the cut in the choppy waters.
Dar wandered out dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and sat down on the swing next to her. “I was thinking about what you said the other day,” she said once the swing stopped moving.
Kerry regarded her. “That covers a lot of ground, hon.”
“About me getting a new car,” Dar said. “I think I want to.”
“Yeah? Cool! What kind?”
Dar shrugged, and grinned. “I don’t know. Let’s go out and look at some. See if we can find one that fits me. Maybe I’ll get a souped up sports car.”
Kerry’s brows twitched. “Hon, you’re way too young for a mid life crisis. Aren’t you?”
“Hey, you were the one with the Mustang, babe.” Dar chuckled. “I don’t really have anything specific in mind. Let’s go see what’s out there.”
“All right by me.” Kerry toasted her with her coffee cup. “Maybe we can look around for a place to put our new office while we’re driving.” She wiggled her feet in contentment. “I got an email from Jack. Everything’s quiet at the datacenter this morning.”
“He get any sleep?” Dar wondered. “Glad things are better. Doesn’t make it any less aggravating though.”
“We really need to turn this into a learning experience,” Kerry said. “Not a good precedent.”
“Well.” Dar twiddled her thumbs. “Could be the sign of an independent, though wrong headed, mind.”
Kerry chuckled wryly.
Dar sighed. “Maybe I should have woken up everyone else and had them fix it. Honestly, I just don’t know what to do about this, Ker.”
“We can talk about it at the office.” Kerry got up and stretched. “Let’s go find you a car, Dardar.” She ruffled Dar’s hair as she came past her and headed for the door. “And we can stop and look at cameras for me.”
“That’s my kind of shopping,” Dar said. “Maybe I’ll get a new laptop.”
“Oh I can see this is going to be an expensive day.” Kerry laughed. “Meet you in the shower?”
“Let’s do it.”
AN HOUR LATER they were dressed, and pulling off the ferry onto the causeway heading west. It was a beautiful day, cool and crisp and cloudless and Kerry almost felt like humming as she leaned back in the passenger seat of Dar’s car, enjoying the splash of sunlight through the windows.
Chino was relaxing in the back seat, tail perpetually wagging, delighted to have been added to the excursion. “Growf!” She barked at a palm tree whizzing by.
“You tell ‘em, Chi.” Kerry reached back and tickled the dog’s paw. “We’re going to take you to get ice cream when we’re done today. What do you think about that?”
“Growf!”
Dar had her sunglasses on and she was tapping the steering wheel with her thumbs, waiting for a light to turn green. “So where do we start?”
“Well.” Kerry hitched one knee up. “Foreign or domestic?”
Dar thought about that for a minute. “Does it matter? I’ve had pretty good luck with both in terms of maintenance.”
“It matters in terms of narrowing down our traveling, hon. Otherwise, just go find some random major street and start driving and we’ll stop at the first dealership we find.”
Dar made a little face. “Okay let’s do that. Let’s let a little random fate into it.”
Fate, as it turned out, led them to an auto mall with six different manufacturers stretched across both sides of the street as far as the eye could see. Dar pulled into the first one and parked. “Here we are.”
Kerry looked out the window. “Got enough choices here for you, hon?”
“Mm.” Dar got out and opened the back door, attaching Chino’s leash to her collar and standing back to let the dog hop out. They walked along the pavement to the first line of new cars, strolling between them and joining a number of other people doing the same.
“Now, what in the hell do I want?”
Kerry peered at the cars they were passing. “What I liked best when I got my buggy was sitting up higher. Do you like that?”
“Yes,” Dar responded positively. “I like that, and a big engine. And leather seats.”
Kerry chuckled. “Well that narrows it down a little. And honestly, I can’t see you in a sedan, Dar. It’s too boring.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is,” Kerry said. “So let’s get past this Acura dealer and head for where the Jeeps are.” She pointed. “Those are cute.”
They went from one lot to the other, and now were roaming among taller, boxier looking vehicles. “Hm.” Dar reviewed them. “Too squarish. They look too much like the one I have now.”
“True.”
They kept walking. Chino trot
ted alongside, head swinging from one side to the other, nose twitching.
“Ford. There’s my Mustang,” Kerry said. “It was a cute car.”
Dar smiled. “Totally fit you. I remember thinking that when I saw it that night.”
“It was fun to drive,” Kerry said. “But not enough leg room for you.”
“No.” Dar spotted a profile. “But hm...” She diverted her steps. “What do we have here?”
Kerry regarded her target. “Ah,” she mused. “An SUV married a pickup truck.” She followed Dar over to the Ford Sport Trac row, where her companion started nosing around a dark red specimen.
“What do you think of this, Chi?” Kerry peered in a window. “Nice big crew cab back seat for you to ride in.”
Chino hopped up on her back legs and Kerry just caught her in time to keep her claws off the paint job. “Ah ah ah.” She cradled the dog as she sniffed at the open window “No claws.”
Dar went around to the driver’s side door and opened it, getting inside and looking around. “Leather seats,” she remarked, with a grin.
“And a decent size engine,” Kerry said, looking at the window sticker. She let Chino down and leaned on the door jamb, watching Dar adjust the seat to her long frame. It wasn’t anything she would pick for herself. She glanced back at the bed of the truck. “We can put the bike in there, not to mention, camping stuff. Hey.” She poked her head inside. “Could we pull this behind the RV?”
Dar had gotten things sorted out to her satisfaction, and reached forward to grip the steering wheel. Her motion attracted the attention of one of the roaming salesmen, and he came over to them.
“Good morning, ladies,” the man greeted them with an amiable grin.
“Hi,” Dar responded. “Can we take a ride?”
Kerry had enough experience with Dar’s mentality to know when it was on a track and chugging. She opened the back door and slid into the crew cab, moving over so Chino could jump up and join her.
The seats smelled rich and pungent even above the new car smell, and she stretched out as the salesman hurried back with the keys and got into the front passenger seat. “Uh.” He looked at Kerry. “We don’t allow dogs in the cars...I mean, you know, for a test.”
“Won’t matter,” Kerry said with a kind smile. “Just give her the keys.” She patted Chino, who had curled up on the seat and put her head down on her lap. “Hi, I’m Kerry.”
“Tom.” The man handed over the keys. “Ah, you gals from around here?”
Dar started the engine and peered at the instruments. “Nice.” She said. “Uncluttered.”
“Ah, yeah,” Tom said. “It’s a nice truck. Got a eight-cylinder engine, yeah? This one’s got the automatic package, but you can get manual too if you want.”
“I don’t,” Dar said. “I usually need to use one hand for the wheel and one for a piece of technology.” She put the truck in drive and pulled out. “I have an SUV now.”
“Oh, yeah?” Tom looked at a page in his little book. “This truck’s got a bunch of extras. The seats, the moon roof,” he pointed up. “Wheels, rims, but we got base models too if you’re interested.”
“Four wheel drive?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Some people like the two wheel better. I got a blue one in that.”
Dar turned onto the main drag and gave the truck some gas. The engine made a low, growly noise and responded, putting a grin on its driver’s face. She spotted a vacant lot on the next block and turned into it, going over the rocks and grass at a respectable speed.
“Uh, hey.” Tom held on to the grab handle. “Take it a little easy, it’s only got two miles on it.”
Dar felt the suspension beneath her handling the uneven ground, and turned the truck in a tight circle. “Hang on, Ker.”
“Hanging.” Kerry had one arm around Chino and one on the handle.” She glanced back through the window and saw gusts of dust churning up behind the truck, rocks bouncing out of the tire’s path. “Got nice pickup, hon.”
“It does.” Dar got around to the entrance again and without hesitation she gunned the engine and bolted out across the six lane main street, turning left ahead of oncoming traffic and pulling into the flow going the other direction with smooth skill. The road was clear ahead and she accelerated, pleased with the power of the engine and the feel of the steering.
It wasn’t a sports car. It wasn’t an SUV. She’d always liked pickups. Dar glanced at the salesman who had his eyes closed, and his lips pursed and clenched. With a chuckle she aimed her direction back to the lot and turned into it, bumping over the retainer blocks and pulling into a spot in the front of the dealership. “We’re back.”
Tom opened his eyes and regarded her. “Okay. So...you want to see something else?”
Dar pulled her wallet out and removed a card from it. “I’ll take it. Give us a minute and we’ll bring the other one over to trade in.”
Tom blinked. “You want to put a deposit with that?” he asked, taking the card.
“Nope. Put the whole thing on it,” Dar said. “Whatever extras come with it, get them on, and have them shine it up. Okay?”
Tom eyed her with shocked respect. “Yes, ma’am!” He got out of the car and carefully put the card into his little folder. “I’ll be right back!” He trotted off toward the low, beige building nearby.
Dar turned around and looked at Kerry. “This okay?”
Kerry chuckled. “Honey, it’s very you and I like it. Actually, I like it better than the Lexus.” She patted the seat. “It’ll be great to travel with, and we can put all our camping stuff in the back. Let’s go get your trade in and make this a done deal.”
Dar got out of the front seat and closed it, bouncing a little on her heels. “My dad’s gonna love it.”
Kerry got out and waited for Chino to join her, and they started back to where they parked. “So far, so good today.”
“Yep.”
“Hope we get as lucky with my new camera.”
IT WAS AN awesome enough day for her to mostly forget the previous evening. Kerry moved around to the front of Dar’s new car and took another picture of it, pulling the camera back to regard her work in all its instantaneous, digital glory. “Huh.”
The instant feedback was curiously charming and somewhat addictive. She focused on the front hood of the saucy truck and snapped another shot of it. “Y’know, Chi, I really like this thing”
Chino was seated nearby in the grass that ringed the parking lot they were parked in, watching her with intelligent interest.
“You like it?” Kerry knelt and took another picture. “Know what I think, Chi? I think we’re going to end up driving this thing to Vegas instead of flying there. Would you like that? Drive across the country?”
Chino’s tail wagged enthusiastically.
“We’ll fix that crew cab up for you, right? Fold the seats down and put your bed in there.” Kerry went on with her planning. “And put all our stuff and camping gear in the back. That’s going to work out nice.”
Chino got up and wandered over, snuffling at her knees.
“This is going to be cool.” Kerry put her arm over the dog’s back and hugged her. “Hey, where’s mommy Dar?”
Chino’s ears perked up, and she looked around, spotting a familiar figure approaching as her tail started whipping Kerry in the back.
“Ow.”
Dar had emerged from the Dairy Queen, holding ice cream sundaes for the two of them, and a cup of vanilla for Chino. She ambled over to her family and beckoned them over to the back of the truck, where she let the tailgate down and perched on it. “Comes with a table.”
“It does.” Kerry opened the front door and put the camera down on the seat, capping the lens and closing the door. She joined Dar at the back and took her sundae, hopping up to sit on the tailgate and watch Dar give Chino her treat. “That’s so cute.”
Dar grinned, visibly in a good mood. “So. Think this was a good pick?” She indicated the truck. “For
real, I mean, not just to save the salesman’s mojo.”
“I like it.” Kerry swung her feet. “I mean, I really do. I think it’s going to be perfect for our travels, and it’s really cute and sporty.”
“Mm.” Dar gave a satisfied grunt. She let Chino finish licking out the cup, and then went on to her own sundae. “It was time for a change. I had that Lexus for years. I think I bought it two, or maybe three years before we met.” She messed with the sundae for a minute. “It was all right.”
“This fits your image better.” Kerry nudged her with an elbow. “I have to check when my lease is up. Maybe I’ll get something more exciting this time too. Do you always just buy your cars outright? I thought that guy was going to trip over his tongue.”
Dar chuckled. “Yeah, I do. I mean, I got a good trade in for that old beast, and I can afford it. The truck wasn’t that expensive. I guess if I wanted to buy a Mazarati maybe I would lease it or whatever.”
“We always leased,” Kerry mused. “But come to think of it, you don’t actually have a credit card, do you? Just the Amex.”
“Just the Amex,” Dar said. “You actually have better credit than I do. Since I own that condo, and we own the cabin, I don’t have any debts.”
“So un-American.” Kerry clucked her tongue.
“Yeah, well, credit was scarce when I was growing up.” Dar crunched contentedly on her chocolate shell. “That’s how I’ve managed to sock away most of my paycheck all these years. Not much to spend it on.” She glanced at Kerry. “Until now, that is.”
“Mutual spend.”
Dar swallowed her mouthful. “Know what?”
“What?”
“I’m in the mood for a dive tomorrow. You up for it?”
“Absolutely. Can we stop back at the camera shop to see if they have an underwater housing for this little Canon beast?” Kerry finished her ice cream and tossed the container in a nearby garbage can. “Let’s give it a real workout.”
Dar closed the hatch and let Chino into the back seat of her new ride, then she slid into the driver’s seat and looked around the cab with a sense of satisfaction.
