by Melissa Good
"Ker."
"Sorry, hon, if she's determined to hate you, I'll just return the favor. I was never into that two wrongs rigmarole." Kerry stated stubbornly. "At least not where you're concerned." She added hastily, seeing Dar's hiked eyebrows.
"Not very Christian." Dar remarked diplomatically.
"Neither am I anymore." Kerry smiled, with a touch of bitter sweetness. "But seriously, Dar. I don't think there's anything you can do for her. I think she's talked herself into believing you're out to get her, and she probably doesn't realize she has a thing for you."
Dar blinked. "What?"
"Don't you remember? In North Carolina? She tried to get you to go out with her." Kerry poked Dar in the ribs. "I think she liked what she saw, and figured she could pick up from way back when."
"Except I wasn't interested." Dar murmured. "I blew her off."
"So, you switched places."
"And she was determined to bring me down, just like she thinks I was determined to do that to her." Dar sat down on the desk, releasing a breath in sudden understanding. "Holy crap."
"Crap, anyway." Kerry smoothed the unruly dark hair off her partner's forehead.
Dar stared off past her, through the window. "One of us has to stop this, then," she said. "And I think it has to be me."
Kerry absorbed that thoughtfully, but made no comment.
Chapter Fourteen
CECI STOOD BEHIND the captain's seat, her hair whipping back as they traveled across the dark sea. She felt a bit like a dog out for a car ride, except there were no traffic lights anywhere and Andy was actually driving in a straight line. "Why are we doing this, again?"
"Dardar done asked."
Ceci digested this for a moment. "And if she asked, you'd jump off a building?"
"'Pends on what I was supposed to squish down at the bottom of it."
His wife chuckled dryly. "You'd enjoy squishing whatever it was."
"Probly."
Ceci leaned against him. "How long till we get there?"
Andrew checked the watch strapped to his wrist. "'Bout two hours." He concluded. "Got some buddies of mine slowing things down."
"Hm." Ceci flexed her fingers. "How about some hot chocolate?" She tugged on her husband's ear. "You up for that, sailor boy?"
"Yeap." Andy nodded positively. "That'd be real nice."
"Be right back." Ceci made her way to the ladder and carefully climbed down, trading the warm, if whipping, wind for the peace of the boat's cabin. She waited for a particularly sharp pitching to stop, then walked over to the small kitchen and slipped behind the counter.
She wasn't much of a cook, and never pretended to be. Neither was Andy. They both subsisted on a mish mash of burgers and vegetable curries, with a lot of fresh fruit and what seemed to her an inordinate amount of peanut butter.
But she could manage hot chocolate just fine, knowing to make it with just the right amount of chocolate syrup and milk, and microwaving. She did so now, and took a seat on the weighted base stool to wait for it to finish heating.
The drone of the big diesel engines was almost inaudible inside, which always surprised her. She'd gotten used to the motion now, and in fact, the rocking of the boat even in dock put her to sleep like a baby. Every once in a while, though, she'd look around and slap herself when she realized that after all she'd gone through in her life, here she was now with it all.
Hilarious, really. Ceci leaned on the counter, listening to the whirring of the microwave heating up the chocolate. She could almost imagine running into a very early version of herself now, and informing that rebellious freak that she'd end up married to a sailor and owning a motor yacht anchored off South Beach.
She was pretty sure she'd have run screaming. Now, she just peacefully observed their neat, teak inlaid living space and stuck her tongue out at her younger self. At least her family still disowned her, right? That had to count for something to those crabby little memories.
Both their families had disowned them. She'd once broached the subject to Andy of trying to reconnect with his family, but he'd just shake his head without even a moment's hesitation.
Ah well. She'd reconnected with Dar, and that would have to be enough familial reconciliation for her for this lifetime, at least.
The ship rocked a little again, and she turned to peer out the porthole. It was getting very dark out there, and she was still really wondering what Dar was thinking when she asked them to come. It worried her a little, because insofar as she understood her daughter, she didn't understand this.
The radio crackled softly, whispers from hidden travelers on the sea like they were, talking into the silence.
"READY?" KERRY GLANCED at her reflection in the mirror, twitching a bit of blonde hair into place. "You realize they won't recognize us, right? After we spent the last week in rags?" She surveyed her silver blue linen sheath as she shrugged into her gunmetal gray jacket.
"Probably not." Dar appeared in the mirror's reflection behind her. She was dressed in a black business suit jacket and skirt, with a burgundy silk shirt. "You look gorgeous." She complimented her partner, giving her an approving smile as she twitched the shoulders straight on Kerry's jacket.
Kerry straightened in reflex, glancing in the mirror to meet Dar's eyes. "Thanks." She smiled. "So do you."
"Hm, this old thing?" Dar held her arms out, giving her suit a droll look.
"It's what's in it." Kerry turned around and traced a line down the front of her partner's neck. "Did I say anything about the packaging?" Her fingertip disappeared inside the collar of Dar's shirt. "Any word from Hans?"
"Nope." Dar reached past Kerry and selected a pair of earrings, fastening them into her lobes. "Not a word."
Kerry sprayed a bit of perfume on her wrists, and rubbed them together. "Well."
"It's Sunday." Dar shrugged. "Can't really expect much on the weekend." She picked up Kerry's arm by the wrist and rubbed the inside of it against the side of her neck. "Mm." She growled softly. "I like that."
Kerry almost sneezed, the sudden seduction sending confusing signals across her body. "It's new." She responded in bemusement.
"It's you." Dar relented, releasing her arm and giving her a pat on the shoulder. "We ready for our close-ups, Ms. Demille?"
Kerry rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do, since we haven't heard from Hans?"
"Bullshit." Dar replied amiably.
"Really?"
"Yup. C'mon."
Kerry followed Dar out the door and into the purple twilight of the summer evening. They walked together down the path and over to Dar's car. "You know where we're going?" Kerry asked. "I don't think I ever heard of the place."
"Ivan Tors?" Dar chuckled softly. "Yeah, I've been there."
"Really?" Kerry got into the Lexus and settled into the leather seat. "I thought your mom said you were too feisty for baby commercials."
Dar closed the door and started the car. "I was." She backed the Lexus out of its parking spot, leaving Kerry's smaller blue one sitting in lonely isolation. "But they used to film Flipper there, and we went on a school field trip to check it out."
Kerry leaned an elbow on the center console. "You're kidding."
"Nope." Dar shook her head. "They were doing some movie or something there when we were there--had the big tank filled up with water and I jumped in."
"Oh my gosh."
"Hey, it was hot." Dar turned onto the main road of the island. "Pissed off a lot of people, let me tell ya, but one of the guys doing the shots wanted me to stick around."
Kerry's eyes twinkled. "Ah. A gentleman of discerning tastes."
Dar smiled, but didn't answer. She pulled up and drove directly onto the ferry that was just about ready to cast off. Rolling into place, she set the parking brake and relaxed. As she looked off toward the west, toward a still crimson line near the horizon, she could sense the end coming and was glad of it.
"So you're going to bullshit?" Kerry changed the subject, watching
her partner's fingers tap restlessly on the steering wheel. "What part do you want me to take up? How we're working to incorporate our international partners?"
"Mm. I like that." Dar gave her an approving grin.
Kerry leaned back watching the shoreline go past as the ferry crossed the cut. The last light was fading from the sky and she enjoyed the faint puffs of magenta still outlining the western clouds. "We driving down to the cabin tomorrow or taking the Dixie?"
Dar didn't answer for a few minutes, her brow tensing a little. Then she shrugged. "Let's take the Dixie. We can run down to Key West one of the days for fun if we want."
"Ooo, I like that idea." Kerry found herself really looking forward to it. "I really do." She added, in a softer tone. "And you know we can get some stuff done from there, Dar. I've got so much catching up to do."
Dar eyed her.
"I just really like the idea of working from there." Kerry caught the look and blushed a little. "I got so much more done that one day we were there."
Dar casually reached over and took Kerry's hand in hers. They both sat in silence as the ferry made a lazy u-turn in the channel and started to nose up to the landside ferry base. Then Dar turned her head and looked at Kerry. "I want to put together this deal." She sounded slightly surprised. "With Hans."
"Do you?" Kerry asked.
Dar nodded. "We can really make a move in Europe with this," she said. "We've got a lot of service contracts over there, but almost no infrastructure. That's why the international calls give me such a hive. They have no clue what I do."
"I think it's a great idea."
"Which one?" Dar half grinned.
"All of them. I like the idea of you expanding our business there." Kerry replied. "And to be honest, I think I need to pull back from that side of it a little. I need to get our house in order. There's been way too much suckage in the last few months."
They both studied each other as the ferry docked, and the ramp started to come down. "I was seriously considering quitting last week." Dar finally said.
"I know."
Dar started up the Lexus. "I'm not going to quit on a failure." She shifted her hands to the wheel, watching impatiently as the ferry deck hands began to direct traffic off the boat. "I'm just not going to do that."
Kerry settled back as they started up the ramp, nodding a little to herself. "I like that answer," she said. "It reminds me of something my father said once."
Dar barely kept from driving off the edge of the ferry base. "What?"
Kerry folded her arms. "He said, 'Kerrison, if you ever go out in public and do something, you better do it right. If it lands on page one of the Washington Post, you'll spend a year in the back room washing dishes.'"
Dar blinked. "Did I just say that?" She asked, in an outraged tone.
"No." Kerry nudged her. "Drive straight, hon. They won't believe us if we say we missed it because you drove off the causeway." She waited until they were underway again. "But his point was the same thing--when you do something, you should do it right, or don't do it."
"Oh. Okay." Dar drummed her fingers on the wheel. "Yeah, I guess it is the same general idea, isn't it?" She paused, then glanced at Kerry. "Did you listen to him?"
Kerry merely nodded, her expression shifting to one of quiet introspection. "One of the few times." She added, after a moment. "So I'm right there with you, Dar. I don't fail in public. Not if I can help it."
"Mmhm."
They traded the causeway for the highway, and headed north.
"WHY AREN'T WE moving?" Quest asked, as soon as the captain cleared the doorway. "We've been sitting here for an hour!"
The captain gave him a brief smile. "That is right." He agreed. "And we will be sitting possibly for some hours more. There is a defect in the engine."
Quest threw his hands up. "This piece of crap boat."
"Ship." The captain corrected him. "Mr. Quest, I am sorry if this disturbs you. However, we are outside the waters of the United States, and so you perhaps should just go and relax while we attend to this problem. I did warn you we could have some difficulties."
"Yeah, yeah." Quest grumbled. "I just want to be out of here. I can taste a decent glass of beer the closer we get to the other side."
The captain shrugged both shoulders. "I do sympathize," he said. "We too, are looking for some relief from the lives we've been forced to live these last few months." He walked over to the window in the dining room, peering out into the darkness. "I am looking forward to going home."
Quest snorted. "Hey, at least you had a break. I can't believe you conned Roberts into buying the whole damn ship dinner," he said. "Very slick."
The captain did not turn. "I think the lady was glad to do it."
"Lady?" Quest guffawed. "Get real."
"I rather liked Ms. Roberts." The older man twitched his jacket straight. "At any rate, I must return to the bridge. If there are further developments, I will inform you." He walked to the door and slipped through it, not giving Quest a chance to intercept him.
"Prick." Quest curled his lip. "You'll be going home all right, old man. I know they'll kick your ass right off this tub as soon as the check's signed." He put his feet up against the chair next to him and pushed back, rocking slowly in the rhythm of the ship's motion.
A shadow caught his eye, and he looked over toward the big entrance to see Shari entering. "What do you want?" He asked sharply. "I thought I told you to stay upstairs and stop aggravating everyone."
"Go screw yourself." Shari told him bluntly. "You don't tell me anything, you piece of shit."
"You better watch your mouth." Quest pointed at her. "You forget I can have you charged with being a stowaway. That's big time trouble for a skuzzy dyke without any passport."
Shari sat down near the window. "Don't threaten me. I finally bought my way into that comm office upstairs and got a phone call out." She told him, with a sneer. "So my passport's no longer an issue. You better hope you make this stupid trip worth my while, or maybe I'll charge you with kidnapping."
"Like anyone would kidnap you." Quest laughed. "What a piece of shit you are. Is there anyone in this thing you didn't screw over? Your partner? Roberts? Me? The media? Meyer? You were sleeping with everyone."
"Look who's talking." Shari taunted him right back. "If you switched sides any more times you'd have split yourself in half, you horse's ass."
Quest started laughing. "I was right. We're two of a kind." He announced, with a cheerful grin. "Maybe if you're not too obnoxious on the crossing, I'll let you work for me when I sign my contract with the new owners."
"Don't even think it." Shari growled. "I don't work for anyone."
"Yeah, you sure didn't do much for your little girlfriend. Bet she wishes she'd hooked up with your old flame."
"Screw you."
Quest laughed again. "Better think twice. I think you burned your bridges with your friend."
Shari sullenly stared at him.
"Who knows? Maybe you lucked out getting stuck on board." Quest went on, with a smirk. "Wouldn't you like a new start? I don't think you're leaving behind anything worth going back to."
One of the crew entered, and paused awkwardly. "Uh, excuse me."
"Yeah? What?" Quest seemed glad of a new victim. "What's your name again, Weenie?"
"Talley," the man said. "The staff captain asked me to tell you that dinner is being served in the officer's mess."
"Tell them I said to bring it to me here." Quest told him.
Shari got up. "If you're so stupid that you'd give those people a chance to poison the plate they're bringing you, I don't want to be here to see it." She looked at Talley. "Where's the place it's being served?"
Talley gave her a mildly accepting look, and indicated the stairs. "Down there. I'll show you," he said. "And I'll pass along your message, sir."
Shari followed the young man down the stairs. "How do you like working for a jackass like that?"
Talley glanced at her, the
n shrugged. "He's a clueless breeder. They're all the same. He'll get tired of the whole thing when we get to where we're going, and take off."
"Think so?" Shari asked.
Talley smirked. "I think he'll be lucky he's not hanging over the railing the rest of the crossing after I tell the staff they've got to bring him his dinner."
Shari chuckled dryly, but her thoughts kept going back to what Quest had said.
What, really, did she have to go back to?
Nothing.
But what if she could turn it all around, and make a deal with the new owners of the ships? Shari's eyes glinted. She could pull her own miracle out of her ass this time, and screw the rest of them. She'd show up Dar, and she'd prove she was the real driving force behind Telegenics.
Yeah.
DAR PAUSED INSIDE the back door to the studio to let her eyes wander over the space, trying to remember what it had looked like the last time she'd been there. After a moment, she shook her head and followed Kerry across to where a long table was set up against one wall.
Everything seemed to be painted black. Behind the table was a set of doors, one larger than the other, with a heavy seal and what looked like a police light mounted over it. It was flashing red, throwing annoying blurps of light around the room.
"Ah." Graham was already there, and he walked over to them as they approached. He was dressed in a well fitted, conservative gray suit and appeared to be the successful businessman he, in reality, was. "We were taking bets whether we'd see you two here tonight."
"Us, miss a party?" Kerry said. "Never. Besides, I don't know about you, but I needed some closure out of this thing."
"I agree." Michelle joined them. "They're doing individual interviews first." She indicated the door. "And they've catered us. Go have some television food. Guarantee that doesn't happen to any of us often."
Dar touched Kerry's back lightly. "I'll grab you a coke." She ducked away and headed for the table, leaving Kerry to fence with their rivals.
