Hurricane Watch

Chapter

Thirteen

IT WAS A very weird experience. Kerry paced quietly alongside Dar’s crutch assisted steps, carrying her lover’s briefcase along with her own. Usually they split up when they entered the building, but today, no. Today she kept her head up and regarded the people around them, knowing they were without a doubt the center of attention.

”Morning, Ms. Roberts, Ms. Stuart,” the guard greeted them, giving Kerry a wink.

”Morning,” Dar answered, as she moved past him and towards the elevator. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to have gone upstairs already, and they were alone in the elevator. ”So.” Dar eyed her. ”You ready?”

Kerry studied the mirrored doors of the elevator and took a deep breath. ”More or less. I’m going to go to my office and just see what I have on my desk. You going to call a meeting?”

”Of operations?” Dar inquired. ”I’d better, probably around ten or so. You want to send out a note?” Dar eased out the door as they got to their floor, and waited for Kerry to join her. ”That should give me enough time to get a few things settled.” They walked down the corridor and Kerry opened the door for her, waiting for Dar to enter.

Dar paused in the doorway and looked back at her, a gentle smile crossing her face. ”Thanks,” she commented simply, before she turned and continued on into the room.

Maria was there, seated precisely behind her desk, her hands folded on the top of it. She stood when Dar entered and took a breath.

”Buenos Dios, Dar.”

The executive stopped and leaned on her crutches. ”Good morning, Maria. Thanks for coming in.” She gave the secretary a smile. ”Did you have a nice day off?”

Maria beamed back at her. ”Si, si. My daughter took me out on the Sea Escape. I play the arm machines and win fifty dollars,” she stated.

”But I am glad you called me, glad you come back.”

Dar laughed. ”Now, that’s the way to spend your time.” She looked at Kerry. ”We’ve got to try that one weekend.” Her eyes went back to Maria’s, seeing the faint look of startlement. ”I’m glad you agreed to come back. I’d have really hated to have had to replace you, Maria.” She moved into her office, leaving her secretary and her lover looking at 168

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each other.

Kerry felt herself blushing, as Maria gave her a knowing smile.

”Um, I think I’d better go get some work done.” She cleared her throat.

”I’m, going to, uh, get some coffee. You want any?” she asked, rubbing the side of her face and feeling the heat against her fingertips.

Maria walked over, and took her hands. ”Kerrisita.”

Sea green eyes peeked at her uncertainly. ”Yes?”

”You have been such a gift to her,” Maria told her softly. ”God bless you.”

Kerry dropped her eyes and felt her blush intensify, almost making her light headed. She sucked in a few breaths and finally looked back up. ”Thanks,” she whispered. ”I think this feeling is God’s greatest gift to anyone,” she managed to get out. ”I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time.”

”Si.” Maria smiled. ”Go to your office. I am going to the downstairs. I will bring up you some coffee and some of the little pastries.” She released Kerry’s hands and gave her a little push. ”Go. I make faces like this.” She poked her tongue out. ”At all the other secretaritias.”

Kerry laughed. ”Okay.” She surrendered. ”Thank you.” She ducked out into the hallway and started towards her office, only to be stopped by Mark. ”Oh, hey.”

”Hey.” He cuffed her lightly on the arm. ”I hear you kicked ass yesterday. Way to go.” His face was tinged with sunburn, and he bore a faintly smug look. ”I take it the boss is here?”

She exhaled. ”Yep, just got to her office. I’m sure we’ll be a week just straightening out the email bombs.” This sudden, casual recognition of her and Dar’s attachment was, she had to admit, a little unsettling.

But kind of nice, too. It sort of relaxed a tension she’d hardly been aware of. ”Thanks for coming in so fast.”

Mark chuckled. ”Yeah, well, I guess the bike’ll have to wait on the weekend. I’ve got so much crap piled up on my desk, I have to go hire Mel Fisher to find it.” He patted Kerry’s arm again. ”See you later.”

Kerry lifted a hand in goodbye and walked down the hallway, going into her office and dropping into her chair, as she flipped the power switch on her computer and waited for it to boot.

What would Dar do, she wondered. She knew it would end up with Steven Fabricini leaving, but, how?

Hmm. She turned her attention to her email, which had spawned frighteningly overnight. Parent email now had multiple child email, some of which had died and left the original subjects lonely orphans.

”Jesus.” She paged through them. ”I wonder if I could just kill them all?”Her phone buzzed and she hit the answer button. ”Operations, Stuart.”

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A panicked voice answered. ”Oh, great, uh, Ms. Stuart, this is Roger, in Charlotte. Uh, we’ve got a problem.”

”Okay.” Kerry leaned forward, kicking her problem solving brain cells into gear. ”What is it?”

A loud sound of splashing came through the phone. ”Uh, ow!”

Roger yelped. ”Um, the sprinkler system went off over here, and umm.

Yeeoww!” The phone fumbled and clattered, then was picked up.

”Damn chair hit me in the, uh, well, anyway, we’re flooded.”

”Flooded,” Kerry repeated carefully. ”As in underwater?”

”Shit!” he yelped. ”Uh, sorry. Yeah, the control room’s three feet deep, and it’s not getting any— Wow!” A loud popping and snapping was heard. ”Yow, I think that was the main breaker panel going—”

”Roger?” Kerry spoke loudly into the phone.

”Yeah?” he answered. ”Oh, wait I gotta get up onto the desk.”

”Get out of there!” Kerry yelled, then put him on hold and dialed Dar’s extension, waiting for her boss to pick up. ”Help!” she barked into the phone, then switched back to the other line. ”Roger?”

”Uh, I’ve got a problem, Ms. Stuart.” the man answered nervously.

”More than one,” Kerry told him. ”What is it?”

”I can’t swim,” he answered. ”And I think I just saw a 3270 float by.” The phone suddenly disconnected.

”Shit.” Kerry glanced up as she heard running steps, then half stood as her inner door burst open and Dar pounced inside, her pale blue eyes snapping, and every inch of her bristling with unreleased energy.

”What’s wrong?” she snapped.

Kerry drew in a breath. ”God, you look sexy when you do that.”

Dar was obviously knocked off stride. ”Wh...buh...” she exhaled.

”Kerry, you yelled for help, what in the hell’s going on?”

”Oh, right. Charlotte’s been flooded out,” Kerry quickly explained.

”Sorry about that but they’re in big trouble.” She walked over and put an arm around her lover. ”Sorry, Dar. I didn’t mean for you to think that I was, um...” She rooted around for a phrase.

”In mortal danger?” Dar relaxed a little. ”You know I just knocked a Xerox repairman so far back onto his butt they’re probably going to have to remove the toner drum from his throat surgically.” She sighed, and rubbed her face. ”Okay, so we’ve got a potential disaster here.

That’s our routing hub.”

”Mm, the guy from Netops just told me he thought he saw a 3270

terminal floating in the control room,” Kerry advised her.

”Anyone check to see if they’re burning hemp around there again?”

Dar snorted. ”3270’s don’t float.” She exhaled. ”Okay, let me go start working the problem. Try to get them back on the phone, or call the cells,” she muttered as she walked back out, shaking her head.

Kerry smiled a little as she heard the interested, but muted excitement in Dar’s tone. With a soft chuckle, she turned back to her 170

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desk and called up a network schematic, wincing at the flashing red dots that indicated down sections. ”Oh, that bites.” She started dialing emergency numbers.

“LOOK, I DON’T give a damn about what you have to do to release that,” Dar growled into the phone. ”I need your damn president on this phone in five minutes, or the next call is from our legal department.

Your choice.” She glanced up as Maria stuck her head in and waved a small cardboard tray. One hand lifted and waved her forward. ”I’ll hold.”

Maria came over with the pastalitos and offered them to her. ”I have three of those little queso ones,” the secretary whispered. ”I know you like them.”

Dar's eyes twinkled gently as she nodded, and put her hand over the receiver. ”Thanks,” she mouthed as she accepted the pastries and the steaming cup of creamy looking coffee, glancing up and meeting Maria’s eyes.

It was an odd feeling, somewhat naked, somewhat embarrassing, and Dar found herself blushing a little. She was glad her tan hid most of it, but she knew that probably the tips of her ears had turned red by the little chuckle Maria gave before she backed mercifully out of the room.

Not that Maria hadn’t known before, but... Dar sighed and took a bite out of one of the pastries. She was used to keeping her private life private, even her brief interlude with Elana had been under wraps, until that last, very public, scathingly sarcastic encounter.

Maybe that’s why she was feeling a little skittish, hmm? It had taken her a long time to get to the point where she could think about that and not cringe inside, though outwardly she’d shown as much emotion as if Elana had merely been turning over a report.

Stoneface. Duks had told her later that it had pretty well cemented her reputation as the company’s premier iceberg, the way she’d brushed off Elana’s pointed rending with a mere lift of a brow, and a twitch of the lips.

Oh god if they’d only known.

Dar regarded her desktop for a moment in silence, then looked up as a voice came back on the line. ”Well?” She snapped.

”Ms. Roberts, we have a team of people heading out that way. I’m not sure...” the voice hesitated.

”Look,” Dar growled, sending her voice down to its lowest pitch. ”I need to know what chemicals were in that sprinkler mixture and I need to know NOW!” She punched up the volume, feeling the sound reverberate in her chest. ”Or you’re going to take responsibility for the bill when I have to fly a chemical hazard team in there on a goddamned Learjet!” The insurance company was refusing to allow any employees to enter the networking office, until the dangers were evaluated, and Hurricane Watch

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they had fully three quarters of the domestic network down, three hours after the accident had happened.

”Dar. ” Maria poked her head in. ”Mariana on line numero dos,”

she called, in a low voice.

”Not now,” Dar muted her current call. ”I’m in the middle of a disaster.” She watched as Maria disappeared, then she propped her head up on one hand and released the mute button with the other. ”Do I get that, or do I call my legal department? I’m done screwing around with you people.”

Rustling papers and low mutters. ”Where do you need the information sent?” the voice stiffly answered. ”We can pass along our usual information, but you have to understand that the composition will vary depending on local water quality, and the types of pipes, and—”

”Just send it,” Dar interrupted him, and repeated the fax number at their insurance company’s branch office in North Carolina. She looked up as Kerry entered, suppressing a smile. ”And I’d like to know why that system discharged.”

Kerry circled her and picked up a pastry, nibbling it as she perched on the corner of Dar’s desk, listening to the agitated muttering coming from the phone. ”Everyone’s screaming,” she mouthed.

Dar lifted her hands and let them drop. ”Bite me,” she mouthed back. ”I didn’t set off the goddamned sprinklers.”

Kerry obligingly put her pastry down and captured Dar’s fingers, lifting them and nibbling on a thumb instead. ”Okay.”

”Ms. Roberts, we just don’t know what caused it yet,” the hapless voice came through the phone. ”It could have been a false heat reading, it could have been a mechanical error. There’s no sense in speculating since we don’t really have any data. My team is on their way there. As soon as they get there and figure out what happened, believe me, I’ll call you.”

Dar felt an enjoyable tickle as the neat white teeth scraped lightly across the sensitive skin on the side of her finger. ”All right,” she agreed. ”But I have an entire data center down, and they can’t even get in there to start cleaning up. So they’d better move their asses.” She hung up, then noticed the other line was still lit. She punched it.

”Mari?”

A loud argument filtered through. ”Oh, what? Dar, yes.” Mari cleared her throat. ”Listen, you said you were going to handle a certain situation...well, I think...” Steven's loud voice was heard in the background, demanding something.

”Send him up here,” Dar spoke quietly, but forcefully into the phone.

”What?” Mariana asked.

”I'll take care of it. Send him up here,” Dar repeated, a slow, dangerous smile crossing her face. ”After this morning, I’ll enjoy it.”

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A hesitation. ”All right,” the Personnel VP agreed, reluctantly.

”But— ”

”Dar.” Kerry regarded her quietly. ”What are you going to do?”

Pale blue eyes lanced into her. ”Fire him,” Dar answered, coolly.

”And watch him squirm his little ass right out of this office between two nice, big security guards.”

Kerry exhaled, as she studied her lover in silence for a moment.

”Dar listen to me a minute.” She slipped off the desk and knelt, resting her hand on Dar's thigh for balance. ”He still holds a grudge from ten years ago, right?” she asked. ”That’s what started this whole stupid thing.”

Dar’s brows knit. ”Yeah, so?” She leaned closer to the phone.

“Mari, hang on a minute, okay?”

“Sure,” the Personnal VP sighed as she was put on hold.

Kerry gently traced an idle pattern against the cotton fabric. ”Isn’t there some way you could do this so it didn’t perpetuate the hatefulness?”

”What?” Dar stared at her.

A sigh. ”He hates you because of a thing that happened half a lifetime ago, that’s a long time to keep that anger inside. Now this. It’s just more anger, and more hate, and more need for revenge.”

”Who cares?” Dar asked. ”Kerry, there’s no way we’re going to ever not hate each other, and frankly, I don’t give a damn if he does. I just want him out of here,” she told Kerry. ”You’d better scoot before he shows up. No sense in getting you involved in it.”

Kerry took a breath. ”Dar, I am involved in it,” she told her lover firmly. ”If he hates you, then he hates me.” She looked right up into Dar’s eyes. ”And I don’t like being hated.” A pause. ”Even by someone like him. My family’s enough for me to handle right now.”

Dar blinked at her.

”You’re so smart, can’t you find a way to get him out without escalating this?” The green eyes gazed sadly at her, reading the stunned look on Dar’s face. ”So it doesn’t come back at us someday?”

“Kerry, that’s how business works,” Dar said. “You can’t be everyone’s friend.”

Kerry rubbed her temples. “I know that,” she said. “But what’s he going to do if you fire him, Dar? He’s going to do his best to get back at you, and at us. Do you really want those pictures in the Miami Herald because you know he’s going to do it.”

Dar crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

“Besides, didn’t Alastair say he wanted it done so he couldn’t sue us, at least?” Kerry went on, gently. “Dar, I’m not trying to be a jerk, I just want things not to get worse here.”

“Goddamn it,” Dar muttered. “Alastair was right.” She relaxed her posture and leaned an elbow on her desk, resting her head on her hand.

“I should have taken a few days off and let this defuse.” She reached Hurricane Watch

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over and punched the hold button. “Mari?”

“I’m here,” Mariana answered.

“It’s going to have to wait. I’ve got an operational crisis here. That takes precedence,” Dar told her. “Just tell the stupid bastard to go do what we pay him to do and leave you alone for right now.”

“Right.” Surprisingly, Mariana sounded more relieved than upset.

“I stonewalled him and told him if he had an issue with personnel policies he could go talk to Alastair,” she said. “And I warned him he should walk softly, since it was very obviously Alastair who was involved yesterday.” She hesitated. “But I thought you—”

“Has to be done right,” Dar cut her off. “That needs some time to arrange, and right now I don’t have any.”

“Gotcha,” Mariana’s voice turned brisk. “I’ll get off your line now.

Thanks, Dar.”

“Yeah.” Dar cut the phone off and turned to regard Kerry.

Kerry gently brushed the side of Dar’s head, where a slight bump could still be felt, then she got up off the desk and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” she whispered in the perfect, curved ear, then turned and left quietly.

Dar sat in a puddle of filtered sunlight, the slanted rays dusting her cotton pants in warm ochre panels as she stared at the empty place where Kerry had knelt mere moments before. Her cheek tingled with the soft pressure, and she could still smell Kerry’s distinctive scent lingering in the air that surrounded her.

Her savage resolve of just five minutes prior was gone, dissipated into a somber confusion that knitted her brow as she slowly turned in her chair, resting her elbows on her desk and surrounding her coffee cup with a pair of loosely interlaced sets of fingers. It had been so easy.

So cut and dried. What did she care what he thought about it?

She didn’t, Dar sighed and shook her head. She didn’t give a rat’s ass what he thought or what he’d do about it. “But I do care what she thinks,” she spoke aloud to the sunlight. “And I do have better things to do.” The phone lit up again and she put aside the issue to deal with this far more urgent one. “Probably easier to solve anyway.”

KERRY FOUND HER way out to the back balcony, around the back behind the copier room where there was a tiny patio that overlooked the water. She liked to come out here sometimes and just think in the quiet peace the altitude afforded.

It was a beautiful day out, and she

wistfully realized that the current crisis was probably going to take precedence over leaving early, which was kind of depressing.

She’d been looking forward to some quiet time out on the water, where they could just watch the sunset together, and get in some twilight diving in the shallow, warm waters.

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Only a few minutes, she promised, knowing she had to go back inside and resume dealing with the problem. Just a few minutes to lean against the heated metal of the railing, and feel the warm, fresh sea air against her face, and drink in the sunlight.

She wished Dar was beside her, and she wondered what her lover had thought about her request. The stunned look hadn’t really indicated if she’d considered it, or if the idea was palatable or not, but Kerry had the feeling she’d at least gotten her to think about it. That had to be good, right? With a sigh, she closed her eyes, and turned her face up to the sun, feeling the brightness against her eyelids.

The door opened behind her, and she turned, blinking in surprise as she recognized Steven’s slim figure sauntering out towards her.

Warily, she leaned against the railing and watched him approach.

”So.” He studied her. ”Here we have the Queen bitch’s little collared pet. Is this your private space?” He walked to the railing and leaned on it.

Kerry regarded him thoughtfully. ”Sorry about your nose,” she remarked.

He stared at her. ”So, what’s it like screwing the boss?”

She felt a deep jolt of anger erupt in her gut. ”Wouldn’t you like to know?” she responded. ”But she wouldn’t give your ugly butt a second glance.” Inwardly, she sighed. What was that you were saying to Dar, about not liking being hated? Smooth, Kerry, very smooth. What is it about this dork that brings out the hyperbitch from hell in you anyway?

”And I take that back; I’m not sorry at all,” she added. ”Excuse me.” She turned and headed for the door.

”I should have guessed it before,” he yelled after her. ”But Dick McMasters is a buddy of mine. He told me you didn’t put out.”

Kerry turned, with her hand on the doorknob, and looked back at him, the ugly memories flooding over her.

”Ah, I see you remember him,” Steven’s voice took on a savage satisfaction. ”Yeah, he told me all about you, the straight laced, stuck up aristocrat. He’s gonna laugh his ass off when I tell him what a pathetic little loser you turned out to be.”

It took several breaths, to force the nausea down, and shove aside the familiar sensation of sickening dread she’d felt for those long, dark months. ”You’re the one without a life, morals, or integrity, ”she told him finally. ”So which one of us is the loser?”

“Listen, you—”

Kerry cut him off, ”I hope someday you start taking responsibility for what happens to you, and not just blame everyone else. Maybe you’ll end up a happier person.” She opened the door and got through it, closing it behind her and moving away from it as quickly as she could, blindly finding her way towards the break room. She ducked inside, and leaned against the counter, looking up as a hand touched her arm. ”Wh— oh, hi Duks.”

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The gentle brown eyes regarded her. ”Hello there, Kerry. Are you doing all right?”

Kerry sucked in a breath and released it. ”Yeah, yeah. ” She put a hand over her stomach. ”I think that meat pastalito I had didn’t agree with me.” She forced herself to settle down. ”Hey, you got a sunburn.”

Duk’s face creased into a wry smile. ”Yes, yes, I put on my bathing suit and went down to the pool for the first time since I moved into that damned place,” he told her, releasing her arm and walking over to the coffee pot. He poured a cup, then glanced over his shoulder. ”And how are you after all the excitement of yesterday?”

Kerry regarded the floor for a moment. ”Doing a lot better today,”

she admitted. ”I’ve, got to get back to work.” She gave Duks a brief smile. ”See you later.”

The hall seemed wider than normal, and she was glad to get inside her office with the door shut. She stood for a long moment, leaning back against the cool wood, then she shoved away from it and crossed to her desk, settling into the cool leather of her chair and folding her hands on the wooden surface. A soft knock came on the inner door, and she sighed. ”Come on in.”

Dar entered, her blue eyes holding a touch of concern. ”Hey.”

Kerry gathered herself together and half turned to gaze up at the taller woman. ”Hey.” She pursed her lips. ”How goes it?”

”Mmph.” Dar slid a hand over hers. ”You’re cold, you feeling okay?” she asked hesitantly, seeing the pallor under her lover’s normally golden skin tone. ”Ker?” she added softly, when Kerry didn’t answer.

”Yeah, I’m fine. I—” Kerry suddenly had to resist the almost overwhelming urge to simply put her head down on Dar’s thigh and let Dar pet her like a cat. “Last couple of days catching up to me, I think.”

She gave her lover a wry look. “And I just bumped into our friend out on the balcony.”

Dar’s brows lifted and she tilted her head a trifle. “And?”

“Turns out we had a mutual acquaintance and he...” Kerry hesitated. “Anyway, he was just being a jerk.”

“A jerk how?” Dar persisted.

Kerry’s phone rang and both of their pagers went off simultaneously. ”We can talk later.” Kerry gave her a wry grimace.

”This is going to hell in a handbasket.” She reached for the phone.

”Operations, Stuart.”

A harried voice answered her. ”Kerry, this is John Collins. I've got the New York office breathing down my neck, and I can’t get hold of Dar. You gotta give me something to tell them.”

”John?” Dar interrupted smoothly. ”Hold on a minute.” She put the call on hold, then faced her assistant, placing two fingers on her chin and lifting it up so their eyes met. ”We can talk now, if you need to,”

she said. “What did the stupid bastard say to you?”

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A peaceful silence settled over them, as they merely sat and looked at one another. Kerry’s lashes finally fluttered closed, and a faint smile twitched the corners of her mouth. ”When I first joined Associated, I had a supervisor named Richard McMasters,” she stated. ”And he didn’t quite subscribe to EEOC.”

”Ah.” Dar's brows contracted, and a gray tone entered her eyes.

”Did he mouth off to you?”

Kerry exhaled. ”Oh yes, and he took every opportunity to touch me, and to comment on my appearance, until I couldn’t look at him without my hands shaking, wondering what was coming out of his mouth next.” She stopped momentarily. ”And then one night he bumped into me at the library, and told me he wanted to...get to know me better, and if I didn’t cooperate, he’d fire me.”

The hum of the computer was very loud in the silence, a soft blooping noise coming from the screen saver which had sprung into life. ”Did...” Dar hesitated. ”I...I mean, did he...” She was honestly shocked, and a little hurt that Kerry hadn’t confided in her before.

”He cornered me in the back room two days later, and I told him if he didn’t leave me alone, I’d have my father sic the IRS on him. ”

Kerry’s face tensed into a grim smile. ”In a way, that made it worse. He kept after me in other ways, slamming my work, spreading rumors, until one day, some nice person over at Arthur Anderson hired him away.”

She paused. ”He said it was a boss’s prerogative to get the most out of his employees.” Her eyes searched Dar’s face. ”I think you can see why I never mentioned it,” she concluded, a little wistfully. “Figures he and Steven are friends. Same mind set.”

”B...” Dar could hardly articulate the emotions. ”I’d...nev...”

Kerry curled her hand around the suddenly nerveless fingers still resting against her face. ”I know that,” she replied warmly. ”Believe me, I know that, Dar. It’s just, I felt strange talking about it with you.” She let out a breath, some of the tension dissipating. ”I mean, you are my boss, after all.”

Dar was dismayed. She’d never thought to ask Kerry if staying in her current position was what she wanted to do. She’d only thought of herself, and how she felt about it. But when she opened her mouth to do just that, nothing came out.

She cleared her throat and tried again. ”Are you... Kerry, if you’re not comfortable with this, we could, I mean, there are plenty of places in the company. I just...I...”

Kerry felt the tension build under her casually draped arm resting against Dar’s thigh. ”You said you needed me where I was,” she stated softly.

”I did. I do, Kerry, I...I mean, of course I do, but if it’s going to make you upset, I...” Dar felt herself stuttering, which hadn’t happened Hurricane Watch

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to her since the fourth grade. She clamped her jaw shut, and swallowed a few times. ”We can make arrangements if you’re not comfortable with this.” There, she managed in a calmer, more even tone. ”I survived without an assistant for years. I can manage on my own again.”

”At what price?” Kerry stood and laid a hand alongside her neck, feeling the rapidly beating pulse under her fingertips. ”You said yourself the pressure was getting to you,” she reminded her lover, whose eyes dropped to the desk. ”I’m fine. I love this job. I love working for you, and I don’t want to go anywhere, okay?” She leaned forward and touched her forehead to Dar’s. ”I just had some nasty flashbacks, that’s all. He’s a jerk, and maybe he reminds me of Dick, the way he gets on my nerves all the time.”

Jesus, when did I get this insecure? Dar wondered, as she felt her heartbeat start to calm. What the hell is wrong with me lately, anyway.

It’s like I’m a kid again, going back to being a damn teenager. ”Okay.”

She managed a smile. ”You can tell me more about it later if it bothers you, all right?”

Kerry smiled back. ”All right.” She spared a glance for the phone, still flashing. ”Now, what in blazes do I tell him, Dar?”

”Huh?” Dar's brow creased as she followed Kerry's eyes. ”Oh, right.” She rubbed her temples. ”Um, tell him we’re sending an executive team to North Carolina to take charge, and get the systems back up as soon as possible.”

Kerry reached for the button, then hesitated. ”We are?” she asked, curiously.

A sneaky, seductive grin tugged at one side of Dar’s mouth. ”Yeah.

I figure eight hours to get their asses in gear, and a couple days for us in a little cabin I happen to know about near there.” She hesitated, both brows lifting hopefully .”Sound okay?”

Sea green eyes blinked. ”You mean us?” She pointed at Dar's chest, then at her own. ”You and me, we’re going up there?”

Dar simply nodded.

”Awesome,” Kerry pronounced, then hit the button. ”Hello, John?”

She muted the mic for a moment. ”They don’t have any horseback riding up there, do they?” She released the mic. ”John, we know it’s really bad. You can tell them that Dar’s going up there to take charge personally.”

Pause. ”No shit?” the man replied, clearly impressed. ”That’ll get them off my ass. Thanks Kerry. You’re the best.”

”It’s my pleasure,” she assured him cheerfully, all thoughts of Steven dissolved. She disconnected the line and turned to Dar. ”Now, we were discussing horses, right?”

A chuckle. ”Yeah, they’ve got some trail riding, figured we could do a little hiking while we’re up there,” she offered. ”If we leave tonight, we’ll have tomorrow and Friday to get the network office back up, then the whole weekend to play.” The idea had come to her right 178

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before she’d started over, and she’d put the plan in action before she’d left her office. ”I’ve got Maria making reservations.”

Kerry smiled. ”Want me to go home and pick up our bags?” she offered. ”When’s the flight?”

”Seven, and that would be a great idea.” Dar praised her. ”Make sure you pack some warm stuff, it’s chilly up there.” Her brows lifted seductively. ”A little too much for any scanty lingerie, unfortunately.”

Kerry stood and slid a fingertip down the buttoned closure of Dar’s silk shirt. ”I don’t know, I think you look really sexy in just that old jersey of yours,” she whispered.

A soft chuckle. ”Oh, you do, do you?”

”Mm hmm, ” Kerry lowered her voice even more. ”But then you’re gorgeous, Dar. You’d look sexy in a burlap sack,” she confided, brushing her lips against her lover’s. ”I’m going to go get our stuff. I need some fresh air anyway.” She patted Dar’s leg, then stepped around her desk, pulling her jacket off her chair and swinging it over her shoulders as she headed for the door.

Dar watched her go, then let out a long, slow breath. ”Wow.” She ran a hand through her hair. ”I think I need a little fresh air myself.”

The sunlight winked merrily at her feet in cheerful agreement, but at that moment her phone buzzed. She glanced up to see her private line ringing and the incoming tie line indicator. “Ah.” She pressed the button. “Yes?”

“Dar.” Alastair’s voice sounded harassed. “What in the hell’s going on there? I’ve got the presidents of a dozen companies crawling up my backside with backhoes right now.”

Dar winced at the visual. “Environmental systems blew up at the data center in the Carolinas,” she said. “It’s a mess.”

“A mess?” her boss repeated. “Dar, we’ve busted service levels all over the region there. This is more than a mess,” he said. “What are we doing about it? What’s the plan?”

“Thanks for assuming I had one,” she said. “I don’t goddamn know what we’re going to do about it, Alastair. They won’t give us access to the facility to find out what we even can do.”

He was momentarily silent. “B...”

Dar waited. “You asked.”

Alastair made an exasperated sound. “Dar, I have to be able to tell these people something. I’m getting roasted here. I’ve already got a half dozen talking breach of contract and the rest of them mentioned legal.”

Was it her fault? Dar frowned. “Tell them we’re looking at options, Alastair,” she replied a little testily. “I’m not going to promise to pull something out of thin air. I’ve got to get up there and see what the situation is and...”

“You’re going?” Alastair interrupted her sharply.

“I’ve got a flight in a few hours yeah and...”

“Good enough.” Her boss sounded much happier. “I’ll tell ‘em that.

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They can’t say I didn’t put the best resources on it. But Dar,” he hesitated, “if we don’t fix this, we’ll end up with a big loss I’m going to have to explain to the board.”

“Shit happens sometimes, Alastair. You know that. We’re a technology company and this stuff breaks,” Dar said.

“I know,” her boss replied. “But shit happening right after there’s a major ruckus down there gets sticky,” he reminded her. “And if people are looking for leverage it’ll hand it to them nice and neat.”

Dar gazed at her desktop. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll do what I can, Alastair.”

“Keep me advised,” Alastair said. “I’ll go tap dance for you and break out the mirrors.”

“YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT, Col.” Kerry stretched her legs out and closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath of the sun warmed air coming in the window of the Mustang. ”We’re going to North Carolina. We’ve got a big mess there to take care of.”

”Oh, right, yeah, I heard about that,” Colleen advised her. ”My boss was screaming that the interbank transfers won’t go through.” She cleared her throat. ”No problem, Ker, staying out there isn’t any kinda hardship, you know? Breakfast on the ocean, little tuxedoed mannequins puttering about, no problem at all.”

”Great.” Kerry sighed. ”I never thought I’d be glad of a disaster, but I can’t say I regret this one.” She stifled a yawn. ”After we fix things, we’re going up to a place Dar knows near there for a little R and R.” ”Oh?” Colleen sounded more interested. ”Well now, me lassie, you didn’t tell me that. So you and the tall dark one are finally taking some time off together. That’s great.”

”Yeah.” Kerry smiled. ”That’ll be a first for us, even over Christmas we had so much going on, we hardly had time to breathe, much less relax. I’m really looking forward to a few days alone with her.” And wasn’t that the truth. Kerry found herself impatiently wishing the crisis was well over and solved, freeing them to leave the technical problems behind and concentrate on each other.

She knew instinctively that after the past few days, they needed that. There were too many thorn pricks in both of them. Too many tiny, loose ends caused by the trauma and the tension. She felt a little shaky, and she suspected Dar did as well.

A weekend hiking up in the quiet of the wilderness was very, very appealing, and it would give Dar time to really recuperate from her bumps and bruises. ”You think they’ll have a hot tub?” she mused.

Colleen laughed. ”Well, if it’s the kinda place I think Dar likes, I’m sure it will have one. You can do some lovely skiing up in the mountains y’know,” she commented. ”Get yourself a nice fireplace, and 180

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toast you up some marshmallows, girl.”

”Mm.” Kerry could taste the warm, slightly burned morsels in her imagination. Then she imagined sharing them messily with Dar, and grinned, feeling the skin around her eyes crinkling up in amusement.

”Sounds good to me.”

”Heh, your eating habits surely have changed,” Colleen teased.

”And then there’s the food, as well.”

Kerry almost swallowed her tongue. ”Colleen!”

”Ah, ah, don’t you be Colleening me, little Miss Michigan snowballs wouldn’t melt in me mouth,” her friend laughed. ”I’m just joshing, Kerry. Honestly, I think Dar’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”

”Oh yeah, she’s turning me into a pleasure loving little butterball, that’s what,” Kerry laughed. ”But thanks,” she added quietly. ”I’m glad you ended up liking her.” She put her car into gear as the ferry docked.

”I’m going to get our stuff packed, talk to you later, Col. Thanks for staying over again.”

She hung up the phone and steered carefully onto the island, pausing for the spray down before she turned onto the perimeter road and headed to the condo. The sprinklers were on in the center of the island, making an interesting chatter, and sending a whiff of mineral laden moist air to Kerry’s nose.

She pulled into her parking spot, then paused, backing up a little.

”Aww.” She found herself grinning stupidly. The maintenance department had painted her name on the concrete bumper. ”K. Stuart, check that out.” She got out of the car and examined it, the neat black letters crisp against the white concrete, matching the ”D. Roberts” right next to it half hidden behind Dar’s tires.

It was such a tiny, insignificant thing, but it touched something deep inside Kerry, reinforcing her sense that this was, indeed, home.

She gave the Lexus a little pat, then shouldered her briefcase and headed up the stairs, plucking the mail from the mailbox before keying in the lock code.

Chino started whining the minute the door opened, and she dropped her case on the loveseat as she headed towards the kitchen.

”Okay, okay honey, I hear you.” She ambled across the tile floor and opened the gate, letting the puppy out to attack her feet fiercely.

”Hey...hey, careful.” She put the mail down and crouched, petting Chino’s soft fur. ”Okay, okay, I know. I’m glad to see you too.”

Chino whined ecstatically, her whole body wriggling with joy as she chewed on Kerry’s fingers. Then she cocked her head, and looked past Kerry expectantly. She scratched the puppy’s ears. ”I know she’s your buddy, huh?”

Chino blinked, then apparently gave up on Dar, and concentrated on attacking Kerry’s shoes. ”Raowr.” The puppy tugged on a lace, dropping it and barking in outrage when the thing persisted in Hurricane Watch

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remaining attached to Kerry, and all the animal’s pulling couldn’t budge her.

”Okay, why don’t you go out while I get some stuff done, huh?”

Kerry opened the back door, allowing the puppy to scamper down into the tiny, walled garden.

It was safe for her there, since Dar had spent most of one weekend puppy proofing it. That included making sure there were no gaps under the fence, and taking out the tiny pebbles the animal would surely try to consume. She watched Chino sniff around for a minute, then she went inside and started getting together two bags, starting with Dar’s. which was easy. Jeans, soft, neatly pressed polo’s, two sweaters which were all she owned, her one flannel shirt, the sweatshirt Kerry loved on her, and nice warm socks. And underwear, of course.

Kerry had fun picking out her favorite ones of those, including the really cute ones with tiny pictures of Dogbert on them. Oh, and the baseball jersey and shorts, and her bathroom kit, which held shampoo, soap, her toothbrush and the small bottle of interestingly spicy smelling talc powder Kerry loved to sprinkle over her. She sniffed it and closed her eyes, a tiny humming noise erupting from her throat that almost startled her.

”Jesus.” She clapped a hand on her forehead. ”I’m turning into such a hedonist,” she muttered, putting the bag away and zipping up the carry on duffel Dar always used. But that’s how Dar made her feel, she reflected, all sexy and sensual, like she was taking a bath in pheromones most of the time. Everything seemed more intense, the smell of her, the deep, rich color of her eyes...

”Oh boy.” Kerry stopped and took several breaths. ”Okay, I think I need a drink of water.” She carried the bag to the couch and let it drop, then continued on into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of peach flavored ice tea, which slid down her throat in a cool, nicely sweetened wave. She leaned against the counter and sipped it, thinking about TCP/IP routing tables until her body had settled down again, and she could head upstairs to her own room.

Her bag was a little tougher, mostly because she actually had winter clothes to choose from. She threw in a few pairs of jeans, though, since they were more comfortable than the heavy corduroy that were her other choice. Dar having informed her she really liked the way Kerry looked in jeans having nothing to do with the decision, of course.

Kerry smiled, as she flipped through her collection of soft wool sweaters, selecting two that were favorites of hers, and one whose color reminded her of Dar’s eyes. That one was a gift from her brother, and it hugged her curves, bringing out an appreciative smile on Dar’s face the last time she’d had the occasion to wear it. She tucked it inside her tan leather bag, alongside a couple of long sleeved shirts she could wear under them. She also added a pair of mittens, and her own warm socks and bath kit, glad she wasn’t due for her period until late the week after.

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Once she had everything packed, she started to go down, then stopped, setting the bag on her bed and going to the dresser where she tugged the drawer open, and pulled out a small, velvet case. Pensively she opened it, her eyes tracing the now familiar outlines of the beautifully made, filigreed ring inside. Was it time?

Kerry sighed and closed the case, putting it back in the drawer. Part of her wanted to just push through the insecurities and go ahead with the gift, but another part of her hesitated, caught between the fear that Dar wouldn’t want that kind of commitment, and the inner knowledge that she, Kerry, needed it in some deep, almost uncomfortable way.

Maybe. She chewed her lip. Maybe on Valentines’ Day? It was only two weeks. A nervous ball formed in her stomach. Maybe she could sort of feel Dar out this weekend, just to make sure she wasn’t going to make a total fool out of herself when she did it.

Oh, come on, Kerry, you know she loves you. She chastised herself.

Jesus, she’s not going to laugh or anything.

Right? Kerry drummed her fingers on one thigh, then snatched the case up and tucked it into her bag, zipping it up and hitching the strap up onto her shoulder. Maybe she’d practice, she decided, going downstairs and putting her bag on the couch next to Dar’s, then sitting down and leafing through the mail. ”Oh.”

She pulled out the three or four pieces that were hers, forwarded from the Kendall address. Two were bills, a third was an offer to beta test the new Microsoft applications suite, and the fourth...” Haven’t heard from her in a while.” Kerry turned the letter from her great aunt over in her fingers before she lifted the flap and pulled out the creamy, soft stationary, faintly scented with the smell of dust and memories.

She opened it, and spread the paper out on her knees, studying the thin, spidery script.

Dear Kerrison,

My dear, word has come to me that you are estranged from your parents—and this troubles me greatly. Not for their sake, as you know well that I never did get on with your father, but for your sake, as I know how much family means to you.

Your sister tells me you are well, and living there in Miami with a person she tells me you are quite fond of. With her usual feckless nattering, she managed to talk all around the subject, but I am going to assume this person is another woman, and while you think my aged nerves can’t take this, I will gladly inform you that this is not the case.

Splendid for you, my dear. I would love to meet this person, and I want to assure you that regardless of what your parents seem to think, your extended family is not cut off from you in anyway. You are welcome in my home, and I know Mitchell would love to see you. Please do call me, when you get Hurricane Watch

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a chance, since I also would like to get the real story, as opposed to the bowdlerized version your sister saw fit to grace my supposedly tender ears with.

With great affection,

Aunt Penny.

Kerry grinned, as she reread the letter. ”Good old Aunt Penny.”

She shook her head, remembering the old, but sharp woman whom she’d last seen before she’d moved to Miami. When she’d given her the ring and laughed, making Kerry turn around in the light, watching her with twinkling eyes the same shade as Kerry’s own. Who had been one of the only people in Kerry’s life who had told her, point blank, that she was pretty, displacing years of her mother’s continual harping on her looks.

Kerry would have cherished her for that alone, but she’d always gotten a sense of warm affection from her aunt and she was glad even this latest disaster hadn’t broken that tie.

She made a mental note to call her aunt after the weekend, and, on a whim, went back up to her room and got a small box of writing paper, tucking it inside her bag along with a couple of her favorite pens.

”That’s what I’ll do, Chino. I’ll write her a note. She’d like that,” she told the puppy, who had curled up contentedly at her feet. ”I bet she’d like you. She had a Scottish terror. I mean, terrier who used to eat my shoes when I went over there.”

Chino looked up, then settled her chin on Kerry’s foot and sighed.

Kerry sighed too, and leaned back against the couch’s soft leather, drinking in the peace of the place. She picked up Chino and cuddled her, smiling when the puppy sprawled across her chest, the warm breath sneaking between the buttons on her shirt.

Shed just relax here for a minute, then head on back to the office.

“HERE YOU GO, Dar.” Maria bustled in, handing over two sets of airline ticket folders. ”I have you both booked on the plane, and your hotel room is okay.” The secretary gave her an impish smile. ”They have only rooms with, how you say, a jaguar in them.”

Dar stopped what she was doing, and looked up, startled. ”What?”

She glanced at the tickets. ”A jaguar?”

”Si, with the bubbles.” Maria made a circling motion with her hand.

”In the water.”

”Oh, oh, a Jacuzzi.” Dar chuckled, and gave her a stern look. ”It’s strictly business, Maria.”

”Si, si, but you know how important is it to stay very clean, Dar,”

Maria replied, virtuously. ”You know, it is bad if you come back with the germs.”

Slowly, pale blue eyes lifted and regarded her, a mischievous grin 184

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tugging at Dar’s lips. ”Maria, if I didn't know better, I’d say you were encouraging me to do something against company policy.”

Maria blinked at her. ”Oh, si.” She nodded seriously. ”I will see you Monday, Dar. Have a good time.”

She trotted out, leaving a very bemused, and somewhat taken aback boss sitting behind her desk. ”A jaguar, huh?” She tucked the folders inside her jacket and glanced at her watch. ”And speaking of Kerry...” She picked up the phone and dialed Kerry’s cellular number.

“Where the heck is she?”

It took four rings before there was an answer, and the voice sounded a little dazed. ”Oh shit.”

Dar regarded the phone with some amusement. ”And a good afternoon to you, too, Kerrison,” she drawled. ”What’s up?”

”Shit, shit, shit.” Kerry sighed. ”I’m sorry, Dar.

I got things

packed, then sat down and played with Chino for a minute and I fell asleep.” Sounds of rustling came from the phone. ”I’m on my way back.

I don’t know what in the heck came over me.” She sounded disgusted.

”God.”

”Hey, take it easy.” Dar laughed. ”We got up early, we didn’t get too much sleep last night, and if you’re tired, it makes sense to take a damn nap. You didn’t miss anything. ” She reached over and took a sip of coffee from her cup. ”The center’s still down, they still need our help, I’ve got our tickets, and Maria booked us in a hotel room complete with a Jacuzzi.”

Momentary silence. ”Oh really?” Kerry had closed the car door, and the sound of the engine starting up was heard. ”A Jacuzzi, huh?

She’s subtle.” A pause. ”Sounds good, though. Colleen was tempting me with visions of you, me, a fire and some marshmallows.”

”Oo,” Dar purred. ”I could go for that. I love marshmallows.” She stood up and started packing up her laptop. ”I’ll be waiting downstairs.

We can pick up a quick snack at the airport before we get on the plane.”

”Okay.” Kerry stifled a yawn. ”See you in a few minutes.”