Tropical Storm

Chapter Ten

“I THINK THAT will work, but can we use that processor for something else in slack hours?” Kerry asked as she played with a pencil, pushing it against the surface of her desk and turning it over. “I know the banking group is looking for extra timeslices during their mids. Can we use it there?” She listened to the answer, then smiled and made a note on her pad. “Good, then I’m going to call them and let them know they can count on you for that.” She paused a moment and then continued, “Sure, the chargeback will go towards your budget.” A pleased sound came from the phone. “Nice working with you, too … Yes, that’s right, Stuart, from Operations … Well, thanks. I do try … Good bye.”

Kerry sat back as she cut the phone off. “Well, there’s another one off the list.” She picked up her cup, strawberry-scented steam wafting from it, and took a sip. “Making a dent.”

A soft knock came at her door, and she turned as Dar entered, giving her a wry grin as she came over to perch on a corner of Kerry’s desk. She does that, Kerry thought, because it puts us more at a level. Dar was so tall, she towered over Kerry anyway, and when she was sitting down, it just made it all the worse. It’s a nice touch, she thought. “Hi. How’s it going over there?”

Dar half shrugged. “Like it usually is.” She rested her hands on her knee.

“Let’s talk about Denver.”

Kerry felt a little nervous. “Okay.”

“Two DS3s?” Dar’s brows lifted.

God, I hate butterflies in my stomach. Kerry collected herself. “They just signed the banking account up there.”

“And?”

She hated her palms sweating even more than the butterflies, but she kept herself from wiping them. “They’re central. If we have dual pipes up there, we can use that as a third leg for the backbone in case of primary failure.” Dar studied her in silence. “And I heard a rumor they’re close to re-signing the big retail contract and they’re going international,” Kerry finished. “I didn’t want us to get cut short.”

Finally, Dar smiled. “Three out of three,” she said. “Good decision, Kerry.

What you didn’t know is that they’ve been hiding a capacity problem up there from me for two months and that just solved it.” She winked. “Nice work.”

Kerry exhaled slowly, trying to hide the relief making her knees shiver.

“Thanks, I was a little nervous after that screw-up I did in Phoenix.”

Dar leaned on the desk. “It’s all right. At least you screwed up on the 102 Melissa Good conservative side. Much as I hate to pay for bandwidth we don’t use, not having enough is a much bigger bitch for me to deal with.”

Whew. Kerry hesitated, then looked up at Dar. “I just don’t want to disappoint you, that’s all.”

Dar’s expression gentled. “No chance.” She cleared her throat. “Listen, I’ve got an appointment this afternoon, so I’m taking off. “

“Anything you need me to cover for you on?”

Dar exhaled and reached up to rub the back of her neck. “The Asia office might call. I’ve been arguing with them all week about getting new mainframes in there. See if you can reason with them.”

She looks tired, Kerry realized. “Okay. Oh, listen…um, who can I talk to here about a bank transfer problem?” she asked. “It’s mine. I mean, I think my EFT got messed up.”

Dar stood up. “Why? Didn’t it show up?” Her brow creased in concern as she regarded Kerry. “That’s not very damn funny if it’s true.”

“N-no. It did, last night, but it was…I think maybe because I transitioned, it got sent twice. Is that possible?”

Dar’s expression turned impish, just for an instant. “It’s possible,” she agreed. “But it’s far more likely you actually got paid what you were worth this time.” She headed for the door, pausing as she opened it and turned. “The position,” she indicated Kerry’s office, “came with a raise. Sorry I forgot to mention it.”

Kerry stared at the door until it closed. “Son of a gun!” she finally sputtered after a moment’s silence. “Dar, you…” She exhaled, feeling a surge of relief and surprise and something she wasn’t quite sure she could identify flood through her. “You’re something else.” Something else.

She clicked on her menu and went into the personnel program, typing in her codes and bringing up her own records. She propped her chin on her fist as she looked at the screen, not quite knowing whether to be proud or apprehensive at the amount showing.

Am I worth it? “Dar seems to think so.” She closed the program and leaned back. “I think I’m going nerd-shopping tonight. I’m tired of that old desktop.” With a slight laugh that lengthened into a more joyous one, she turned back to her project list and called up the next one, smiling all the while.

DAR HAD LONG ago decided that everyone just naturally hated going to the doctor’s office. She knew she wasn’t alone in that, and she suspected it had more to do with the loss of personal dignity than anything else. She closed her eyes and tried to call up some patience, while she sat in the examining room in a gown half the size of a cocktail napkin.

The door pushed open and Dr. Steve came in. He was an older man in his sixties, with a kindly, sweet face. “Well, well. Look who we have here.”

Dar sighed. “Hi, Dr. Steve.” She managed to keep a wry grin off her face.

The older man had been her family doctor for years and still treated her as though she were a gawky adolescent.

He assumed his stethoscope and laid it on her back, then moved around to her chest, listening with that annoyingly omniscient manner developed by Tropical Storm 103

most doctors. “Breathe.”

She obediently did so, flexing her arm a little against the pain from three bouts of blood-drawing.

“Okay, lie down.” Dr. Steve proceeded to gently examine her, his fingers steady and professional as they poked and prodded. “You’ve got a bruise here.”

“Just from the gym,” Dar said, untruthfully.

“This too?” He picked up her right hand and examined the faded bruises along the knuckles. “You’re not going back to your scary younger days are you, chipmunk?”

Dar chuckled wryly. “I’m long past that, and you know it.”

“Mmm.” The older man felt up along her neck carefully, rolling her head to one side and then to the other. “Pretty stiff.”

“Part of the problem, I think,” Dar acknowledged ruefully. “That’s where the pain usually starts.”

“Uh huh. How’ve you been sleeping?”

A shrug. “All right. About the same as always.”

“So still doing the four or five a night, huh?” Dr. Steve remarked dryly.

“You’d do yourself a favor if you’d sneak in an extra hour or two.”

Dar exhaled. “I tried. I just can’t fall asleep. And if I do, I wake up early.”

The older man leaned on his hands and studied her. “No, you never could. Your daddy was the same way.” He sighed. “How are you feeling otherwise?” He put his stethoscope against her chest and listened. “Any flutters? You feeling out of breath anytime?”

Dar thought about that. “Not that I noticed,” she replied slowly. “When the pain’s really bad, I’m more conscious of my heartbeat, feels like it’s causing the throbbing.”

“That’s natural,” Dr. Steve told her. “Sit up.”

She did so, reaching up and running a hand through her hair. “So, what’s the story? Am I dying?” The comment about her heart made her a touch nervous, and it showed. Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed uncomfortably as she waited for him to answer.

The doctor rolled his eyes. “If you are, you’re the healthiest dying person I’ve ever examined.” He leaned back against the wall in the small room. “Your blood work’s a mess, Dar. Your white cell count is down, every stress indicator we know of is up, and I’m a little worried about some of the things I see with your pressure. I scheduled you over to Miami Heart for a stress test.

No, don’t argue with me, all right? Humor me, I’m an old man, Dar. I really think you need it.”

Dar let her head drop and exhaled. “I don’t have time for that.”

He gently reached over and tipped her chin up to face him. “You don’t have time not to do it, sweetheart. Come on, they’re not busy today. It’ll take an hour, and then you can tell me you told me so, okay?”

“An hour, huh?” She hesitated, then surrendered. “All right, but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Uh huh, and you got your medical degree where?” the older man inquired pointedly. “Of course, we could dispense with all this if you’d just take my advice and take a week off, go bum around in the Keys or out on the 104 Melissa Good boat somewhere.”

A crafty look entered the pale blue eyes. “Oh, so all I have to do is agree to go on vacation, and I don’t have to go over to the Institute?”

Dr. Steve wagged a finger at her. “Oh no, you tricky little girl you. I know you, you’ll agree, then you won’t go for two years.” His voice gentled. “Dar, please. I hate to see you doing this to yourself.” He cocked his head. “It’s not going to get better, honey. It’s just going to get worse, unless you start taking it easier.”

Dar was silent for a bit, then she finally nodded. “All right, I get the message. I’ll arrange, somehow, to take a few days off.” She paused.

“Meantime, can you give me something for the damn headaches? I’ve been taking over the counter, but…”

The older man nodded. “You go to the Institute, I’ll give you a scrip for a combination painkiller and muscle relaxant. That should help. Deal?”

Dar hesitated, then capitulated. “Deal. Look, I know I feel lousy. Hey, I even got myself an assistant. How do you like that?”

“Did you?” Dr. Steve glanced up with a surprised smile. “You found someone who could put up with you? Virgin Mary, it’s a miracle.” He laughed at the look on her face. “He must be a saint.”

A dark brow lifted. “She.” Dar felt her face creasing into an unexpected smile.

His own grizzled eyebrow edged up. “Ah. I see.” He patted her knee gently. “You’ll have to introduce me to this modern day Job-ette sometime.”

Dar snorted. “C’mon, I’m not that bad. Kerry deals with me just fine.

She’s a nice kid.” Another smile.

Dr. Steve leaned back and regarded her wisely. “If she makes you smile like that, she must be nice,” he teased, watching a faint blush color her skin.

“Now I really want to meet her.”

“I’d better get dressed and get outta here if I have to go across town. “

Dar ignored the prodding. “I’ve still got stuff to do back at the office.” She hopped off the table, grabbed her clothes and the prescription the doctor held out. “Thanks, Dr. Steve.”

He stood and patted her arm. “Good seeing you, my friend. I’ll call you when I get the results of the stress test, okay?”

“Right.” Dar sighed resignedly. “On my way.”

“HELLO, MARIA.” KERRY slipped in the door and gave the older woman a smile.

The secretary looked up from her task. “Ay, chica, come in here.” She waved Kerry in and patted the chair next to her desk. “What have you been doing? I heard two people in the lunchroom saying very lovely things about you.”

Kerry obligingly dropped into the chair. It had taken a day or two of them gingerly feeling each other out, but she felt that Maria and she had decided to like each other. Apparently Maria had felt Dar needed some help for quite some time, but she resented the usual parade of applicants, who tended to treat the secretary as...well, like a secretary. Kerry had taken her cue Tropical Storm 105

from Dar and accorded Maria a high degree of respect, deferring to her whenever possible. “Oh, this and that. Trying to get some of my work list done, you know.” She smiled. “Anything hot you need taking care of with the boss out of the office?”

Maria rolled her eyes. “When is there never hot things? You might could take a look at this.” She handed Kerry a folder. “Customer Service sent over and put it right on my desk.”

“Okay.” Kerry took it, then she glanced around. “Is Dar coming back today?”

Maria looked around as well, though they were both quite alone. “Si, she’s supposed to, but she’s at the doctor’s.”

Green eyes widened. “Just a check-up, or…”

The secretary hesitated, torn between her knowledge of Dar’s intensely private nature and her need to share her concerns. “It’s the headaches. She gets them so bad, she went to have them check her out,” she finally said. “But, shhh, she doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Yeah, I noticed she takes a lot of aspirin, but her job’s enough to give a rock a headache.”

“Ay.” Maria sighed. “Is good you help her out. It’s terrible the way they expect so much of her.”

They both jumped a little as the door opened and Dar slid inside, giving them both a look of mild surprise. “Afternoon,” she muttered as she walked through the outer office and pushed her own door open. “Anything going on?” Kerry and Maria exchanged apprehensive glances. Dar’s demeanor was quiet and grim, and her blue eyes lacked their customary sparkle. Kerry stood up and held up the file. “Just some stuff from customer service. I was going to take care of it.”

Dar regarded her for a moment, wrestling with her conscience, then gave her assistant a nod. “Good.” She turned and went into her office, putting her briefcase down and dropping into her chair. Instead of glancing at her monitor, though, she turned her seat and gazed out of the window, watching the slow drift of clouds across horizon in the east.

A soft knock made her look around. “Yeah?” The door edged open, and Kerry poked her blonde head in. Dar exhaled and lifted a hand, motioning her in. No sense in taking out my nerves on the kid, right? “C’mere.”

Kerry obeyed, moving across the carpet and settling in the chair across from Dar’s desk, the folder clasped in both hands. She looked uncharacteristically nervous. She took a breath. “Everything okay?”

Dar spared her a wry smile. “Does everyone in the building know where I went?”

“No, just us, I guess.” Kerry obviously meant herself and Maria. “Don’t be mad at Maria for telling me, she’s just worried about you.”

Caught between annoyance and embarrassment, Dar compromised by rolling her eyes.

“Please forget I asked,” Kerry stated hastily. “Next topic. I think the whole Tucson thing is going to work out. Infrastructure was able to complete the T3 circuit on time, now they’re just waiting for the installers to get there.”

106 Melissa Good

“That’s good. I was afraid they’d screwed that one up past redemption.

Did you sit on them until they finished it?”

“Well, not exactly. I just kind of talked to the client and got some concessions from his building management to make it easier for them to finish,” Kerry explained quietly.

“Good work.” Dar hesitated. “Kerry?” Green eyes lifted and met hers.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

Kerry blinked. “I know you don’t like people getting into your personal business,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. I’m glad everything’s all right.”

Dar felt a quiet regret at the woman’s apology. “I…I don’t mind, not if it’s Maria, or if it’s you. I just don’t like the entire company involved.” She gave Kerry a brief smile. “You’d be surprised at what passes for juicy gossip around here.”

“That’s not something to gossip about.” Kerry frowned. “That’s rotten.”

That got her another brief grin. “I can’t say I don’t agree, and I’m not one for idle chatter myself, but it’s a fact of life here.” Dar leaned back in her chair.

Kerry pressed her lips together and nodded. “I understand.” She looked up, studying Dar’s half shadowed face. “Anyway, I’m glad things are okay.”

There was the faintest hint of a question in her tone.

Dar leaned forward and rested her arms on her desk. “Mostly,” she admitted, “I basically got told I should take a vacation and not work so hard.”

She shrugged. “Like always. I got some drugs for the headaches, and that was it.”

Kerry absorbed the revelation. “So, when was the last time you took a vacation?” She asked curiously. “I know mine was a while ago, so much stuff was going on. I went over to Marco Island for a few days.” It had been a fun excursion; she and a few of the folks from Associated had rented a small cabin on the west coast of Florida, and spent some time looking for shells, and bumming around on the beach.

Dar concentrated. “Um, I think mine was…skiing in Colorado,” she recalled. “About a week. I ended up meeting most of the trees in Aspen up close and personal.” She chuckled softly. “I finally got the hang of it on the last day, but I haven’t been back since.”

“That sounds like fun. I’ve been skiing a bunch of times. I’m not that good at it, though,” Kerry confessed with a smile. “I ran into a rabbit my last time, and went head over heels. Ended up with a broken wrist.”

“Ouch.” Dar laughed.

“So, are you going to take the doctor’s advice? Take a vacation, I mean?”

Dar looked up. “You trying to get rid of me?” Her tone was light, but wary.

“No,” Kerry answered very seriously. “I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get a machine gun mounted on my desk in time.” She held up her hands. “Rattataataa.”

Dar couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter again, leaning back and feeling her whole body relax from the day’s tension. “And here I thought you were the peaceful sort,” she teased as she rested her elbows on her chair arms, then Tropical Storm 107

leaned her chin against her interlaced fingers. “Machine Gun Stuart, huh?”

Kerry grinned at her. “I was trap shooting champion during high school,”

she admitted. “Loved nailing those clay ducks.”

Surprised once again by the many facets she was discovering in Kerry, Dar asked, “Really?”

“Yeah.” Her assistant nodded. “Trap and debating. Bad mix, really.”

Dar chuckled at the image. An idea burst into her mind, and she started talking before she really thought about what she was doing. “Listen, I’ve got to go to the South Miami office for a quick meeting. I think you should come along, so I can introduce you to the guys down there.”

“Okay,” Kerry agreed amiably, somewhat tickled at being able to make Dar laugh. “Sounds good to me, and it’s on my way home, practically, anyway.”

“Hey, we could try that Thai restaurant after the meeting. It’s right by there. I didn’t get any lunch, so…” Dar felt a little awkward but relaxed when she saw Kerry’s eyes light up. “Haven’t had that in a long time.”

“Sure,” The younger woman agreed enthusiastically. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to try it. None of my friends like Thai, so it was wait around for someone who does, or go by myself.” She made a face. “I hate doing that.”

Dar glanced at her hands. “I’ve gotten used to it over the years,” she commented lightly. “But I know what you mean.” She stood up. “Well, then, let’s get going. That meeting’s set for five o’clock.”

“I’ll get my things and meet you at the elevator,” Kerry agreed, and trotted out.

The room seems so much more empty without her in it, Dar mused. She hardly knew why she’d brought up the restaurant, other than the fact that she was hungry now, and… And.

Dar chewed her lip. “And you like spending time with the kid,” she told herself wryly. “Come on, just admit it. She’s got a fresh perspective, a whole lot different from yours, and for some crazy reason, she likes you.” A soft sigh. “Damned if I know why, either.” She sat pondering that for a moment more, then gathered her things and headed out.

“SO, HER SECRETARY goes in and gets the cup, then washes it out with vinegar!” Kerry picked up a stuffed shrimp, and took a bite. “Wow, that’s great... Where was I? Oh, I’m standing there, getting coffee, and I just looked at her.”

“Mmm.” Dar nibbled on her own shrimp and listened, getting a kick out of the stories of things she certainly never saw. “Vinegar, huh? That explains a lot about Vi.”

“Shhh. Right, so I see she doesn’t even rinse the cup, then she pours decaf into it. My curiosity finally got the better of me. I asked her what she was doing, and she just kinda laughed.” Kerry cautiously took a sip of the amber fluid in the wine glass that had just been set before her. “Oh…that is good.”

“I don’t drink much, but I can take a glass or two of this,” Dar admitted.

“I keep a bottle of it around the house. Nice to sip out on the balcony sometimes.”

108 Melissa Good

“I try not to go over my limit very often,” Kerry sighed. “They get me out at a club once in a while though, and I usually regret it in the morning.” She took another sip of the plum wine. “Anyway, so I ask her, and she tells me that she and a few of the other secreta—excuse me, administrative assistants...” They exchanged rolled eyes. “A few of them really want this other coffee vendor to do the building or at least the floor. But this one is the building manager’s cousin, or brother-in-law, or whatever. So, they won’t change even though they think the coffee’s lousy.”

Dar bit through another appetizer, which was shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and deep-fried until it was crunchy. It had an orange/honey/ginger dipping sauce she particularly liked. “Well, it’s not the best, but it’s not the worst either,” she commented of the coffee.

“That’s what I thought, too. I mean, it’s office coffee, not Starbucks, for Christ’s sake.” Kerry shook her head. “But they’ve got this scheme. They put the vinegar in her boss’s coffee because they know she’s got a big mouth, and she’ll complain all the time. Then if she does that long enough, they’ll change.”

Dar laughed. “Oh, hell. Vi does complain about that constantly, too. I’m in trouble now! Next time we have an executive committee meeting, and she starts going on about the coffee, I’m going to lose it.” She relaxed in her chair.

“Why don’t they just buy whatever damn coffee they like, and bring it in?”

Kerry eyed the large plate of white rice and the container of chicken curry that had just been set down in front of her. “Uh oh. Looks like I’ll have lunch tomorrow out of this.”

“Bet you don’t.” A quick grin edged Dar’s face. “It’s got a way of disappearing.”

“Yeah, into me.” Kerry patted her stomach wryly. “Oh, about the coffee.

Well, that’s what I suggested to her, I mean, they’ve been doing this for three months, Dar. In that time, they could have hired Juan Valdez as consultant, you know?” Dar snickered. “They looked at me like I was a three-headed dog.” She lifted her hands in a shrug. “They made a snarky comment about how not everyone worked for you and got paid megabucks.”

A dark brow lifted. “You’re not my secretary,” Dar stated flatly. “I pay people what they’re worth.”

Kerry blushed slightly and fiddled with her plate, mixing her rice with the fragrant curried chicken. “I just told them I guess I picked the right boss, then.” She lifted her eyes shyly and met Dar’s. “And I think that’s true, regardless of what I was getting paid.”

Dar was silent for a moment, absorbing the unexpected compliment. “So, does that mean I haven’t scared you off yet?” Her tone was joking, but there was a serious undercurrent to it.

“I guess that’s what it means,” Kerry replied. “I really like what I’m doing. I’m learning so much.” She exhaled and gave Dar a smile.

“That’s a relief,” her boss answered quietly. “As of tonight, you’ve officially lasted the longest ever of my assistants. Congratulations.” Dar lifted her glass and held it up, letting a quiet, almost wistful smile touch twist her lips as Kerry touched her glass to it. “Wasn’t quite what you expected two weeks ago, hmm?”

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A small laugh. “No, it sure wasn’t, but I’ve learned that sometimes things happen for a reason. I think this is one of those things.” Kerry reflected that toasting her new boss with plum wine over very good chicken curry wasn’t what she expected either, but she’d take that, too. “No complaints.”

Dar was contented. She’d made the right choice and events were proving that out to the point where even Duks had made a comment, nudging her in the ribs and complimenting her on Kerry’s handling of some account or other .

“Thought you were picking for looks there, my friend. Guess I was wrong.”

She’d smirked in response. “You’re so superficial, Dukky. You gotta learn to look beneath the surface.” She’d gotten a good employee, and a smart manager, and … And.

Their eyes met casually, and Dar felt a gentle warmth in her gut . Good god, I might have even found a friend, scary as that thought is. At least someone she could have dinner with once in a while without worrying about being bored.

“Glad to hear it.”

Kerry sighed happily and chewed her curry. “So…” She swallowed. “In this ‘us and them’ thing, who, exactly, is us, Dar?” She wiped her lips.

“Because you need so many score cards in that office, I’m considering putting it in an Access database.”

Dar almost inhaled a bit of rice. “Don’t make me laugh like that. I’ll choke,” she protested. “Okay. Well, who is us… That’s a hard question, because everyone has their own agenda. You realize that, right?”

Kerry nodded, but didn’t speak as she munched.

“Duks—that’s Lou Draefus—and Mariana and I usually team up in senior level meetings. That frustrates Sales and Marketing, because between Finance, Personnel, and Ops... Well, they call us Cerberus behind our backs, speaking of the three-headed dog,” Dar explained between bites. “Duks and I go way back. He was an account-level comptroller when I started, and we found out we worked well together, so they teamed us up on a lot of things. It worked for both of us.”

“Why do you call him Duks?” Kerry asked curiously.

A smirk edged Dar’s face. “It’s a long, embarrassing story involving a gym bag, the artificial lake outside, a duck, and me having to have the carpets on the tenth floor dry cleaned. I won’t go into it.”

“Please don’t,” Kerry spluttered, holding her napkin to her mouth. “I don’t think I could take it. My head may explode.” She cleared her throat.

“Okay, so, Lou, Mariana, and you are a clique.”

Dar considered that. “I guess.” She shrugged. “We know we can depend on each other—at least in the context of running our divisions.” She swallowed. “S and M are natural adversaries. They try to push the boundaries and sell things that sometimes overreach our capacity. It’s my job to not let them do that.” She took a sip of wine, draining her glass, then motioned for the waiter to refill it. “Duks’ number-crunchers have to approve all the contracts. So between us, we have a pretty big stick.”

“Mmm.” Kerry mulled this over, smiling and nodding as the waiter offered to fill her glass. “You have the most clout though, don’t you?”

Dar put a bit of chicken in her mouth and bit down, slicing through it neatly. “I make things happen,” she stated bluntly. “Or not. So I guess I do.”

110 Melissa Good She considered. “It’s a double-edged sword though, because I have to deliver one hundred percent of the time.”

“That’s a lot of pressure,” Kerry acknowledged. “They say Lou and Mariana are lovers. Is that true?”

Silence fell as Dar considered how to answer that. “I’ve never been invited into their bedrooms.”

Kerry flushed. “Sorry, that was an inappropriate question,” she murmured. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry, Dar.”

“No, gossip is a fact of life in a place that size,” Dar sighed. “Any time you have two people who spend a lot of time together, you get that kind of thing spreading around. I’ve heard the rumors, and they are very good friends, but beyond that, who knows?”

“People spend a lot of time wondering.” Kerry shrugged. “Seems kind of counterproductive to me.”

Dar chuckled. “You’d be surprised what’s fair game for speculation. For instance, I heard yesterday that there was something going on between Maria and the night security chief.”

“What?” Kerry’s head jerked up. “Maria’s married!”

A faint smirk. “And your point is?” Dar archly inquired. “Seems she was seen talking to him in one of the supply rooms in a very low voice.”

Kerry snorted. “Bullshit, I was there!” she protested. “She was telling him one of the junior clerks was taking reams of paper out of the building.”

“See?” Dar chuckled. “It’s insidious.”

Kerry’s face sobered. “Maria would be very hurt to find out people were talking about her that way,” she stated quietly. “She’s a very devout woman, and the way she talks about her husband, I think she really loves him.”

Dar smiled. “I think you’re right, which is why I told the person telling me that if I heard it ever again, I was going to root out who was saying it and fire them on the spot.”

“Can you really do that?”

A quietly impish grin transformed Dar’s usually sober face. “No, but everyone thinks I can, and they know I’ve got the guts to.”

The green eyes across from her gentled into something very like awe. “I guess that’s why I don’t hear much gossip about you, huh?” she murmured.

Dar’s face went still for a moment, then she tilted her head to one side slightly. “I’ve had my share,” she commented. “Just not lately.” She watched Kerry from the corner of her eye, catching the blush visible near her neckline.

“I’d like to keep it that way.”

Kerry studied her. “My father’s a senator,” she said. “I grew up knowing how not to tell anyone anything.” Her lips tensed into a tiny smile. “Besides, I think you scare people too much.”

Dar blushed a little under her gaze and dropped her eyes, fiddling with her fork. “The reputation comes in handy sometimes, yes. And, um…I tend to be very protective of my staff, those that stay on, anyway. Most people know that.”

Kerry laughed softly. “Well, I certainly feel safe.” She looked up and met pale blue eyes gazing back at her, and a faint, not unpleasant shiver went down her back. “But I’ll try not to do anything that gets me talked about.”

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“Fair enough,” Dar replied quietly, glancing up as the waiter removed their plates and set down a warm platter with tiny Thai doughnuts and sweet dipping sauce in the center of the table. “We didn’t…”

“No, is come with your dinner,” the man hastened to explain with a little bow.

They exchanged wry glances and Dar shrugged. “Thanks.” She chuckled and picked one up, dipping it in the sauce and tasting it. “Mmm, these are good.”

Watching her enjoyment, Kerry sighed, “I was afraid you were going to say that.” She sampled one. “The one downside to working for you—it’s dangerous for my waistline. You and all your cookies and things.”

Dar stopped and licked her fingers. “I want to make sure you’re not going to blow away if they open the doors up there,” she said, with a little chuckle. “A justifiable concern, I think…if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Kerry stared at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Suddenly realizing she’d just stepped into dangerous waters, Dar almost slapped herself. “Um. Just…ah, never mind.” She waved a hand. “Sorry. Loss of brain moment.”

Blonde brows furrowed. “I don’t ‘never mind’ well,” she said apologetically. “Now you’ve got me curious.” She leaned forward a little.

“What?”

Dar mentally cursed herself out. “Um…” She took a breath. “It’s just my opinion, and doesn’t count, but I think you should maybe consider not starving yourself quite so much.” She reached over and took Kerry’s hand, turning it over and putting a thumb against the prominent bones in her wrist.

“It’s probably why you’re so cold all the time.”

It took Kerry several seconds before she could sort through the little speech, mostly because she was focusing on the incredible warmth of the fingers curled around her arm. She studied the tanned skin intently, before she looked up and met Dar’s pale eyes. “Your opinion counts.” She sighed a little, “And you’re probably right. I just get a lot of flak from my folks otherwise, and it’s easier not to have to put up with that.”

Dar released her. “Well, just a thought.” She smiled to ease the tension that had formed. “Maybe I can come up with some healthier snacks upstairs—

broccoli brownies or something.”

Kerry let out a surprised chuckle. “I bet you hate broccoli.” Her eyes twinkled.

A hint of a mischievous look danced across Dar’s face. “Someone once told me it stunted your growth.” She indicated herself. “I never touched the stuff.”

The blonde woman relaxed. “How tall are you, anyway? The other day, when we were in the elevator together with all those mirrors, was the first time I realized just how much taller you are than I am.”

“A little over six feet,” Dar acknowledged with a rueful grin. “Without heels,” she added. “Hey, thanks for indulging in my whim to come and eat here. This place is pretty good.”

Kerry sat back with her wine glass and thoughtfully finished off the contents. “Yeah, it really is. I think I can mark it down as a new favorite,” she 112 Melissa Good said. “Nice to have a friend who likes Thai, too.”

“Definitely.” Dar considered a moment, then interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. “Anytime you want to indulge, just give me a call.”

A quiet smile crossed Kerry’s face. “That’s a deal.”

KERRY MUSED QUIETLY about her evening as she changed out of her work clothes and into a T-shirt and shorts. She glanced up as a soft knock sounded and sighed. “C’mon in.”

Colleen bounded in and put her hands on her hips. “And where have you been, young lady? Don’t tell me the Gorgon has you working late already. I’m telling you, Ker, you can’t let her rope you into those kinda hours.”

“Not exactly.” Kerry chuckled, pulling out her Rollerblades. “I mean, yes, we had a late meeting, but it was down here, and we…I found someone to go eat Thai with me, so I tried out that new restaurant I was telling you about.”

“They sauté cats, y’know,” Colleen advised her, plopping down on the couch and removing her own skates from around her neck. They’d planned to go out skating, and she’d been watching for Kerry’s car. “Not that you can tell what the hell’s in there in any case.”

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. “It was chicken, Col. Just chicken, rice, some stuffed shrimp, and these really nice little doughnuts for dessert.”

She pulled on a skate and tightened the laces. “And it’s Vietnamese that uses cats, not Thai.”

“Mmm-hmm. So, should I be jealous? You’ve got a new friend at work, eh? What’s his name?” Colleen coaxed mischievously. “How’d you con him into dubious restaurants so fast?”

Kerry stopped lacing and rested her hands on her knee before looking up.

“Um. It’s a her, and it’s Dar, and she didn’t need any conning. She likes Thai.”

Colleen’s jaw dropped. “No shit? You were out having dinner with your boss, again?” She clucked under her breath. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d be thinking you were doing some first class butt kissing here.”

“Tch. You’re just pissed because I finally found someone who’ll eat that stuff with me.” She gave a soft laugh. “Besides, she’s kinda fun.”

The redhead slapped her hand to her temple. “I didn’t hear that.” She plugged both ears. “I’m not listening to you tell me that fire-breathing dragon is ‘fun.’ Kerry, this is the bitch who was going to fire you and everyone at Associated two weeks ago, remember?”

Kerry bristled unexpectedly. “Don’t call her that. She was just doing her job.”

“That’s what the Nazis said,” Colleen replied unrepentantly. “I can’t believe you’re sitting here defending her.”

Kerry finished tying her laces, then stood, balancing easily. “It’s different now, Colleen. I understand a lot more about what was going on behind all the decisions she was making. She’s not a bad person.”

“So, it’s okay for her to just fire everyone now?” The redhead stared at her. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“No. Understanding is not the same as agreeing with. It’s just that I can take what she does separate from who she is.”

Tropical Storm 113

Colleen grabbed her head with both hands. “You’re confusing the daylights out of me.”

“Well, put on your skates and let’s get going.” Kerry sighed. “Look, it’s simple—I didn’t like what she did. It’s why I decided to try and join her department, so maybe I could change her mind on things. But I do like who she is, I like her, as a person—regardless of what she does at work. You understand?”

Her friend finished tying off her skates and stood, wobbling a little. “I understand she’s charmed the hell out of you, that’s for sure.” She shook her head. “Just…Kerry, be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you throw yourself into this job, only to have it backfire on you, and have her screw you over.”

She wouldn’t do that. The words came naturally to her lips, without thought, but Kerry clamped her jaw shut on them, realizing it wasn’t something she could easily explain knowing. “I’ll be careful. I know sometimes things can get ugly, especially at the level she’s at. Thanks for being concerned about me.”

“Mmph,” Colleen grumbled. “Someone’s got to be.” She followed Kerry out the door and down the sidewalk. “So, how’s she treating you up there anyway?”

Kerry swung into an easy rhythm, heading down the paved street.

“Pretty good, really. She keeps sabotaging me with cookies. She thinks I don’t weigh enough.” She gave Colleen a wry look. “We share a lot of the same tastes in goodies.”

“Ah.” Her friend nodded. “Okay, she gets a point then.” She paused.

“But only one, mind you.” She tugged at Kerry’s shirt. “I’ve been telling you that for months.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kerry rolled her eyes. “Come on, I’ll race you to the corner.”