Tropical Storm

Chapter Sixteen

“I’M SURPRISED A meeting like this doesn’t specify armor as a requirement,” Kerry mentioned, fiddling with her cuff. “The way you made it sound.”

Dar was still in her pajamas, her head propped up on one hand, studying her laptop screen. “Okay, I think I’ve got enough dirt.” She scanned the items into her memory and nodded, then pushed away from the table and stood up, lifting her arms overhead and cracking her back audibly.

Kerry winced. “Ow.”

The executive chuckled wryly. “That’s what I get from years over a keyboard.” She went to the valet bag and removed her suit, tossing it gently on the bed and glancing at her watch. “At least we had time for a decent breakfast. That French toast is pretty good, eh?”

“Pretty good?” Kerry laughed “I could eat that every morning.”

“Ah hah, and you tease me about Frosted Flakes.” Dar shook a shoe at her and grinned.

Kerry grinned back, then shook her head as she ducked back inside her room to finish dressing. She looked at herself in the mirror as she slipped on her jacket and adjusted the collar, smoothing down the maroon fabric with faintly nervous fingers. It matched her slim, knee-length skirt and the comfortable shoes and contrasted with the pale gray shirt. She dusted on a little makeup, not too much, as she took her cue from Dar’s usual appearance.

Just a touch of lip gloss, a little color on her cheeks, and a tiny bit of eye shadow. “All right,” she told the reflection, who was looking expectantly back at her. “Are we ready for war?”

She poked her lower lip out and had to restrain a giggle. “You know, I’m just not the warrior type, I don’t think.” She turned her head at a slight cough and saw Dar in the doorway, dressed in a gunmetal-gray blazer and skirt, with her black Mickey shirt underneath. Her boss looked sleek and, well, dangerous in her monochrome, especially since it matched her dark hair. Only the pale, incredibly blue eyes added even a touch of color to her. “Oh, hi. You look…nice.”

“No, I don’t,” Dar replied cheerfully. “I look like a corporate shark.

Which is what I am. Shall we?”

It was a short drive to the admin offices, though they had to wait five minutes for the guard to clear them at the gate. They parked and got out, both of them shouldering their briefcases. “Okay, this could get tough,” Dar cautioned, just before they entered the building. “Stay cool. When in doubt, if Tropical Storm 183

someone asks you something you think is dangerous, or antagonistic, just tell them. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. Could you explain what you’re asking?’ ”

Kerry thought about that as she followed her boss inside. “That’s pretty smart. You make them lay it out.”

Dar winked at her. “I knew I picked a sharp one.” She nodded to a short, stocky man near the elevator and took a deep breath. “Okay, here we go.

Morning, John.”

He held out a hand. “Hello, Dar. Good to see you.” A brief introduction to the rest of his team followed. They all looked at Dar with a cross between fear and fascination, and Kerry almost had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

It was a short trip up the elevator, and it opened on a floor that seemed mostly made of windows. The walls of glass allowed one to see into all the offices, and there were spears of light coming in everywhere.

Kerry found it distracting, but she put that aside as they turned a corner and entered a large, glass-enclosed room with a huge conference table. There were several people, most of them men, seated around it, and two of them were staring at Dar as though she were the manifestation of Satan here on Earth.

At the head of the table sat a short, slim woman with fiery red hair cut into a short, almost severe cut. She was dressed in an expensive-looking beige suit and emerald-colored shirt. Watching with intense interest, her eyes flicked everywhere, then fell on Dar.

Not involved in the initial greetings, Kerry got to see the reaction as, for a split second, the woman looked her boss up and down, then allowed a fleeting, very satisfied smile to cross her face. Then it was gone. Interesting.

“Hello, Jerry. Long time no see,” Dar purred as she put her briefcase down and pulled out a chair, but didn’t sit. Her smile oozed charm. “Care to introduce your friends?”

The man to whom she spoke looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel, Kerry decided. His neck was as red as a turkey’s, and she could see the veins stark and blue under his skin. But somehow, he kept his cool and introduced his colleagues, who stared at Dar uncertainly. Dar reciprocated, then turned and looked the lady at the end of the table right in the eye. “And you must be Ms. Graver. Glad to be finally meeting you.”

It was impossible not to react to Dar. She crackled with energy and confidence, and Kerry noticed that the woman, though very self-confident herself, didn’t miss that.

“You can’t be anyone other than Dar Roberts, then.” Michelle Graver stood and held out a hand. “It is a pleasure. I had no idea you were joining the bid team on this account.”

Dar gripped the offered hand, returning the powerful squeeze with one of her own, then she smiled and put her fingertips on her briefcase. “All right, shall we get rolling? It’s a beautiful day out; pity we’re all stuck in here.”

Kerry was, by turns, amazed and impressed. Dar had simply walked in and just taken over, and was acting as if there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. She passed the bid John had given them over to Dar and watched 184 Melissa Good her drop it casually in front of Michelle, who was still standing.

Dar sat down, giving the Disney executive the advantage. “You had some concerns about performance?” Her eyes flicked to those of her rival and a faint grin touched her lips. “I think I can address those.”

Graver flipped through the document, then down at her. “I imagine you probably can.” She walked back over to her place and put the bid down, then picked up a sheet of paper and slid it across the table top. “Here.”

Dar took the paper and glanced at it, then let out a little chuckle. “You want me to start at the top or the bottom? And Jesus, Jerry, is this all you could come up with after ten thousand negotiated contracts?” Ignoring the glaring looks she was getting from across the table, she scanned the list. “Oh, I remember this one.” She smiled. “Non-performance with Aamco. I was the one who told their CEO we’d pay off the entire contract just so I wouldn’t have to hear his voice on my phone ever again.” “Really?” Michelle Graver leaned back and twirled her pencil. “Why?”

Dar exhaled. “They contracted for a manufacturing overhaul, including a new IS system that would link all their shops with computerized inventory.

Halfway through, they hired a new OPS VP who was convinced if he could just recycle the 1982 Unix systems with dumb terminals they were using and hire someone to write a custom database in CPM, they’d be fine.”

“And you told them?” Michelle asked.

“Bite me,” Dar replied frankly. “I’m not in the business of putting together fourth-rate technology with Band-Aids.” She glanced across the table. “I hear you bid on that one, Jerry. They ended up with OS/2 and Mod 30s they had to scrap after Microchannel bit the dust, didn’t they?”

The man’s nostrils flared. “They had some choice things to say about you, that’s for sure,” he replied. “Like the lawsuit said.”

Dar chuckled. “Jerry, everyone has choice things to say about me…and we won the lawsuit.” She went on down the list. “Oh, now that, that was a true disaster. Heads rolled for that one.” She shook her head. “Government accounting office, the implementation of automatic deposit for Social Security checks. That was just totally mishandled.”

“So you admit that, huh?” Jerry leaned back with a nasty smile.

“Oh sure.” Dar blinked at him. “I fired the entire account team personally, in fact.” She smiled back. “Day before Christmas, if I recall.”

Kerry darted a look at her, seeing the relaxed grin, and the slight, almost seductive narrowing of her eyes. Would she do that? She saw the wondering echoed on faces all around the table from them.

“Lord, yes, I remember that.” John sighed, shaking his head. “Poor Mariana, she was at her twentieth high school reunion and they paged her to come in and cut the paperwork.” He glanced over at the faintly shocked-looking Michelle. “Mariana’s our VP of Personnel. We were in the same class.

I was standing talking to her when her pager went off.” He looked to one side.

“You were not her favorite person that night, that’s for sure.”

Dar lifted both hands and let them fall. “Someone screws with our reputation that badly, they can expect that from me.” Then she went back to her list. “Useless jerks. Damn right, I fired them. Should have dumped them in the Atlantic while I was at it. Let’s see what else we’ve got here.”

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Michelle forestalled her. “I think that’s enough. Jerry, do you have something for me?”

Reluctantly, he handed over a sheaf of papers. The Disney exec picked them up, then stood. “Excuse me, I need to review these. I’ll be back in a few moments.” She caught Dar’s eye and favored her with a tiny smile before she left, trailing two aides behind her like a brace of sight hounds.

They were left facing each other, in a glass-walled room. People walking by glanced in curiously at the silent group, but went on their way.

Kerry studied the other team. They were dressed alike, in dark suits and white shirts, and they were all in their mid-thirties to mid-forties, with short haircuts. Their own team was a little different. Aside from herself and Dar, John was dressed in a conventional business suit, but his tie sported cartoon characters. Small, discreet ones, to be sure, but from where she was sitting, Kerry recognized Donald Duck poking his head out from between two buttons. The three other men with John were of varying ages. One was an older man, foxy looking, with a beard and mustache and clever hazel eyes.

Seated next to him was a very tall man with oversized ears and the general look of an engineer about him. His pad was covered with doodles Kerry recognized as circuits. The fourth team member was a young, crew-cutted man with blue eyes and a friendly smile, which he turned on her when he caught her looking.

“Well, we must have scared your team shitless for them to send your ass in here, Roberts,” Jerry finally spat.

Dar folded her hands on the table and shrugged. “Not at all, Jerry. I just wanted the chance to see you again.” A smile totally devoid of humor flashed across the table at him. “I had such a good time the last bidding round we did together.”

He leaned forward. “You don’t have a chance here. This contract is out of your company’s league, and they know it.” He glanced to the right. “Oh, unless you’re going to offer your little friend there up to Graver to sweeten the deal. That might win you a few points.” He looked right at a stunned Kerry.

“Is that what you’re here for, sweetie? Does Daddy know that?”

Green eyes looked into his with disarming friendliness. “Daddy is Senator Stuart of Michigan, and he’d probably find it a very odd thing for you to say. I’ll make sure I mention it the next time we speak, thanks.” She added a charming smile to the end of her response, and almost jumped when a hand squeezed her knee in appreciation. Dar’s expression hadn’t changed, but a tiny sparkle of glee was in her eyes as she glanced toward Kerry.

Even Jerry’s colleagues winced. “I meant no disrespect,” he forced out with a sour grimace.

“Better keep your mouth shut, Jerry.” Dar chuckled. “The room’s full of static electricity. You keep chewing on your shoes like that, you’re gonna zap your fillings and give yourself a perm.”

Kerry muffled a laugh, but the rest of their team didn’t bother.

He just gave them a disgusted look and stared pointedly at John. “How does it feel to have to hide behind a skirt?”

The short account rep folded his hands over his stomach and smiled.

“From where I’m sitting right now? Pretty damn good. Thanks for asking.”

186 Melissa Good The door opened and Michelle came back in, trailed by her hounds. She sat down and placed the two bids on the table and then cleared her throat.

“These bids are very competitive.” She toyed with one of them. “But what’s on paper is not really the important issue for us. Service is the issue. So what I’m going to ask is this—I’m going to hand over a task to each of you, so we can evaluate your response.”

Dar was encouraged. That meant the bid was still alive, and they had a chance. She’d undone some of the damage from the previous days, and now it remained to see what this sharp, intense woman was going to come up with as a test.

“Then, I’d like to schedule another meeting tomorrow here, to go over the results, and we’ll try to announce our decision at that time.” She stood and handed an envelope to each team lead, then nodded. “That’s all for now.” She watched them all stand, then she turned to Dar. “Ms. Roberts, a word with you, please?”

Ah. Dar’s instincts prickled. She excused herself from her little group and stepped around the table, until she was next to the other woman, putting one hand on a chair back and leaning against it to keep from intentionally towering over her. “What can I do for you, Ms. Graver?”

“For starters, please call me Michelle,” the woman said with a smile.

“Only if you call me Dar,” the dark-haired woman replied instantly, with a return smile.

“Nice shirt.”

Was that a twinkle in Michelle’s dark gray eyes? Dar chuckled. “It went with the suit, and there’s nothing I like better than carrying Mickey around on my chest.” She was aware Michelle was sniffing interestedly at her and decided a little reciprocation wouldn’t hurt. “Since our plane got in early, I got to indulge in some rampant tourism last night.”

“Mmm. I wish I’d known you were coming in, I would have arranged for one of our VIP tours—all the behind-the-scenes stuff us geeks love.” She licked a lower lip and let her eyes wander a trifle. “I hear ‘results oriented’

doesn’t begin to describe you. Is that true?”

Definitely flirting. Dar was a little surprised at the aggressiveness, but not that Michelle had taken a moment to request a dossier on her during the break. “It’s true,” she replied quietly. “I make things happen.”

Michelle quirked a grin. “I’d like to hear more about that. Since you’re stuck here another night, I’d like you to be my guest for dinner. We can discuss your bid.” A hound tapped her shoulder, and she ducked away for a moment. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” She moved a pace away, and dropped her voice to a whisper as she spoke with the man.

Gotcha. Dar could feel the conquest on her fingertips. Michelle was interested, intrigued, and willing to indulge in a personal interaction that would, in all probability, bias the vote in her favor. She was aggressive, and not unattractive, and god only knew, it wouldn’t be the first time Dar had used her personal magnetism to seal a contract.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kerry’s interested expression, as the young woman watched the buzzing groups and occasionally flicked her gaze to Dar. Their looks met, and Dar felt a smile touch her lips, which was Tropical Storm 187

mirrored from across the room.

What would Kerry think of this? Dar could read the proud look in the kid’s face as she regarded her . No, Kerry is intelligent. She would understand that this is business, and sometimes you have to do things to get what you want. It’s all in the results, like I told Michelle. I make things happen.

She could make this happen; she could feel it. Michelle the thrill-seeker, who actively courted danger, and who sensed in Dar danger of the most exciting, most seductive kind. Oh yes, she could make this happen. Kerry would surely understand. This was a very important deal, and it would be worth… God, Alastair would have an orgasm on the spot if she made it go through.

It was worth it. It would be so easy, she could taste it happening. All it would cost her was a night’s engagement, and what was that, really, given what she’d done in her life so far? It wouldn’t even be unpleasant. Piece of cake. Dar paused, remembering a lightly made promise, suddenly echoing in her ears. Mongolia, huh? She glanced at Kerry again, seeing the gentle trust there as the green eyes met hers, and she slowly turned back to Michelle and waited for her to finish.

Michelle turned around and stepped back, then gazed up at her in question. “I believe we were discussing dinner?”

For a moment, all Dar could hear was her heartbeat, then she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Michelle, I’m so very sorry.” Her eyes conveyed true regret, but not for what the woman would have assumed.

“I have an engagement tonight I can’t get out of. But I very much appreciate…” she paused meaningfully, “the offer.”

How in the world something so stupid could feel so good, she had no clue. She read surprise and disappointment on Michelle’s face, but not anger.

“That’s too bad, Dar.” Michelle pursed her lips and sighed. “I was looking forward to talking to you. Maybe if you get stuck another night?”

A smile from her. “Absolutely.”

A brisk nod, and then Michelle signaled her dogs and left the room. Dar took a breath, then turned and headed back toward her group, who were waiting by the door. The rival team had already left, and she could hear the buzz of interest dying down as she reached their group. “Okay.”

“Everything all right?” the account lead inquired, glancing after the departing exec.

Dar straightened her shoulders and nodded. “I think so. What do they want us to do?”

John handed her the packet, and she scanned it idly. “Oh, these are the information kiosks they have around the parks—touch screen, maps, that kind of thing.” She read on. “They want us to design a proposal to take over the data transmission, improve the speed, deliver the information more efficiently, and enable online reservations?” John nodded.

Dar sat down at the conference table and took out her pen, writing on the cover sheet for ten minutes, then re-reading what she’d written. “All right.”

She pulled out her laptop and booted it, then scanned in the document using the slimline scan attachment that slipped onto the back buss. Then she pulled out her cell phone and inserted the phone plug from her modem into the data 188 Melissa Good jack. A click, and they all heard the dialing beeps and the soft hiss of a connection.

Dar watched the status, then nodded as it completed and disconnected.

“Okay, here you go. Hang onto this, and don’t let anyone see it, all right, John?”

With the other team members looking over his shoulder, the account lead read the document. “Dar, this is technogibberish.” He glanced at her. “But I guess you know what it says, and whoever you sent it to does also. Who did you send it to, by the way?”

“Mark Polenti,” Dar closed up her laptop case. “Well guys, I gotta go. I’ve got a theme park to explore. See you tomorrow morning.”

“But…” John lifted the paper at her questioningly.

“Relax.” Dar chuckled. “You’ll have your written proposal tomorrow, and if I play my cards right, maybe something more.” She picked up her case and joined Kerry in the doorway, giving them all a smile before she urged her companion out the door.

It was a quiet walk to the elevator, and they were alone in it as they rode down. “Wow. That was certainly something,” Kerry remarked, watching the floors go by. “What di—” She stopped when a pair of fingers covered her lips, and she looked at Dar in startled question.

Dar removed her fingers, then lifted one to her own lips in a shushing motion. “I’m glad you had such an educational experience during the meeting, Kerry,” she stated. “It’s good to understand that not everything you see and hear is necessarily what’s going on under the surface.”

Kerry got the message. “That’s true. Your methods are very interesting.”

Dar grinned, then shook her head in silence as the doors opened and they walked out. Once out in the parking lot, she leaned closer. “We know they bug the place like crazy.”

“What?” Kerry looked shocked. “Why?”

They got in the car and left the parking lot before Dar answered. “To find out things. They don’t take anyone at face value.”

“Hmm.” Kerry leaned back and crossed her arms. “You think that conference room was bugged?”

“Without question. “

Kerry whistled. “She got an earful then.”

A soft chuckle greeted that. “Oh yeah. Nice comeback, by the way.” She gave her companion an approving look. “John’s got a good team there, but he’s too nice and too ethical for a dog fight like that.”

“Yeah, they were all right,” the blonde mused. “Larry asked me out tonight.”

Dar blinked and swallowed down a completely inappropriate surge of…

“That was nice of him,” she got out. “Where are you going?”

“Oh, I’m not. I mean…” Kerry blushed a little. “I told him thanks, but I had a prior offer.”

Blue eyes regarded her quietly. “Funny, I told Michelle Graver the same thing.” Dar’s words tumbled out unexpectedly. “Weird, huh?”

Kerry’s eyes widened. “Good god, Dar, you should have said yes! I’m sure you two would have gotten along great and talked about the bid.”

Tropical Storm 189

Dar had stopped at a light, and now she turned and looked at her assistant. “She wasn’t asking me out to talk about the bid, Kerry,” she said bluntly.

Sea green eyes studied her face for a long time in silence, before Kerry sat back. “Oh.”

Feeling a quiet depression settle on her, Dar continued the drive to the Floridian. That was obviously an alien concept to the kid. Maybe I should have taken Michelle up after all. Kerry wouldn’t have even realized. I’ve risked the account for nothing. God in heaven, Dar…get your head on straight. What in the hell do you think you’re doing? She toyed with the idea of changing her mind, and giving Michelle a call.

“You mean, she found you attractive, and she was hitting on you?”

Kerry’s voice startled her out of her morose thoughts, and she glanced to her right in surprise, seeing an unexpectedly thoughtful look on the blonde woman’s face. Dar was rattled, not expecting that calm, interested evaluation.

“Um, I would imagine…I guess, yeah.”

Kerry crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head introspectively. “Well, at least she has good taste,” she commented simply.

Huh? Dar almost went through a stop sign. “Sorry about that,” she muttered as she brought the car to a quick halt, and turned her head to give Kerry a startled look. “She what?”

Kerry gazed at her as though she were nuts. “Well, yeah, I mean…” She let out a little laugh. “C’mon, Dar…” She turned the rearview mirror to face her boss. “I mean, hello?” She watched Dar’s face intently. “Why, did that bother you, her being interested?”

A clue flew in the window and hit Dar on the head. “Um. No.” She rubbed her temple, then stifled a relieved laugh. “No, no. I’ve been through that before. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood to play the game tonight.” Holy damn it. She glanced back at Kerry. “Did it bother you?”

“Me?” Kerry pointed a thumb at herself. “Dar, no offense, but I’m a Republican, not a nun. Of course it didn’t bother me.”

Dar concentrated on driving for a few minutes as she navigated their way from the administrative offices. A jumble of thoughts were tumbling around inside her head, and finally she paused at a stop sign and looked fully at Kerry. “You’re a Republican?” Kerry gave her a sideways look. Dar chuckled.

“I’m glad I turned her down.” She shook her head and continued driving.

Kerry nodded. “Well, I’ll try to make it up to you,” she responded with a grin.

Dar felt her throat go dry. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll have fun,” she replied easily. “After all, I promised you Mongolia, didn’t I?” Her breathing settled, and she stifled a grin. We’ll have fun. With or without Mongolia.

IT HAD DEFINITELY been an interesting drive, Kerry decided, and an even more interesting morning. She took her time changing, stripping out of the wool suit with a feeling of utter relief. She sorted through her clothing, then decided to wear her bathing suit under a T-shirt and shorts. That way if it got too hot over in the park, she could take off her shirt. She briefly considered 190 Melissa Good suggesting the same thing to Dar, then sighed and shook her head. Don’t cross that line, Stuart, she warned herself. She’s your boss.

Her boss, yes, but someone who was also rapidly becoming a friend.

Kerry sighed, feeling a touch uncertain. She’d very much felt like she was skirting that line on their drive to the hotel, surprised that the gentle teasing had hinted at something different. Neither of them had asked, but had they both told a little too much? Kerry bit the inside of her lip. She hoped she understood what Dar was pointedly not saying and she was definitely relieved Dar was at least very open-minded. It helped that the idea wasn’t likely to freak the older woman out, not after that crack about Michelle.

Kerry slipped into her bathing suit and adjusted the straps, checking her reflection out of the corner of her eye and giving herself a nod of grudging approval. Besides, she knew the company rules—spelled out in plain language in the huge manual she’d been given on her first day. It was a harmless fantasy, and she suspected Dar enjoyed the flirting banter. Just a little fun, no one got hurt by it, least of all her, so she decided to just accept it and move on.

It certainly explained the little roller coaster ride last night, though. Kerry giggled a little, remembering how really nice that had felt, and how she’d been halfway hoping Dar would suggest another go around. Ah well, she’d had her chance, and now that they sort of understood each other, tonight should be even more fun.

God, she thought I wanted to out with supergeek Larry? Good grief. Kerry shook her head. And she could have gone out with Michelle. Kerry slipped on her shorts and leaned on the back of the chair. But she didn’t. Her eyes lifted and met her reflection with quiet introspection.

Hmm. Maybe she just wasn’t in the mood for something serious. Michelle would be the kind of person who wanted action. With Kerry, maybe Dar knew she was safe.

That’s cool. I know I’m safe with her too. She nodded at her mirror image. We can just go out, and have fun.

“Hey, you daydreaming?” The low voice startled her, and she turned to see Dar leaning in her doorway, dressed in shorts and a tied-off sleeveless shirt over a bathing suit. “I called in. Maria is saving the metric ton of crap we’ll have to catch up on next week. Nothing catastrophic is happening other than a tornado watch around the office, and our mail server crashed, so you’re probably going to have to re-download tonight.”

“Okay,” Kerry agreed. “I checked it this morning. Three of the contracts I was working on have finalized, but nothing else is really critical.” She paused, remembering that this was, in fact, a business trip. “Would it be better if we hung out here and got some work done?”

Dar glanced down, then pursed her lips in a smile. “No.” Her eyes twinkled. “With any luck, I can get this to count as my vacation, and everyone will leave me alone.”

“Ah, an ulterior motive.” Kerry chuckled. “Okay. I’m ready, let’s go.” She followed Dar out the door and down the hallway to the elevator.

“God, it’s hot out.” Kerry leaned against the concierge’s counter as Dar made arrangements to keep their rooms another night. “You want to stop for a Tropical Storm 191

swim first?”

Dar finished the arrangements and turned, adjusting the small pack she was wearing around her waist to carry her cell phone and pager, along with her wallet. “I’ve got a better idea.” She handed Kerry a small square of laminated plastic. “Here, it’s your passport.” She rolled her eyes. “How about this instead of the pool?” She handed Kerry a colorful pamphlet she’d picked up at the desk.

“Blizzard Beach?” The younger woman examined it. It was a water park complete with a huge, 140-foot-tall water slide. “Oh, wow! This looks awesome! You’re on.”

“YAAAA!” KERRY HOWLED as she sped toward the ground, slipping and sliding across the slick, watery surface before dropping into thin air just prior to hitting the water. Moments later, Dar splashed down next to her, surfacing and shaking her head to clear her wet, dark hair out of her eyes.

“Whew.” The older woman pulled away from the chutes with powerful, sure strokes. “That’s some drop.” She ducked her head back into the water, then, as they neared the concrete shore, she stood up and let the liquid run off her body.

“Oh yeah,” Kerry agreed, a little out of breath. “But I won, again.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dar splashed her. “You’re smaller than I am, so there.”

“No way, it’s my technique. I know how to catch the curves just right.”

Kerry moved her hand in a squiggling motion.

“Listen to you.” Dar snorted. “I bet if we did it again, I’d beat you.”

“Oh yeah?” Kerry splashed out of the pool, and ran fingers through her wet hair. “How much?” They’d been at the water fun for several hours, and the sun was starting to set, but Kerry wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass.

Dar had slowly relaxed and opened up a little, becoming almost playful as they tried all the slips, and slides, and pools.

“I don’t know, what’s it worth to ya?” Dar paced alongside her, steering her back towards the entrance of the slides. “Let’s see…” She tugged Kerry to a halt next to a smiling snowman. “Okay, you’re more than forty-eight inches.

Just wanted to make sure.”

“Tch.” Kerry gave her a mock glare. “I hate short jokes,” she warned.

“Just for that, if I win, you have to sit through the Singing Vegetable exhibit in the Land tonight.”

“Oh, I’m definitely winning. I’m not getting subjected to dancing broccoli.” Dar shook her head. “All those hydroponic carrots waving their roots in the air. No thanks.”

“We’ll see.” Kerry smirked as they entered the line, now much shortened as people headed for home or out for dinner.

Minutes later, she was cannonballing out of the chute, reaching for the water, then pushing up through the surface and whipping her head around, looking for Dar. “Hah!” she chortled, hopping away from the chute entrance, and glancing up at the other one. Seconds passed, and all was quiet. Kerry pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and waited. More seconds passed. Now she edged over, and peered upward in puzzlement. “C’mon, Dar, did you 192 Melissa Good stop to make a cell phone call?” She moved closer, almost at the edge of the chute now and put her hand on the slick surface.

A surge of water washed against her, and her legs got taken out from under her, ducking her head under the water as she squawked in shock and indignation. Moments later, she was dragged to the surface, dripping and outraged, to face a smug, smirking Dar. “How did you…wh…”

The executive chuckled, releasing her and swimming away. “I’ll do anything to avoid singing broccoli. Remember that, my friend.”

“Hey!” Kerry lunged after her, grabbing an ankle. “Hold on there,” She gave a tug and found herself being pulled through the water. “Oh, crudpuppies.” she muttered, kicking a stroke and getting a better hold. “I said, hold on there!”

Dar grinned and kept swimming. She felt Kerry’s hand slip, then reach up and get a good grip on her suit, her fingers sliding over the older woman’s skin, leaving a gentle tingle behind them. She stopped, then whirled in place, pulling the shorter woman closer. For a moment they just looked at each other, and Dar enjoyed the intense energy she could feel between them, then she smiled, and dunked her companion with a triumphant chortle.

Kerry got her feet under her and broke the surface, then stood with her hands on her slim hips, dripping chlorinated water everywhere. “I’ll get you for that,” she vowed, but her grin belied her threat.

“Promise?” Dar answered, startling herself a little, then shrugging and returning the grin.

They splashed out and got their towels, drying off and walking back to the locker area where they’d stowed their clothing. “This was a great idea, Dar, except I think I got sunburned.” Kerry winced as she touched the back of her neck. “That’s going to be a little hard to explain at a business meeting.”

Dar put a hand on her shoulder and peered at her skin, reaching out to lift the damp hair up and then touching the sensitive skin with a fingertip. She felt Kerry suck in a breath at the touch and bit off a smile. “Tender, huh?”

“Uh…yes.” Kerry was startled at how her body had reacted to the simple touch. “Sunburned, right?”

“A little,” Dar observed, tracing a second line across the back of her neck.

“Have to get you some cold cream.” She handed Kerry her towel, rented from the facility, then slipped her shorts and shirt on over her suit. “Good thing about this stuff, it dries fast.”

Kerry swallowed. “Yeah, I noticed that.” She cleared her throat. “Might get a little chilly with this sunburn tonight.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I can pick up a sweatshirt.”

“Good idea, not like they don’t have seven thousand varieties,” Dar answered innocently, as she handed her companion her T-shirt. “C’mon. After all that, I’m starving.”

Kerry heard a telltale rumble, and put a hand over her stomach after she slipped her shirt on. “Me too.”

DAR LEANED BACK in her bus seat, propping a knee up against the seat in front of her and leaning her head against the cool glass of the window. She Tropical Storm 193

watched the green grass and thick foliage go by, as the vehicle traveled through the property back roads heading from the water park to the more centrally located Epcot Center.

She stifled a yawn and tried to think about all the work waiting for her when she got back. High as that pile would be, it couldn’t make a dent in her lazy good mood, and she realized this was more fun than she’d had in many years. Just like some damn kid, Dar. But maybe this is just what you needed.

It certainly seemed to be helping. She felt relaxed and was looking forward to the evening, and her gentle teasing with Kerry had steadied at a pleasant, mild stimulation. She felt very comfortable with the younger woman, who was seated next to her, one warm shoulder pressing up against Dar’s, and she was really glad she’d chosen to take Kerry with her.

It had been an opportunity too good to pass up, both to get to know her new assistant and to sneak in a little R-and-R at the same time. Dar was cautiously pleased with how it was turning out, and if Michelle Graver didn’t take too much offense to her turning down their dinner date, they had a chance at the bid, too. That reminded her of something, though, and she took out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Mark?”

“Hey, boss,” the MIS Chief’s voice responded. “Is it true you slugged Minnie Mouse?”

“I haven’t slugged anyone.” Dar paused deliberately. “Yet.”

“Uh oh, I sense a tongue lashing.” Mark chuckled. “That was a toughie, Dar, two of those boxes have pretty high security on them.”

“And?”

“It’s in progress,” Mark stated circumspectly. “You’ve got Provisioning up in freaking arms, Dar. When I called him, Eldon snapped one of those mechanical freaking pencils he’s got millions of in half. I heard the sound.”

“But he’s moving on the project?” Dar persisted, watching the trees go by. “He had to rob two circuits from FPL. You’ll have some fence mending to do up there, but yeah, he’s moving on it. He’s not happy.”

“Ask him if a formal commendation in his personnel file would make him happier,” Dar commented. “And tell him not to be so god-damned anal. This is important.”

“I know that. He knows that. Jesus, Dar, every freaking body in HQ

knows that, including the cleaning staff,” the MIS chief advised her. “John called in. There are stories of you blowing off the IBM team already circulating.”

“Great. All right, Mark, I’ll leave my cell on, as usual. Give me a call when you get things finalized. Is Robert Maccen publishing the response document?”

“Yep, he sure is. Say, where are you, anyhow?” the man asked curiously.

“Sounds quiet.”

Dar hesitated, tempering her good spirits with natural caution. “Casing the place, actually,” she stated. “Evaluating the infrastructure.” She ignored Kerry’s amused look.

Mark clucked his tongue. “Dar, you’re the only goddamn person I know who would go to freaking Disney World and end up tracing cables. Take a 194 Melissa Good damn break, will ya? At least go see the fireworks.”

Dar surveyed her disheveled and slightly sunburned body, slumped easily against both the seat and her companion, and bit off a wry smile. “If I have a couple of minutes, sure.”

“Dar, don’t make me think of you walking around up in Orlando in one of those wool suits. Sweating in the control room is a bad thing, okay?”

“I’m, um, not wearing a wool suit, Mark, if it makes you feel any better.”

Dar laid a hand on her bare knee, tracing a tiny scar just above the kneecap.

“And I’ll try to catch a firework or two, if you’ll guarantee me that plan will be complete by ten AM tomorrow.”

“Dar…” Mark sighed. “Oh well, I don’t need any sleep. All right, I promise, but you gotta bring me back a souvenir.” He paused. “Tell you what, to make it fair, you bring me a back a picture of you actually taking it easy for five minutes. Is that too much to ask?”

“Oh, so if I take my shoes off and kick a stuffed Goofy around in the grass, that counts, right?” the executive drawled. His sigh could be heard clearly. “Okay, you’re on, Mark. You come through, you get your picture, I promise.” Dar chuckled. “Tell you what—you get it done on time, and I’ll make it a bathing suit picture.” Dead, absolute, not-even-breathing silence greeted the offer. Dar glanced at the phone, then at her companion, who had a hand firmly clamped over her mouth and was turning pink from the effort not to laugh. “Mark?” Silence, then a rustle of sound and another voice picked up.

“Hey, who is this?”

“Jeffrey, it’s Dar Roberts.”

“Oh. Oh, sorry, ma’am. Um…did you do something to Mark? He’s sitting here with this weird, weird look on his face.”

Dar sighed. “Just tell him I said I’d talk to him later.” She hung up the line and glanced at Kerry, who was chewing on her knuckle and giggling softly. “You think that’s funny, huh?” She reached over and tickled Kerry’s ribs and grinned as the smaller woman jerked and squealed. “Oh, I can see there’s something your profile didn’t mention, Ms. Stuart.” She tickled her again, and watched Kerry squirm away from her.

“Gah…stop that.” Kerry grabbed her hand and held on. “Poor Mark! And are you going to tell me what the plan is, or do I have to guess, too?” She cautiously released her tormentor’s fingers and was relieved when the attack wasn’t repeated.

Dar sat back and wrapped her hands around one knee. “Well, I have two people working on writing up a proposal that answers their request, with specific resources, that kind of thing. Usually I’d do it myself, but…” She shrugged. “It’s not that complicated. Anyway, since they have access to all the information, they’ll prep the document for us and send it over before the meeting.”

Kerry absorbed that. “And?”

Slowly, pale blue eyes looked over at her. “What do you mean, and?”

A shrewd glance studied her. “That’s what the other guys will be doing, too. If I read you right, you go over and above. So what’s the rest of the plan?”

Dar smiled, an open, genuine smile. “You’re right, but I don’t want to jinx it. Let me wait for Mark’s call tonight, then I’ll tell you all about it.”

Tropical Storm 195

As the bus pulled up in front of the park, Kerry chuckled in triumph, and she stood up, waiting for Dar to join her. “I don’t think they have Mongolian here, though. How about Italian?”

Dar stretched, feeling a little tightness in her shoulders from all the swimming. “How about Japanese?”

“Mmm.” Kerry’s brow contracted “Hard choice.”

They ended up in England, mostly because Kerry really wanted to see the fireworks, and Dar knew a little secret. So they were comfortably settled in an outside table at the English Pub right up against the lake as the crowds started to gather to watch the show.

There was a nice, cool night breeze blowing off the water, and Kerry was glad she’d opted for a sweatshirt, choosing a forest green one with a happy-looking Winnie the Pooh dancing over her left breast. She sipped her pint of ale gingerly as she watched Dar do the same, and glanced at the menu. “It’s all pretty safe, right?”

Dar chuckled. “Well, there are a lot of interesting influences in English cooking, especially from India, and the other former colonies, but on this menu—yeah, everything’s safe.” She glanced around, then settled the gray, beautifully woven sweater she’d purchased in a nearby shop over her shoulders. “Nice.”

Kerry reached over and fingered the soft as butter fabric. “That feels so wonderful.” She admired it. “And I have to stop in that tea shop again. I need to get some of those flavors to bring back to the office. I’m kinda tired of orange cinnamon and regular.”

“Hmm, that’s right, you do like tea, don’t you?” Dar settled back in her chair and put her feet up on the one opposite her. They placed their order with the perky waitress, and Dar nodded yes to refills of their drinks. The ale had tasted good after their full day of activity, and she was in the mood to relax just a little. The cool breeze pushed the hair off her forehead, and she let her head lean back and her eyes close.

Dar certainly is a different person outside of the office, Kerry decided, eyeing her surreptitiously. She had this…diabolical, mean, evil, nasty, mischievous streak that Kerry had found out about the hard way. Like when Dar kept her distracted while a large, bubble-headed green something-or-other had snuck up behind her and scared the crap out of her. Or being led into the Moroccan leather place where apparently curing hides wasn’t an acquired skill. Ugh. Or being given a small tumbler of something sweet and blue to drink, and not realizing until after she’d swallowed it that it was 200 proof.

To be fair, Dar had gotten taken in by the blue stuff too, which she admitted after getting Kerry some water to wash it down. And she had given her the little wax figurine the craftsman had made for her in front of the Chinese pavilion. Out of wax and sticks, he twirled and shaped the piece until it was a fanciful dragon shape with swirled wings. “Here.” Dar had shrugged as she handed it over. “I don’t collect stuff like this.”

No, you don’t. Kerry thought, as she studied the angular profile. She leaned back, feeling a pleasant buzz from the ale, glad they’d managed to munch their way around the world at various snack stands before she’d started drinking. The Mexican stop was good. She could still taste the spices 196 Melissa Good on her tongue from the tiny tacos, and she’d enjoyed the tidbits of bratwurst and smoked cheeses in Germany along with the tiny glass of sweet white wine. “Just our luck to visit during the International Food and Wine expo, huh?”

“Mmm.” Dar smiled and lazily opened an eye. “That’s a nice idea, have all the different countries put out samples of their kinds of food and drink.

Different. I liked it.” She took a sip of her fresh glass of ale. “Small enough portions so you can try a lot of them, and it’s a good chance for the different cultures to show off.” She took another sip. “Something like the festivals we have down in Miami—the Art festival, and the heritage festivals—when you can have a ton of the different nationalities down there put up stalls and have different stuff, though we tend to be Caribbean and Hispanic heavy. This is nice, because you get all the continental countries represented too.”

A blonde brow edged up. Drinking makes her more talkative. Write that down in the PDA, Ker. It could be useful sometime. “I haven’t gotten a chance to go to one of those. They dragged me to the Scottish festival last year, but I almost got hit in the head with one of those logs and someone tried to get me to eat haggis.”

Dar laughed. “Nah, try the Cajun thing. It’s more fun, and you get to scarf down lots of spicy mud bugs.” She glanced up and smiled as the waitress brought their food, putting her glass down and picking up her silverware.

Kerry thanked the woman and nodded when she looked questioningly at their glasses. One more couldn’t hurt, and besides, I’m succeeding in my quest to get Dar to relax. Maria would be proud of me.

“I THINK I’M a little drunk,” Dar admitted as they strolled towards the exit, past the lighted fountains whose water danced to the background music.

“Not that anyone could tell,” Kerry assured her, observing Dar intently.

“You walk straight, you don’t slur your words, and you haven’t kissed any of the wandering characters.”

Dar considered that. “That’s true.” She jumped a little when her cell phone rang, then let out a short laugh and reached for it. “Yes?”

“You owe me a picture, Big D.” Mark’s voice sounded very, very satisfied. “Did you get to see a firework or two?”

Dar turned around and walked backwards, watching the lasers bounce off the huge geosphere. “Yeah, I got to see one or two.” She straightened back up. “Good work. Can you set up the link for tomorrow morning? I’ll need to dial in via the cell.”

“Already done. Where’s my picture?” Mark nudged. “You don’t know what an inspiration that was, I did things tonight the likes of which Babbage never imagined.”

“All right, all right.” Dar laughed helplessly. “I’ll have Kerry take one, okay? Tomorrow.”

“She there? Put her on,” Mark requested. “Hey, Kerry?”

“Right here.” She covered her other ear with one hand.

“Did you actually manage to get her out of the damn hotel for an hour?”

the MIS chief whispered.

Tropical Storm 197

Kerry glanced over to where Dar had climbed over a railing and was inspecting a bush cut in the shape of Figment the Imagination dragon. “Oh yeah. In fact, I got her to go to one of the parks tonight.”

“You rock!” he praised. “Damn woman hasn’t had a vacation in ten years.” He sighed. “You having fun?”

“It’s been…” Kerry smiled to herself, “…very educational. I’ve learned a lot, and I hope things work out for the bid. This is a very interesting account.”

“Ain’t what I asked,” Mark chided.

“Yes, we’re having fun. Thanks for asking.” She looked up to find Dar watching her, the dark-haired woman’s body relaxed against the railing.

“Whoops, gotta go. Talk to you later, Mark.”

They walked off toward the shuttle stop, amiably bumping shoulders as they maneuvered through the thinning crowds.

SHE WAS YAWNING by the time they got back to the hotel, their monorail depositing them neatly in the lobby. Like a puppy, Kerry followed Dar to the elevator, resisting the impulse to latch onto the back of her shirt to keep up, and she had to take a minute to blink her eyes clear before she could open her room door. It was quiet and mostly dark inside, and she really wanted nothing more than to curl up in her already turned-down bed, dressed as she was, and just conk out. Instead, she changed into her nightshirt, wincing where the pink skin around her bathing suit marks stung, then she turned and noticed her message light flashing. Perplexed, she lifted the receiver and dialed the front desk. “Hello? Yes, I have a message?”

“Oh, yes, Ms. Stuart,” the voice on the phone answered promptly. “It’s from a Colleen. She said it was urgent, and could you please call her.”

Urgent? “Okay, thanks very much.” Kerry depressed the receiver, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong back in Miami. Another flood in the complex? She hoped it wasn’t the plumbing again, at any rate.

She dialed her friend’s number, and waited until the sleepy voice on the other end answered. “Col?”

Colleen woke up instantly. “Jesus son of Mary, Kerry, where in the Hell are you? Your parents are going insane. They’ve called here three times!”

My parents? “Um.” Kerry rubbed her head at the unexpected source of the panic. “I’m in Orlando, as you should know. What’s the big deal?”

Silence from the other end of the line preceded a deep breath. “You haven’t heard?”

“Haven’t heard what? No, I’ve been in meetings all day, and then… What is it?” Kerry asked. “Someone shoot the president or something?”

“Jesus Christ, Kerry, the plane you were supposed to be on tonight crashed in the Everglades. Pretty much everyone on it died, they think,”

Colleen answered. “The only reason I didn’t go nuts is the hotel said you hadn’t checked out and I know you’re not a skip.”

Kerry sat down on the bed, her legs suddenly unable to hold her up. “Oh my God.” She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. “I’d better call my parents.”

“Then call me back, okay?” Colleen said softly.

“Okay, I will.” Kerry hung up, then rested her hand on the receiver for a 198 Melissa Good long moment before she picked it up again and dialed. “Mom?” Her mother’s voice practically jumped out of the phone at her. “No, no, I’m fine. I’m fine.

I’m still in Orlando. The meeting went on longer than we thought, so we’re staying over another night … No, no, not at all. The office knew I wasn’t on the flight.” A pause. “You could have called the … hello, Father.”

Roger Stuart’s voice thundered down the line. “That’s it. No daughter of mine is living down where terrorists can just bomb an airplane. That place has too few Americans in it, God damn it. You’re coming home.”

“Are you sure it was a terrorist? I didn’t hear any details. I don’t…” Kerry felt a sudden jolt in her guts at the thought of leaving Miami and Dar.

“Nothing happened, we weren’t on the flight!”

Her father cut off further objections. “No ifs, ands, or buts, Kerrison.

That’s final. Could you imagine the press if you’d been on that plane? My God! Make the arrangements.”

The line went dead. Kerry slowly put it back down on the cradle and stared at it. “Glad I wasn’t on the plane too, thanks for asking.” A noise made her look up to see Dar standing in the adjoining doorway, a quietly grim look on her face. “I guess you heard.”

Dar nodded, then entered, crossing the room and sitting down next to her on the bed. A remote control was clasped loosely in the executive’s hands. “I have the news on in there.” She looked at Kerry intently. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yeah,” Kerry answered bitterly. “My father was so damned relieved he wouldn’t have to spin-doctor my death.” She leaned her elbows on her knees and looked down at the carpet. “They want me to leave Miami and go home.”

Dar hesitated, then awkwardly put one arm around her companion’s shoulders. “Because a plane crashed? That makes no sense, Kerry.”

“Because Miami’s full of degenerates, perverts, and foreigners who do nothing but plot against the US,” Kerry answered with a sigh. “Do they know what made the plane go down? He said it was a terrorist. Is that true?”

“Didn’t stick around there long enough to find out. C’mon, let’s go into the other room and watch the news. Maybe they’ll say.” Dar hesitated. “Sorry about all this.”

Kerry looked up, grateful for the warmth of Dar’s arm around her. “We would have been on that plane.”

“I know,” the older woman replied calmly. “But we weren’t. C’mon, I ordered up some hot chocolate. Let’s go see what happened.”

They settled on Dar’s bed, and she turned the volume up on the television, which was tuned to CNN. The picture was mostly dark, with flashing blue and red lights everywhere, and the occasional flare of yellow.

The reporter wore a windbreaker, and it was obviously raining and windy where he was. “As of this moment, the FAA is not commenting or speculating on what brought down this Boeing 727, only that the pilot reported problems over West Palm Beach and decided to swing west, away from populated areas.”

“Doesn’t sound like a bomb,” Dar commented, getting up to answer a light knock on the door. “Nice service.” She opened it and allowed the room service waiter in with a tray. “Put it over there.” The waiter left, and she Tropical Storm 199

poured two steaming cupfuls of the chocolate, adding a tiny mini-marshmallow to each cup and bringing one over to Kerry. “Here you go, good for what ails you.”

Kerry took a sip and managed a smile. “Thanks.” She turned her attention to the television, where searchlights were showing what looked like hundreds of men in various uniforms up to their thighs in water, moving debris and other things around. “It looks horrible.”

“Mmm.” Dar exhaled, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“It’s Dar.” She paused, listening. “What’s the story on that plane that went down?” Another pause. “Well, maybe not, but I was supposed to be on it.”

She sighed. “I don’t think so either, but I’d like to be sure. Thanks, Gerry.” She hung up. “Let’s see if we can get some real info.”

“Who was that?” Kerry asked, feeling her spirits rebounding a little. “Or is it one of those—‘if you tell me, you have to kill me’ kind of things?”

“Friend of mine at the Pentagon,” Dar replied. “God, look at that…”

The overhead helicopter shot showed a chaotic mess of fires, lights, and movement on the screen, then suddenly, people started yelling and raising their hands up. The reporter paused and listened to his earpiece, then smiled at the camera. “I’ve just been told they’ve started to find some survivors. It appears as if the plane broke up upon landing in the Everglades, and some people, I repeat, some people have survived.”

“Wasn’t a bomb, then,” Dar commented. “That disintegrates in the air and doesn’t leave much in the way of live humans.” She leaned back against the headboard and stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles. Kerry was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the bed, cupping her chocolate in both hands.

They watched as first a few, then more injured people were brought out, and helicopters started landing, ready to transport the victims. Kerry finally slid back until she was leaning against the backboard too, wincing as she rubbed her neck, stiff from sitting hunched over for so long.

Dar turned out the lights, leaving just the television on as she stretched her legs out next to Kerry’s. “You doing all right?”

Kerry let her head rest against the padded wood. “I don’t know,” she answered after a pause. “I didn’t think they were keeping that close a watch on me. Jesus! I never even told them I was going to Orlando.”

Dar sipped her chocolate thoughtfully. “Remind me to have Maria mask your travel next time,” she said. “What in the hell do they think they’re doing, anyway? You’re a grown woman.” She frowned, turning to look at Kerry.

“They think they own you?”

Kerry’s lashes fluttered in the bluish light from the television. “It’s hard to explain,” she murmured. “I don’t think you’d understand if I…”

“Damn straight I don’t understand,” Dar replied bluntly. “My parents never agreed with pretty much a damn thing I did, but they never denied me the right to be whatever I wanted to be,” she said. “And they sure never followed me around.”

Kerry turned to face her. “Well, that’s why I left.” She felt a bit embarrassed, and sensed in a way she’d been diminished in Dar’s eyes, somehow. “I wanted to get away from all that.”

200 Melissa Good

“Seems like they don’t want to let go,” Dar said.

“Seems like,” Kerry admitted. “They are my family.”

Dar looked away, out the window for a few seconds. “In that case, glad I don’t have one.”

Kerry felt a jumble of emotions stir inside her. Fear, chiefly—rooted in the knowledge of how fragile her freedom seemed sometimes—and shame that she could sit here feeling like that next to Dar, who was so proudly independent. “They, um…” She curled her hands around the cup of hot chocolate, glad of its warmth on her suddenly chilled skin. “They think they’re doing what’s best for me. I guess.”

Her companion glanced at her. “You really buy that?”

Do I? “I think they buy it,” Kerry admitted softly. “I’ve got different plans for my life.”

“Good.” Dar patted her hand, then went back to reviewing the screen.

The low murmur of the television settled between them as they watched in silence for a while, the images flitting on and off the screen. But Kerry found herself unable to focus on them, and she blinked a few times as the cool air in the room stung her eyes. A warmth against her shoulder almost made her jump, until she realized it was Dar’s arm, as the dark-haired woman shifted slightly and lifted her cup up to her lips, the motion apparently not a deliberate one. Kerry appreciated it nonetheless and she relaxed a little bit, silently acknowledging the long day, the sun, the unexpected crisis, and the several ales that were playing havoc with her emotions. She exhaled softly.

After another moment’s silence, Dar turned and looked at her, one brow lifting in question. “Long day,” Kerry said. “I think I should go get some sleep.”

“Good idea.” Dar set her cup down, then reached over and took Kerry’s from her. “We’ve got a presentation to do.” She picked up the television remote and clicked it off, plunging the room into unexpected darkness.

“Oh.” Kerry had been in the process of persuading her body to move from the comfortable surface. “Hey, give me a chance to find my way out of here.”

“Bed’s big enough for the entire board of directors.” Dar’s voice floated over to her. “You can stay where you are.”

Kerry’s vision adjusted, and she could see the dark square that would lead her into her own room. She was so tired, though, that even the thought of moving made her eyes close, and she didn’t protest as Dar pulled the covers up over them both. Oh well. She caught a hint of warm skin and clean cotton, and sleep took her before she could absorb the tingle the knowledge brought her.

Dar regarded her companion, who was curled onto her side, her breathing already evening out into sleep. She let her arm rest on the bed near her bedmate, and after a few minutes, glanced up at a touch. Fingers were curled around her forearm. Dar looked at her companion closely, saw the steady, even breathing, and realized she was deeply asleep. An unconscious motion, then, Kerry reaching out to her instinctively, desiring the comfort of a touch she’d never presume while awake.

Dar put her head down on her pillow and looked up at the dimly seen Tropical Storm 201

ceiling. She felt off-balance and thought maybe all those mugs had been a few too many after all. What am I thinking, sharing my room, sharing my bed with Kerry? Sure, we’re becoming friends, and yeah, we had fun, and sure, I tossed off a client to go spend time with her, but…

A soft rustle attracted her attention, and she turned her head as Kerry stirred, shifting a little closer and moving her grip, her fingers slipping along Dar’s skin in a wonderfully warm sensation. It felt really nice. Kerry was smiling, just a little, in her sleep, and Dar smiled back, gazing at the smaller woman with quiet affection.

With a faint shrug, she dismissed her misgivings and closed her eyes.

After all, the bed was big enough for a half dozen people, and no one had to know they’d both slept in it. She tugged the covers up a bit further, bringing a puff of air up from under them. Aware of Kerry’s warm scent which imprinted itself into her senses as a compound of clean cotton, sun tan oil and a hint of apricot. Nice.