Tropical Storm

Chapter Nineteen

“MA’AM?” THE VOICE sounded impatient.

Dar’s head jerked up and she blinked at the ferry deckhand, who was not-so-patiently waiting for her to drive off the ferry. “Sorry.” Dar gave him an apologetic wave and exited the boat, driving to her condo and parking the Lexus without really thinking about what she was doing. She got out and locked the doors, then climbed the steps to the condo and opened the door, closing it behind her and flicking the lights on with an automatic motion.

Her steps wandered into the kitchen, where she glanced at the terminal, glad to see there wasn’t any mail waiting, since she had no desire to read any right now. She mixed herself a large glass of chocolate milk and went into her bedroom, where she set the glass down while she got out of her jeans and Tshirt and put on her favorite baseball jersey and flannel shorts.

It felt a little strange, and she glanced down, realizing she’d put them on backwards. With a soft curse, she pulled them off and pulled them back on the right way. “Oh boy.” She picked up her glass and wandered back into the living room, turning on the television and sinking down into the couch, looking at the screen without really seeing it as she pondered the evening’s unexpected ending.

Jesus Christ, what in the world just happened to me? It wasn’t supposed to escalate like this. I was just...she was just…we were… Dar took a long swallow of milk, comforted by the soothing, familiar taste.

Okay. Okay, okay. Let’s take stock of the situation. We are attracted to each other. That’s not a surprise. I knew that before. Okay? Okay, she’s attractive, she thinks I’m attractive, we have similar tastes…she’s smart. It’s really not that surprising, Dar, so get a grip.

She felt better. A little. But all that rationalization didn’t explain just how good it had felt to hold Kerry in her arms and how much her body was craving more of that, so much so that if Kerry had been there, Dar knew she couldn’t have kept her hands from touching that soft skin, or playing with her hair or…

Dar slowly lowered her head onto the back of the couch, feeling the cool surface of the leather become warm against her skin. This was a new feeling for her. Intense, and somewhat out of control, but warm and sweet and very, very distracting. She knew she had to get a handle on that, but right now, she was content to sit and sip her milk, and indulge herself in this emotional whirlpool.

She was surprised when the phone rang, and she stared at it for a 234 Melissa Good moment before she hoisted herself to her feet and went to the table, glancing at the clock as she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Ms. Roberts, this is Mids Ops,” the vaguely nervous voice said. “Um, you’re on my notify list if we lose anything.”

“Oh yeah? What’d we lose?” Dar asked, curiously.

“Um. Netops,” the voice answered. “They had a fire in the building, and they had to evac. The fire department won’t let them switch to UPS, so…”

“We’re down,” Dar supplied.

“Um, yes.”

“Completely down,” Dar added. “Everything—the network and the mainframes.”

“Yes.”

“Guess you can go home then, huh?” the executive commented casually.

“Uh…”

“No sense in your being there if there aren’t any mainframes to administer. The internal network is on an automatic backup schedule,” Dar reasoned, “so…go on home.”

“Uh…okay, Ms. Roberts, if you say so.”

“Sure,” Dar reassured him. “Bye.” The line went dead, and she put the phone down, padding back over to the couch and sitting down, taking a sip of her milk, letting her mind wander again, daydreaming about sea green eyes and lightly sun-tinged skin, her imagination hearing the roar of the waves and the sound of seashells tinkling in their wake.

Then her eyes popped open and she spat milk out over half the table.

“Holy shit!” she barked, jumping back up and grabbing for the phone again.

“Sonofabitch!” She dialed frantically, then waited. “Yeah, on second thought stick around there. … No, no, it’s my fault. … No. Who else have you notified? Keep going.” She hung up, then slapped herself on the side of the head a few times. “Jesus!”

She dove into her briefcase for her contact book and opened it, bringing it and the phone back to the couch. She dialed a number. “Who is this? Okay, this is Dar Roberts. … Yes, I know. Who won’t let you cut over to backup?

What’s his name? … Okay, what division is he with? … County or city?

Thanks. What damage did the building take?” She listened for a long moment.

“Did the extinguishers go off?” Another long pause. “Christ! Do we have backup 3270s?”

As she listened, she booted her laptop and plugged in the network cord that would connect the machine to the dedicated line dropped into the condo.

“Well, someone better get on the line to Infrastructure in Houston and see if they have a couple mothballed somewhere.” She hung up, then studied her screen. System indicators showed red blinking lights everywhere on the top-level view of the network. “Hell, everything’s down.” People would be calling; she was surprised they hadn’t already.

How long has this been going on? Did the system forget to page me? Dar scrabbled for her pager, then realized she wasn’t wearing it. “What in th—”

She paused, eyes unfocused, then cursed softly. “Son of a stupid bitch.” With her free hand, she dialed the phone, listening for a familiar voice. “Hey.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Kerry sounded a little surprised, but not disappointed Tropical Storm 235

to hear her voice.

“We’re not. Netops had a fire, and the entire network is down,” Dar told her with a sigh. “Some idiot in the fire department won’t let them go on backup.”

“Yikes! You need some help there?”

Dar hesitated. “I’m just going to be yelling at people,” she temporized.

“I can make you hot tea,” Kerry responded readily. “Besides, I don’t think I can sleep.”

Dar drummed her fingers against her leg. “Um. You know, we’re going to have to reroute a lot of stuff if I can’t get the fire department to cooperate. I could use some help in research and identifying available assets.”

Kerry’s voice perked up. “Really?”

Dar gave in and gave up. “Yeah, you can dump into the second ISDN line here. If you want to, that is.”

“I’ll be right there,” came the immediate assurance.

A smile edged Dar’s lips against her will. “See you soon, then. Bye.” She took a moment out to call security, then she went back to her searching. She found the name she was looking for, then glanced up at the TV screen, which was tuned to, of all things, the Disney channel. “Oh… Beauty and the Beast. I love those candlesticks.” She pointed cheerfully at it as she dialed the phone.

“Hello, I need to speak with Walter Blakelock. … No, this is business.” A pause. “I don’t give a goddamn if he’s humping with the mayor’s wife, I need to talk to him.” Another pause. “Either get him on the phone, or I’ll be calling his boss out of bed, too. … Thanks, I’ll wait.”

KERRY DIMMED HER lights as she pulled into the underground parking, slid into place next to Dar’s Lexus, and turned off the Mustang’s engine. She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror and gave herself a little lecture. “This is business, Kerrison. You are here because the company is in crisis, and it’s part of your job,” she told her reflection sternly. “No doe-eyed looks, no batting of the eyelashes, and no backrubs, got it?”

She exhaled, then cleared her throat and got out of the car, bringing her laptop case with her. She trotted up the stairs and rang the bell, listening for and hearing Dar’s low voice in response. “It’s business, it’s business, it’s business,” she repeated silently, as she pushed open the door and ducked inside.

Dar was sprawled on the couch in her pajamas, one long, bare, muscular leg slung over the end of the furniture and her shirt half unbuttoned. Oh well.

So much for that, Kerry sighed, as every single solitary hormone in her entire body stood up and said, “Hi there!” She managed to give Dar a crisp nod as she put her case down and got her laptop out. “Hey. Long time no see.”

Dar glanced up and over the back of the couch at her, eyes flicking over her as a brief grin appeared. “Hope you brought something more comfortable to change into. It’s gonna be a long night.”

Kerry just managed not to smirk. “Yeah, I feel a little overdressed,” she agreed as her eyes lingered on Dar's bare legs. “I’ll go fix that.” She took herself off to the nearby washroom, leaving Dar to her phone call.

236 Melissa Good Dar’s eyes briefly followed Kerry toward the washroom, and then she returned her attention to her phone call. “Look, Jim, I don’t care what it’s going to take, I need the building back online.” She leaned forward and cradled her head in her hand. “They can’t go on backup power because the fire department won’t certify the electrical substructure as safe. That means I need an electrical engineer in there, and I need them now, not tomorrow or Monday. Got me?”

Kerry got her system going, then she stood up. “Bet you could use some coffee,” she guessed, getting a pathetically grateful look from her boss.

“Thought so. I’ll go make some.” Okay, I can do this. We’re functioning. Kerry felt a little relieved, her initial nervousness fading as she rattled around the kitchen, setting up the coffee maker and starting it going. She returned to the doorway and leaned against it, watching Dar as she persistently threatened, cajoled, and harangued a series of people, finally resulting in a string of curses in two languages that caused Kerry’s eyebrows to lift as the executive slammed down the handset.

Dar glowered at the phone, then looked up, to meet warm, green eyes looking back at her. “Idiots.”

Kerry disappeared, then reappeared a minute later with a cup of steaming coffee, which she handed over before taking a seat next to Dar on the couch. “No luck, huh?”

Dar sighed and leaned back. “I have an electrical engineer headed there from South Carolina, and two backup machines being prepped in Houston, but…it’s not enough.” She took a sip of the coffee, then gave Kerry a look.

“You remembered how I like it.”

Kerry laughed. “Dar, c’mon. You add enough cream and sugar so that it stops tasting like coffee, and there you are.” She patted her companion’s leg, feeling the subtle shift of muscle under her hand as Dar stretched a little.

“Eh, that’s true,” Dar admitted, giving her an affectionate look. “God, what’s next?”

Kerry was searching the database. “Jesus, that board looks like a frigging Christmas tree.” She pulled her laptop back onto her lap as she settled deeper into the soft leather and sat cross-legged next to Dar. She glanced up. “Hey, Beauty and the Beast, I love those candlesticks.” She grinned and shook her head, not seeing the startled look in Dar’s blue eyes. “Yeesh, Dar, this is terrible. We really don’t have a backup if we lose that facility.” She looked up at her boss, who nodded slowly. “Wow.”

“I know. Three years ago in executive committee, we made a decision not to duplicate that center. I fought it like crazy, but no one wanted to allocate the budget for it. I wanted to split the processing, but they just wouldn’t go for it.” Dar sighed. “This is one of those times when I wish I wasn’t being proven right.”

Kerry shook her head. “Well, we can shift critical stuff here and here, but they’ve got all the routers up there, Dar. We don’t have enough alternate routes to get around that.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’ve been putting my efforts into getting the building back up,” Dar acknowledged glumly. The phone rang, and she picked it up.

“Yeah?”

Tropical Storm 237

“Dar, it’s José.” Montarosa’s voice was excited. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“Yeah. We’re down,” Dar replied tersely. “Now get off my goddamn phone so I can do something about it.”

Kerry glanced at her, then disengaged a hand from her keyboard and rubbed the taller woman’s back in gentle circles. She could feel the tension in the tight muscles, and she let her fingers probe the knots she found in her neck.

There was a slight pause before Dar’s voice resumed. “I’m sorry, José.

What was that you asked?” Her tone had relaxed a little. “No, there was a fire in the building. The mainframes are fine, but we don’t have power because the fire department won’t let us put juice in from the generator.” Dar closed her eyes as strong, sensitive fingers probed muscles sore from painting. “What?

Oh, yeah. No, we don’t have a backup location. You know that, you voted it down, remember?”

Kerry put down her laptop and crawled up onto the back of the couch, going to work with both hands.

“Uh, I don’t…I’ve got an electrician coming down to certify the building, so yeah, probably. But I’m going to keep pushing on the fire department anyway. Maybe they’ll get tired of hearing my voice and give up. … No. …

Okay, I’ll let you know. Bye.” Dar let her hand drop with the phone in it and groaned. “You are very good at that.”

“Thanks,” Kerry murmured. “You’re really tense.” As the dark-haired woman leaned forward, she worked her way down Dar’s back, then started back up. “There. Better?”

Blue eyes gazed back at her as Dar half turned. “Much.”

Kerry grinned and slipped back down onto the couch. “So, what’s next?”

Dar draped an arm across her shoulders. “Just stay here and keep me company while I yell at people, okay?”

Okay? Kerry squirmed closer, settling against Dar’s warm body with a little sigh of contentment. “Sure.” She let her legs join the taller woman’s, propped up on the coffee table, her green socks an odd contrast to Dar’s bare feet, then pulled her laptop over, resuming her search for resources. “We could shift these routers and get some of the bank traffic up, or…wait…here, and get Interline back.”

Dar peered over her shoulder. “Mmm. Do it. I’d rather have NOTAMS

and the weather service back for the airlines. It’s the weekend, the banks can wait.”

Kerry almost didn’t hear the last part of that, since Dar’s breath was tickling her ear very distractingly. “Uh, okay…erf…uck, I forgot I can’t use…

Oh, wait, I can route the request through the Houston backbones. Hang on.”

“You’re very good at that, too.”

Dar’s voice almost made her accidentally reconfigure a master router.

“Dar?”

The executive peered at the screen. “Hmm?”

“Unless you want me to reroute the NBC satellite feeds to Iran, could you just be quiet for a minute?”

Pale blue eyes winked at her mischievously. “Sorry.”

238 Melissa Good

“No problem.” Kerry tried not to think about how close those nice, inviting lips were. “What was I doing? Oh yeah…” She worked at the keyboard for a minute. “Okay. Yeesh, that’s awkward.”

The phone rang, and Dar picked it up. “Yes? … Oh, right. Okay, good.

… Let me know.” She hung up, then stretched. “The electrician just got there.

Hey, want some ice cream?”

Kerry didn’t think twice. “Sure.” She continued her browsing. “Oh, I can get ATMs back up in the Northeast. Hang on.”

Dar got up and ambled into the kitchen, musing on how much more fun a disaster was with Kerry around. She thought about that as she dished out the frozen treat. How much more fun everything was with Kerry around. She carried the dishes back and handed Kerry hers, then settled back in her spot and picked up the phone again.

It was almost five AM before the electrician finished his inspection, and Dar had to argue with him for fifteen minutes before he agreed to issue his report then and there. “Look, I didn’t have you get out of your god-damn bed at one AM so you could write a report tomorrow. Just do it!” she snarled. “Put Gregory on the phone.”

The deep, rumbling voice of the Netops chief came on. “Yeah, Dar?”

“Get that report. I’ve got that damn fire chief on his way to you now.

Give it to him, and tell him to take it and shove it.” She stopped abruptly as Kerry stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. “Mfufh…” She swallowed.

“Sorry, I mean, tell him to please open the seals, and let you in the control room to get the power cut over.”

“Sure. Hang on, here he comes now.” Gregory chuckled. “You wanna talk to him?”

“No.” Dar sighed. “He doesn’t want to hear my voice again, I can tell ya that.”

“Okay, he’s doing it. We’re in.” Gregory’s voice faded, and several clanks and sharp pops came clearly through the phone. “Hold on… Yow, it’s dusty in here. Thank god we test this thing once a week. Okay, hold your ears.” The overwhelming rumble of the generator was easily heard. “Stabilizing…

Coming up to voltage… Okay…”She could hear the muffled voice of Gregory on another phone. “Yaz! Hit the switches, eh?” He came back. “Power’s up, Dar. I’m going to give it ten minutes to peak and spike, then kick the dogs in the ass and get them back online.”

“Whoops, here come the routers,” Kerry informed her, watching the top-level map. “Do they autoboot?”

Dar nodded “Routers just came back, Greg.” She watched as the red lights slowly mapped to green. “Backbones are up.” She felt a tired smile twist her lips.

“Packets are passing,” Kerry reported, with a grin. “The overseas link just came up.” She pointed at the multiline gateways that passed data over the Atlantic.

Dar ruffled her hair, then draped an arm over her shoulders as they watched. “Okay, looks good, Greg.”

“Uh huh. Thanks, Dar. Couldn’t have done it without you, that’s for damn sure.” Gregory cheerfully told her. “Later. Go get some sleep, eh?”

Tropical Storm 239

“ ’Night, Greg.” Dar replied, and cut off the line. “Damn, that was a bitch.”

Kerry nodded, then turned her head to regard Dar. “You’ve got ice cream on your lips,” she observed, peering at the offending spot.

Dar eyed her quietly. “I do?”

Kerry leaned over and gently, deliberately, removed it, tasting the surface with a tentative tongue. She felt the soft intake of breath, then a steadying touch against the back of her neck sent tingles down her spine as Dar returned the favor, taking a leisurely bit of time doing so. Kerry could feel the warm closeness of her body, and breathed in the pleasant scent of her as she let herself respond, enjoying the simple, undemanding pleasure of it.

They were both too tired to go further, she knew, but it felt very good to spend a few minutes in this gentle exploration, giving them both a chance to get used to each other. She drew in a breath as Dar pulled back a little and rubbed noses with her. It brought a smile to her face, and she let her head fall back against the couch, with a sigh. “That felt nice.”

Dar nodded, brushing back her hair with idle fingers. “Mmm-hmm.

C’mon, you can find out first hand what a waterbed feels like.”

Kerry must have looked a little startled, because Dar laughed a little, and put a hand up, patting her cheek. “Easy, easy. Just to sleep in. We’re taking this nice and slow, remember?”

Kerry returned the smile. “It’s just all a little new to me,” she explained.

“But a bed of any kind sounds really good to me right now.”

Dar nodded in quiet understanding. “Is this your first time, Kerry?” She knew the answer, but waited.

The green eyes dropped, and a soft flush colored Kerry’s neck. “Um.

Not…with a woman, yes.” she finally got out, glancing up. “I, um…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. I kind of guessed that.” Dar gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. “Take it easy—no rush, no pressure.” Stifling a yawn, Dar got up and then held out a hand in invitation. “C’mon, time for bed. I’m really bushed.”

It’s… Kerry put down her laptop and stood up, having changed into her pajamas earlier. It was scary, and at the same time, exhilarating . She took Dar’s hand and followed her into the cool, blue-walled bedroom, feeling the calmness of the place with a sense of anticipation. She glanced at the bed.

“You ever get seasick?”

The executive chuckled. “No.” She pulled back the covers and got in, moving over to the center of the bed. “See? Big enough for six.”

Kerry laughed and accepted the invitation, surprised at the gently moving surface. “Oh, I thought it would move more.”

“It’s semi-waveless,” Dar explained. “There are these little foam baffles inside, and the water gets trapped in there, so it doesn’t move around much.”

She patted the surface. “See?”

Kerry settled down. “Mmm. Wow, this is comfortable.” She had plenty of space around her and a nice soft pillow. Her anxiety eased and she relaxed, watching as Dar reached up and turned off the overhead lamp.

“You okay?” The low, vibrant voice cut through the darkness.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kerry answered sleepily. “G’night.”

Dar put her hands behind her head and gazed up at the unseen ceiling.

240 Melissa Good

“G’night.” A peaceful silence fell, and Dar waited for sleep to claim her, tired, but very conscious of the warm body nearby. What a day. She shook her head in mild disbelief. Her life was changing, shifting so fast she hardly knew what to do about it. In the space of a single day, of a single night, really, she’d suddenly acquired a facet in her life she never would have expected, but now that she had it, she was wondering how she’d ever lived without it.

The bed shifted gently; she felt Kerry’s warmth move closer, and a grin appeared. It took another ten minutes, then she felt a touch against her and she sidled over, closing her arm around the sleeping woman, who nestled closer immediately, tucking an arm around her waist, and relaxing with a sigh as she nuzzled Dar’s shoulder.

It felt wonderful. Dar’s eyes closed, and this time, she welcomed the dreams.

THEY WERE OUTSIDE a waterfall this time. She was looking out over a small ledge thick with moss, above a deep pool that caught the falling water with a dull roar.

It was mid-afternoon, and the weather was perfect—nice and cool, but sunny. Other than the water, the only sounds she could hear were birds, and a few small rustles that might have been squirrels around them. Otherwise it was quiet enough to hear the leaves growing.

Warmth stirred against her, and she glanced down to see a blonde head tucked against her shoulder and one tanned hand resting on her stomach, a surface a good deal more toned than she could recall herself being since she’d stopped competing in tournaments a few years back.

It was Kerry...and yet, it wasn’t. The hair, though disheveled, was styled differently, and the hand resting on her bore a small scar in the half moon between forefinger and thumb that wasn’t familiar. The body resting against her was darker, and more muscular as well. She could feel the solid weight of it and the rippled curves under the arm she had wrapped around the smaller woman.

Strange. And not. A roughly woven blanket covered them from the hips down, and despite the uneven surface, she felt very comfortable and totally relaxed.

She watched a butterfly flutter down, its yellow and black wings in a stark contrast to the green around them. It lighted on a flower, pale pink and salmon, that swayed gently under the weight of the insect. Its wings were spread for balance, and she watched them almost hypnotically as they opened and closed, seeing the odd, dark eyes on each one.

She looked straight up and saw a hawk, coursing through the upper canopy and arching its body to land. A feather floated down, wisps of brown and tan, and landed on the blanket over her thigh.

Then the sound of the water lulled her back into sleep.

Dar slowly became aware of her surroundings, a mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar, as the well-known comfort of her waterbed combined with the wonderful sensation of someone hugging her. She let her eyes drift open, and saw the muted reflection of sunlight coming through the drawn blinds, sending tiny stripes across her body as well as Kerry’s.

The blonde was in the same position in which she’d fallen asleep last Tropical Storm 241

night, or, to be more precise, earlier that morning, curled up tightly against her left side with one arm thrown across Dar’s middle. Just like the dream, she mused. Except they were in a bed, in an apartment in Miami, fully dressed, of course, not naked somewhere in the forest outside a damn waterfall.

What a strange dream. Dar shook her head faintly, then craned her neck to examine Kerry’s hand, where she’d seen the scar in the dream. Nothing but smooth skin met her eyes, and her brows creased in puzzlement. What was that all about? Why would she imagine something like that? Weird. Very weird.

She dismissed the images and turned her attention to the present. Where their bodies met, she could feel Kerry’s living warmth, and she almost stopped breathing when the younger woman’s hand moved, lightly stroking her stomach through the fabric that separated them. She closed her eyes, savoring the touch and trying not to think about how long it had been since she’d allowed herself to want what she wanted with Kerry.

Not sex. Well… Her lips twisted a little. Not sex, but closeness, that trust between two people she’d only known twice in her lifetime, and twice…twice she’d learned a hard lesson. Everyone has their own agenda, Dar. Nobody gives for giving’s sake, just to get something back. Something they want. Something from her. After that, she’d stopped trusting. You wanted sex? Sure, she could do that. It didn’t mean a goddamn thing one way or the other. But nobody got inside, nobody got to where it would hurt if they turned out to be scum, or if they walked away, or if they told her thanks, but they’d gotten what they wanted and now she meant nothing. No. Twice was enough. And yet here she was, after all those years, thinking about trusting again. About letting Kerry inside, letting her get hold of the little bits and pieces of vulnerability that were left in there, and trusting her not to scrape them raw again.

She hardly even knew Kerry. What am I thinking of? Hell, she didn’t even know if she was capable of it anymore, never mind if it was a good idea. She sighed, and looked at the clock. Eleven. Well, I got a few hours of sleep, anyway.

Better get up and see what’s going on at the office, and…

Kerry nestled closer, making a soft sound of contentment, her breath warming Dar’s skin through the cotton. It felt so good—the touch of her skin, the smell of her. It was like drowning. She tightened her arm around Kerry and exhaled softly. Unexpectedly, she found her eyes drifting shut as her body relaxed against Kerry’s, the younger woman’s peaceful somnolence coaxing her back into sleep. No sense in forcing the kid to wake up. She worked hard last night, right? A few more minutes won’t hurt.

Kerry realized where she was before she opened her eyes this time. She caught her breath, but resisted panic when she felt the secure hold wrapped around her and realized Dar knew she was there, and hadn’t minded. So she relaxed and enjoyed the sensation, her head pillowed on a very nice shoulder and her ear pressed against Dar’s chest, letting her senses absorb the closeness, and the distinctive scent of her—faint traces of perfume, of soap, the clean cotton smell of her pajamas. Each one was ordinary, but in combination they painted a unique portrait of her new friend. Kerry decided she liked it.

She could hear the heartbeat, slow and steady, and feel the movement as 242 Melissa Good Dar breathed, and decided it was a really comforting sound to wake up to. She opened her eyes and shifted a little, peering up at the angular face above her to see Dar completely relaxed in sleep.

Jesus…she looks so young like that, Kerry mused in faint surprise. Without the wary intelligence that so characterized Dar’s face, and the tensions life had put there, she appeared no older than Kerry herself, and the blonde woman found herself wondering just how true that was. Surely someone who was in a position like hers had to be older, had to be more experienced. Right? And yet, there was no hint of silver in that dark head, and the creases along her eyes were those Kerry had seen in even the youngest adults in Miami, from the constant squinting into the brilliant sunlight. It would be easy enough to find out, of course. Just send a query for her graduation date from public school into the Dade County archives.

Her more practical side tapped her on the shoulder. Or you could just ask. I mean, Jesus, Kerry, you’re practically sleeping on top of her. I don’t think she’d mind you asking how old she is. She put her head back down with a wry smile . I’m not sure this is how it’s supposed to work, though. Aren’t you supposed to go through stages like meeting, dating, having drinks, going to parties in large groups, before you end up sleeping together?

She let her fingers flex gently against the soft surface. She could feel the bumps that were Dar’s ribs moving under her hand and found her thumb rubbing the skin that sloped down towards her navel. It didn’t feel strange to be touching her like this. In fact, it seemed so normal to her it was sort of scary.

How had the barriers that existed between any two people broken down so quickly between them? Kerry was a touch-sensitive person in any case. She spoke with her hands, and she tended to reach out and make contact with whoever she was dealing with, but this… It was almost like they’d known each other for a long time, it was that kind of comfortableness. Weird.

She absently traced a line down Dar’s belly. Oh well, I always was a fast learner. I hope I can learn fast enough, though. I have absolutely no idea in the world what to do with her beyond kissing. I wonder if there are books, she mused, considering the thought. She let Dar’s warm scent enter her lungs. I bet I can find something on the Internet. Let’s see… Yahoo, Search, keyword: Sex and women but not kinky. Response: We have found six zillion seven hundred million references, please refine your search parameters. Kerry giggled softly to herself.

“What’s so funny?”

The low, vibrant voice rumbled through the surface on which her head was resting. Kerry managed not to jump, but she glanced up to see sleepy blue eyes regarding her in amusement. “Um…” She muffled another giggle.

“Didn’t mean to wake you up. It was nothing, really. I was…just, um, thinking of cartoons.”

Both dark brows lifted. “Cartoons?” Dar’s voice replied in disbelief.

“Yeah, you know, like Space Ghost.” Kerry thought fast. “Did you know he interviewed Emeril Lagasse the other night?” She started to back away. “I have no idea why we always end up like this. I don’t, um…”

“Hey.” Dar patted her back. “It’s okay, you just do it in your sleep. It doesn’t bother me.” She released the smaller woman, though, sensing her Tropical Storm 243

discomfort. They had time, and Kerry was going to need it, to get used to the physical dimension they were developing. That was all right. It was going to take Dar some getting used to also.

Kerry rolled over onto her back and stretched. “You’re right though—it is comfortable.” She smiled at Dar. “I’ll have to think about getting one of these.” Then she sighed. “After I figure out what I’m going to do about my parents.”

Dar rolled onto her side, and cocked her head. “Your parents? What do they have to do with a waterbed?” she inquired curiously.

Kerry remained silent for a moment, then she looked up. “They’re putting a lot of pressure on me to come home.” She paused in thought. “And I’m not going to go. It’s just that I have to find a way to tell them without causing a family nuclear holocaust.”

Dar scratched her nose. “They still want you to marry that guy?” Her blue eyes watched Kerry’s face intently.

The blonde woman nodded grimly. “Oh yeah. Brian is graduating from law school this semester. He’ll be done by the holidays, and that…was what they were waiting for.”

“I take it they don’t know you, um…” Dar gestured between the two of them.

“Uh, no.” Kerry winced. “That’s a relatively new development.” A pause.

“I, um, I mean, I always just did what everyone else does—the prom, the whole deal—but I never really…I mean, I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was, you know?”

Dar muffled a grin. “I know.” She gave Kerry an understanding look.

“Been there, done that.”

Kerry smiled at her. “Yeah, I guess you have. So…when I moved down here, everything was just so different. And one Saturday a bunch of my new friends took me to South Beach.”

“Oh.” Dar clapped a hand over her mouth. “I guess that was a revelation.”

“For someone from Saugatuck? Uh huh.” Kerry started to laugh and then exhaled. “Most outlandish thing I’d seen until then was the Saugatuck Duck Festival. Let’s just say my horizons were considerably broadened that weekend.”

“C’mon, Kerry, even in Saugatuck I’m sure there were gay people.” Dar chuckled.

“Well, sure. In fact, when I think back, and I know now what I was seeing, I can remember that. But no one talked about it. It was kept, like the cliché, in the closet,” Kerry explained. “Certainly, in my family, it wasn’t discussed.” She exhaled. “But then I…well, it took me a while, but I eventually figured out what I was feeling, and why I was having such a hard time dealing with the thought of settling down with Brian and having a couple of kids.”

“That must have been rough for you,” Dar sympathized. “My father guessed, and he took me aside one day and talked to me about it. I had already figured it out, so it was kind of a relief.”

Kerry looked at her. “He didn’t mind?”

A shake of the dark head. “No. That surprised me. I’d been scared to tell 244 Melissa Good him, because he was military, and you know that doesn’t really breed liberal thinking. But when I think about it now, knowing what he was…I shouldn’t have been surprised.”

Kerry got off track. “What was he?” she asked softly.

“Navy Seal.” Dar smiled at her wide-eyed reaction.

“Wow. I can’t imagine what that would be like.” Kerry breathed. “It would be…very different for me. They wouldn’t understand that.”

“Ah.” Dar nodded. “That’s tough.” She thought a moment. “Certainly your career is more likely to advance here than in Michigan. The Troy office really doesn’t do what you’re good at.”

Kerry sat up and crossed her legs, pushing her hair behind her ears.

“They don’t care about that. My mother left this message on my machine last night that said I could get some secretarial position in the Troy office, so I could keep my little hands busy while I waited to get pregnant.”

“What?” Dar leaned forward. “Kerry, did anyone tell them this is the 1990s, going on the year 2000?”

“Not in my family,” she responded quietly. “I think they’re firmly entrenched in the 1940s.” Kerry nibbled her lip. “I could just tell them, I guess.”

“Maybe you should start slow…like telling them you’re staying in Miami first,” Dar replied, reasonably. “Before you spring the ‘I’m not marrying what’s-his-face’ and ‘oh yeah, by the way, I’m dating my boss’ on them.” she added with a wry smile. “Before you add, the ‘and she’s a woman.’ ”

“Mmm, you’re probably right,” Kerry acknowledged. “Though I’d get a point for dating my boss, for all of the twenty seconds or so it would take him before he remembered who that was.” It‘s a tempting thought, though.

“You…aren’t close with your father, I take it?” Dar asked gently.

Kerry stared at the wall, holding down the wave of sick reaction. “You could say that,” she finally muttered.

Dar leaned forward and took her hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll think of something,” she promised. “Hell, worst comes to worst, I’ll route his IRS

records to MSNBC.”

Kerry rolled her eyes. “That would be hilarious, but useless. He’s a pillar of moral rectitude. I doubt he even claimed us as dependents until we were a year old, just to prove we were viable.” She sighed. “But thanks, Dar. It helps just to talk to someone about it.” She gave her boss a smile, and squeezed the fingers holding hers. “And I’ll keep your threat in reserve.”

Dar laughed, then rolled over and stretched, arching her back and extending both arms out. “Okay. Well, now that it’s afternoon…” She shook her head at the ceiling. “I guess I’d better check on the office. I’m sure there’s going to be a half dozen emergency staff meetings tomorrow to discuss why our fallback procedures—which don’t exist—don’t work.”

Kerry considered that, and considered all the undone things she had to do at home, and sighed. She’d rather spend the day here with Dar. “Listen, why don’t we get together next weekend sometime?” she suggested regretfully. “Since I wasn’t home the last few days, I have a ton of laundry and everything else to do.”

Dar felt a jolt of disappointment, but knew Kerry was right. They both Tropical Storm 245

had things to do, and a new week of work to prepare for. “Sounds like a good idea,” she admitted. “Much as I hate to admit it. Are you still interested in the gym? That class starts on Wednesday.”

Kerry had almost forgotten about that. “Oh, right! Absolutely. God, yes!

If I keep hanging around with you, I’m going to need it desperately.” She gave Dar a grin. “Thanks for reminding me.”

The executive rolled out of bed and stood up. “Well, let’s get going then. I think I have some extra Frosted Flakes if you’re interested.”

“See what I mean?” Kerry shook her head and laughed as she joined the taller woman.