They entered Macy’s and moved quickly past the fragrance counter, which tended to be overwhelming. Dar took the lead and slipped between several aisles, arriving in the section that featured understated, classic business clothing.
“Mmm.” Kerry fingered a silk blouse. “That’s nice.”
Dar took a breath and took charge. “Okay, let’s see.” She wandered the racks and rifled through their offerings, then picked out a skirt and jacket set in a rich blue green. “Something like this would be fine.” She paused and her brows creased. “Oh…here, with this kind of shirt.” She pulled a cream-colored silk blouse over. “Get the idea?”
Kerry touched the label, then checked the size. She gave Dar a perplexed look. “Did you pick this by chance, or did you guess what size I am?”
The older woman allowed a grin to surface briefly. “Let’s just say I have a good three-dimensional spatial sense.”
“Ah.” Kerry’s brow creased. “Is it contagious?”
Dar chuckled. “I know what size I am and calculated down.” She relented.
Kerry glanced at the outfit. “Well, let me try this on just to check the size.
You can never tell with these designers.” She accepted a tag from the fitting room guardian and slipped inside a closet, hanging the outfit up and gazing at it. “Not bad, actually,” she mused, liking the color.
It took a moment to pull her clothes off and slip into the skirt, zipping it up and adjusting the waistline a little. It hugged her hips and maintained a fairly straight line, which she preferred to pleats. Then she put on the silk blouse, smiling as the cool fabric warmed against her skin, and tucked it into the skirt, putting on the jacket over both of them. She settled the clothes, then surveyed the results in the mirror.
Hmm. Don’t I look stuffy
. She made a face at herself in the mirror
. But then
that building is pretentious, so
… With a sigh, she poked her head out the door and spotted Dar lounging against the wall, watching the people go by. The executive looked anything but, in her faded jeans and salmon-colored shirt, which was tucked into the braided leather belt clasped around her waist. Her dark hair was loose and uncomplicated, flowing free around her shoulders, and she had on a minimum of make-up, which suited her tanned skin. “Hey,”
Kerry called softly.
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Dar’s eyes shifted from the crowd to her, the pale blue startling as always. A dark brow lifted, and a look of approval crossed her face. “Yep, that’s the ticket.” The executive nodded. “What do you think?”
Kerry walked forward, twitching at the fabric. “Well, I think I feel like a librarian, but…”
Suddenly, startlingly, Dar smiled, showing even, white teeth and the faintest of twinkles in her pale eyes. “Dade County should be that lucky,” she remarked wryly. “Literacy would go up, that’s for sure.”
Kerry smiled back, a little confused.
Am I being complimented? It’s hard to
tell.
“Okay. Well, I get the idea here. A few more and, um…if you have other things to do, don’t bother hanging around. I really appreciate you coming all the way up here, though, Dar.”
Dar glanced around, then folded her arms. “Tell you the truth, I had to come up here anyway. There are a few things in Lord and Taylor’s I needed to pick up, and I should get one or two new blazers myself.” She considered for a moment. “We should probably chat for a few minutes before tomorrow anyway. How about we finish up here, then grab a sandwich over in the new wing, so we can sit down and talk?”
Kerry blinked. “Um…”
Well, sure. She’s my new boss, it makes perfect sense
.
“Sure, that sounds fine. I’ve got some questions and things I should ask, and that kind of thing.”
“Good.” Dar nodded briskly. “Come on then, let’s get the rest of your stuff picked out.”
KERRY LOOKED AT the menu, then glanced across the table at Dar who was peering up at the ceiling, observing a large stuffed cheetah perched over their heads. A rumble of thunder rolled around them, and she thought it was real, then realized it was part of the ambiance of the restaurant.
The Rainforest Café was definitely different. Small trickles of water were everywhere, and a gentle mist rose from the planter behind her. Off to one side, a trio of colorful birds were being coaxed through tricks by a red-shirted attendant, and they were surrounded by cave-like walls and thick jungle foliage.
Dar reached up and touched the cheetah’s tail, and, as if by cue, the animal let out a mechanical roar, causing the executive to jerk her hand back in startlement. She scowled, then looked across at Kerry, who was biting her lip to keep from smiling. “You think it’s funny, huh?”
Kerry cleared her throat. “Um. No, no. I make it a point never to laugh at my boss.” She kept her eyes on the menu, which was interestingly eclectic and tempted her with a long list of tasty treats she seldom allowed herself to indulge in.
Dar had no such compunctions. She glanced up and folded her hands on the table as a perky young waitress came over. “Do you like iced tea?” she inquired.
Kerry nodded. “Sure.”
“Bring a pitcher of iced tea and an appetizer combo to start,” the executive instructed the waitress. “Then come back in a few minutes.” She
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waited for the girl to leave. “I figured that was pretty safe. I’ve never eaten here, but I’ve heard good things about the food.”
Kerry gave in, and decided to just make it up with an extra hour of riding tomorrow. “Yeah, it all looks good.” She settled happily on a spicy pasta dish and closed the menu, glancing across at Dar with a fading sense of trepidation. It was hard to believe she’d ever been intimidated by the taller woman, not sitting here across from her here in a fake jungle with soft lights that framed Dar’s angular profile nicely.
Her face is very interesting
, Kerry thought. It was almost always moving, little muscles shifting under her skin like she was watching things. Her hands moved a lot too, playing with the menu, with the silverware, and with the tiny drink-table tents that announced specials. Kerry wondered if Dar wasn’t a little nervous or uncomfortable, because she certainly was, but it was hard to tell. Maybe the woman just naturally fidgeted. She seemed the restless type.
In addition to the swelling and bruising across her right knuckles, her hands had a few little scars on them, and she wasn’t wearing any rings. They were fairly good-sized, with long fingers and short, unpolished nails. As someone else who used a keyboard all day, Kerry could appreciate that, and in fact, unless she was going out, she kept hers the same way.
Dar’s wrists were thicker in proportion to her own, though, and as the executive moved, even in the low light she could see the shift of muscles just under her skin. It was an impression of strength that intrigued the younger woman, as it was so at odds with the corporate mentality she’d been expecting. Vice presidents were pasty white men who sat in plush offices all day and smoked cigars. They weren’t…well, they weren’t Dar Roberts.
“Excuse me?” Kerry looked up, realizing Dar had spoken to her. “I’m sorry. I missed that?”
Dar cocked her head and regarded her. “What I said was, you can expect a few weeks where you’ll need to settle in and get used to things.”
Kerry nodded. “All right, I kind of thought that was the case. Besides, I need a week to put someone in my position. I know I was thinking of Ray, but this all happened so fast, I didn’t have a chance to talk to him about anything.”
Dar nodded. “Good. Spend a day or two there clearing things up while I get paperwork and a place for you to sit straightened out at the office. Maria is going to kill me for dumping a new hire on her plate first thing on a Monday morning.”
Kerry wasn’t sure what response was required for this information, so she just pursed her lips into a hesitant smile.
“Maria is my secretary,” Dar explained, seeing the expression.
“Oh.” The green eyes examined the table, which was covered in a tropical shower-curtain material. “She’s going to be upset, huh?”
“Just for a minute,” the dark-haired woman replied. “Listen, are you sure you want to do this?”
The question had come out of the blue, and caused Kerry to jerk her head up and meet Dar’s eyes. “I…” She fell silent. “I’m sure,” she said after a moment. “I really am.”
Dar exhaled. “This isn’t an easy job. You have to put up with a lot of 78
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stress and a lot of bullshit. I’m not an easy person to be around, or get along with. I want you to know that up front.” Her voice was serious. “You’re a nice kid, and I don’t want you to come back at me two weeks from now saying it’s too much for you.”
Kerry straightened and looked her in the eye, feeling herself wanting to rise to the challenge apparent in Dar’s words. “How nice can I be if I called you a son of a bitch?” she inquired, seeing that sudden, impish glint appear across from her and as quickly disappear. “And I’m not a kid, thanks. I’m twenty-seven.”
Dar studied her openly. “You hated what happened to your company.
Why do you want to become a part of that?” she asked. “You know what I do, Kerry. You saw the raw side of it.”
Kerry studied her back. “I like you.”
Both of Dar’s dark brows rose. “Excuse me?” Her voice rose in some surprise.
Kerry shrugged. “I like you. I think you’re smart, and I think I can learn a lot from you.” She paused. “Where I was, that was as high as I was going. I stopped learning things. It was more like my job was maintaining the status quo. There were new accounts, sure, but I didn’t get to direct that, only provide the support and solutions. This is something a lot different.”
Dar propped her chin up on a fist and regarded her. “I see.”
“My turn.” Kerry took a sip of the iced tea their server put down and blinked at the tray of appetizers. “Mmm.” She picked up a piece of coconut chicken and nibbled it before she continued. “Why me?”
“Hmm?” Dar had taken a stuffed egg roll and was chewing it. Now she looked up and into Kerry’s eyes with slightly raised eyebrows.
A shrug. “A hundred and ten thousand people to choose from, why me?”
Dar stopped eating and flashed her a smile. “I like you.” A hint of humor appeared. “Not one of the other hundred and ten thousand would have had the guts to call me a son of a bitch or tell me to go to hell.”
“Oh.” Kerry blushed. “So that was a plus?”
“I think you’ve got potential, and you aren’t dragging around a lot of baggage I have to get rid of before you’ll be useful,” Dar continued, in a reflective tone. “Besides, you’re probably good with people, which is something I’m lousy at.” She bit into the egg roll and munched it.
“Mmm. Not always,” Kerry replied quietly.
Dar glanced up. “You’re not good with people?” Her voice was surprised.
“You’re not always bad with them,” the blonde corrected, smiling a little at the momentary break in her new boss’s composure. “But I know what you mean. I do get along with people most of the time. I like working out problems, finding different solutions without going head to head, that kind of thing.”
Dar chuckled. “I’d rather break the heads and have done with it.”
Kerry gently touched the bruised hand laying on the table. “So I see.” She removed her fingers when she saw Dar’s flinch at the touch. “Sorry, is it sore?”
“A little.” Dar flexed her hand a bit. “Must have banged it on the car.”
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Kerry just looked at her, a hint of a smile playing around her lips. “I had to pay extra for the screaming Mustang model, too. It makes a great car alarm,” she drawled. “I especially like the option that makes it holler ‘Jesus Christ’ in Spanish.”
Dar held her blank look for a moment more, then surrendered, relaxing into a smile that took five years off her age. “Ah. So my cover is blown, is that it?” She gave her hand a sheepish glance. “I was trying to figure out what horse’s-ass tale I was going to tell the office tomorrow.”
Kerry laughed. “To be honest, I didn’t even realize what was going on until I thought about it last night. I was too shook up before that.” She took a chicken wing and dipped it into a small dish of blue cheese dressing. “It was kind of like living the movie of the week, you know? Here I am, trapped in the bowels of Miami, getting attacked by street punks, when along comes this hero, beating them all up and chasing them away like dogs with their tails caught betw…” She’d looked up and found pale blue eyes staring at her from a very serious face as a hand covered hers with startling warmth. “What?”
Dar leaned forward. “Don’t call me that. I’ve known far too many people who really were.” Her voice went a touch deeper. “They just didn’t want any witnesses, so they took off.”
Kerry gazed at her. “Well, you might know many heroes, but I only know one.” Her chin lifted a trifle. “But I won’t mention it if it bothers you.” The dim lighting made it hard to tell, but the blonde woman thought it was possible her new boss was blushing, just a little.
The waitress arrived, much to both of their relief. “Um, the spicy pasta.”
Kerry didn’t try to pronounce the actual name of it.
Dar cleared her throat. “I’ll have the salmon steak.”
The waitress scribbled. “Vegetables or garlic mashed potatoes?”
“Potatoes, please,” Dar replied. “And some more tea.”
They were both silent after she left, and Kerry took the opportunity to sample some of the rest of the appetizers. She waited until her companion did the same, then finally looked up. “So, tell me about those contracts. I’d at least like to give the TCP/IP group a heads up. I know you said it was the IRS, but…”
Dar seemed relieved at the change in subject. “Oh, right. Well, it’s their master website. They set up a consumer site to provide tax help and all the forms support. It gets about forty thousand hits a day. The concerns involve mostly bandwidth issues and doc server glitches.”
“Mmm.” Kerry absorbed this.
“The contract specifies hardware and software. You’ll have resources in the local area to dispatch for the hardware. I think we contract out to NCR in that area.”
“Sounds good.” The blonde woman looked intrigued. “What about the other one?”