Kerry nodded, but didn’t speak as she munched.
“Duks—that’s Lou Draefus—and Mariana and I usually team up in senior level meetings. That frustrates Sales and Marketing, because between Finance, Personnel, and Ops... Well, they call us Cerberus behind our backs, speaking of the three-headed dog,” Dar explained between bites. “Duks and I go way back. He was an account-level comptroller when I started, and we found out we worked well together, so they teamed us up on a lot of things. It worked for both of us.”
“Why do you call him Duks?” Kerry asked curiously.
A smirk edged Dar’s face. “It’s a long, embarrassing story involving a gym bag, the artificial lake outside, a duck, and me having to have the carpets on the tenth floor dry cleaned. I won’t go into it.”
“Please don’t,” Kerry spluttered, holding her napkin to her mouth. “I don’t think I could take it. My head may explode.” She cleared her throat.
“Okay, so, Lou, Mariana, and you are a clique.”
Dar considered that. “I guess.” She shrugged. “We know we can depend on each other—at least in the context of running our divisions.” She swallowed. “S and M are natural adversaries. They try to push the boundaries and sell things that sometimes overreach our capacity. It’s my job to not let them do that.” She took a sip of wine, draining her glass, then motioned for the waiter to refill it. “Duks’ number-crunchers have to approve all the contracts. So between us, we have a pretty big stick.”
“Mmm.” Kerry mulled this over, smiling and nodding as the waiter offered to fill her glass. “You have the most clout though, don’t you?”
Dar put a bit of chicken in her mouth and bit down, slicing through it neatly. “I make things happen,” she stated bluntly. “Or not. So I guess I do.”
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Melissa Good
She considered. “It’s a double-edged sword though, because I have to deliver one hundred percent of the time.”
“That’s a lot of pressure,” Kerry acknowledged. “They say Lou and Mariana are lovers. Is that true?”
Silence fell as Dar considered how to answer that. “I’ve never been invited into their bedrooms.”
Kerry flushed. “Sorry, that was an inappropriate question,” she murmured. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry, Dar.”
“No, gossip is a fact of life in a place that size,” Dar sighed. “Any time you have two people who spend a lot of time together, you get that kind of thing spreading around. I’ve heard the rumors, and they are very good friends, but beyond that, who knows?”
“People spend a lot of time wondering.” Kerry shrugged. “Seems kind of counterproductive to me.”
Dar chuckled. “You’d be surprised what’s fair game for speculation. For instance, I heard yesterday that there was something going on between Maria and the night security chief.”
“What?” Kerry’s head jerked up. “Maria’s married!”
A faint smirk. “And your point is?” Dar archly inquired. “Seems she was seen talking to him in one of the supply rooms in a very low voice.”
Kerry snorted. “Bullshit, I was there!” she protested. “She was telling him one of the junior clerks was taking reams of paper out of the building.”
“See?” Dar chuckled. “It’s insidious.”
Kerry’s face sobered. “Maria would be very hurt to find out people were talking about her that way,” she stated quietly. “She’s a very devout woman, and the way she talks about her husband, I think she really loves him.”
Dar smiled. “I think you’re right, which is why I told the person telling me that if I heard it ever again, I was going to root out who was saying it and fire them on the spot.”
“Can you really do that?”
A quietly impish grin transformed Dar’s usually sober face. “No, but everyone thinks I can, and they know I’ve got the guts to.”
The green eyes across from her gentled into something very like awe. “I guess that’s why I don’t hear much gossip about you, huh?” she murmured.
Dar’s face went still for a moment, then she tilted her head to one side slightly. “I’ve had my share,” she commented. “Just not lately.” She watched Kerry from the corner of her eye, catching the blush visible near her neckline.
“I’d like to keep it that way.”
Kerry studied her. “My father’s a senator,” she said. “I grew up knowing how not to tell anyone anything.” Her lips tensed into a tiny smile. “Besides, I think you scare people too much.”
Dar blushed a little under her gaze and dropped her eyes, fiddling with her fork. “The reputation comes in handy sometimes, yes. And, um…I tend to be very protective of my staff, those that stay on, anyway. Most people know that.”
Kerry laughed softly. “Well, I certainly feel safe.” She looked up and met pale blue eyes gazing back at her, and a faint, not unpleasant shiver went down her back. “But I’ll try not to do anything that gets me talked about.”
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“Fair enough,” Dar replied quietly, glancing up as the waiter removed their plates and set down a warm platter with tiny Thai doughnuts and sweet dipping sauce in the center of the table. “We didn’t…”
“No, is come with your dinner,” the man hastened to explain with a little bow.
They exchanged wry glances and Dar shrugged. “Thanks.” She chuckled and picked one up, dipping it in the sauce and tasting it. “Mmm, these are good.”
Watching her enjoyment, Kerry sighed, “I was afraid you were going to say that.” She sampled one. “The one downside to working for you—it’s dangerous for my waistline. You and all your cookies and things.”
Dar stopped and licked her fingers. “I want to make sure you’re not going to blow away if they open the doors up there,” she said, with a little chuckle. “A justifiable concern, I think…if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Kerry stared at her, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Suddenly realizing she’d just stepped into dangerous waters, Dar almost slapped herself. “Um. Just…ah, never mind.” She waved a hand. “Sorry. Loss of brain moment.”
Blonde brows furrowed. “I don’t ‘never mind’ well,” she said apologetically. “Now you’ve got me curious.” She leaned forward a little.
“What?”
Dar mentally cursed herself out. “Um…” She took a breath. “It’s just my opinion, and doesn’t count, but I think you should maybe consider not starving yourself quite so much.” She reached over and took Kerry’s hand, turning it over and putting a thumb against the prominent bones in her wrist.
“It’s probably why you’re so cold all the time.”
It took Kerry several seconds before she could sort through the little speech, mostly because she was focusing on the incredible warmth of the fingers curled around her arm. She studied the tanned skin intently, before she looked up and met Dar’s pale eyes. “Your opinion counts.” She sighed a little, “And you’re probably right. I just get a lot of flak from my folks otherwise, and it’s easier not to have to put up with that.”
Dar released her. “Well, just a thought.” She smiled to ease the tension that had formed. “Maybe I can come up with some healthier snacks upstairs—
broccoli brownies or something.”
Kerry let out a surprised chuckle. “I bet you hate broccoli.” Her eyes twinkled.
A hint of a mischievous look danced across Dar’s face. “Someone once told me it stunted your growth.” She indicated herself. “
I
never touched the stuff.”
The blonde woman relaxed. “How tall are you, anyway? The other day, when we were in the elevator together with all those mirrors, was the first time I realized just how much taller you are than I am.”
“A little over six feet,” Dar acknowledged with a rueful grin. “Without heels,” she added. “Hey, thanks for indulging in my whim to come and eat here. This place is pretty good.”
Kerry sat back with her wine glass and thoughtfully finished off the contents. “Yeah, it really is. I think I can mark it down as a new favorite,” she 112
Melissa Good
said. “Nice to have a friend who likes Thai, too.”
“Definitely.” Dar considered a moment, then interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. “Anytime you want to indulge, just give me a call.”
A quiet smile crossed Kerry’s face. “That’s a deal.”
KERRY MUSED QUIETLY about her evening as she changed out of her work clothes and into a T-shirt and shorts. She glanced up as a soft knock sounded and sighed. “C’mon in.”
Colleen bounded in and put her hands on her hips. “And where have you been, young lady? Don’t tell me the Gorgon has you working late already. I’m telling you, Ker, you can’t let her rope you into those kinda hours.”
“Not exactly.” Kerry chuckled, pulling out her Rollerblades. “I mean, yes, we had a late meeting, but it was down here, and we…I found someone to go eat Thai with me, so I tried out that new restaurant I was telling you about.”
“They sauté cats, y’know,” Colleen advised her, plopping down on the couch and removing her own skates from around her neck. They’d planned to go out skating, and she’d been watching for Kerry’s car. “Not that you can tell what the hell’s in there in any case.”
The blonde woman rolled her eyes. “It was chicken, Col. Just chicken, rice, some stuffed shrimp, and these really nice little doughnuts for dessert.”
She pulled on a skate and tightened the laces. “And it’s Vietnamese that uses cats, not Thai.”
“Mmm-hmm. So, should I be jealous? You’ve got a new friend at work, eh? What’s his name?” Colleen coaxed mischievously. “How’d you con him into dubious restaurants so fast?”
Kerry stopped lacing and rested her hands on her knee before looking up.
“Um. It’s a her, and it’s Dar, and she didn’t need any conning. She likes Thai.”
Colleen’s jaw dropped. “No shit? You were out having dinner with your boss, again?” She clucked under her breath. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d be thinking you were doing some first class butt kissing here.”
“Tch. You’re just pissed because I finally found someone who’ll eat that stuff with me.” She gave a soft laugh. “Besides, she’s kinda fun.”
The redhead slapped her hand to her temple. “I didn’t hear that.” She plugged both ears. “I’m not listening to you tell me that fire-breathing dragon is ‘fun.’ Kerry, this is the bitch who was going to fire you and everyone at Associated two weeks ago, remember?”
Kerry bristled unexpectedly. “Don’t call her that. She was just doing her job.”
“That’s what the Nazis said,” Colleen replied unrepentantly. “I can’t believe you’re sitting here defending her.”
Kerry finished tying her laces, then stood, balancing easily. “It’s different now, Colleen. I understand a lot more about what was going on behind all the decisions she was making. She’s not a bad person.”
“So, it’s okay for her to just fire everyone now?” The redhead stared at her. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“No. Understanding is not the same as agreeing with. It’s just that I can take what she does separate from who she is.”
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Colleen grabbed her head with both hands. “You’re confusing the daylights out of me.”
“Well, put on your skates and let’s get going.” Kerry sighed. “Look, it’s simple—I didn’t like what she did. It’s why I decided to try and join her department, so maybe I could change her mind on things. But I do like who she is, I like her, as a person—regardless of what she does at work. You understand?”
Her friend finished tying off her skates and stood, wobbling a little. “I understand she’s charmed the hell out of you, that’s for sure.” She shook her head. “Just…Kerry, be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you throw yourself into this job, only to have it backfire on you, and have her screw you over.”
She wouldn’t do that.
The words came naturally to her lips, without thought, but Kerry clamped her jaw shut on them, realizing it wasn’t something she could easily explain knowing. “I’ll be careful. I know sometimes things can get ugly, especially at the level she’s at. Thanks for being concerned about me.”
“Mmph,” Colleen grumbled. “Someone’s got to be.” She followed Kerry out the door and down the sidewalk. “So, how’s she treating you up there anyway?”
Kerry swung into an easy rhythm, heading down the paved street.
“Pretty good, really. She keeps sabotaging me with cookies. She thinks I don’t weigh enough.” She gave Colleen a wry look. “We share a lot of the same tastes in goodies.”
“Ah.” Her friend nodded. “Okay, she gets a point then.” She paused.
“But only one, mind you.” She tugged at Kerry’s shirt. “
I’ve
been telling you that for months.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kerry rolled her eyes. “Come on, I’ll race you to the corner.”
KERRY ENTERED THE conference room and gave a smiling nod to the assembled group as she slipped into a chair halfway down the table. It was the first meeting she was going to attend without Dar’s comforting presence by her side, and she was a little nervous. She put her PDA down on the table and glanced around, folding her hands together.
The meeting was to coordinate a project to replace the current technology they were using for their huge intranetwork with a more advanced type, and that affected virtually everyone in the company. Dar had meant to attend, but she was in the middle of straightening out a huge problem affecting the entire West Coast and had told Kerry to just go on, take notes, and not to agree to anything.
Easy enough.
She was a little worried about Dar, though. The morning had started out fine, but after she’d taken care of the day’s urgent morning e-mail, she’d stopped by to check on something and found her boss standing by her window, staring out at the water with a grim expression. Something was bothering her. Even after only two weeks, Kerry could see it plainly. Dar had given her brief answers, a dismissive attitude that had surprisingly hurt. But there was this meeting, and they had work to do, so there was no time for her to ask any more questions.
So she sat here, instead, worrying about someone she barely knew and sitting in a meeting she was barely prepared for. Kerry sighed.
Good thing it’s
Friday
. She glanced up as a tall, bearded man stepped to the head of the table and sat down, shuffling some papers in front of him, then looking at her with an unpleasant frown.