“Well, well.” Her name and social security number. “Son of a bitch.” She picked up the phone and dialed Mark’s number, waiting as it rang and gave her his voice mail. “Mark, it’s Dar. I need to know where this came from.” She hung up, then put that aside and went to the next message.
The phone buzzed. “Yes?” A touch of impatience entered her voice.
“Dar, it’s Miss Mariana on
numero uno
,” Maria said over the intercom.
“She says urgent.”
The dark-haired woman felt a twinge in her gut. “Okay, I’ll take it.
Thanks.” She drummed her fingers a moment, then pressed the button. “Hi, Mariana, what’s up?”
“Dar, I need to speak with you.” The formality of the tone sent warning bells off in Dar’s head. “Now, please.”
Shit.
“Mariana, I’m in the middle of a dozen fires here. What is it?” she objected warily.
“Please just come down here,” the Personnel VP stated quietly. “I need to show you something.”
Dar sighed inwardly. “All right, I’ll be right over.” She hung up, then stood and shrugged into her jacket, running a hand through her hair to order it. “I can just imagine what this is about,” she muttered softly as she headed 338
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for the door.
Moments later, she was knocking lightly on the frame leading into Mariana’s spacious office, giving the woman a nod as she looked up. “As you requested.”
“Close the door,” Mariana said in a quiet, serious tone.
Dar did so, then walked across the carpet and sat down in the visitor’s chair across from her, pretending a casualness she really didn’t feel. “So, what’s up?”
“I got these delivered via courier.” The brunette tossed a manila envelope over to her.
Dar reached across the desk and lifted the envelope, opening the top and slipping out a stack of 8"x 10" photos. She glanced at the first one and started laughing. “Well, that was predictable.” She leafed through the others, then tossed the pile down in front of her friend. “And?”
Mariana leaned forward. “Dar.” She put a finger on the pictures. “What’s going on?”
Dar also leaned forward. “With what? Ten pictures of two people at Disney World?” She let a touch of incredulity show in her voice. “Is there a problem with that?”
“That’s not two people, Dar. That’s you and an employee of yours,”
Mariana stated quietly. “I need to tell you this is a very serious matter.”
The taller woman let out a snort. “ Get a grip, Mari. It’s not against company policy to have a couple hours off.” Her heart was beating so fast it was making her lightheaded. “What’s the big deal?”
“Dar.” Mariana stood and leaned on her hands. “What’s going on with you? Do you understand what these pictures look like?” She pulled the first one off the top and showed it to her. It was a nice shot, if somewhat fuzzy, of her and Kerry on Space Mountain. Her arms were wrapped snugly around the smaller woman’s body and both of them laughing.
“It looks like two people having a good time,” Dar answered calmly.
“Which is what it was. I’m not sure I like what you’re insinuating.” She stood, letting a little anger show. “Look, I know it’s going to disrupt the entire corporate structure, but it’s just possible there’s someone in my OrgID who actually doesn’t hate my guts. It’s odd, but there you have it. What’s the goddamned problem, Mari?” She realized going on the offensive was her only chance here.
“You’re telling me there’s nothing going on between you?” Mariana shot back. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“No.” Dar answered, her tone dropping dangerously. “There is most certainly something going on. It’s called friendship, Mariana. Or don’t you think I’m capable of that?” she snapped back. “You think every time I talk to someone I have to be sleeping with them, is that it?”
Mariana edged back a little, staring at her uncertainly. “Okay, okay, hold on, Dar.” She put her hands up. “I’m trying to protect you, and more importantly, protect Kerry. It’s my job, remember?” She looked away from the ice cold eyes glaring at her. “So…you’re friends, is that what you’re telling me?”
“Yes,” Dar replied. “I don’t hit it off with many people, Mari. You know
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that. I just got lucky. I can actually spend time with her and not want to strangle her to death. Is that a crime?” Despite her brave words to Kerry earlier, she was shaking inside. Dar knew they were both on the edge of professional disaster, her friendship with the HR VP notwithstanding.
“You spend time together,” the brunette clarified cautiously.
“Sure, been to dinner a few times. We go to the gym together. She’s a nice kid, and I like her a lot,” Dar responded.
The personnel director relaxed a little. “I’m sorry,” she said simply, her hazel eyes finding Dar’s and projecting regret. “Dar, you and I are friends, and I know how isolated you keep yourself. It’s just…” She touched the pictures.
“I got scared for you, okay?” She sighed. “There are people who will take any chance to go after you, and I don’t want to see that happen.”
Dar now relaxed a little and exhaled. “I know.” She shook her head. “You know where those came from?”
Mariana blinked at her. “Disney World, I thought…not sure. Was someone taking pictures of you while you were there?”
“They’re a bit of spiteful malice from Michelle Graver,” Dar responded with a humorless smile. “I wouldn’t sleep with her, so this is her way of replying.”
Mariana jerked back and let out a soft gasp. “You’re joking.”
“No,” Dar answered. “I had to practically throw her out of my car last night,” she said. “She was down for some tourist convention and hooked me into buying her dinner.” Her eyes watched Mari closely. “Figured it came with a roll in the sack, but I wasn’t playing her game. She got pissed.”
“What a little…” Mariana picked up the pictures and looked at them.
“Dar, that’s horrible.”
Dar got up and wandered over to the window, leaning her hands against the glass and peering out. “Yeah, I know.” She snorted softly. “Imagine, I finally develop a conscience, and what do I get for it?” she asked. “I get accused of sleeping with my staff.”
Mariana studied her back, then got up and joined her at the window, putting a hand on her arm. “That wasn’t what I…” She sighed, perplexed at the situation. “Dar, listen, in a strange way, I was halfway hoping it was true.”
Shocked blue eyes turned and gathered her in. “What?”
“I’ve known you for years, and it’s like I hardly know you, Dar. You only let us see tiny bits and pieces of who you are. And I’ve been very worried about you,” the shorter woman said quietly. “They put an enormous amount of pressure on you, and it bothered me a lot to know you really had no one to share that with. Beyond this stupid job, okay?”
Warily, Dar regarded her. “What are you saying?” She crossed her arms and leaned against the glass, the sun slanting in on both of them and bisecting the quiet office.
“Don’t get mad at me.” Mariana put a hand on her arm. “But I’ve seen a big difference in you the last month. And to be completely honest, I was hoping you’d found someone.” She glanced across her office, then met Dar’s eyes again. “Even if that someone was Kerry Stuart.”
Oh, damn it.
I don’t want to lie to her.
Mariana has been my friend for years, but
this…
Dar sighed. She didn’t want the personnel executive to have her own 340
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crisis of conscience, pitting her liking of Dar against her duty to her job. She thought quickly. “I’d had a lot of things on my mind lately…” She chose her words carefully, “…not the least of which has been my health.”
It threw Mariana right off the scent, now her eyes widened in real concern.
“I told you about the headaches. Well, when they checked for that, they found something irregular in my heartbeat,” Dar told her. “I went in for some tests. And believe me, Mari, I was damned scared.”
“Oh my god.” Mariana moved a step closer. “What happened?”
Dar shook her head. “It came out all right. Somehow, I’m not really sure how myself, but it was a cloud that had been over me for a long time. I was damned relieved to be rid of it.” She glanced at the carpet and nudged a bit of the pile with her foot. “I guess that’s why I’ve been a little more relaxed lately.
That and being told I’d better take it easy or risk real problems with those headaches.”
“Dar, you should have told me. I could have…”
“What, arranged for crises to stop happening?” Dar asked mildly. “Those couple days in Orlando came at the right time. It really irks me that someone could take pictures of something so normal and make it seem like we were…”
Dar shook her head sadly. “Damn.” Also true. At the park, neither of them had even really begun to think about a romantic relationship.
Had they? Dar glanced at the top photo and sighed inwardly. How much was she fooling anyone other than herself?
“Dar, don’t worry about it,” Mariana replied soothingly. “I’ll shred them.”
Dar considered that, then let a faint smile cross her lips. “No, let me have them. I have a better idea.”
You think you got me, huh, you little weeble?
“Look, Mari, I’m sorry I yelled. You were absolutely right to call me on this. It could be hell for all of us if it got out of hand.”
Mariana patted her arm. “I could have approached it a little differently. I guess I was just so shocked. Well, not shocked, just…” She walked over, picked up the pictures, and leafed through them, then glanced at Dar, who was gazing out of the window. Her eyes dropped back to the picture on top, seeing the relaxed and happy look on the tall executive’s face as she hugged the blonde Kerry to her. “Anyway, to change the subject, I’m looking forward to dinner tonight. You did remember, right?”
Dar turned and nodded. “I did. And Kerry tells me she accepted your invitation also. It should be a good time.” She pushed off the glass and crossed to her friend, holding a hand out. “Gimme, I’m gonna have the damned things published on the internal web server. Ops monthly newsletter’s about due.”
“What?” Mariana blinked.
“I’ll make sure to e-mail Michelle a copy of the page.” Dar smiled acidly.
“Tch, Dar.” The Personnel VP bit back a grin. “I’ll send her a thank you note, how about that? On letterhead.”
Dar chuckled. “Hey, that’d be a nice touch.” She lifted a hand. “I’ve got a pile of emergencies on my desk. I’ll see you tonight, Mari.”
“Mmm, see you tonight, my friend.” She waved as Dar left, then sat, playing with a pencil in silence for a few minutes. When a soft knock came at
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the door, she called out, “
Entrez-vous
,” and was unsurprised when Duks slipped in. He padded over and perched on a corner of her desk.
“Well?” He raised a brow at her in inquiry.
“Well, I almost got my head handed to me, and I got some very plausible skating of the issue, but you know what, Dukky?”
“What?” He folded his arms across his chest.
They both burst into song. “There’s something there that wasn’t there before!”
The door swung open, and José put his head in. “Was that singing?”
Two solemn faces looked back at him. “What?” Duks asked, his brows rising.
“Singing?” Mariana studied him. “José, use your health benefits and get the ears checked, will you?” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Did you need something?”
The stocky Sales VP gave them an evil look. “My goddamn new regional sales manager, in fact. You going to make me wait until next year?” he complained. “Or do you have to be Dar Roberts to get anything done around here?”
“NO, PETER.” DAR rested one elbow on her desk and closed her eyes.
“I’m not going to release that. They’ll just have to wait.” She held the phone away from her ear as a yell of outrage came out of it. “One more like that and I’m hanging up,” she snapped into the phone. “I don’t have time for this crap.”
“You’re sabotaging me, goddamn it,” he answered in frustration.
“Don’t be stupid,” Dar replied. “Why would I do that? You do a great job of it all by yourself.”
“Bitch.” The phone disconnected and Dar exhaled, grinning wryly.
“Asshole,” she muttered, going back to her screen and plowing through yet another mail. The back door opened, and she glanced up to see Kerry enter, a brown bag in her hands. “Hey.”
The blonde woman came over, putting the bag down and leaning against the edge of the desk. “Hi.” She tugged the edge of her burgundy skirt up and folded her hands.
“What’s that?” Dar nudged the bag with her pen.
“Lunch,” Kerry replied readily. “I had to run out to the bank during mine, and I figured you’d still be buried in here, so…”
Dar poked at the bag again. “It’s not anything with alfalfa sprouts or anything, is it?” She glanced slyly at the smaller woman.
“Oh, yeah, right.” Kerry laughed. “As if. No, it’s a cheesesteak sandwich and spicy fries.” She peered at the screen. “Good grief, I thought I had a lot of mail. What’s all that?”
Dar was investigating her lunch and pulled out a fry, munching on it contentedly. “I’ve been letting things slide for a few days. It all caught up with me today, I guess. Oh yeah.” She pulled the manila folder from her inbox and handed it over. “Look what Mariana got today, from our friend Michelle.”
Kerry pulled the pictures out and sucked in a breath in surprise. “Holy 342
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Christ!” she blurted in surprise. “Where in the… Oh.” She realized they must have been spotted by hidden cameras. “What a pig.”
Dar looked, chewing another fry. “No, that’s Donald Duck.” She pointed at the picture.
Kerry just looked at her. “Who got these?” she asked quietly.
“Mariana.” Dar replied. “I, um, got called on the carpet for them, more or less.”
“Hmmm. Well, it’s not like they’re anything big, or are they? I mean, Jesus, Dar…” Her voice trailed off. “Are we in trouble?”
We.
Dar curled herself around the word, and remembered what Mari had said. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “She thinks there’s something going on.
I…I talked around it more than anything.” Her eyes lifted wryly. “We’re going to have to watch it tonight, though. She’s not easy to fool.”