by Melissa Good
“You would have scandalized my friends.”
“Didn’t you want me to?” One of Dar’s brows lifted.
Kerry chuckled.
“We’ve come a long way.” Dar straightened up and turned, much as she had that night and gazed at Kerry. “Thanks for deciding to share my life, even though it’s been a roller coaster the last few years.”
Kerry gently put her hand on Dar’s cheek, then leaned closer and kissed her. “Pleasure’s been all mine.” She took a breath of the cool, salt tinged air and let her hand drop to grasp Dar’s. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You found one you haven’t yet?” Dar’s eyes twinkled gently.
“I’m serious. I thought about it when we were driving out here,” Kerry said. “Are you letting me push you into doing something you don’t really want to do, Dar?”
Dar looked puzzled.
“Do you really want to quit?”
“Ah.” Dar leaned on her elbows, the breeze ruffling her hair. “You know what I think?” She turned her head and regarded Kerry, seeing the lines of tension along her jaw as she clenched it. That made her pause, especially when Kerry’s eyes drifted off and didn’t meet hers.
“Ker?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey.” Dar moved closer and reached over to give her a tickle on the tip of her nose, waiting until Kerry looked up at her. “Yes,” she said. “I think you’re forcing me into this. Ah ah ah!” She put her finger on Kerry’s lips, reading in her body language an emotional explosion she didn’t want to trigger.
Kerry went still, watching her intently.
“It’s a good thing,” Dar said. “Left to my own devices, I’d stay in the same program until someone pushed my off button.” She smiled wryly. “You started changing me the minute we met. I don’t regret that, Ker. Honestly.” She draped her arm over Kerry’s shoulders and bumped her. “Let’s walk and talk.”
She felt the tension in Kerry’s body relax a little, as they strolled along the wooden walkway, empty at this time of night except for themselves. The silence went on for a while, only the rustle of the palm trees and the rush of the surf echoing softly.
“I just feel so adrift,” Kerry said, suddenly. “I can’t even focus on stuff at work, Dar. It all feels so...I don’t know.”
“Mm.”
“Maybe I need to just step down,” Kerry said. “Just go do something else.”
They walked along for a little while, as Dar chewed that over. It was hard for her to determine exactly how she felt about it. On one hand, she wanted Kerry to be happy. On the other hand, she didn’t want to have to replace her, and have to deal with someone else in her position.
On a third hand, it occurred to her that she’d walked away from work without a thought today and maybe all her arguing with her ego really had no point. “I’d like us to go out together,” she finally said. “Can you hang in there for me a little while so we can get things tied up?”
Kerry studied her profile. “Do you really want to leave? Level with me, Dar.”
“I do,” Dar responded easily. “Or...let me be more specific.” She smiled with wry self knowledge. “I want to try something else, do something else, be part of something else,” she said. “I just don’t walk away from things easily.”
“You’re loyal.”
“Call it that.”
“It is that,” Kerry said, in a mild tone. “You are a very loyal person. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, Dar.” She paused and regarded the horizon. “I trust you. I don’t want to make you unhappy doing something just to make me happy, you know?”
Dar turned and studied her. “I don’t know. I’d go through endless amounts of unhappiness in order to make you happy.”
Kerry fell silent for a moment. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Dar shrugged lightly and grinned. “I’m not,” she said. “It won’t make me unhappy to go do something else, or travel with you for a year for that matter, and we both know that. I just have to get over my upbringing and realize I don’t run the world and I’m not going to get the satisfaction of saving everyone’s ass every ten minutes.”
Now it was Kerry’s turn to ponder. “You’re really self aware sometimes,” she remarked.
“Yeah. Thinking about how I think gives me a headache though. I’d rather we started kissing again. Or go down the beach and get some ice cream. Seriously, Ker, I’m fine with it.”
Kerry regarded her pensively.
Dar put her arms around her and gave her a hug, lightly scratching her back as she felt Kerry respond and exhale. “Change is a pain in the ass. But we’ll muddle through it.”
“I know.” Kerry finally let it go. “I’ll see what I can do about some networking to find some people brave enough to come do what we do. Maybe that tech seminar next week will stir up some interest.”
“At’s my girl.” Dar patted her on the back. “You do that while I fly to Washington. Get them off my back.”
They started walking back up the boardwalk to the parking lot.
KERRY CAME BACK into the living room with her hot tea to find Dar sprawled on the couch, hands folded on her stomach as she patiently waited for Chino to return with her toy to throw. “Whatcha thinking?” she said.
“What am I thinking?” Dar tossed the soggy green frog across the condo. “What do you think about Roberts Automation as a name for our new company?”
Caught by surprise, Kerry set her tea down and dropped onto the love seat. “Oh. Wow. Hm.” She leaned on the love seat arm. “Yeah. I like that. So you hooked on to that idea?”
Dar nodded. “That took my brain somewhere. Like a dozen things popped into my head about it...what services we can offer, that kind of thing. Hosted services. Why pay for a datacenter, that kind of thing.”
Kerry blinked. “You going to keep a running list for a year?” she asked. “Or can you talk the board into not putting a non compete on you?”
“Me?” Dar eyed her. “That clause doesn’t say anything about you.” Her eyes twinkled. “You can be my front. After all, if they want to split hairs, we’re not legally married.”
“Ah.” Kerry started laughing. “No that’s true.” She sighed. “I could do the startup work. But you know what, Dar? The non compete is not going to be their problem.”
“No?”
“Half the company wanting to come work for us is going to be their problem.”
Chino trotted back over and tossed the soggy frog onto Dar’s chest. “That’s not illegal unless we solicit them.” Dar tossed the frog again, this time onto the love seat. Chino obligingly hopped up next to Kerry and burrowed for it. “Get it, girl.”
“Chino! Ow!” Kerry grabbed her digging paws. “You have claws.”
The dog looked at her in astonishment.
“Here.” Kerry tossed the frog onto her laughing partner’s chest. “Is that ethical, Dar?”
“Is what ethical? It’s a right to work state, Kerry. People have the right to apply and be hired by whatever company they want. So as long as we don’t solicit them, or initiate contact, why couldn’t they come work for us? Besides, don’t you think whoever takes our jobs is going to bring in their own people?”
Kerry picked up her tea and sipped it. “Well,” she said. “I think there are a lot of people who are actually loyal to us, not the company.”
Dar nodded, tossing the frog at the sliding glass doors, watching it bounce off. “Listen, the benefits ILS pays are good. We won’t be able to match that for a long time, so in the end, people will balance what they need, with wanting to come with us. Don’t worry about it.”
A knock on the door surprised them both, and sent Chino gallumping toward it, almost bowling Kerry over as she inadvertently got in the way.
Dar got up from the couch and skirted the table, getting to the door before Kerry could recover from her impact with Chino. She opened it to find her parents there. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Ceci had her hands in the pockets o
f a patchwork leather jacket of many colors. “Can we come in?”
“Sure.” Dar stepped back to let them enter. “What’s up?”
“We all are going to haul up out of here, wanted to give you a heads up,” Andrew said. “Them people at the Navy will not stop bothering with me.”
“What?” Kerry evaded the circling Chino. “What do they want from you, Dad? You’re retired.”
Andrew and Ceci took a seat on the couch. “Ah do know that, kumquat. But them folks are working hard to get ever’body to sign back up to go mess around ovah there.”
“That makes no sense,” Dar said.
“As if the government ever does make sense?” Ceci said. “Anyway, we’re going to take the boat and go cruise around the islands for a couple of months. Let them go bug someone else.”
“Good idea,” Dar said. “I might have to join you if I can’t shake off the feds when I fly out there on Thursday.” She crossed her arms. “When you get back, want to come work for me?”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to solicit existing ILS employees, Dar.” Kerry head-butted her in the back.
“My father and you don’t count.”
“You two going to finally set up your own shingle?” Ceci said. “Hey. I could be your receptionist.”
Andrew started laughing.
“Hey!” Ceci elbowed him.
“Can they make you go back in the Navy, Dad?” Kerry perched on the arm of the love seat.
Andrew stopped laughing and frowned. “Jackass,” he said. “Ain’t got sense to go pull some farm boys in do a better job than me now.”
Ceci also looked serious. “Actually, Kerry, they can. Now, technically because of his record they shouldn’t, but that hasn’t stopped them from calling, and we’d rather just avoid the question. If they can’t find him, they can’t twist his arm either.”
“That kinda sucks. I’m going to miss you guys,” Kerry said. “But if the government tries to draft Dar, maybe we’ll join you.”
Both sets of parental eyes swung from her to Dar. “They really bothering you, Dardar?” Andrew asked, mildly.
Dar shrugged. “Same guy wants to talk to me, has something he wants to ask. I said I’d go up there and talk to him, and swing by Gerry Easton’s.”
“That does not sound good.” Andrew frowned. “That was some big old mess they got into.”
“Doesn’t much matter. I can take notes to pass on to my successor,” Dar said. “Because I’m going to make it clear to both of them that they’ll need to deal with them if they want something done. Kerry and I will be busy relaxing and planning the startup of our new gig.”
“Roberts Automation,” Kerry said, a moment later. “We were just talking about it before you got here. Got a nice ring, doesn’t it?” She got up. “Can I get you guys some tea? Or a soda?”
“Sure.” Ceci also got up. “Let’s both go.” They headed off into the kitchen, leaving Dar and Andy behind.
“Yeah,” Ceci said, as she removed a couple of cups from the cabinet. “The last straw was Andy’s old commander leaving a message on the boat voice mail. He was filing a float plan before I stopped sputtering.” She leaned against the counter. “We’re parked in your backyard there. We’re going to stay overnight then leave in the morning. Didn’t even want to overnight at South Pointe.”
“Wow.” Kerry pushed her hair behind her ear as she waited for the water to boil. “I can’t believe they’d do that to him.”
“Oh, I can,” Ceci responded. “I don’t have any illusions about the service. I never begrudged Andy his love for it, but I never shared it. Bottom line, you’re a number.”
Kerry measured some tea leaves into a strainer and set it into a pot. “Am I really going to be giving tea to Dad, or would he rather have chocolate milk?”
Ceci chuckled. “He actually likes iced green tea as long as I dump enough honey in it. But yeah, he’d probably do better with milk. This whole thing’s got him ticked off.” She went to the refrigerator and opened it, studying the interior. “That milk dispenser cracks me up every time.”
Kerry smiled. “The first time I saw it, I was like, what the heck is this?” She poured the water over the leaves. “Now I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t have one.”
Ceci came back with the milk, stirring some chocolate syrup into it. “So I hear you’re considering a name change?” She eyed Kerry.
“I filed my papers today,” Kerry said, with a smile. “I really didn’t think it would be as easy as it was, but apparently as long as you’re not doing it to avoid the law, it’s pretty simple.”
“Well, I never regretted it,” Ceci said, firmly. “I don’t think this is something you had to do, but y’know, kid, I’m glad you are.”
Kerry’s smile broadened. “Me too. It’s change time, you know? I can just feel it. I’m glad Dar’s jazzed about starting up the new company. I know she feels a lot of responsibility for ILS.”
“I’ll tell her the same thing I told Andy. Don’t waste time being loyal to corporations or government. They’ll never return it,” Ceci said. “The only thing that’s due loyalty is people.”
Kerry handed her a cup. “Two peas in a pod.” She indicated the living room. “And to be honest, if I wasn’t leaving, I’d be on my knees begging her to stay, so I can’t say I blame the board.”
“I bet,” Ceci said. “But she’d be an idiot to. She’s done all she can there. Can’t go higher, if what I read about corporate structure is true.”
“Well...”
“Kerry, it’s true,” Ceci insisted. “Andy’s the same way, and Dar’s come from a very long line on both sides of stubborn traditionalists.”
Kerry eyed her skeptically.
“They skipped a generation with me.” Ceci grinned a little. “But I remember banging my head against the wall with the two of them wanting to find people who dropped pennies in the street to return them.”
“Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to egg her into doing something just because I want to,” Kerry said. “I know she doesn’t care, but I spent my whole life before meeting her being egged into doing things and I feel kinda skunky doing that to her.”
“Don’t.” Ceci’s expression went serious. “I mean it, kiddo. She’d stay because she thought it was the responsible thing to do. Sometimes it ain’t.”
Kerry toasted her with Dar’s cup of milk, and they proceeded back into the living room where they found Dar and Andrew poring over a map of the Caribbean. “What are you two up to?”
Dar stood up and accepted the milk. “I told him to go hang out at that place we went to.” She pointed at the map. “That place on St. John?”
“Oh yeah!” Kerry circled around her and leaned on the table. “That was a pretty cool place. Once the hurricane left.”
“And we stopped chasing pirates,” Dar said.
“And you all stopped getting into hellacious trouble,” Ceci added.
“Hm.” Kerry regarded the map. “Maybe you should go to Bermuda instead.”
IT FELT GOOD to climb into their waterbed, and settle under the cool cotton sheets, as the warmth of the heated water cradled her body. Kerry exhaled, and consciously tried to relax as she waited for a handful of Advil to take effect. “What a pain in the butt.”
“You have cramps in your butt?” Dar ambled into the bedroom, turning off the lights and crawling into the other side of the bed. Want me to see if I can fix that?”
Kerry chuckled. “You’re such a goof sometimes.” She felt the bed shift as Dar came closer, then a gentle touch against her skin as she was enfolded in a hug.
No words. Dar wasn’t much for them. But Kerry felt the affection soak into her skin as she relaxed against Dar and finally felt a moment of peace after the long and somewhat stressful day. “We didn’t play with our new gizmos,” she said, feeling Dar’s body move in a faint laugh. “I’ve got meetings all day tomorrow, let’s text each other the whole time.”
Dar laughed harder
“Take the day off,” Dar said. “You’re going to have to hold the fort down when I leave for Washington.” She started a gentle massage down Kerry’s back.
Kerry had opened her mouth to protest, then paused. Then she sighed. “I committed to hanging in there until we’re out of here, Dar. I can’t really just not show up for work, especially since we both flaked out this afternoon.”
“You could hang out here and start looking up how to set up our new company.” Dar said, undeterred by the demurral. “And...hey, how about finding out if we could rent an RV for our drive around the Grand Canyon.”
“An RV, what kind of RV? Like a trailer?” She felt Dar’s powerful hands working at a knot in her lower back. “You just want to skip out on sleeping in a tent.”
“And you don’t?”
“I’d like to try one night in a tent,” Kerry said. “I’ve never slept in a tent. The closest I ever came was sleeping in the Dixie during that power outage.”
“We can sleep in a tent when we do that white water rafting trip,” Dar continued, working her way around Kerry’s body, ending up easing her thumbs in circles just below her navel. “And we’d better time that right cause I was reading that folder they sent us and you’ve got to pack everything in and out with you.”
Kerry studied her shadowed face, the light from the digital clock just bringing out faint highlights. “Huh?” Her face scrunched. “Oh. Ah. Yeah,” she said. “Let’s time that right, and speaking of timing...”
Dar sighed. “Yeah. I’ll be bleeding all over Washington.”
“Well.” Kerry, finally, relaxed. “At least my PMS is over, so maybe I’ll be less of a nut case. Maybe I should come with you to Washington. You can go bleed on the Pentagon, and I’ll tell my mother I’m changing my name. Think that’ll get them to leave us alone?”
“Hehehe,” Dar snickered, almost into her ear.
“Then we can go kiss on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Did I tell you I found out about all that log cabin stuff?” She felt Dar’s body shaking with laughter. “Holy pooters, Dar, I should have joined that years ago! Where the hell was I? I should go visit their offices in DC and apologize for my father.”