by Melissa Good
“No problem,” the lead driver said. “This stuff went together easy. Not like that cardboard stuff.”
Kerry offered him a folded bill. “I really appreciate it.”
The man glanced down, then up at her with a broad grin. “Lady, so do I.” He motioned to his partner. “Let’s go. We got beer to drink.”
She waited for them to go, then she set her things down on the surface of her new desk and perched on a corner of it. “I think we’re going to like it here.”
Marcus grinned and bounced on the stool. “I think the feeling’s mutual!”
“AHH.” KERRY SPREAD her arms out on their jacuzzi, gazing up at the night sky full of stars. “What a day.”
The doors to the condo slid open behind her, and the smell of chocolate emerged. She glanced to one side to find a steaming cup being set down by her, joined by a plate of freshly cut fruit. “That looks awesome.”
“So do you.” Dar joined her in the tub, settling into the hot bubbling water with a contented sigh. “So, how many goons you think Bridges is going to send to talk to us?” She picked up a slice of apple and munched on it.
“Hopefully not more than we have chairs for.” Kerry closed her eyes and savored the rumble of the bubbles against her skin. “Can you believe it’s been less than a week, Dar?”
“Crazy,” Dar said, glancing at her new cell gizmo as it rang. She reached over and picked it up, then opened it as she saw the caller ID. “Evening, Alastair.”
Kerry slid over to listen.
“Tell Hamilton I say hi,” Dar said. “Yes, the sound you hear is the jacuzzi.”
“Well, glad you’re getting a chance to relax, Dar.” Alastair’s voice came through the speaker. “So are me and Ham, matter of fact. We’re in that steakhouse near the big office. Just got out of the board meeting and I’m of the opinion, Maestro, that I’m owed a beer.”
“He got it for us,” Kerry whispered. “Or he wouldn’t be calling you that.”
Dar covered the mouthpiece and smiled, nodding at her. She then removed her hand. “So what can I do for you gentlemen this evening?”
“Here’s the thing, Dar,” Alastair said. “It took some convincing, but we got the board to agree to your terms. You can go on about your new business, and they’ll finish out the retirement package, including paying you until your resignation date.”
Dar’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “And...I have to do what?”
“Stay clear of the press,” Alastair said. “Don’t solicit existing ILS customers, or employees,” he added. “Except for the two customers who have already approached you, that is. Can’t do anything about that, I suppose.”
Dar and Kerry exchanged a long look. “Alastair, I’ll see what I can do about Gerry and the existing contracts,” she said. “Bridges, that I have limited control over.”
“Understood.”
“Three existing employees are already coming to work for us,” Dar went on. “Two of them solicited us before we left, and I asked Mark Polenti to come with us the night you fired me.”
“And the other two are?” Alastair didn’t sound very surprised.
“Our admins.”
Dar heard Hamilton laugh in the background. “I mean, c’mon, Alastair. I’m probably only going to hire fifty people. You’ve got a quarter million of them.”
“Not me,” Alastair protested. “I’m retired.” He paused a moment. “Well, it is a right to work state, isn’t it? If they come to you, as in, if they resign and decide to go elsewhere, not much we can do about it.”
“True.”
“But, Dar, please, don’t solicit people,” Hamilton’s voice edged in. “Why would you have to? They all want to come work for you and live in your garage. We all know it. You even offered Al a job. I could get a complex.”
“I don’t think I can afford you, Hamilton.” Dar started to smile again. “We’ll be judicious, I promise. I mean, hell, Alastair, we don’t even have benefits or anything set up. Those people aren’t stupid. They have families.”
“I would have come to work for you without benefits,” Kerry commented. “Hell, you were the benefit I was interested in. I didn’t even know what you were paying me until I got my first auto deposit.”
Dar gave her a droll look.
“I heard that,” Hamilton cackled. “And I totally do believe it’s true.”
Dar sighed. “Listen, we don’t have the scope to handle most of ILS’s customers. We’re starting small, and see where it all goes. I’m not out to put them out of business. I just want to make a living.”
“Maestro, do you not realize those men in that boardroom are scared to death of you all doing just that?” Hamilton said. “They’re pissed off because they’ve become used to rolling in the dough based a good part on your work, and now they ain’t got that.”
Dar sighed again. “They’ll find someone. I’m not a rocket scientist.”
“Yes, you are,” Kerry said, at the same time both Alastair and Hamilton did.
“People!”
Alastair chuckled. “All right, Dar. It’s your own damn fault.”
“Yeah, I know,” Dar responded in a resigned tone. “But you know what, Alastair? That goes both ways. I hear them out there talking crap about me, all bets are off.”
There was a momentary silence “I’ll make sure they know,” Alastair said. “We’ll send the papers down for signature. In fact, I’ll bring ‘em myself. I told the board I’d go down there and try to smooth some feathers. Lot of still very upset people in that office.”
“Nice of you.”
Alastair sighed. “Well, I’ll give them someone to yell at, anyway,” he said. “Talk to you later, ladies.”
“Night, Alastair. Night, Hamilton.” Kerry had her chin resting on Dar’s collarbone. “Enjoy the beer.”
Dar closed the phone and put it down. “I should feel like that was a win. Why don’t I?”
“Strings.”
“Ugh.”
THE ISLAND GYM was mostly empty, the early morning light pouring into the spinning area and casting long and still shadows across the floor.
Kerry finished her set of sit-ups and paused, wiping her face off with her towel.
Off to one corner, Dar was busy doing some punching bag work, her hands encased in blue leather gloves as she batted at the hanging ball with a steady rhythm.
Kerry watched her for a minute, then crossed her arms over her chest and started another set, twisting a little to each side as she pulled herself up, to give her trunk muscles a little workout as well. It felt good. Tiring, but good. She finished the set and unhooked her legs, swiveling around and putting her feet against the ground, stretching as she stood up.
“How’s your ribs?”
Kerry turned to find Dar still boxing in place nearby, bouncing back and forth from one foot to the other. “Fine,” she said. “Haven’t had a twinge for weeks.”
“Good.” Dar tapped her gloves together. “If you were going to have one, it would be on that board.”
“Uh huh.” Kerry hung her towel around her neck. “Don’t remind me.”
Dar batted her playfully on the shoulder, then bounced back over to the boxing area, leaving the hanging bag behind and going for the big body bag instead, unleashing solid hits on it.
Kerry went to the shoulder press instead and seated herself, pausing to adjust her grip as the door opened and two other residents came in to join them, making the crowd in the gym now equal to four. This early it was usually like that. The place would get busier as the day went on, and was positively crowded just after work hours.
Dar really enjoyed the boxing stuff. Kerry had positioned herself to keep her in view, and she enjoyed watching her graceful rhythm as she worked around the bag, trading hits with kicks, the impacts loud enough to raise a small echo.
She, on the other hand, stuck with her shoulder presses, leaning forward to keep proper form as she shoved the handles up over her head, sucking in a breath a
s she lowered them back down and felt the ache.
Again, it felt good. She’d been stuck for a while with just some light swimming while her ribs healed, and though she’d gotten enough out of it to keep herself in trim, it wasn’t the same as the exercise she got from the weight training she preferred.
Weird, since she’d taken so long to decide if she liked the exercise or not, but now that she’d gotten used to it, skipping it made her feel a distinct lack of energy. She was happy to get back to her regular routine.
She finished her presses, and went on to the line of leg machines, giving her upper body a rest as she hooked her feet under the quad bar and settled back to start flexing, folding her hands across her stomach. “Hey, Dar,” she called over, now that she was much closer.
“Yes?” Dar paused in her assault on the bag and turned, putting her gloved hands on her hips and raising a brow in question. She was wearing a pair of threadbare sweatpants and a sports bra, and the effect was curiously sexy. “Did you need to ask me something?”
Did she? Kerry wrestled her thoughts back around. “What do we want to name the puppy?”
“Brownie?”
“Dar.”
“Cupcake?”
“Dar!”
“How about Chocolate Chip.”
“Didn’t I feed you breakfast this morning?” Kerry said, in fond exasperation. “Seriously.”
Dar sauntered over and rested her arm against the machine Kerry was seated on. “I was serious. It’s a brown dog,” she said, reasonably. “We named our cream colored dog Cappuccino, didn’t we?”
Kerry finished her set and let the weights down. “We did,” she said. “But Brownie?”
Dar deftly unlaced her gloves with her teeth, and pulled them off, flexing her hands. “How about Coffee?”
Kerry covered her eyes and mock sighed. “Paladar Katherine.”
Dar chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Kerry’s sweat drenched hair. “You name him. I’m going to go take a shower and finish puppy proofing the house.”
“Oh, right behind you.” Kerry got up off the machine, feeling the all over ache of muscles well used. “How about, Mocha?” she asked, as she tagged along toward the changing room. “Chocolate and coffee. Brown dog. That work?”
“Mocha,” Dar burred. “I like it.” She went to the teak door locker they shared and opened it. “I hope Chino doesn’t decide to chew us in our sleep for this, though.”
Kerry chuckled. “I was trying to remember how I felt about getting a baby sister,” she said. “But I was too young. I don’t even remember what it was like when Mike was born.”
“Mm.” Dar tossed her gloves and boots inside, then grabbed her towel and headed for the shower. “Sometimes I think about what having a sibling would have been like,” she said. “But my parents, I think, were pretty sure one was enough.”
“And I agree.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“C’MON, CHI.” KERRY motioned for her to hop up into the truck. “We’re going to the office, and you’re going to meet a new friend.”
“Growf.” Chino settled on the big bench seat, her tail wagging, delighted to be included again in their travels.
“I think she likes coming with us.” Kerry got into the passenger seat of the truck, while Dar was leaning over the front window, putting their new sticker on. She leaned back and hiked her leather booted foot up to rest on her opposite knee. “Feels good to not have to worry about what’s going on in that old office, you know, Dar?”
“Yes, I know.” Dar swung back into the truck and closed the door. “I never realized how it hung over me until it wasn’t there.” She started up the truck’s engine. “I know we’re going to be involved in our own stuff, but it’s not the same thing.”
“No.” Kerry idly petted Chino’s head as the Lab stood up on the back seat and shoved her muzzle between the front seats. “I always dreaded my cell phone ringing. I knew it was something down, something broken, some customer pissed off. You get tired of the—I’m really sorry and I’ll try to get that fixed for you—type of conversations.”
“Yeah.” Dar pulled out and drove slowly around the golf course, going between trees and bushes, bright flashes of flowers, and a brief glimpse of a peacock before she reached the turnoff to the ferry terminal. “I feel like a weight’s off my shoulders to tell you the truth.”
Kerry smiled at her, turning in her seat to watch her profile.
“It’s like it’s all brand new.” Dar parked, and leaned back in her seat, giving Chino a scratch under her jaw. “I didn’t think it would be like this.”
“Me either,” Kerry admitted. “Oh crap, forgot to tell you. I got a call from Colleen while you were getting dressed. She’s got all our stuff.”
“Ah,” Dar said. “Cool.”
“Including your fish,” Kerry said. “She told me she fed them some corned beef.”
“Aw.” Dar smiled a little. “I sort of missed them. They were nice to look at. Want to have her meet us at the new office with all of it?”
Kerry smiled back. “Already asked her, she’s meeting us there. She said Duks told her to take the rest of the day off.”
Dar watched the channel go by. “Gerry’s going to meet us there at one? I think that’s what he said.”
“Yes,” Kerry said. “Having Chino meet the puppy in a neutral space is probably a good idea.” She regarded her pet. “Not that she’s got an aggressive hair on her body, but you never know.” She tickled Chino’s ears with her fingertips. “We can watch them play together before we bring him home.”
“Mocha,” Dar drawled. “Mocha and Chino. It’s trendy precious, but I don’t care.”
Kerry chuckled.
The ferry docked, and they rolled off, heading along the causeway in the bright noon sun.
FRIDAY, EVEN AT lunch time, already had a sense that it was a downhill slide into the weekend. There were more people on the streets, and the cafes seemed fuller. Kerry was in her office getting things sorted out, boxes of her knickknacks and office stuff sitting on her new desk.
“You know, I like this place,” Colleen said. “Much less hooliganism going on.”
“Well for now.” Kerry studied the built in shelves between the windows and brought a box over to start populating them. “But yeah, it’s quieter over here, and more relaxed.” She glanced over her shoulder. “How’s it going over at the other place?”
Colleen made a face. “Kind of a wreck, really.” She perched on Kerry’s desk. “Not so bad by us. You know we bean counters keep to ourselves, but it’s a riot on ten and on fourteen.”
Kerry nodded. “Yeah, I figured. There were a lot of things in flight there. I had about ten projects in motion when they cut us loose, and God only knows what Dar was into.” She removed a stack of pictures from a box. “Thanks for getting all this stuff in case I haven’t said it twice already.”
“No worries, m’dear.” Colleen waved the thanks away. “I was glad to do it. The two of your offices were like tombs, with the burritos gone and all that.” She indicated the box. “I put in that brass name plate they gave you at that party. Dar’s was glued to the door, but yours was in those holders and I could get it out.”
Kerry lifted it out and studied it. “Well.” She smiled. “I got promoted out of this firing, and got a better name. But it’s a nice keepsake. Thanks.”
“You got the name done?” Colleen asked. “Already?”
“Yesterday,” Kerry said. “So when our new business cards get here, it’ll be Kerrison Roberts.” She grinned at Colleen. “You think it’s weird?”
Colleen shook her head. “For you? No. You’ve been stuck like duct tape on Dar since you met her.”
Kerry’s face reddened a little.
“Oh, c’mon. You know you were.”
“I was.” Kerry reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “And damn, my family’s been a pain in my ass the last couple of years. Feels good to leave that name behind.”
&n
bsp; “Ker? Gerry’s here.” Dar stuck her head in the office and gave Colleen a smile. “Stick around,” she said. “We can grab a cup of something after we finish these meetings.”
Colleen looked pleased. “Surely,” she said. “And I want to meet this new puppy, since I get to your place so often.”
“C’mon, Chi.” Kerry scooted through the door and joined Dar, as they went to the window to watch the long, dark car drive up. “Ah. Formal.”
“Well, he is a general.”
“Yeah, I know.”
It parked in front of the building, as close to the door as possible, and the front doors opened as two uniformed officers jumped out. They opened the door and Gerry Easton emerged, with his aide, who had a wriggling armful of Labrador puppy to wrangle.
“Let’s go.” Dar led the way down the stairs and they got to the door at the same time the military party did. She pulled it open and stepped back. “C’mon in.”
“Ah, Dar! Excellent.” Gerry hustled inside. “You boys look around, hm? Don’t break anything.”
The two officers disappeared.
“This way.” Kerry indicated the left conference room. “It’s not fancy, but we’re trying to get things going here.” She opened the door, displaying the newly painted and carpeted room, with its makeshift table and mismatched chairs inside.
“Growf!” Chino spotted the puppy and got up on her hind legs to investigate, nearly knocking the aide down. Her tail started wildly waving.
“Put that little man down,” Gerry said, as they squashed into the conference room and he closed the door. “Quite a travel day,” he said. “Pretty weather here though. Very nice.”
The aide put the puppy down and he immediately raced over to Chino, touching noses and starting a tick tacky dancing paw wagging tail lick fest with her.