Chapter

Eighteen

“I DID NOT jinx you.” Kerry brought the bottle of medicine into the living room, lit with the first rosy tint of dawn. “So don’t you blame me.”

She sat down next to the grumpy, miserable figure on the couch, who was cradling her head in her hands. “It’s not like I wanted to see you sick, Dar.”

Dar sighed. “I know.” She swallowed, trying to tame a rebellious stomach that had kept her up all night, in bouts of nauseous spasms.

“God, I hate being sick.”

“Well, I don’t think many people enjoy it.” Kerry poured a spoonful of the medication and held it up. “C’mon.”

Dar gave her a pathetic look, then winced and accepted the offering, swallowing it with a grimace. “Jesus.”

Kerry pushed the dark, disheveled hair out of her lover’s eyes, then felt her forehead. “I don’t think you have a fever. It’s probably just a bug.” She’d woken to find Dar huddled miserably in the bathroom and tried to find a way to make the poor thing more comfortable. “You’re definitely staying home today.”

“C’mon. You know I can’t do that,” Dar muttered.

“Dar! You most certainly can,” Kerry protested. “Don’t be goofy.

You are not in any condition to go to work so just get over it.” She rubbed the terrycloth covered back. “Curl up here with Chino, and watch cartoons, okay?”

Dar briefly considered ignoring the suggestion, then held her breath as another spasm hit her. Well, I could always go in and throw up all over Ankow. That might be satisfying, at least for the moment, but she knew Kerry was right. “You’ll have to sit in on the Marketing meeting for me.”

“Ew.” Kerry made a face. “Can I call in sick too? I’d rather hang out here and watch Space Ghost and take care of you.”

Dar looked at her.

Kerry sighed. “Okay, okay. It was just an idea.”

“I appreciate the thought.” The blue eyes flicked to her face and a bit of a grin appeared for a second. “Don’t stay too late, huh?”

That was better. Kerry smiled. “I’ll see if I can get out of there after the meeting. I don’t have anything scheduled for later on.” She stood up and tugged her jacket straight, then she walked into the bedroom and pulled 160 Melissa Good open a drawer. She removed a soft, fluffy blue blanket and brought it back with her. “Here,” she tucked the blanket around her sick friend,

“keep the phone by you, okay?”

Dar exhaled, then gave up and curled up on the couch on her side, bringing her knees up to ease the cramping in her guts. “Okay.” She glanced up to see Kerry gazing at her, the torn emotions very evident.

“What?”

Kerry scowled unhappily. “I think I hate you being sick more than you do,” she muttered. “I feel like such a turd for leaving you here.”

The cool leather felt good against her skin, as Dar rested her head on the couch arm. “It’s all right.” She felt absurdly contented with the reaction. “Go on. You’re going to hit traffic.”

“Mmph.” The blonde woman still wasn’t pleased. “Chino, you take care of mommy Dar, okay?” The puppy was curled up at Dar’s feet, her pale head resting on one bare foot, and she blinked at Kerry’s words.

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Sure,” Dar agreed, biting the inside of her lip.

Reluctantly, Kerry retrieved her keys and briefcase and left, not without several aggravated backwards glances. She locked the door and headed down the steps, surprised at how much she had to force herself not to turn right around and go back. “Jesus, Kerry. Would you chill out?

She’s just got a stomach virus. Calm your butt down already.”

She got into the Mustang and started it, then leaned on the steering wheel and gazed at the condo. Long fingers drummed on the wheel, then she sighed, and put the car into gear and backed out of her parking spot, starting towards the ferry as she punched a number into her cell phone.

“Good Morning, Dar Roberts’ Office.”

“Morning, María.” Kerry smiled, as she realized she’d unconsciously modeled her tone after Dar’s.

“Aye. Buenos días, Kerrisita. How are you?”

“Well,” Kerry glanced in the rearview mirror, “I’m fine but Dar’s not going to make it in today.”

María’s voice took on a concerned tone immediately. “What is wrong? She is not feeling well?”

“No, some kind of stomach bug.” Kerry sighed. “She was up all night sick. Anyway, I’ve got to sit in a meeting for her this afternoon.

Could you call Eleanor’s admin and sniff out the chances of moving the meeting to this morning?” She knew María would have a better chance at that then her newly commissioned Mayte.

“Sí, sí.” María wrote something. “I will do that. Is there anything that Dar needs?”

A nanny? Kerry swallowed the comment. “No. She’s just going to take it easy. I’m sure she’ll sign on from here later.” True, knowing Dar.

“At least I hope so,” she added, wondering if there was enough medicine in the house. Should she have some Dramamine sent? What about…

“Kerrisita?”

“Oh, sorry. Did you say something?” Kerry drove onto the ferry Eye of the Storm 161

carefully, and put the Mustang into park for the short trip to the main-land.

“I was saying to drive carefully. There was terrible traffic this morning.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She hung up the phone and nibbled her fingernail. “Now what did we always take for an upset stomach? Pepto…Kaopectate…Dramamine…warm cola.” She dialed another number, and waited for it to be answered. “Hi. Yes, this is Kerry Stuart.

Oh, hi, Mrs. Eveans. Yes. Listen, can you have some stuff sent up to the apartment?” She spent a few minutes listing things, then hung up. “Okay.

I feel a little better now.” She drummed her fingers again. “Wonder if the marina store has those seasickness bands…maybe they’d help.” Tones sounded over the roar of the ferry’s engines.

KERRY PULLED INTO the parking lot and sat for a moment, leaning on the steering wheel and collecting her composure. “Jesus, that was close,” she muttered, clearing her mind of the driver bearing down on her from the wrong side of the street, whom she’d only just missed crashing into. She got out and grabbed her briefcase, then straightened her jacket with an automatic twitch and headed towards the building.

“Morning, Ms. Stuart,” the guard greeted her cheerfully.

“Good morning,” Kerry replied, suppressing a soft curse when she saw who was bearing down on her from across the lobby. “Then again, maybe not.” She arranged a neutral look on her face as David Ankow joined her.

“Well, you are the early bird, aren’t you?” he asked mildly.

“Best time of the day to get things done,” Kerry answered, shifting her briefcase. “Before all the distractions show up, I mean, crop up.” He wasn’t sure it was an insult, Kerry knew, but he suspected. She kept an open, inquiring look on her face just in case. “Something I can do for you?”

“Just thought I’d spend the day following you around. Get a feel for what it is you do.” Ankow smiled pleasantly at her. “Where’s your…bitchy roommate?”

Kerry started walking towards the elevator. “Oh, probably lying on the rug chewing some cookies,” she replied. “Or maybe chasing flies. She likes that.” She entered the elevator, then turned and waited for him to join her, the look on his face priceless. “What’s wrong?”

Ankow stepped past her and eyed her warily. “That’s funny,” he said. “A joke, right?”

Innocent green eyes widened as the doors closed. “Joke?” Kerry asked, puzzled. “You asked me where my dog was didn’t you?” She pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. “Guess you saw her picture on my desk. She’s cute, isn’t she?”

“Adorable,” Ankow answered, with a slight flare of his nostrils.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, until the doors opened and 162 Melissa Good they exited, and Kerry turned purposefully right and headed towards her office. Mayte was already there, following her mother’s schedule, and Kerry waved. “Morning, Mayte.” Her eyes and the girl’s met, and Mayte’s shifted fractionally to Ankow, then rolled slightly.

“Good morning, Ms. Kerry. I was going down for some cafecito.

Would you like some?” Mayte stood up and brushed her plain, but well cut dark blue dress off. She was a tall, slim girl with dark hair and eyes, and a pretty, slightly elfin face.

“I’d love some.” Kerry opened her office door. “Any for you?” she inquired, glancing at Ankow.

“No thanks,” he muttered, brushing by her. “I’d like to live past forty, thanks.”

Mayte stuck her tongue out at his back and made a gesture, then escaped, leaving Kerry to gather the already shredded edges of her patience and enter her office. Knew I should have stayed home. She sighed inwardly.

Ankow stood near the window, peering out of it at the sunlit water.

Kerry ignored him, sat down at her desk, flipped her PC on, and pulled the folder off the top of her inbox. A soft buzz of the intercom alerted her and she lifted the receiver of her phone instead of allowing the speakerphone to pick up. “Hello?”

“Ah, Kerrisita.” María’s voice filtered through. “I have gotten them to move your meeting to ten o’clock, if that is okay.”

“Perfect.” Kerry was relieved.

“And I also rescheduled the conference call with the overseas group.

I hope you do not mind. It was to be at four, and I thought you might have something else to do then.”

Kerry suppressed a smile. “Thanks, María. I really appreciate that.”