“What the hell are you so cheerful about?” Eleanor asked José. “I thought you were screaming about your budget cuts a half hour ago.”


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José went to the espresso machine and started making himself a cafecito with quick, expert gestures. “That was last hour,” he said. “I have figured it out, and we are good,” he added. “Not so hard after all.

I just stopped the new desks, and got rid of some extra, and so it’s done.”

Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Give me a break,” she said. “What extra, you told them not to print the sales reports twice?”

José looked around at her. “I got rid of Fabracini,” he said. “Piece of garbage he turned out, yes? Lied on his resumé. I called that Fortune 500 Company where he said he did so much and they kicked his ass out after a week.”

Kerry blinked.

Mark blinked.

“No kidding!” Eleanor’s finely crafted eyebrows almost hiked up to meet her exquisite hairline. “So you fired him?”

José turned, picking up his cup. “Si,” he said. “Of course! You cannot keep someone after you find out something like that. Terrible.”

He shook his head. “Just think if one of our competitors found out, and said to the papers.”

“Well.” The Marketing VP shook her head. “Can’t really say I’ll miss him.” She glanced past José. “And I know you won’t,” she said to Kerry. “You lucked out there. I’d have pressed charges no matter what Dar did.”

Kerry took a swallow of her tea, and pondered her response.

“Eleanor!” José snorted. “Don’t be such an asshole,” he told his colleague. “All we do is fight. Leave it.”

Eleanor stared at him. “What?”

“Leave it!” José told her. “What does it get any of us? A headache!

Just shut up and go home and get screwed and leave it.” He put his cup down and walked out, shaking his head.

A stunned silence fell over the kitchen. Then Kerry pushed off from the counter and started for her office. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

She dropped the words into the awkwardness. “Mark, see you tomorrow morning.”

Mark scurried to follow her. “You got it, boss.”

Kerry turned, just at the door. “And Eleanor?” She gave the woman a direct look. “I treat people with the same respect they treat me with.

Do you really want to keep on like this?”

The Marketing VP held up a hand. “Truce,” she agreed readily.

“It’s too late and I’m too tired,” she said. “Let’s start fresh on Monday.”

“Have a good weekend.” Kerry smiled, then left, with Mark at her heels.Eleanor sighed. “What the hell,” she said. “How long can it last, anyway?” She sipped her coffee and relaxed.


346

Melissa Good

IT WAS COOL out on the patio. Dar stood, leaning against the stone wall, her elbows resting on it’s top as she gazed out over the water. The salty wind blew her hair back, and she caught a whiff of wood smoke, from the barbeque they were having down at the beach club.If she turned her head, she knew she’d see Kerry sprawled in the loveseat, busy with her ancient pen and a piece of parchment, writing something she refused to let Dar see. ”Tomorrow’s soon enough,” she’d told her lover, huddling over it.

Tomorrow. Dar looked down and regarded her hands quietly, absently fingering the golden band around her finger. She wasn’t nervous, exactly. After all, it was just a few words spoken by someone she didn’t even know. She would have preferred that it were just the three of them, but she couldn’t grudge Kerry’s wish to have people there.

Grumpy old antisocial beach bum. She chastised herself, semi humorously. C’mon, it’s not that big a step, and it’s only Duks, Mari, Maria, and Colleen. Get over it.

Her page to her father had gone unanswered, and though part of her was concerned at that, another part was secretly relieved, and that was warring with the big slice battling off disappointment.

Well, they’d take pictures. He’d like that. Dar sighed, and straightened. The Jacuzzi caught her eye, and she decided a nice warm soak was a good idea. A thought occurred to her. Bet Kerry would like that too.

Another thought. We have fresh raspberries and whipped cream.

Brightening, Dar went back inside.

KERRY PUT THE last touches on her poem, then untangled herself from a snoozing Chino and trotted upstairs to put the parchment carefully away. Then she examined the white, casual outfit she’d picked out for the morning, cutoff denim shorts, and the soft white shirt that tied across her ribcage, exposing her belly.

Casual, yeah. Kerry faced her reflection in the mirror and smiled.

Dar had picked a worn, stonewashed pair of short overalls, with a white shirt underneath it. It was impossibly cute on her, especially with her tan, and the fact that she intended to remain barefoot.

Kerry laughed gently, then opened her top drawer, and pulled out a wooden box, neatly carved and purchased at Bayside just the day before. She opened it, and exposed the soft, plushly velvet interior, where the two crystals were nestled, the soft lamp light glistening against both them and the brand new golden chains draped about them.

The jewelers had polished the stones, causing them to reflect the light in brilliant prisms, and she smiled as she imagined giving Dar hers the next morning.


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Soft footfalls alerted her, and she tucked the box away, just in time to turn and greet her wind disheveled lover as she peeked inside the room. ”Hey.”

Dar entered, riffling her hair with a negligent hand. ”I was wondering if you’d like to share a bowl of raspberries and a hot tub with me.”

Kerry grinned hugely. ”Would I? What kind of a silly question is that? You betcha.” She grabbed her bathing suit from the rack and gave Dar a gentle shove. ”Meet you out there?” Dar’s eyes twinkled, as she nodded, and ambled out, Chino stumbling at her heels.

Kerry pulled her shirt off, and tugged on her suit, pulling at the straps to settle the thin fabric. Then she grabbed a towel and trotted downstairs, in time to meet Dar coming out of the kitchen with two plastic containers and a smudge of whipped cream on her face. ”Mm.”

Kerry stood on tiptoes and licked it off, getting a startled squawk from her taller companion. ”Who needs berries?”

They went outside, and eased into the bubbling Jacuzzi, as Dar put the containers on the edge of the pool. ”Mm.” She stretched out long legs and leaned back. “Nice night.”

“Beautiful,” Kerry agreed. “Mark said TGIF, but boy, today really is TGIF for me. I am so looking forward to this weekend.”

“Me too,” Dar agreed. “Did you hear about Fabracini?” She watched Kerry’s face as her partner settled down in the water. “José fired him.”

“I did,” Kerry said, seeing the twinkle in Dar’s eyes. “Did you have something to do with that?” she asked. “He sounded like he was totally in charge of that.”

“I did,” Dar mimicked her tone. “I promised you I’d try another way, didn’t I?”

Kerry gazed at her. “Wow,” she said. “Thank you.” She leaned over and gave Dar a kiss on the lips. “I know this is going to be a tough transition. I appreciate you making it a little easier for me though.”

“Anytime.” Dar smiled. “I think it might make things easier for me too,” she admitted. “I think I have to learn not to run roughshod over everyone all the time.”

“Learn something new every day.” Kerry kissed her again, then pressed her forehead against Dar’s as she looked into her eyes. “I’m so looking forward to spending my life with you.”

Dar’s face lit up with delight.

Kerry rubbed noses with her and then she settled back down in the water, extending her arms out and sighing in complete contentment.

Dar wiggled her toes in the water and cleared her throat. ”That was quite a workout tonight. I’m not sure what got into Ken and I. We were like wild weasels,” she changed the subject.

“It was fun watching you,” her partner agreed amiably. “Probably a lot more fun than getting my butt kicked by you like Ken did.”


348

Melissa Good

Dar regarded the bright stars. It had all come back, as she’d executed a flickering, almost dazzling move that had dumped poor Ken on his butt so hard he bounced. She’d stood there, blood pumping fiercely, and remembered just how good that felt.

”I told Ken I’d be willing to give a little, local match a try,” Dar commented, idly tracing the patterns in the sky with her eyes. ”There’s one in May. I think I’m gonna enter.”

Kerry regarded her speculatively. ”Awesome, I think you’re going to kick everyone’s butt.”

A shrug. ”Well, I don’t know about that, I’m getting a little old for this, but we’ll see. It’ll be a small thing, maybe I can win a few rounds.”

Kerry splashed over and laid her cheek against Dar’s shoulder, gazing up at her with puppy like adoration. ”Would you win me a trophy?”

Wide, round, blue eyes stared at her. ”Um...what?”

”I always wanted someone to win a trophy for me. I used to have Brian try it at the State Fair, but to tell you the truth, he was more uncoordinated than I was, and I’m pretty bad.”

Dark lashes blinked. ”You’re not uncoordinated.”

”Not now, no,” Kerry agreed. ”How about it? Is that too romantically gooshy for you?”

”Romantic?” Dar ran a hand through her hair, confused. ”Kerry, it’s a flipping karate trophy. I don’t know if I can. I mean…I’m sure there’ll be better...I...”

Soft, green eyes gazed at her trustingly.