Kerry exhaled and studied her companion, who had changed into a pair of tan Dockers and a red tank top, with her leather jacket thrown over her shoulders. “Yep. Let’s go run the gauntlet.” She tugged at Dar’s zipper. “You look nice.”

The taller woman smiled and patted her side. “So do you, c’mon.” She followed Kerry as they sauntered across the parking lot. “I like that sweatshirt.” She admired the tiny, embroidered birds that danced across the front and scampered down the sleeves.

Kerry straightened a little and smiled as they stepped up onto the deck which held the restaurant. She spotted Mariana and Duks leaning against the railing and cleared her throat. “Okay, here we go. I hope we can pull this off.”

Dar snorted. “No problem. Just relax, we’ll be fine.”

“Dar?” Kerry murmured softly.

“Hmm?” The dark-haired woman leaned a bit closer.

“You might want to take your hand off my back.”

“Right.” Dar took the disobedient hand and waved at Mariana and Duks as they came closer. “I was just making sure you didn’t fall off the steps.”

“Well, hello, you two.” Mariana smiled at them. The Personnel VP was wearing a pair of slacks and a sweater, and Duks had changed into a dark blue sweatshirt and black chinos. “It smells great out here, let’s go in.”

Dar gave them both a brief nod, then followed them inside, taking in the typical gold, red and black décor that oriental restaurants seemed to regard as almost a livery. The room was large, with a few scattered, small tables in the center, and a raised platform all the way around the walls which featured low 346 Melissa Good tables and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows. And no chairs.

They were led to a table area in the back by a smiling, bobbing waiter, who indicated they were to take their shoes off and make themselves comfortable. The table had padded backrests to sit against, and piles of soft, silk-covered pillows that lined the pit like enclosure.

“Isn’t this cute?” Mariana mused. “I’ve never eaten in a place like this before.”

They sat down, one on each side of the table, and settled into the cushions. Dar found it surprisingly relaxing. She spread her arms out on the cushions, and gazed back. “So, hell of a day, huh?”

Duks looked up from his menu and cracked a sardonic grin. He had a powerfully built face, with a square jaw and a thick neck that disappeared into heavy shoulders that betrayed a youth spent doing something other than running a calculator. “If I believed in Hell, I’d agree with you.”

Kerry leaned forward, curiously. “Are you an atheist, Mr. Draefus?”

He turned his grin on her. “Duks, please, Kerry. And yes, I am.” He selected what he wanted, then put the menu down. “I find it makes my life so much simpler.”

“Simpler? How?” Kerry inquired. “I would think having to find explanations for everything would make it more complicated. It’s so easy just to say ‘because God said so.’ ”

“Yes, isn’t it?” Duks agreed softly. “Simpler because I have no expectations. I have nothing to live up to, nothing to spend my life striving for, because at the end, it’s just…the end,” he told her. “You stop and feed the worms. And so life becomes more precious, and you enjoy it more, knowing it’s the only chance you’ll get.”

Kerry cupped her chin in her hand. “You don’t believe in souls, then, right?’

A smile. “No. I think what we have in here…” He thumped his chest.

“…is blood and muscles, and nothing more.” A pause. “Do you believe in a god, Kerry?”

“Yes, I do. In that I believe there’s a higher power who directs things in our lives, and I think we all have an immortal soul,” Kerry answered seriously. “And that soul continues from life to life.”

“Ah, not a conventional Christian, I see,” Mariana murmured, fascinated.

“I had an orthodox Catholic upbringing…and it stuck, along with all the glorious pageantry and mysticism that goes with it. I still shiver during the Mass.” She glanced at Duks. “We have a long-standing argument over that.

He thinks I’d get over it if I’d just go and see a good opera.” Kerry let out a surprised laugh.

“What about you, my friend?” Duks turned to the silently watching Dar.

“I don’t think we’ve ever discussed the big R. And I don’t recall you ever saying you’d been in church, so…”

Pale blue eyes flicked over their faces, then Dar shrugged a little. “My mother is a pagan.” She smiled wryly at the surprised looks. “My father was as much of a Southern Baptist as you can get and not be a snake handler.” She regarded the table for a moment. “We didn’t have anything organized when I was growing up, I just knew they both believed in something, not necessarily Tropical Storm 347

the same something, but something.”

“What a mix!” Mariana said in a surprised voice.

“True, I picked up on that. I believe in something, but I never got around to defining what that something was,” Dar finished. “So I celebrate what I want, when I want.”

The waiter came back, and they ordered, with Mariana getting conflicting advice from Dar and Duks. “Shush,” she finally said, then turned to Kerry in appeal. “Which is it?”

The blonde woman laughed a bit. “The massaman is a sweet curry, with meat and potatoes in it. Then you have the green curry which is very sharp.

Finally, the red curry is milder and usually has coconut milk in it.”

“Ah, so you’re an expert.” The Personnel VP gave her an approving nod.

Kerry just grinned and watched as they completed the order. Then she half turned her head to glance at Dar and blinked at the suddenly frozen expression on her companion’s face. Her eyes flicked to where Dar was looking, and she spotted a tall, willowy brunette in an impeccably cut suit entering with two other women. When she looked back at Dar, the dark-haired woman’s face was carefully controlled, but she could see the faint bunching of her jaw muscles and she leaned over. “Dar?”

Ice blue eyes pinned her, then gentled. “Remember when I told you it would be unlikely for you to meet certain people?” the taller woman commented with forced casualness.

What? Oh, her former lovers. Right. “Yes.” Kerry darted a glance to Duks and Mariana, who were busy with the waiter.

“I should have kept my mouth shut,” Dar replied softly. “Jinx.”

Kerry’s eyes flicked away, then back. “Oh.” She slid a hand around the edge of the low table and patted Dar’s ankle. “Let me go get my boots.”

That got a smile from Dar, who leaned her forearms on the table and considered her options. Given where she was seated, and where Elana was going to sit, there was no way in Hell the bitch couldn’t just look over and see her. Sure enough, after glancing at the menu, Elana looked up right at her.

Dar half turned her head as though she was listening to Duks and Mari bicker, and watched as a slow, malicious smirk made its way across the aristocratic face. Damn. She reached over and touched Duk’s arm. “We’re going to have a nasty scene here in a minute,” she advised him in a low tone, letting her eyes move across the room and back.

Duks glanced up, then bit his lip. “Aw, crap.”

Mari also looked. “Well, well. Think she’s got enough makeup on? She looks like Tammy Faye Baker.” Her voice was sharp, though, and held little humor. “You know, there aren’t many people that I can say I totally enjoyed processing termination papers on, but by god, she’s one of them.”

Elana crossed the floor, zeroing in on them with hazel eyes that kept steady on Dar’s face. “Look what we have here. Hello, Lou, Mariana.” A pause and a faint smile. “Dar.” Her eyes went to Kerry. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you.”

Dar let her wait a moment, then leaned back, circling one knee with both arms. “Hello, Elana, haven’t seen you in a while. Been out of town?”

“No, I just don’t get outside much.” The slim woman smirked. “We just 348 Melissa Good took over another two hospitals, neither of them your accounts, unfortunately.”

“I’d heard you got those. You might want to be careful, though,” Dar commented. “Word has it they just changed vendors because they’re going bankrupt, and you’ll give them a 120-day grace on the billing. IBM was about to cut them off.”

“Don’t bother with that, Dar.” Elana laughed. “Your tricks don’t work with me, remember?”

Dar shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Her eyes wandered. “So what have you been doing with yourself? Same old, same old?” She chuckled. “I love telling people about you at cocktail parties. It makes a great story, by the way.” She smiled sweetly. “And who is this?” Her eyes went to Kerry.

“Kerry Stuart.” The blonde woman extended a friendly hand. “I work for Dar.”

“I bet you do, honey.” Elana laughed. “You must be new around here.”

“Oh, I am,” Kerry replied, focusing sharp, green eyes on her. “New to the area, too. Say, Dar, is that one of those palmetto bugs you keep describing to me? Oh my god, they’re ugly.” She let her eyes widen and fasten on Elana’s shoulder.

The woman jumped. “Where?” She caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye and slapped at it, then screamed. “Oh my god!” She stumbled backwards, hands flailing at her head in panic. “Oh, help, get it off!”

Kerry jumped to her feet and ran to help, colliding with a rushing waiter just as she reached the frantic woman. The tray he was carrying launched itself up into the air and came down, splattering the floor, the tables, and Elana with a conglomeration of food.

“Oh shit!” Elana slipped in the mess and collapsed, still pawing at her hair. “Oh god, is it gone?” She glanced around at the avidly watching restaurant patrons, who were starting to laugh. Her face reddened, and a blob of curried sauce ran down her cheek.