Eye Of The Storm - DK3 (21 page)

Kerry smiled. “No. She’s got a meeting this morning.” Not true.

“She’ll be by in a bit.” Dar was, in reality, not far behind her, but they decided to take separate cars this week, since their unwelcome board member was roaming around and Kerry had been assigned to escort him.

Neither of them went out of their way to hide their relationship, but there was no point in advertising it to the already antagonistic Ankow.

She was alone in the elevator and remained that way as she got out on the fourteenth floor—not surprising given the hour. María was in, though, and she smiled at the secretary as she poked her head in Dar’s outer office. “Morning.”

“Ah. Good morning, Kerrisita.” María smiled back. “Is terrible weather, no?” Her eyes went to the barely visible hallway behind Kerry’s head. “Dar is not with you?”

It occurred to Kerry that coming separately might possibly cause more comment than just arriving together would. “She took her car,” she explained. “Is our visitor here yet?”

The dark head shook no. “His plane is landing at nine. We are sending Consuelo for him.”

Ah, Consuelo. Not a bad idea.
“Is she still moonlighting as a dancer?”

“
Sí
.” María smiled primly. “Is so cultural, no?”

Kerry bit off a grin. “Absolutely. Hey, Maríana tells me she’s gotten approval for my assistant. I hear it’s someone familiar.” She’d been surprised at the move and astounded at the person Maríana had hired for her. They’d been putting off the addition for a while, with Kerry stating she really didn’t need one, more to prevent having to deal with the awkwardness of bringing a stranger in than anything else. But now, with all the new projects, it was unfair to ask María to coordinate for both of them and Maríana had gone ahead, putting Kerry’s fears to rest by hiring María’s young daughter whom she and Dar already knew.

Who also knew about them and was a quiet, reserved girl not much for spreading rumors around.

María beamed. “Mayte is so excited. She spent the entire weekend choosing what clothes and how to do her hair. She cannot wait to start.

She will be here at nine also to do her paperwork.”

“Great.” Kerry waved. “Gotta go get ready for my squiring assign-110
Melissa Good
ment. See you later, María.” She pulled her head back out and went down the hallway into the little alcove where her office door was.

There, she paused, watching the busy activity. A small room just off to one side had been used for storage and now everything was being moved out. To the left, a handsome wooden desk stood on one end, waiting to go in, and behind that an MIS cart was parked with a PC and monitor on it. She poked her head in the room as the last of the boxes left and nodded.

It wasn’t huge, about twelve feet square, but it was carpeted, and the walls were clean, with soft blue soundproofing weave on them.

“Excuse me, Ms. Stuart.” A polite voice made her jump and she ducked out of the way as the maintenance worker maneuvered the desk through the door and got it positioned. Then he glanced up and wiped his brow. “This all right?”

Kerry blinked. “Um.” She studied the room. “Yes. Sideways to that wall would be good, I think. It’s near the powerstrip.”

He nodded. “I always like to ask. ’Specially with you ops people.

Dear Lord knows I was in that office,” he pointed towards hers, “hours getting things how Ms. Roberts wanted ’em.”

It was an unexpectedly revealing moment, and Kerry smiled. “Well, you did a great job. I didn’t have to move a thing.” She patted the doorframe and left the man to his work, going through her door and into her office and closing it behind her. Her eyes moved around the now familiar confines. “Hours, huh? And you let me think it was just an extra office you had hanging around.” She chuckled and went to her desk, flipped the switch to turn on her PC, then wandered over to the window while it booted.

It was dark and gloomy outside, with sheets of rain still falling over the drenched landscape, and fractious whitecaps lashing the shoreline just visible from her window and ruffling even the usually calm waters of Biscayne Bay, which the office overlooked. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll close the airport,” she remarked. “Or make him land in Tampa.”

Not likely.
MIA was used to this weather and only ever shut down in the worst possible scenarios, such as tornado watches and hurricanes.

Her phone buzzed, and she sighed, then turned and eyed the display.
Ah.
She punched a button. “Morning, Mark.”

“Hey. Where’s the boss?” The MIS manager’s voice was preoccupied.

“She’s not answering in her office.”

“Probably because she’s not here yet,” Kerry answered dryly.

“Oh. I saw your IP come active so I figured she’d be around,” Mark replied. “I’ll page her. Thanks.”

He hung up, and Kerry shook her head, then looked up as a knock came at the door. “What is this? Did the entire building come in early today? C’mon in!”

Maríana opened the door and entered, carrying several folders and small pot of geraniums. “Morning, Kerry. Your new administrative assistant is starting today.”

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111

“I know. I saw the movers outside.”

“Right. Okay, here’s her profile. We’ve already done the background and government screening and she came out clean.”

“I’d hope so. Since she’s barely twenty.” Kerry took the folder and put it on her desk. “We got to meet her at her sister’s quinces not too long ago. She’s really nice.”

Maríana nodded. “Yes, she is. She’s got nice things to say about you, too.” She smiled at the younger woman. “Not that people generally don’t have, mind you.” She took a seat in Kerry’s visitor’s chair. “Which reminds me.”

Uh oh.
Kerry sat down, and rested her arms on her desk.

“Your six month evaluation is coming up.”

Ah.
“I know.”

The Personnel VP considered a moment, sucking on her lower lip.

“Usually, the person who does that is your direct supervisor.”

Kerry nodded, folding her hands. “I don’t see any need to deviate from that,” she told the woman calmly.

“Kerry,” Maríana lowered her voice, “the purpose is to get an objective report on your professional qualifications.”

“And Dar can be very objective,” she responded. “She always has been. Right from the start. When I do things right, I get commended.

When I do things wrong, and I have, I get reprimanded, just like everyone else.”

The older woman looked surprised. “Really?”

“Really. I’ve gotten called on the carpet several times and believe me, it hurts,” Kerry admitted. “But it’s never personal, Mari. It’s all very

‘you did this, you should have done that, this is what happened, don’t let it happen again kind of stuff.’” She shrugged. “Just like everyone else.”

“Hmm.”

“The only difference is, after a day when that happens, I get to go home and get a big hug.” Kerry’s lips pressed into a thin smile. “And I try not to let it happen very often. So, no. I’m pretty sure I’ll get an objective report, as objective as anyone else would give, at any rate.” She paused.

“At least I’ll know she’s not holding the fact that I’m sleeping with my boss against me.”

Maríana winced.

“I trust her,” Kerry added, very softly.

“All right.” Mari held up a hand. “You’ve made good points. Let me go drop off the forms in her office. Mind if I use your back way?”

She sighed. “Go ahead. But she’s not in yet. I don’t think.”

“Really? Something wrong? You guys all right?” Concerned hazel eyes studied her.

Kerry threw up her hands. “We were trying to be inconspicuous for a week while that board member’s here. Instead, I think the most talked about thing in the lunchroom’s going to be the fact we didn’t drive in together.”

Maríana stared at her, then laughed. “Oh, my god. That is so true,”

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she admitted, lifting her hands with the geranium and all, and letting them drop. “Apologies, Kerry. It’s just that you get used to a routine around here and when it changes, people notice.” She held up the plant.

“This, for instance. I gave it to Duks, because he was moaning that his office has no color.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm. Except he’s had to explain a dozen times to people why he’s suddenly showing an interest in horticulture. He gave up and made me take it back. Said he’d just go out and get a couple of beer steins instead or put a stuffed fish on the wall.”

Kerry laughed.

“All right, Kerry. I’ll send Mayte over when she gets done with her paperwork. Hopefully that’ll be before our guest shows up.” She waved her geranium and walked out, leaving behind a scent of earth, flowers, and Chanel.

Kerry sighed and shook her head, then turned and opened up her mail program, watching the inbox fill to bursting with lots of little exclamation points indicating urgent messages. “Happy Monday.”

“DAR.”

The tall woman looked back from her worktable where she studied a new set of bandwidth reports. “Yes?” she called out, knowing the intercom would pick her voice up.

“Mr. Ankow is here.”

Yippee.
“Thank you. Show him in, please.” Dar allowed her voice to ooze with mock charm. She expelled a breath, and glanced at her pager noting the time.
Well, the storm had bought them a few hours, at least, and
trapped Ankow in an airplane for the same length of time.

The door opened and María came in, allowing the tall man to enter behind her and giving both him and her boss a polite smile. “Dar, they have canceled your conference call at eleven. They will reschedule for later this week.”

“Thanks, María.” Dar turned and faced her unwelcome guest.

“Morning. Hear you had a rough flight coming in.”

Ankow was dressed in an impeccable dark gray suit and expensive looking midnight blue silk tie with very thin maroon stripes. “A waste of my time. Let’s stop compounding that, Roberts.” He walked across the floor and sat down in one of her chairs, peering out at the rain. “Now that you’ve had your little fun sending Carmen Miranda after me, you can just assign me to whatever blonde bimbo with the brains of a pencil you have planned and let me get on my way.”

Dar finished making a note on her notepad, then took her time meandering around to her desk chair and sitting down in it. She leaned back and crossed an ankle over her knee, very aware of her comfortable cotton shirt and khakis contrast to his formal wear. “Carmen who?” She put a faint smile on her face. “You mean Consuelo?”

“The dancer you thought you’d distract me with.” He smiled right back. “She’s not my type.”

“Ah.” Dar rubbed her cheek. “Consuelo González is our top marketing strategist. She’s got three bachelor’s degrees, a masters in business, and she’s working on her doctorate in finance and applied statistics…and all you noticed was her body?” Dar clucked. “We thought you’d want to ask her questions about how we do business. Must have been an interesting ride from the airport.”

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He glared at her.

Dar smiled charmingly. “We don’t keep bimbos on staff.” She pressed a button on her intercom and a quiet voice answered. “C’mon over.”

Ankow decided to ignore her win over Consuelo. “I want access to everything.”

“With the exception of the ladies room, you’ve got it,” Dar dead-panned. “Just don’t touch anything. I don’t want to spend half the day reprogramming mainframes.”

He gazed at her. “Enjoy the jokes while you can,” he remarked mildly. “I would guess you’ve got about a month, until the stockholder’s meeting. After that, if you’re in this office, I’ll be very surprised.”

Dar didn’t react. “You seem to think that worries me.”

The inner door opened and Kerry entered giving Ankow a quick, almost invisible once over. “Morning,” she greeted both of them politely.

“Morning,” Dar replied. “Kerry, this is David Ankow, a member of the board of directors. He’s here to review operations.”

“Sir.” Kerry inclined her head graciously. Certainly, she fit the blonde part of Ankow’s assumptions, but Kerry’s well bred air and quiet intelligence should have clued him otherwise.

“This is Kerrison Stuart, our Director of Operations.” Dar circled her knee with both hands and interlaced the fingers. “She’ll be your contact while you’re here. If you have any questions, she can answer them.”

“Great.” Ankow stood up. “First thing you can show me is a cup of coffee. Is that starting off simply enough for you?”

“Regular or espresso?” Kerry inquired, as she followed him to the door. “Or would you like to try
café con leche
, the local specialty?” She managed to get to the knob before he did and opened the door for him.

“Out, and to your left.” She spared a glance behind her for her boss, who made a sympathetic face before she closed the door.

“SO. WHAT IS it you do here, exactly, Ms. uh...Stuart, was it?”

Ankow inquired, as they left the break room. “I’m not sure what an operations director does.”

“Good question,” Kerry replied. “It depends, unfortunately, on what day of the week it is and what time of the month.” She passed by her office and caught Mayte, installed in her new office, peeking out at her.

She smiled and rolled her eyes outside of Ankow’s field of vision, and the girl smiled back, then went back to checking some reports Kerry had left her.

“Oh, really.”

“Really. I mostly handle day to day operational problems, like outages, customer contact issues, utilization…those areas. But I also structure and organize the consolidation of new acquisitions and make decisions on integration when we buy into companies or join with them as part of a common effort.” Kerry motioned down the hall. “Our main
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operations center is down here.”

“You do, huh?” Ankow seemed either bemused or amused, Kerry couldn’t tell. “How long have you been doing this?”

“About six months,” she answered, scanning her ID card through the large security door. “I was working for Associated Synergenics when they were acquired, as the manager of operations there, and when a position opened up, I applied for it and was hired.”