Hurricane Watch - DK2 (28 page)

”Hey, you can’t.” José stood and challenged her.

”Sure I can,” Kerry responded hotly. ”You people couldn’t find your way out of a paper bag unless Dar wrote directions on the inside of it, and you’ve got the balls to be in here criticizing a situation that’s your own damn fault.” Her voice rose to a yell, all the anger she’d been holding in for two days boiling out.

”We didn’t ask her to quit!” José responded.

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”Oh, but isn’t that what you were after?” Kerry countered, leaning forward on her hands. ”Or else why hire someone with the specific intent to go against her?” She pointed at Steven, who was seething at his side. ”Someone who had written instructions from you.” She pointed at José. ”To ’find that bitch's weak spot and put a knife into it’, wasn't that the quote?”

Silence.

”Well. You got what you wanted,” Kerry continued. ”And now the problem is everyone knows the only thing that kept the damn company running was her. You sure can’t.” A long pause. ”I can’t. After one day, I can’t imagine how in the hell she managed to put up with all this for so long.”

José stared at Mariana, who was chewing on a pencil. ”You’re going to let her get away with that?”

The Personnel VP shrugged. ”EEOC, José. I let Mr. Fabricini get away with saying worse about Dar to her face. I have no leg to stand on to stop Ms. Stuart from speaking her mind.”

”That’s just because you and she are thick as thieves.” Eleanor stated hotly. ”No wonder we can’t get anything done.”

“Yeah, you can say that again!” Steven broke in. “What a bunch of bullcrap!”

“I’ve got news for you, lady!” José stood up. “You know what I think? I think—”

”Excuse me!” Alastair barked suddenly, in a voice that was quite surprisingly angry coming from his somewhat benign appearance. “I’d really like you all to shut the hell up.”

Everyone looked at him in silence. ”Thank you.” He adjusted his tie. ”I would like everyone to excuse themselves with the exception of Ms. Stuart,” he paused, ”Now.”

In silence they filed out, avoiding Kerry’s gaze with the exception of Mariana, who patted her shoulder as she passed.

The sound of the door closing behind them sounded unbelievably loud to Kerry, but she didn’t react to it, sitting down instead and folding her hands on the table.

Alastair regarded her across the entire length of the conference table, then he stood up, and walked around to where she was, perching on the edge of the wooden surface and crossing his arms over his chest.

”That was gross insubordination, Ms. Stuart,” he remarked coolly.

”I know,” Kerry replied, looking up at him. ”I hear that runs in my department.”

Alastair McLean had grayish blue eyes, almost as striking as Dar’s.

Right now, they were regarding her with the faintest hint of, something.

”Your former boss was not known for a being a team player.”

Former.
Kerry felt a little sad. ”No, it’s just that she refuses to play on a losing team,” she replied.

He nodded a little. ”I have her position to fill, Ms. Stuart. You’re
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smart, and you’re sharp. I think you’d do well in it.”

Kerry gazed at him. ”Respectfully, sir, I wouldn’t work for someone who allowed someone like her to leave without just cause.”

He cocked his head. ”I believe that’s the most politely put ‘kiss my ass’ I’ve ever heard, Ms. Stuart,” Alastair remarked. ”So you don’t want the job? It comes with a nice raise, good perks, a big advancement for someone your age and experience level.”

The green eyes glinted dangerously. ”I guess I didn’t explain myself.” Kerry cleared her throat. ”Kiss my ass,” she paused, ”Sir.”

The CEO rubbed his jaw, then got up off the desk and pulled the chair next to her out, sitting down in it so they were knee to knee. ”You know, Ms. Stuart, when you first got brought on board, I thought Dar was nuts.” He twiddled his fingers together. ”I had no idea what she was up to, but I let her go ahead with it because I trust her judgment.”

He paused reflectively. ”She’s earned that trust.”

Kerry remained quiet, merely watching his face intently.

“She’s earned that trust with fifteen years of yanking my Brooks Brothers covered ass out of some of the toughest situations you could hope to find in this bastardized business we’re in,” Alastair continued.

“I wouldn’t trade her for three billion dollar contracts and a bottle of hundred dollar scotch.”

Kerry cocked her head just slightly to one side. “Me either.”

”You think you can get me an audience with her?” Now the blue gray eyes took on the faintest hint of a twinkle.

Kerry glanced down at the table, hiding a smile, then looked up.

”Yes, I can do that,” she answered softly. ”She’s at home.”

Alastair smiled at her. ”Good.”

Kerry took a breath. ”That was a test, wasn’t it?” She hazarded warily. ”Offering me her job?”

The eyes twinkled visibly now.

”Did I pass?” she dared.

”Like a champ,” he replied, with a chuckle. ”You’ve proven a true disciple of Dar, Ms. Stuart, so take it easy.”

Kerry exhaled. ”Sorry, it’s been a really long day,” she admitted, as she got up and walked across to where a phone rested on a wall side credenza. ”Hang on.” She dialed a number, unsurprised when it was picked up before it even rang once. ”Hi.”

”Hey.” Dar’s voice was worried. ”Everything okay?”

”I think so,” Kerry told her, in a low voice. ”Alastair wants to come see you.”

”Ah.” Her lover mulled this over. ”Yeah, sure, why not?” she replied. ”You can bring him over then run Dad back over to the mainland; give us a few minutes to duke it out.”

”Gotcha.” Kerry felt a quiet sense of relief flood over her. ”See you in a few.” She hung up and returned to the conference table. ”I’ll give you a ride over there if you want,” she told the CEO.

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”Best offer I’ve had all day,” Alastair replied, cheerfully. ”Let’s go.”

DAR PUT THE phone down, and glanced at her father. ”Well.” She scrubbed her face. ”I guess I’d better go take a shower and put some clothes on. My boss is coming over.”

Andrew put his hands behind his head and stretched out his body, stiff from a long afternoon of crocodile watching. ”He all right?”

”More or less, yeah.” Dar hoisted herself to her feet and grabbed her crutches, moving towards her bedroom. ”Be right back.”

Her father scratched Chino’s head and crossed his ankles. ”Be careful now, Dardar. Don’t be slipping up in there.”

She stopped, unseen, at the doorway and gazed at him with quiet affection. Then she shook her head and moved into the bathroom, stripping off her pajamas and starting the water running. Dar waited for a moment as she removed the leg brace, then carefully moved into the stall shower. Her leg hurt a little, but nothing like it had the other day, and she was cautiously optimistic as she limped under the warm water.

It felt great. She gingerly scrubbed her body, avoiding the scratches from the trip, and carefully washed her hair around the still tender bump above her ear. It seemed to have gone down, though, and she stood under the force of the water for several minutes, just letting the pressure ease some of the tension out of her.

Dar reluctantly shut the water off, and stepped out of the shower, grabbing one of the long, fluffy beach towels she kept in the bathroom for drying off. She wrapped it around her, then took a second and roughly dried her hair before she exited the bathroom and moved gingerly through the bedroom without her crutches.

Hmm. She tested the leg cautiously, pleased with the response. Not bad. She considered, then shrugged and pulled on a polo shirt and a pair of jeans, tucking the shirt inside and giving herself a cursory glance in the mirror. ”Gonna have to do.” She made a wry face at herself, and ran a brush through her hair quickly.

”Hey, Dardar?” her father called from the other room.

”Yeah?” She limped to the door and went through it, finding him near the sliding glass doors. ”What’s up?”

He turned. ”Hey where’s them damn crutches?”

”In the room. It’s okay. Leg feels a lot better” Dar remarked, putting a hand against the glass.

”Uh huh.” He sounded skeptical. ”I’d believe you ‘cept that if it were me saying that, I’d be lying a blue streak.”

Dar glanced at him, then chuckled wryly, waggling her hand. ”It hurts, but my back is killing me from using those damn things. I need a break,” she admitted. ”I’m gonna go sit down anyway. Did you want to show me something?”

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Andrew seemed nervous all of a sudden. ”Naw, well.” He cleared his throat. ”You still go out there?” His head indicated the sea.

Dar nodded. ”I stopped for a while,” she admitted quietly. ”But Kerry loves it. She got certified and we go out almost every weekend.”

”Good fer her,” Andrew stated.

A soft chuckle. ”She’s got me back involved in a lot of things.” Dar sighed. ”I was...” she hesitated, ”considering getting back into competition.”

Her father’s eyes lit up. ”Were ya?” He studied her seriously.

”Looks like you could.” He poked her experimentally. ”Better’n some of the pups they sent out with me the last time, I tell ya that.”

Dar laughed, a touch embarrassed. ”Yeah, I kept that up,” she murmured. ”You’re responsible for that. I always thought you’d be disappointed if I hadn’t.”

Andrew remained silent for a moment, then he put a gentle hand on her arm. ”Rugrat, I could never be disappointed with you.” His voice was sincere. ”Doesn’t matter what you ended up doing, who you ended up being. You’re my kid, and ain’t nothing gonna ever change that.”

Dar found herself unable to answer, and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

”Nuff of that mushy stuff.” Andrew cleared his throat. ”You go back into that stuff, you let me know, hear?” He fumbled a white card from his pocket and handed it to her. ”That’ll get me.”

A pager number. Dar smiled at it, and tucked it into her shirt pocket. Then she limped over to her briefcase, resting on a chair nearby and removed one of her own cards. She scribbled the home phone at the condo on the back and handed it to him. ”Fair’s fair,” she told him.

”Give us a call sometimes.”

He stared at the card, turning it over in his fingers. Then he tucked it away carefully without a word.

They both heard the sound of a car outside. ”Guess that’s them,”

Dar stated quietly. ”Thanks for sticking around today.”

”You can thank the kumquat for that. It was her idea,” Andrew mumbled. ”Well, I’ll go round back and wait for her. You take care of yourself, you hear, rugrat?”

Dar hugged him, feeling him tense for a moment, then relax and return the hug. ”I love you, Daddy,” she whispered. ”I missed you.”

He took a shaky breath, and patted her side. ”Same here.” He broke off and cleared his throat. ”Be good.” He gave her arm another pat, then slipped out the back door and into the darkness.

Dar watched until his shadow blended into the foliage, not turning until she heard footsteps outside the front door.

KERRY PARKED THE Mustang next to Dar’s Lexus, and glanced at her passenger. Alastair had been looking around with great interest, 154

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and it gave her a chance to study him in return.

He looked like a kindly grandfather, she decided. Except that he was deceptively shrewd and she suspected he could make the tough decisions when he really needed to. Certainly he had Dar’s respect and she knew just how much that counted for. “Here we are.”

”Nice place,” he commented, looking around. “Wasn’t aware we’d have to take a boat trip out here. I never realized this was where Dar lived.”

Kerry nodded. ”Okay, well, that’s the condo, so.” She opened the door and got out, waiting for him to join her before she led the way down the walk and up the stairs. As she approached the door she hesitated, lifting her hand to knock, then made a quiet decision and let her fingers drop to the keypad instead, keying in her code and unlocking the door.

Alastair made no comment. His eyebrows didn’t even twitch.

Kerry suspected he knew more about them than Dar figured. ”After you.” She opened the door and held it, gesturing with the other hand.

A quick peek inside showed her Dar was leaning casually against the back of the love seat, regarding them. There was no sign of Andrew.

”Hi.”Dar’s eyes flicked to hers, and she gave her a tiny wink. ”Hi.” Then her attention turned to Alastair. ”Hello Alastair, c’mon in.”

Kerry lifted a hand and moved a step back. ”Later.”

Dar lifted a hand in response, and watched the door close behind her lover, then she turned her gaze on her boss.

They regarded each other in silence for a moment, then Dar exhaled and stood up. ”Siddown. You want a drink?”

”I think I need one,” Alastair replied wryly, as he took the invitation and settled on the couch, leaning back and glancing around.

”Nice place, Dar.”

The dark haired woman nodded. ”Thanks.” She limped over to the cabinet against the wall and took out a bottle, pulling the top off and pouring a portion of honey golden liquor into two glasses. Then she put the top back on and made her way back, handing Alastair his, and settling in the easy chair across from him.

”So.” He took a sip, eyebrows rising at the taste. ”Very nice,” he added approvingly.

”Thought I remembered you liked scotch,” Dar commented, taking a sip of her own glass. The smooth twenty year old alcohol burned warmly on the way down.

”That I do,” Alastair agreed. ”That I do.” He looked around. ”You know Dar, not that I spent a whole lot of time thinking about it, but I never pictured you in a place like this.” His eyes fell on the space scape.

”High tech apartment in a high rise off Brickell, sure, but...”

Dar smiled briefly. ”An aunt of mine willed it to me.”

An awkward silence fell.

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”So,” Alastair said again. ”Where do we go from here, Dar?” He sipped his scotch and watched her over the rim of his glass. ”I think you probably realize I’ve got someone real hefty sitting on that resignation request of yours.”