Sent 11:22 A.M .

All right - consider me chastised. I switched it so I could

take

care

of

the

boat

charges,

and

forgot

to

switch

it

back.

We

could

just

get

a

joint

card

or

something.

Dar

PS.

how

are

you

feeling?

I

didn’t

want

to

call

in

case I woke you up.

Kerry studied the note, feeling a little prickle of recklessness. She hit reply, typed in a few words, and hit send. ”Let’s see what your answer is to that, Paladar.” She grinned, and then resumed her surfing.


312

Melissa Good

DAR PAUSED OUTSIDE the conference room, running her fingers through her hair before she put a hand on the latch and pushed it down.

She entered the long room and let the door close behind her, aware of the several pairs of eyes that fastened themselves on her. ”Good afternoon,” she remarked, as she moved around to the head of the table and sat down. The rest of the room contained representatives from two companies they’d just signed alliances with, along with representatives from sales and marketing and one of Duks’s people.

”All right. We’re here to discuss the potential acquiring of the statewide benefits contract in Idaho.” Dar pulled out a folder, and flipped it open. ”Suppose you people fill me in on what progress you’ve made with the state government so far?” She flicked a cool glance at the company representatives from that state. ”You want to start?”

They glanced at each other, then the older man cleared his throat.

”Well, all right.”

It was a long meeting, and Dar was slightly frustrated by the time it ended, sensing a communication problem but unable to pinpoint exactly what it was. She kept trying to get information from the newcomers, but she could tell the older man, at least, was being evasive, and they all seemed to want to keep their strategies under their hats, and keep her company around just to pump cash into things.

That wasn’t going to happen. Dar fiddled with a pen as they filed out, and scowled a little. ”Elle, hang on.” The marketing representative paused, then walked back across the now empty conference room and stood, visibly uneasy. ”Relax. Sit down a minute.”

The woman did, folding her hands on the table and waiting.

”What did you think about them?” Dar inquired.

”Me?” Elle’s brows lifted. ”Um...I don’t know. They were okay, I guess, a little on the quiet side.” She sniffed, and pushed her thin, wire framed glasses up on her nose. ”I took them on a tour before the meeting. They were kind of prickly, if you know what I mean.”

Dar nodded, pursing her lips. ”Yeah...I got that feeling myself.

Well, okay. Thanks.”

Elle blinked at her. ”Um...you’re welcome.” She stood, and ducked her head a little awkwardly, then she turned and left.

Dar sighed, then stood and gathered her things, walking back to her office in time to see Maria returning with a large, white bag. ”Hello, Maria.”

”Is your meeting over, Dar?” The secretary held the door for her, and followed her inside. ”I brought you back some arroz con pollo...from my trip outside.”

Dar smiled at her. ”Thanks. Yeah, it just ended. I’ve got another one after lunch, then a conference call after that.”

Maria bustled over to her desk, and put her bag down. ”And how is Kerrisita doing?” She asked, pulling out a Styrofoam container and handing it to Dar. ”I stopped at the farmaceria, and you take this home Hurricane Watch

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to her, yes?” She handed Dar a bag. ”Is to make tea...is good for her.”

Dar held the bag. ”I...I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to her since I left the house. I’m sure she’s fine, and thanks, she likes tea.”

Maria gave her a severe look. ”Poor Kerrisita is home so sick, and you don’t call her?” she scolded her boss.

”Uh.” Dar was caught flat footed by the older woman. ”It’s just some cramps, Maria. She’s not a baby, you know.”

”That is not the point, jefa,” Maria stated. ”Is good she knows you are concerned, no?”

”Uh...” Dar gave up. ”Yep. You’re right. I’ll go call her.” She fled the outer office, and escaped into her own, putting her lunch down and circling her desk. ”Jesus, you’d think she was an infant or something. I bet she’s napping, or she doesn’t want me calling every five minutes.”

With a sigh, she sat down and dialed her home number. It rang several times, and she was about to hang up when it was answered. ”Hey.”

”Hey!” Kerry's voice perked up audibly as she recognized the caller. ”Wow. I was just thinking about you.”

Dar settled her chin on her fist. ”I was just thinking about you too. I just got out of a meeting I wish you’d been at. Maybe you could have given me some insight into a few new associates.” She sighed. ”How’re you feeling?”

”I answered that in the email,” Kerry told her dryly. ”Which I guess you haven’t seen yet.”

”Um.” Dar sat down and rolled her trackball to check her mail.

”Ah...no. I just got back, let’s see. Oh.” She started laughing. ”Oh.” She felt a blush coming on. ”Well, I’m glad you liked the service last night.”

Kerry chuckled as well. ”It’s on and off. I take drugs, it gets better, then they wear off, and I feel like a manure pile. I don’t know what’s with me this time,” she sighed. ”Chino’s keeping me company, though, and I’ve been surfing.”

”Uh oh,” Dar uttered. ”That could be dangerous.”

”Mm... Yes, it certainly could. Did you know Victoria’s Secret has a great website?” Kerry asked, innocently.

Dar’s blue eyes widened. ”Any particular reason you’re letting me in on this little tidbit of news?” she inquired, hesitantly.

”You like blue, right?” Kerry asked, ignoring the question.

”Um...yes...why?” Dar felt her curiosity crawl up her spine and perch on her shoulders, almost making her lean forward towards the phone. ”Kerry?”

”Yes?” the blonde woman purred. ”Something wrong?”

Dar chewed her lip. ”Um...no.” She felt a little thrill of excitement, almost of danger. ”Nothing.”

Her intercom buzzed. ”Hang on.” She pressed a button. ”Yes, Maria?”

”Dar, I have a Mr. Evans, from Interlock, he is wanting to talk to you?”


314

Melissa Good

Ah. Her reluctant associate. ”All right, give me a minute, Maria, then show him in.” Dar pressed her other line. ”If you’re done teasing me, I’ve got a potato farmer that wants in here.”

”Teasing? I’m not teasing you, Dar,” Kerry objected, with a chuckle. ”Can I interest you in a couple of burgers with the works for dinner? The Beach club just updated their menu, and they’ve got some new ones.”

Dar smiled at the phone affectionately. ”Sounds great to me. See you in a bit.”

”Right, have fun.” Kerry hung up, and Dar exhaled, glad she’d taken Maria’s advice. She glanced up as the door opened, and the tall, gray haired man entered. ”Come in, Mr. Evans. Maria, thank you for reminding me of that pending issue.”

The secretary looked blank for a moment, then she smiled, and shook a finger at her boss, but said nothing as she closed the door behind her.

Dar motioned to her visitor chair. ”Sit down, Mr. Evans. I hope you won’t mind if I catch up on my lunch while we talk.” She didn’t give him a chance to answer, as she pulled her Styrofoam container over, and popped it open, releasing the scent of saffron and garlic into the air.

”What can I do for you?” she asked, pulling a fork out of the wrapped set of silverware that came with the lunch.

He seated himself and crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knee and studying her. Dar maintained the eye contact, while she speared a piece of chicken and munched it. One brow lifted in question at him.

”Ms. Roberts, I’m not quite sure how to broach this,” he spoke the words carefully. ”I’ve spoken with my colleagues, and they feel as I do, and I’m afraid we have difficulty with you...ah...your corporate culture.”

Dar took a mouthful of rice and chewed it, while she considered the words. ”Our corporate culture?” she repeated, then waved her fork at the walls. ”You don’t like oak paneling and maroon carpet?” she queried, honestly puzzled. ”What corporate culture are you referring to?” He hesitated. ”It seems to us that your company has a very...open policy on personal behavior,” he stated. ”As well as a great deal of diversity in your employee base.”

One of Dar’s brows rose. ”Most people consider that a corporate asset,” she informed him. ”But what exactly are you getting at?” She paused, and chewed another piece of chicken. ”Whose personal behavior are you getting offended by?”

He cleared his throat, obviously discomfited. ”Yours, actually.”

Dar stopped chewing, and just stared at him. Then she swallowed and took a sip of water from the glass on her desk. ”Excuse me?” She almost laughed. ”What is it you find offensive...my tendency to doodle Hurricane Watch

315

in meetings, or my eating lunch in front of you without offering you any?”He looked at her. ”We spent some time in your cafeteria this morning, and heard of a situation between you and your assistant.”

It stopped being funny. Dar felt a cold wave sweep over her, and she knew it must have showed in her face, because she saw his reaction.

She put her fork down slowly and precisely, then folded her hands on her desk. ”And your problem with that is what?” She heard the drop in her voice, and felt the dark anger stir in her guts.

Dead silence for a dozen heartbeats. ”We come from a God fearing part of the country, Ms. Roberts...and I, personally, find that kind of behavior disgusting.” He looked right at her, lifting his chin a little.

”And my colleagues feel the same.”

A dozen nasty retorts crossed Dar’s mind, and she discarded them.

”Well, Mr. Evans, our company’s official policy is one of non-discrimination, and I’m pretty damn proud of that. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same.” She paused. ”Let me make sure I understand, though...you’ve got a problem with me because I’m gay, right?”

His face twitched at the word. ”I accept God’s word on his views about that, so yes.”

”Let’s not get into a debate on religion,” Dar replied. ”You won’t like my views on that, either, I’m sure.” She took several deep breaths, to bleed off the angry tension. ”All right. Well, Mr. Evans, in the first place, my personal life is no business of yours.”

”I don’t think we’ll be comfortable dealing with you,” he interrupted. ”And even if that were not so, your bowing to foreign culture here is something we find very upsetting. Ms. Roberts, do you realize a good portion of your employees do not speak English in the workplace?”

Dar felt her nostrils flare. ”Mr. Evans, fifty percent of our employees have something other than English as their native language, based on the fact that they are citizens of another country,” she reminded him. ”We are an international organization, in case that slipped your mind.”

”We find that—” He never got to finish. Dar stood up and came around the desk, cold sparks flashing in her pale eyes.

”Do you know what I find offensive?” she growled, leaning on her desk. ”I find your small mindedness offensive, Mr. Evans. So I’ll tell you what, I’ll call down to our marketing group, and we’ll just call this little arrangement off, all right?”

”That was my objective, yes.” He stood stiffly. ”I’m sorry you cannot understand our feelings in the matter.”

”I’m not.” Dar let out a short laugh. ”But let me tell you. I’m going to have the publicity group release a statement saying we cut you loose because you were too prejudiced for us to deal with.”

He drew himself up. ”It’s not prejudice, Ms. Roberts. It has nothing 316

Melissa Good

to do with that. It’s just how we see ourselves, and who we prefer to deal with.”

Dar just shook her head. ”Then you’ll find yourself on the inside of a circle growing smaller day by day, mister...and you know what?” She leaned closer, watching him edge back. ”We’ll go in there and take all the business away from you anyway.”

”Not after we talk to those clients, and let them know what kind of people you are,” he told her, smugly. ”The rest of the country isn’t like this place, Ms. Roberts.”