Tropical Storm - DK1 Page 12

  Colleen had stepped up behind her, and peered over her shoulder. “What does that mean?” She puzzled at it. “Why do you need to worry about their dress code? You don’t work in that building.”

  “Uh.” Kerry closed the message, then opened a terminal session and thumbed through her notes as she requested a logon to the mainframe. “Okay, I press this, then go here…login, password… Oh, hell! Okay, try it again. Ah.”

  She accessed her own employee files, then stared at the main screen in disbelief. “Oh…sugarbaker.”

  “What?” Colleen peered at the screen. “What’s an ORGID?” she asked. “It sounds disgusting.”

  “She did it.” Kerry breathed, her fingertip tracing the change in her department, location, and her supervisor.

  Roberts, D

  “She did what?” The redhead poked her. “C’mon, Ker, spill it. What’s going on here?”

  “She hired me,” Kerry mumbled.

  “I thought you were already hired?” came the puzzled response. “Did I miss something here?”

  “Well, yeah, but she had this…I mean, she hired me to work for her,”

  Kerry responded, dazed. “She was looking for an assistant.”

  “Jesus Mary mother of God.” Colleen squeaked. “You are going to be Dar Roberts’ assistant?” She pounded on Kerry’s back. “You? Oh my god!”

  “Ow!” Kerry ducked out of the way. “Cut that out! I’ve got scratches from that stupid glass.” But she felt exhilarated. “And…yeah. I guess I’m going to work for her. I didn’t expect her to make a decision so fast, but now that I think about it, it doesn’t surprise me. I don’t think she likes to dawdle around stuff.” Whoo-ooo! Inside, she was jumping up and down. “Wow.”

  “Okay, girl, tonight we party,” Colleen decided. “You need to go out and celebrate. Because let me tell you, from what I hear? You won’t get a chance to breathe once you start working for her.” She tugged Kerry’s sleeve. “Let’s do Cocowalk, and hit the Improv, then have a late dinner at Monte’s. I’ll get Pete and Reggie, and a few other people around here, okay?”

  Kerry grinned. “Sure, that sounds fun. I can do that,” she agreed.

  “Tomorrow… Ye gods! I’ll have to go clothes shopping. I don’t have anything good enough for that mausoleum, it’s humongous.”

  “Ooo…ooo…ooo…” Colleen waved her hands. “I’ll go shopping too, I’d love to see you in some fancy power suits for a change. This is gonna be great.” She stood up. “I’ll be back. You stay right here, Ms. High and Mighty corporate executive.”

  Kerry rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ve got to find out what the rest of this mail is, anyway. It’s after two, you want to meet in front of here at five?”

  “You betcha,” Colleen agreed, then bustled off. “Hey, I’ll invite Gary. He really likes you.”

  The blonde woman waved a hand at her. “Fine, fine. Just tell him not to talk about his job all the time, okay?”

  Tropical Storm 71

  “Kerry, he can’t help working at the Water and Sewer plant,” the redhead chided her. “He’s very excited about it.” Green eyes peered over the monitor at her. “Okay, okay. I’m outta here.” Colleen laughed. “I’ll tell him.”

  As the door closed, Kerry sat back and re-read her mail for the third time.

  “Man, oh man, I can’t believe it.” She eyed the phone. “Guess I’d better let the folks in on this.” She picked up the receiver and dialed a number, waiting until she heard a voice answer. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Oh, hello, Kerrison,” her mother’s flat, even tone replied. “I wasn’t expecting you until tonight. Is there a problem?”

  “No, no. I got some good news. I thought I’d pass it along,” Kerry answered quietly. “I was promoted.”

  “That’s nice, dear. I thought perhaps you were going to say you’d given up that strange city and were coming home. What kind of promotion was it?”

  “Well, we were bought out. I think I told you that was happening last week.”

  “Oh? Oh yes, you mentioned it,” Cynthia Stuart recalled. “Your father was saying he’s had dealings with that new company.”

  “Mmm, yes, they’re pretty big. There was an opening there, on the operations team. I applied for it, and they took me,” Kerry told her carefully.

  “I’m…well, I’ve got to go shopping for some new clothes tomorrow.”

  A note of concern entered her mother’s voice. “You haven’t been putting on weight again, have you, dear?”

  “Oh, no. No,” Kerry reassured her. “No, in fact, I lost a few pounds over the last few days. Um…no, it’s…well, I’m going to be the assistant to one of their Vice Presidents, so I have to dress up.”

  “Oh?” Now her mother sounded more interested. “Really? That sounds more…well, you have to make sure you make a good impression. You have a Macy’s down there, isn’t that right?”

  “Well, yes, but…”

  “Excellent. Take my card, dear, and you go pick out some nice new outfits. Something in green, I think, would look good with your hair. Has it gotten lighter? It did last summer. And make sure you get nice shoes, not those awful pumps you usually wear.” There was a pause. “Roger? Roger, is that you? It’s Kerry on the phone. Dear, she’s going to be working for one of their Vice Presidents. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  A rustle, then her father’s deep voice rumbled down the line. “Kerrison?”

  “Yes, Father,” Kerry answered quietly. “It’s true, I got promoted.”

  “Well, well, that’s nice. Glad to see they recognize quality when they see it, not like that little pissant company you worked for. This is good news. “ He cleared his throat. “Who will you be working for? I know a bunch of their upper echelon people, naturally, since we do bidding for the state, and they’re a major contractor.”

  “Dar Roberts.” Kerry tasted the name, rolling it around in her mouth with a kind of pleasure.

  A moments’ silence and then her father barked, “Jesus. That’s not just one of their VPs, Kerrison, that’s… Well, my god, we’ve been trying to get a bead on her for…” His voice trailed off. “Well, well, never mind that. This could be of great value to me, though. Good work, Kerrison, very good. I’m very proud 72 Melissa Good of you.”

  Kerry felt a tense smile edge her lips. “Thank you.” She heard her mother’s voice in the background.

  “I’ve told her to take my Macy’s card, Roger, and get herself dressed to impress these people.”

  “Good idea, honey,” her father’s voice returned. “You listen to your mother, you hear? You go out to the store, and you buy stuff that’s gonna knock their socks off, all right?”

  “I’ll…do my best, Father,” Kerry replied.

  “I want you to send pictures, all right?” came the gruff demand. “I want to make sure you’re giving the right impression. This could be very valuable to me.” He paused. “I was going to bring you home. We were thinking of having the wedding in the spring, but this…this could be worth the wait.”

  “I’ll send pictures, I promise.” Kerry silently blessed Dar, who had provided her, all unknowing, a reprieve from almost unrelenting parental pressure. “I’m really excited. I think I’m really going to like this new job.”

  “Good. Here, talk to your mother.”

  “Your father is very excited too, dear.” Her mother’s voice sounded smug. “I haven’t seen him this enthusiastic since that Tripp woman surfaced.”

  She drew a breath. “Your sister’s pregnant again, bye the bye. Be sure to congratulate her when you talk to her later.”

  “I will, thanks. When did she find out?”

  “Last week, but we suspected for a while now,” her mother responded.

  “Of course, Richard has such an ugly face. I’m waiting for you and Brian to give me beautiful grandchildren.” A rustle. “Well, I have to go, dear. You run along to the store and have a good time.”

  “Thanks, mother. I’ll try.” Kerry sighed as she hung up, a
nd stared at the receiver in mild disgust. “Glad that’s over.” She turned her attention back to her mail and sat down, cracking her knuckles as she started a reply to Dar’s message.

  Sent by: Kerry Stuart

  Subject: re: Assistant’s Job

  Dar,

  “Wow!” She thought, “I like that name. I wonder what it’s short for?”

  You move really fast, did anyone ever tell you that?

  You nearly gave me a heart attack when I checked my status in CAS.

  Okay—I got the attachment. I’m kind of lost, though.

  Can you give me some tips on what is appropriate to wear at the office? I guess a trip to Macy’s is in order, but I’d love it if you’d give me a hint, since I know you have no problem in that area.

  Well, it’s been quite a week, my friends are all

  taking me out tonight to the Improv, and then Monte’s, because they tell me I won’t have a chance to breathe once I start working for you.

  Tropical Storm 73

  I hope that’s true. I’m really excited. I hope I

  don’t disappoint anyone.

  Kerry

  She hesitated, struck by the informality of the language. Just when did I get so comfortable with this woman? I told her to go to hell yesterday, didn’t I? She sat back and pondered the thought. And now I’m working for her. Is this weird, or what?

  Across the room, the panda smiled at her. Kerry looked down at her bruised knuckles and the cuts on her palms, and acknowledged that life was shifting around her, changes happening almost faster than she knew how to adjust to them.

  “Dar,” she murmured, tasting the name. “Yeah, I like that.” She clicked Send on the mail and sat back, feeling a sense of rare, reckless happiness.

  “This is going to be amazing. I just know it.”

  Chapter

  Eight

  DAR PULLED INTO the mall parking lot and swung into a spot in the rear of the north end, where not many people parked. She didn’t mind the walk, though, and it was worth it to her not to have to struggle with the crowds nearer to the stores. She locked the Lexus, then tucked her keys away into the small pouch she had slung over her shoulder and headed towards the cluster of buildings.

  It was weird. She hated shopping. She had no real idea why she’d answered Kerry’s mail yesterday with an offer to meet her here and help her pick new clothes. What in hell was I thinking? Especially up here at Aventura, home of batty socialites, condo commandos, and the snowbird flock from Hell.

  She sighed as she dodged a Lincoln Town Car longer than her office, and watched as its elderly driver simply chose to park the yacht right in front of the store.

  Oh well, it won’t kill me. Besides, the kid sounded so unsure... She wanted to make a good impression, and that, at least, Dar agreed with. It would be sensational enough that she picked an assistant less than twenty-four hours after posting for one—Kerry would be under some close scrutiny the first few weeks. Might as well make sure the kid felt confident in what she was wearing.

  Dar opened the rear entrance to Sears and slipped inside, padding through the hardware section and out through the entrance into the main mall. A cacophony of mall music, the sounds of a fashion show, birds, and a dozen languages surrounded her and she glanced around, getting her bearings before she headed for the escalator to the second floor.

  Macy’s was in the dead center of the mall, near the busy food court, but Dar had no problem finding her target. Kerry was leaning against the railing, peering down at the fashion show that was going on below, and Dar, as she approached, took the time to study the younger woman.

  She’d chosen khaki shorts and a crisp white shirt, and had her blonde hair pulled back in a loose braid, one part of which was hanging over her shoulder as she watched. She leaned forward on her elbows to get a better view, and the overhead light cascaded gently around her, highlighting the smooth lines of her face. They shifted as she turned, perhaps sensing eyes on her, and her gaze met Dar’s.

  Unconsciously, Dar was sure, a smile formed, that extended to her sea green eyes and wrinkled the skin around her nose and mouth. No, she then realized. That smile’s for me. Well, better than the wary, suspicious look I got before, Tropical Storm 75

  I suppose. “Hi.”

  Kerry moved back from the railing, and straightened her shirt with an automatic gesture. “Hi. Listen, thank you for offering to help me do this. I can’t believe you took the time out.”

  Dar shrugged. “Normally, I couldn’t. But since we posted quarterly reports yesterday, there’s nothing scheduled this weekend.” She gestured.

  “Shall we?”

  “Well, thanks.” Kerry seemed a bit nervous. “Um…do you shop here a lot? I’ve been up here a few times. I like some of the little stores. Did you know there was a Warner Brother’s shop here? I like Tweety Bird.”

  Dar chuckled. “No, actually I haven’t been up here since they built the addition on. I’ll have to go take a look.” She paused. “I, um…I’ve been to the Disney Store, though.”

  They entered Macy’s and moved quickly past the fragrance counter, which tended to be overwhelming. Dar took the lead and slipped between several aisles, arriving in the section that featured understated, classic business clothing.

  “Mmm.” Kerry fingered a silk blouse. “That’s nice.”

  Dar took a breath and took charge. “Okay, let’s see.” She wandered the racks and rifled through their offerings, then picked out a skirt and jacket set in a rich blue green. “Something like this would be fine.” She paused and her brows creased. “Oh…here, with this kind of shirt.” She pulled a cream-colored silk blouse over. “Get the idea?”

  Kerry touched the label, then checked the size. She gave Dar a perplexed look. “Did you pick this by chance, or did you guess what size I am?”

  The older woman allowed a grin to surface briefly. “Let’s just say I have a good three-dimensional spatial sense.”

  “Ah.” Kerry’s brow creased. “Is it contagious?”

  Dar chuckled. “I know what size I am and calculated down.” She relented.

  Kerry glanced at the outfit. “Well, let me try this on just to check the size.

  You can never tell with these designers.” She accepted a tag from the fitting room guardian and slipped inside a closet, hanging the outfit up and gazing at it. “Not bad, actually,” she mused, liking the color.

  It took a moment to pull her clothes off and slip into the skirt, zipping it up and adjusting the waistline a little. It hugged her hips and maintained a fairly straight line, which she preferred to pleats. Then she put on the silk blouse, smiling as the cool fabric warmed against her skin, and tucked it into the skirt, putting on the jacket over both of them. She settled the clothes, then surveyed the results in the mirror.

  Hmm. Don’t I look stuffy. She made a face at herself in the mirror . But then that building is pretentious, so… With a sigh, she poked her head out the door and spotted Dar lounging against the wall, watching the people go by. The executive looked anything but, in her faded jeans and salmon-colored shirt, which was tucked into the braided leather belt clasped around her waist. Her dark hair was loose and uncomplicated, flowing free around her shoulders, and she had on a minimum of make-up, which suited her tanned skin. “Hey,”

  Kerry called softly.

  76 Melissa Good Dar’s eyes shifted from the crowd to her, the pale blue startling as always. A dark brow lifted, and a look of approval crossed her face. “Yep, that’s the ticket.” The executive nodded. “What do you think?”

  Kerry walked forward, twitching at the fabric. “Well, I think I feel like a librarian, but…”

  Suddenly, startlingly, Dar smiled, showing even, white teeth and the faintest of twinkles in her pale eyes. “Dade County should be that lucky,” she remarked wryly. “Literacy would go up, that’s for sure.”

  Kerry smiled back, a little confused. Am I being complimented? It’s hard to tell. “Okay. Well, I get the idea here. A few
more and, um…if you have other things to do, don’t bother hanging around. I really appreciate you coming all the way up here, though, Dar.”

  Dar glanced around, then folded her arms. “Tell you the truth, I had to come up here anyway. There are a few things in Lord and Taylor’s I needed to pick up, and I should get one or two new blazers myself.” She considered for a moment. “We should probably chat for a few minutes before tomorrow anyway. How about we finish up here, then grab a sandwich over in the new wing, so we can sit down and talk?”

  Kerry blinked. “Um…” Well, sure. She’s my new boss, it makes perfect sense.

  “Sure, that sounds fine. I’ve got some questions and things I should ask, and that kind of thing.”

  “Good.” Dar nodded briskly. “Come on then, let’s get the rest of your stuff picked out.”

  KERRY LOOKED AT the menu, then glanced across the table at Dar who was peering up at the ceiling, observing a large stuffed cheetah perched over their heads. A rumble of thunder rolled around them, and she thought it was real, then realized it was part of the ambiance of the restaurant.

  The Rainforest Café was definitely different. Small trickles of water were everywhere, and a gentle mist rose from the planter behind her. Off to one side, a trio of colorful birds were being coaxed through tricks by a red-shirted attendant, and they were surrounded by cave-like walls and thick jungle foliage.

  Dar reached up and touched the cheetah’s tail, and, as if by cue, the animal let out a mechanical roar, causing the executive to jerk her hand back in startlement. She scowled, then looked across at Kerry, who was biting her lip to keep from smiling. “You think it’s funny, huh?”

  Kerry cleared her throat. “Um. No, no. I make it a point never to laugh at my boss.” She kept her eyes on the menu, which was interestingly eclectic and tempted her with a long list of tasty treats she seldom allowed herself to indulge in.

  Dar had no such compunctions. She glanced up and folded her hands on the table as a perky young waitress came over. “Do you like iced tea?” she inquired.