The doctor picked up a metal bar and tested her reflexes, then peered interestedly into the side of her head. Kerry sat quietly, looking straight ahead and trying to think of something other than how much that thing was tickling her.
”So, you lifting weights?” Marie asked, casually.
”Um...a bit...not that much really, mostly light stuff.” Kerry resisted the urge to bat the woman’s hand away from her sensitive ears.
”Wall climbing, a lot of running, some diving, a little martial arts, that sort of thing.” She glanced up as the doctor stepped back. ”I feel great.”
Marie put a hand on her shoulder. ”You look great.” She smiled. ”I can hardly believe it.” She indicated Kerry’s clothes. ”Get dressed and c’mon into my office. We can chit chat for a minute or two.” She paused.
”Did you want me to schedule you for a mammogram? No, wait, we did that last summer, right?”
Kerry nodded. ”Yes. That’s hard to forget. I still get chilly thinking of it.” She grinned wryly.
”I...um...” She chewed her lip. ”Check
regularly.”
Possibly more regularly than strictly necessary, since she and Dar had invented a sort of mutual, gently sensual game to it, when she’d found that her stubborn lover had never bothered to check herself even once.”Good deal,” the doctor nodded. ”Okay then, meet you down the hall. I’m going to grab a bottle of carrot juice. Want some?”
”Uh, no thanks.” Kerry ignored the growling in her stomach. ”I’m going to pick up some breakfast on the way into work.” A Cuban egg McMuffin, she’d decided, and a nice big café con leche.
And one for Dar, of course.
Marie left her to change, and she did, tucking her shirt into her waistband and zipping it, then settling her metallic green jacket over her shoulders. She picked up her purse and went down to the doctor’s office, settling into the comfortable chair across from the desk, where the older woman was busy scribbling into her files. ”So, everything look okay?”
”Hang on,” Marie muttered, still scribbling. ”I want to get...okay.”
She looked up, and folded her hands. ”It’ll take a while for the blood work to come back, but everything looks good to me.” Her eyes twinkled. ”And your health does too.”
Kerry allowed a smile to cross her face, acknowledging the 340
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compliment. ”It’s been quite a change for me. I moved. I have a new job...” She paused, considering. ”Someone in my life. I guess that’s been the biggest change. Dar’s gotten me into a lot of that physical stuff.”
Marie cocked her head. ”Dar, that’s an unusual name. You don’t mean Dar Roberts, do you?”
Kerry blinked, truly startled. ”Um...yes.”
The doctor whistled.
”Wow. I never met her, but I’ve heard
stories.” She leaned forward. ”You got pictures?”
She’d heard of Dar? That made no sense, given the separate circles they traveled in. ”Uh, yeah, I do.” Kerry pulled out her wallet, and opened it, selecting one of her favorite pictures of the two of them, standing near an old oak outside the condo, Dar’s arms wrapped loosely around her neck.
”Wow,” Marie said again, looking up and giving Kerry a very respectful glance. ”My ex was at the bar downtown the night she took out those two robbers. She said she never saw anything quite like it, just like in the movies.”
Kerry's blonde brow edged up. ”Hah. I haven’t heard that story, but that’s Dar. She hates making herself out to be a hero.”
Marie handed the picture back, with a frank grin. ”She definitely saved a few butts that night, and put one guy in the hospital for three months.” A faint shake of her head. ”You picked a wild one, Kerry, but if you’re happy...” She let the thought drift off. ”Listen, we’re having a party next Saturday night at the club. Why don’t you guys stop by, hmm? I’d love to meet your friend.”
Kerry hesitated. ”Sure, I mean, I don’t think we have anything planned. I’ll check with Dar when I get to the office.” She didn’t want to refuse outright, since she did like Marie, but she wondered if Dar would want to make an appearance at what was, apparently, old stomping grounds.
Marie stood up. ”Okay, great, maybe we’ll see you then.” She smiled, and held a hand out. ”Great seeing you, Kerry. I’ll give you a call if anything unusual comes back in your tests, but in my considered opinion, just keep doing what you’re doing, okay?”
Kerry also stood, and gripped her hand. ”Thanks, Marie. I’ll be seeing you.”
”Yeah.” The doctor gave her a speculative look. ”I hope so.”
DAR WAS SEATED at her desk, her head propped up on one hand and her mouse in the other. She was clicking through a series of spreadsheets, checking their contents, then flipping back to others in a blur of white with pale blue lines. A soft knock interrupted her, and she leaned back, welcoming it. ”C’mon in.”
Maria pushed the door opened and entered, closing it behind her.
She was carrying several folders, which she put neatly on Dar’s desk.
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”Is the three new companies we bring in, Dar,” the secretary said. ”And Kerrisita just poked her head in, to say she is here now.”
”Oh?” Dar visibly perked up. ”That didn’t take long, guess everything’s okay then.” You never knew with doctors, after all, though Kerry certainly appeared extremely healthy, you just never knew.
”Great. I had a lunch meeting sprung on me that I wanted her to attend.”
As if on cue, a popup appeared on her window.
”Hey, my doctor wants to meet you.”
Dar blinked, and glanced at Maria, then leaned forward and typed back.”Oh really? Everything go okay then?”
”Remember what Maria thought of me? With the trail mix? That’s what my doctor thinks of you.”
Dar smiled. ”C’mon over.” She turned and put her hands on the desk. ”So, we have three new acquisitions, eh?”
”Si,” Maria agreed.
Dar drummed her fingers on the desk. ”Um...so...what did you have planned for the weekend, Maria?”
The secretary gave her a curious look. ”Aye...well...nothing really, just some work in the garden, and my husband is going to paint the bathroom,” she answered, a little puzzled.
”Ah. That sounds nice...um...” Dar glanced up as the inner door opened and Kerry ambled in, her green eyes twinkling as they found her lover’s face. ”We were going to have a little get together on Saturday morning...I'd...um... Dar regarded her pencil, then looked over at Kerry. ”We’d like you to be there.” Kerry put a paper bag down on the desk and smiled at Maria.
Maria folded her hands, and looked from one to the other. ”It is a party?”
Dar looked at Kerry in silent appeal. Kerry rolled her eyes.
”Sort of.” Kerry perched on one corner of the desk. ”My former pastor from Michigan is in Miami for a visit, and he offered to perform a commitment ceremony for us.”
She does that so smoothly. Dar marveled.
”Como?” Maria took a step forward towards them. ”Do you mean to be saying you are getting married?”
Kerry felt the strangeness of the word. ”Um...yes, I think you could say that.” She turned and looked at Dar in question. The woman was chewing the end of her pen so studiously you’d have thought she had a plastic deficiency. ”Right?”
Blue eyes shifted to her face, and then to Maria. ”Uh...yes.” Dar swallowed, having never really expected to be saying that. “We are.”
Maria put her hands on her hips, and gave Dar a very severe look.
”Jefe, that is not nice.”
Dar was startled. ”Wh—” Could she have read Maria all wrong?