She could make this happen; she could feel it. Michelle the thrill-seeker, who actively courted danger, and who sensed in Dar danger of the most exciting, most seductive kind. Oh yes, she could make this happen. Kerry would surely understand. This was a very important deal, and it would be worth… God, Alastair would have an orgasm on the spot if she made it go through.
It was worth it. It would be so easy, she could taste it happening. All it would cost her was a night’s engagement, and what was that, really, given what she’d done in her life so far? It wouldn’t even be unpleasant. Piece of cake. Dar paused, remembering a lightly made promise, suddenly echoing in her ears. Mongolia, huh? She glanced at Kerry again, seeing the gentle trust there as the green eyes met hers, and she slowly turned back to Michelle and waited for her to finish.
Michelle turned around and stepped back, then gazed up at her in question. “I believe we were discussing dinner?”
For a moment, all Dar could hear was her heartbeat, then she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Michelle, I’m so very sorry.” Her eyes conveyed true regret, but not for what the woman would have assumed.
“I have an engagement tonight I can’t get out of. But I very much appreciate…” she paused meaningfully, “the offer.”
How in the world something so stupid could feel so good, she had no clue. She read surprise and disappointment on Michelle’s face, but not anger.
“That’s too bad, Dar.” Michelle pursed her lips and sighed. “I was looking forward to talking to you. Maybe if you get stuck another night?”
A smile from her. “Absolutely.”
A brisk nod, and then Michelle signaled her dogs and left the room. Dar took a breath, then turned and headed back toward her group, who were waiting by the door. The rival team had already left, and she could hear the buzz of interest dying down as she reached their group. “Okay.”
“Everything all right?” the account lead inquired, glancing after the departing exec.
Dar straightened her shoulders and nodded. “I think so. What do they want us to do?”
John handed her the packet, and she scanned it idly. “Oh, these are the information kiosks they have around the parks—touch screen, maps, that kind of thing.” She read on. “They want us to design a proposal to take over the data transmission, improve the speed, deliver the information more efficiently, and enable online reservations?” John nodded.
Dar sat down at the conference table and took out her pen, writing on the cover sheet for ten minutes, then re-reading what she’d written. “All right.”
She pulled out her laptop and booted it, then scanned in the document using the slimline scan attachment that slipped onto the back buss. Then she pulled out her cell phone and inserted the phone plug from her modem into the data 188 Melissa Good jack. A click, and they all heard the dialing beeps and the soft hiss of a connection.
Dar watched the status, then nodded as it completed and disconnected.
“Okay, here you go. Hang onto this, and don’t let anyone see it, all right, John?”
With the other team members looking over his shoulder, the account lead read the document. “Dar, this is technogibberish.” He glanced at her. “But I guess you know what it says, and whoever you sent it to does also. Who did you send it to, by the way?”
“Mark Polenti,” Dar closed up her laptop case. “Well guys, I gotta go. I’ve got a theme park to explore. See you tomorrow morning.”
“But…” John lifted the paper at her questioningly.
“Relax.” Dar chuckled. “You’ll have your written proposal tomorrow, and if I play my cards right, maybe something more.” She picked up her case and joined Kerry in the doorway, giving them all a smile before she urged her companion out the door.
It was a quiet walk to the elevator, and they were alone in it as they rode down. “Wow. That was certainly something,” Kerry remarked, watching the floors go by. “What di—” She stopped when a pair of fingers covered her lips, and she looked at Dar in startled question.
Dar removed her fingers, then lifted one to her own lips in a shushing motion. “I’m glad you had such an educational experience during the meeting, Kerry,” she stated. “It’s good to understand that not everything you see and hear is necessarily what’s going on under the surface.”
Kerry got the message. “That’s true. Your methods are very interesting.”
Dar grinned, then shook her head in silence as the doors opened and they walked out. Once out in the parking lot, she leaned closer. “We know they bug the place like crazy.”
“What?” Kerry looked shocked. “Why?”
They got in the car and left the parking lot before Dar answered. “To find out things. They don’t take anyone at face value.”
“Hmm.” Kerry leaned back and crossed her arms. “You think that conference room was bugged?”
“Without question. “
Kerry whistled. “She got an earful then.”
A soft chuckle greeted that. “Oh yeah. Nice comeback, by the way.” She gave her companion an approving look. “John’s got a good team there, but he’s too nice and too ethical for a dog fight like that.”
“Yeah, they were all right,” the blonde mused. “Larry asked me out tonight.”
Dar blinked and swallowed down a completely inappropriate surge of…
“That was nice of him,” she got out. “Where are you going?”
“Oh, I’m not. I mean…” Kerry blushed a little. “I told him thanks, but I had a prior offer.”
Blue eyes regarded her quietly. “Funny, I told Michelle Graver the same thing.” Dar’s words tumbled out unexpectedly. “Weird, huh?”
Kerry’s eyes widened. “Good god, Dar, you should have said yes! I’m sure you two would have gotten along great and talked about the bid.”
Tropical Storm 189
Dar had stopped at a light, and now she turned and looked at her assistant. “She wasn’t asking me out to talk about the bid, Kerry,” she said bluntly.
Sea green eyes studied her face for a long time in silence, before Kerry sat back. “Oh.”
Feeling a quiet depression settle on her, Dar continued the drive to the Floridian. That was obviously an alien concept to the kid. Maybe I should have taken Michelle up after all. Kerry wouldn’t have even realized. I’ve risked the account for nothing. God in heaven, Dar…get your head on straight. What in the hell do you think you’re doing? She toyed with the idea of changing her mind, and giving Michelle a call.
“You mean, she found you attractive, and she was hitting on you?”
Kerry’s voice startled her out of her morose thoughts, and she glanced to her right in surprise, seeing an unexpectedly thoughtful look on the blonde woman’s face. Dar was rattled, not expecting that calm, interested evaluation.
“Um, I would imagine…I guess, yeah.”
Kerry crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head introspectively. “Well, at least she has good taste,” she commented simply.
Huh? Dar almost went through a stop sign. “Sorry about that,” she muttered as she brought the car to a quick halt, and turned her head to give Kerry a startled look. “She what?”
Kerry gazed at her as though she were nuts. “Well, yeah, I mean…” She let out a little laugh. “C’mon, Dar…” She turned the rearview mirror to face her boss. “I mean, hello?” She watched Dar’s face intently. “Why, did that bother you, her being interested?”
A clue flew in the window and hit Dar on the head. “Um. No.” She rubbed her temple, then stifled a relieved laugh. “No, no. I’ve been through that before. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood to play the game tonight.” Holy damn it. She glanced back at Kerry. “Did it bother you?”