Oh, wait, I can route the request through the Houston backbones. Hang on.”
“You’re very good at that, too.”
Dar’s voice almost made her accidentally reconfigure a master router.
“Dar?”
The executive peered at the screen. “Hmm?”
“Unless you want me to reroute the NBC satellite feeds to Iran, could you just be quiet for a minute?”
Pale blue eyes winked at her mischievously. “Sorry.”
238 Melissa Good
“No problem.” Kerry tried not to think about how close those nice, inviting lips were. “What was I doing? Oh yeah…” She worked at the keyboard for a minute. “Okay. Yeesh, that’s awkward.”
The phone rang, and Dar picked it up. “Yes? … Oh, right. Okay, good.
… Let me know.” She hung up, then stretched. “The electrician just got there.
Hey, want some ice cream?”
Kerry didn’t think twice. “Sure.” She continued her browsing. “Oh, I can get ATMs back up in the Northeast. Hang on.”
Dar got up and ambled into the kitchen, musing on how much more fun a disaster was with Kerry around. She thought about that as she dished out the frozen treat. How much more fun everything was with Kerry around. She carried the dishes back and handed Kerry hers, then settled back in her spot and picked up the phone again.
It was almost five AM before the electrician finished his inspection, and Dar had to argue with him for fifteen minutes before he agreed to issue his report then and there. “Look, I didn’t have you get out of your god-damn bed at one AM so you could write a report tomorrow. Just do it!” she snarled. “Put Gregory on the phone.”
The deep, rumbling voice of the Netops chief came on. “Yeah, Dar?”
“Get that report. I’ve got that damn fire chief on his way to you now.
Give it to him, and tell him to take it and shove it.” She stopped abruptly as Kerry stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. “Mfufh…” She swallowed.
“Sorry, I mean, tell him to please open the seals, and let you in the control room to get the power cut over.”
“Sure. Hang on, here he comes now.” Gregory chuckled. “You wanna talk to him?”
“No.” Dar sighed. “He doesn’t want to hear my voice again, I can tell ya that.”
“Okay, he’s doing it. We’re in.” Gregory’s voice faded, and several clanks and sharp pops came clearly through the phone. “Hold on… Yow, it’s dusty in here. Thank god we test this thing once a week. Okay, hold your ears.” The overwhelming rumble of the generator was easily heard. “Stabilizing…
Coming up to voltage… Okay…”She could hear the muffled voice of Gregory on another phone. “Yaz! Hit the switches, eh?” He came back. “Power’s up, Dar. I’m going to give it ten minutes to peak and spike, then kick the dogs in the ass and get them back online.”
“Whoops, here come the routers,” Kerry informed her, watching the top-level map. “Do they autoboot?”
Dar nodded “Routers just came back, Greg.” She watched as the red lights slowly mapped to green. “Backbones are up.” She felt a tired smile twist her lips.
“Packets are passing,” Kerry reported, with a grin. “The overseas link just came up.” She pointed at the multiline gateways that passed data over the Atlantic.
Dar ruffled her hair, then draped an arm over her shoulders as they watched. “Okay, looks good, Greg.”
“Uh huh. Thanks, Dar. Couldn’t have done it without you, that’s for damn sure.” Gregory cheerfully told her. “Later. Go get some sleep, eh?”
Tropical Storm 239
“ ’Night, Greg.” Dar replied, and cut off the line. “Damn, that was a bitch.”
Kerry nodded, then turned her head to regard Dar. “You’ve got ice cream on your lips,” she observed, peering at the offending spot.
Dar eyed her quietly. “I do?”
Kerry leaned over and gently, deliberately, removed it, tasting the surface with a tentative tongue. She felt the soft intake of breath, then a steadying touch against the back of her neck sent tingles down her spine as Dar returned the favor, taking a leisurely bit of time doing so. Kerry could feel the warm closeness of her body, and breathed in the pleasant scent of her as she let herself respond, enjoying the simple, undemanding pleasure of it.
They were both too tired to go further, she knew, but it felt very good to spend a few minutes in this gentle exploration, giving them both a chance to get used to each other. She drew in a breath as Dar pulled back a little and rubbed noses with her. It brought a smile to her face, and she let her head fall back against the couch, with a sigh. “That felt nice.”
Dar nodded, brushing back her hair with idle fingers. “Mmm-hmm.
C’mon, you can find out first hand what a waterbed feels like.”
Kerry must have looked a little startled, because Dar laughed a little, and put a hand up, patting her cheek. “Easy, easy. Just to sleep in. We’re taking this nice and slow, remember?”
Kerry returned the smile. “It’s just all a little new to me,” she explained.
“But a bed of any kind sounds really good to me right now.”
Dar nodded in quiet understanding. “Is this your first time, Kerry?” She knew the answer, but waited.
The green eyes dropped, and a soft flush colored Kerry’s neck. “Um.
Not…with a woman, yes.” she finally got out, glancing up. “I, um…”
“Shhh, it’s okay. I kind of guessed that.” Dar gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. “Take it easy—no rush, no pressure.” Stifling a yawn, Dar got up and then held out a hand in invitation. “C’mon, time for bed. I’m really bushed.”
It’s… Kerry put down her laptop and stood up, having changed into her pajamas earlier. It was scary, and at the same time, exhilarating . She took Dar’s hand and followed her into the cool, blue-walled bedroom, feeling the calmness of the place with a sense of anticipation. She glanced at the bed.
“You ever get seasick?”
The executive chuckled. “No.” She pulled back the covers and got in, moving over to the center of the bed. “See? Big enough for six.”
Kerry laughed and accepted the invitation, surprised at the gently moving surface. “Oh, I thought it would move more.”
“It’s semi-waveless,” Dar explained. “There are these little foam baffles inside, and the water gets trapped in there, so it doesn’t move around much.”
She patted the surface. “See?”
Kerry settled down. “Mmm. Wow, this is comfortable.” She had plenty of space around her and a nice soft pillow. Her anxiety eased and she relaxed, watching as Dar reached up and turned off the overhead lamp.
“You okay?” The low, vibrant voice cut through the darkness.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kerry answered sleepily. “G’night.”
Dar put her hands behind her head and gazed up at the unseen ceiling.
240 Melissa Good
“G’night.” A peaceful silence fell, and Dar waited for sleep to claim her, tired, but very conscious of the warm body nearby. What a day. She shook her head in mild disbelief. Her life was changing, shifting so fast she hardly knew what to do about it. In the space of a single day, of a single night, really, she’d suddenly acquired a facet in her life she never would have expected, but now that she had it, she was wondering how she’d ever lived without it.
The bed shifted gently; she felt Kerry’s warmth move closer, and a grin appeared. It took another ten minutes, then she felt a touch against her and she sidled over, closing her arm around the sleeping woman, who nestled closer immediately, tucking an arm around her waist, and relaxing with a sigh as she nuzzled Dar’s shoulder.