“So the work will actually take place on the main system?” Kerry asked.
“Yeah. I have dot1x on the net, and it'll be an encrypted session.” Mark said. “They can check code in and out, its like they're working local, but everything stays inside the big box.”
“I like this.” Dar said, after a long silence. “Good work, Mark.”
“Once we get an off site datacenter, I'll do a real time sync over the wire to it.” Mark went on, a pleased expression on his face. “That place I told you about? It's lit from three directions.”
“Nice.” Now Dar was smiling. “Thanks guys. You made me feel like I can take Kerry on a month vacation in a little while and not worry about things back here.”
Kerry acknowledged all the smiles with one of her own, and then leaned back in her chair in a relaxed pose. “Yeah, so then I can look forward to shooting the rapids with Dar coding in her head.” She remarked. “Someone remind me to not let them give her a paddle.”
A round of easy laughter went around the table.
Dar's phone rang and she pushed back from the table a little, pulling the device out and answering it. “Dar Roberts.” She paused to listen. “Hey dad.”
Kerry chuckled and picked up the paper, pointing at the picture.
Dar rolled her eyes. “Thanks.” She spoke into the phone. “It was all right. Got good press from it.”
The group tactfully got up and busied themselves at the coffee station, giving Dar at least a facade of privacy. “Dar's mama and papa must be so proud.” Mayte said, as she got herself some tea. “It was the paper calling the last one, wasn't it, Kerry?”
“Yep. Business section of the Herald.” Kerry also got some tea. “They remember us from the cruise ship debacle.” She added wryly. “I blocked off a two hour session for them tomorrow morning.” She glanced over at Dar. “Probably with more pictures.”
“Good thing we got the sign up then.” Mark said. “Boy I tell ya this is so much damn fun.”
Kerry smiled. “It is, isn't it?” She said. “I mean, we've been lucky, so far. Things have fallen in place in our favor.”
“But even if they had not, it would still be more interesting than the other place.” Maria spoke up. “It is so in the energy yes? To have to make everything new and not to be listening to the same things the same complaints all the time.”
“You got it.” Mark agreed. “Not have to be in the same old box all the time. This is great.”
Kerry thought about that as she leaned against the wall, listening to the chatter and watching her partner from the corner of her eye. Dar had a distinct blush showing and had that look of half pleasure and half embarrassment that meant she was getting praised by her parents.
It was good. She decided. She was glad she didn't have to suffer the same routine day after day, meetings and conciliations with Marketing, and taking customer complaints about service. It was nice to have everything be new all the time, though she knew eventually that, too, would change and there would be another set of routines to get used to.
“Hey Ker?” Dar held the phone out. “They want to talk to you.” She got up and passed the phone over as she traded places with her, pulling open the small refrigerator under the coffee station and issuing a satisfied grunt as she removed a chocolate chug from it. “Good job, people.”
“We aspire to take after our bosses.” Mark grinned at her. “Your pop see the pic?”
Dar opened her milk. “Yes, he did.” She said. “He's not really a fan of the current administration, but he did say he was glad I learned my lesson well from him about at least pretending respect to authority”
Mark started laughing so hard he almost choked.
“Yeah, Thats pretty much what my mother's reaction was.” Dar agreed. “I could hear her through the phone. They're out in the BVI's right now at some tiki bar.”
“They coming back any time soon?” Mark asked. “I figure if your pop shows up, we won't have to worry about those guys much after that.”
“They'll be back in a couple weeks.” Dar said. “They're going to stay at our place while we're gone. My mother said she painted a few canvasses for our walls here.”
“Oh, Dar.” Maria held a finger up. “Uno momento, por favor. A person from this area came in this morning, and gave me some informations about a bed, and that we must get in and ride in it.”
Dar blinked at her. “Uh.. what?”
“Down the street, yes. All of us together, but not until September. So we have time for it.”
“Oh the bed race.” Carlos said. “Yeah, that's a lot of fun.”
“Bed race?”
“Okay, Col, you got everything you need?” Kerry finished zipping her overnight case. “Thanks for staying over.”
Colleen was seated on the love seat, her own overnight bag next to her. “No problem at all, Ker.” She was flipping through a People magazine. “It's never a hardship to stay here on Fantasy Island you know? But you'll do me a favor while you and the Mrs are partying in Mardi Gras and see if you can find me a man who can buy me a place out here.”
“Do my best.” Kerry promised. “What happened to that guy you were seeing... Arthur?”
“Meh.” Colleen glanced up. “He's all right, but he's a bit of a bring to church on Sunday, if you catch me.”
“Ah. Yeah. Kind of like Brian was for me.” Kerry's eyes twinkled a little. “I've never been to Mardi Gras.. .hell, I've never been to New Orleans but I'll see what I can find for you there.”
“Take pictures.” Colleen said. “Hey, you intending on flashing your tatas to get some of those lovely beads?”
Kerry stopped in mid motion and looked at her. “What?”
“What what? Haven't you seen those programs about Mardi Gras?” Colleen chuckled. “All those tourists standing on the sidelines, lifting their shirt up to get the laddies on the floats to toss sparklies at them?”
Kerry blinked, putting her hands on her hips and staring at her friend. . “Colleen.” She said. “It took me months to casually take my clothes off in front of Dar, alone in our bedroom. I don't see me doing it on the street for the Travel Channel for plastic beads and coconuts.”
Her friend snickered, and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“What was that about plastic beads and coconuts?” Dar entered from her office, carrying her own overnight bag. “Are we talking about what I think we're talking about? Our hotel's on one of the parade routes, and we've got second floor balcony rooms.”
“Nice.” Kerry said. “So that means I don't have to take my shirt off to get party favors right?”
Dar stopped in mid motion in unconscious mimicry of her partner. “What?” She gave Kerry an incredulous look. “Babe, I'll buy you a whole damn float if you want. You don't have to take off anything, honest.”
Colleen at this point had fallen over on the couch, guffawing silently.
Kerry mock sighed. “Oh, good.” She said. “C'mon lets get out of here before I get myself into any more trouble.” She shouldered her bag. “Bye kids! Be good for auntie Colleen.”
They escaped out the front door and got in Dar's truck, throwing their bags in the back seat. “This is going to be fun.” Kerry said, as Dar started up the engine and backed out of her spot. “Especially after this week. Holy cow. Dar, we're going to be out of space for new employees at this rate in six months.”
Dar waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “I figure, once we get the data center going, we can move the IT people there.” She said. “The support groups we're going to need.. unless we can get more space around our office. To be honest I had no idea we were going to take off like that.”
“Six new clients in the last two days.” Kerry shook her head. “Unbelievable. Even with that press.” She said. “Wait until the Business Monday piece runs.”