Melissa Good - Tropical Convergence

Kerry leaned over and kissed her. "You got it," she promised. "Now, since you've entrusted me with the breakfast order, can I ask if you're in the mood for sweet or salty?"

"Sweet." Dar exhaled contentedly. "They have pretty good waffles."

"Mm...would that be the strawberry covered Belgian ones, or the banana?" Kerry scratched the back of Dar's neck with her fingertips and watched her close her eyes in reaction. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Uh huh."

"What's in that bag over there?"

"What bag?"

"The one with the sailor hat sticking out on top."

One blue eye popped open and regarded her.

RAIN OR NO RAIN, it was a gorgeous day. Dar finished rinsing the soap off her body and stepped out of the shower, bumping the translucent door closed behind her as she picked up a towel and headed for the sink.

A very wet and disheveled figure looked back at her from the mirror, but she smiled at it as she dried her arms, one ear cocked to listen to the soft humming coming from the other room. Having Kerry around was really making a difference, she realized. She was a lot more relaxed, and the thought of dickering with Hans over his application was now amusing her more than rubbing her temper raw.

The thought of introducing Hans to Kerry was also amusing her, though she wasn't sure her partner would appreciate being in a room where the other occupants were speaking a language she didn't know. "Ah." Dar addressed her reflection. "What the heck, she lives in Miami. She's used to it."

"Dar?" Kerry's voice drifted in. "You say something?"

Dar chuckled softly. "Nah--just talking to myself. Be out in a minute."

"Well you better...it's getting pretty boring out here."

"Uh oh." Dar toweled her hair dry as she walked out of the steamy bathroom, not immediately spotting her target. "Ker?" She looked around, finding her blond partner in just her own towel standing near the desk leaning over her laptop. "Problem?"

"Eh?" Kerry turned her head. "No, no...I was just picking up my office mail." She perched on a corner of the desk. "What time do we have to meet at the client's, eleven, right?"

"Right." Dar draped the towel over her shoulders. "Anything interesting?"

Kerry skimmed over her mail. "Nah, nah, nah...whoa." She leaned closer and clicked on one mail, her eyes tracking over the text. Abruptly she straightened. "Holy cow!"

"What?" Dar put her chin on Kerry's shoulder and peered at the screen. After a second, she put her hand on the desk and let out a snort. "Am I reading that right?" her voice rose incredulously.

Kerry slid off the desk and sat down in the chair. "Oh, boy, I hope not," she muttered. "Oh my gosh, what on earth went on there last night?"

"Only one way to find out." Dar pulled her cell phone over and dialed the office number. It rang, then was answered. "Morning, Maria."

A perceptible hesitation. "Oh, good morning, Dar. And how are you this morning?" Maria answered. "Did Kerrisita make it there all right?"

"Just fine, thanks." Kerry answered for herself as Dar set the phone on speaker.

"That is wonderful," Maria stated. "I am so glad."

"And I was doing really great until I opened up my mail just now," Kerry added. "Does Dar have one of these in hers too?"

Maria sighed. "Si," she said. "It was not exactly so as they said it, but..."

"Maria, what the hell happened?" Dar interjected. "That damn email from Mariana said you assaulted someone?"

"Jesus," Kerry muttered, covering her eyes with one hand.

"Jefa, it was not so," Maria protested. "I did not hurt anyone! It was just that Mayte told me about those two women who were being so mean to you and Kerrisita, and how they were going to be at this restaurant to wait for Kerrisita, and so we went there to tell them she would not be coming."

"Uh huh," Dar grunted encouragingly. "And?"

"And that is all! We did not mean to cause such problems!" her assistant stated. "Here we were doing something so nice, and they were so mean to us as well. They are bad people, Dar."

"Okay." Kerry leaned against Dar's shoulder. "But um...what's all this about charges, if all you did was tell them I stood them up?"

Maria cleared her throat delicately.

"Not that I don't appreciate the thoughtfulness, Maria, honest, I do..." Kerry went on. "But they could have stagnated there all night for all I care. I wouldn't have asked you to go out of your way to tell them anything."

"Oh, si, Kerrisita, I know that," Maria said. "It is just Mayte and I thought we would do this on our way home, since we had to go that

way a little anyhow."

"Maria." Dar took the reins back. "Charges?"

"Jefa, they were very nasty to us. I went to them and told them about Kerrisita's trip, and they started saying such nasty things!" Maria replied in protest. "I could not get them to stop! All of the people in that little place were coming to find out what the matter was and so I thought these women would not like to be such a spectacle, so I would do something to keep them from being so loud."

Dar and Kerry looked at each other. "Like...what?" Kerry ventured.

"I gave them something into their hands to take and make them stop what they were saying," Maria said, almost audibly squaring her shoulders. "I took the plates of the dinner they had, and put them in their faces!"

"Oh, Jesus," Kerry whispered.

Dar stared at the cell phone, momentarily speechless herself. "Ah."

"And it was so hot, the things there, that Mayte was so courteous and kind to them she put the glasses of beer over their heads to cool them off."

Dar wandered off toward the window, shaking her head as she covered her eyes with one hand. "Anyone get pictures?"

"Jefa?" Maria queried.

"Dar was just wondering if anyone got...ah...hurt, Maria. Are you okay? Is Mayte all right?" Kerry asked.

"Oh, si." Maria sounded a little less stressed. "We are fine, si. My husband, he was very shocked to hear about what his senora and senorita did, but we went very fast home after that, Kerrisita. Yes, we are fine."

"Well, good. Good." Kerry pondered what to say next. "Now, ah...it's not that we don't appreciate what you did, ah...but you know..."

"Kerrisita, we could not stay there and listen to those women. They were being so nasty about you, especially," Maria said. "They were saying such horrible things about you! Terrible! I could not stand to listen to them."

"Well, I know, but..."

"Hey, Maria." Dar swooped in from the right and very gently clapped her hand over Kerry's mouth. "You remember Elena?"

"Dar!" Kerry nipped at her partner's palm.

A moment's silence. "Si! Si, yes I do, Dar. Yes," Maria said. "Another very nasty person."

"Did Kerry ever tell you about us meeting her at dinner once?" Dar asked.

"Noo...I do not think so."

Dar released Kerry, who folded her arms over her chest and smirked, ducking her head in acknowledgement. "Remind her to tell you about that when she gets back, huh?" She slid one arm around Kerry's waist and tugged her closer. "Anyway, don't worry about it. I'll take care of Mariana, and tell her to get legal to get this whole pile of bullshit thrown out."

"Si, Dar. Thank you." Maria's voice warmed several notches. "We did not mean to cause you trouble."

"You didn't," Dar stated firmly. "Especially if they were talking trash about Kerry. They're goddamn lucky it was you and not me that was there, because if I'd been there, they'd have gotten a lot more than...what did they have, anyway?"

"The chili, jefa."

Kerry slowly dissolved into silent giggles, sagging against Dar's body and hiding her face in Dar's shoulder.

Dar cleared her throat. "Yeah, well...waste of beans in my view," she drawled. "Anyway, Maria, thanks. Don't worry about the charges. It's all crap."