"Thanks." Dar didn't miss a beat. "We do." She gave Kerry a kiss on the top of her head. "C'mon Ker. You owe me some ice cream."
"Owe you?" Kerry got her arm wrapped around Dar's waist again."Thanks Alastair. We were hoping for a chance to chill for a while."
He winked at them, and strolled ahead. Andrew chuckled and joined him, leaving Dar and Kerry to bring up the rear.
Which they did. "He's a good boss," Kerry commented, as they passed the front desk.
"He is. Or I wouldn't have stayed for fifteen years, and in fact he wouldn't have put up with me that long either." Dar responded. "He's as conservative as they come, and yet, he never turned a hair at my being gay. "
"Never?"
Dar shook her head as the waited for the elevator. "When he was promoting me to Vice President of Operations, I met with him and warned him I was, and that it would probably cause a problem for him. He said he really didn't give a damn who I slept with."
"You think he meant that though? A lot of people say it," Kerry said.
"Then? I think he said it because he thought it was the right thing to say." Dar acknowledged. "But over the years he grew into that statement, and now I absolutely think he means it."
"He sees value in people." Kerry exhaled. "Wonder if his kids know how lucky they are." They got into the elevator and were quiet for the ride up, exchanging mild nods with the three other guests who had joined them.
The floor was already noisy down near the lounge when they got off, a trickle of television sound coming out along with the chatter of many voices.
"Glad we're down at this end." Kerry waited for Dar to key the door open and followed her in, closing it behind them and shutting out the sound. "Ugh."
"Ugh." Dar repeated, trudging across the carpet to her bag. She opened it and took out her bottle of Advil, opening it and shaking out a few of the pills. A warm body bumped into her, and she turned to find Kerry standing there, hand outstretched.
"Share." Kerry bumped her again.
Dar did, and then put the bottle back and rooted in the bag for her swimsuit. She took it out and paused at the credenza, picking up the bottle of water there and uncapping it. "Want some?" She took a swig and passed it over.
Kerry swallowed her handful of pills and wandered over to the book of services, opening the front page. "Dar? Where is the pool?"
Dar pointed up.
"Wow." Kerry went over to her bag and opened it to retrieve her suit."Glad I got into the habit of always packing mine like you do." She commented. "You don't know how many times I've thanked you when I was traveling and ended up in some business hotel with a nice pool and a nice bar and this suit made me pick the virtuous path."
Dar's warm chuckle surprised her with its closeness, and she turned to find Dar standing behind her, already in her suit. "Holy cow how did you change so fast?"
"Lots of practice with you taking my clothes off." Dar gathered Kerry's shirt in her hands and started easing it over her head. "There are robes in the bathroom. We better take them before we end up being entertainment for that crowd in the other room."
Kerry stifled a giggle as Dar's fingers brushed her bare ribs. "Go get the robes," she said. "I'll get changed and we can head down."
"Up." Dar tickled her navel, and then she backed off and headed for the bathroom.
Just ten minutes ago, she'd been toast. Kerry quickly shed her pants and underwear and got into her bathing suit. Ten minutes ago she'd been a little down, a lot tired, and wanting nothing more than to crash.
Now? Kerry looked up from adjusting her strap to find Dar leaning in the doorway, a knowing look in her eye. She felt a surge of sensual energy, a clean, powerful sensation that made her smile. "Ready?"
"Always." Dar tossed her the other robe and held a hand out. "Let's go. I want to get wet."
"Me too." Kerry answered, with a frank grin. "Let's hope no one else in the hotel does."
"Let's hope they don't have lifeguards."
THE WATER FELT unspeakably good closing over her as she dove in. There was that moment of silence, quickly overwhelmed by bubbles as she headed for the surface and felt the agitation next to her of Dar's tall form plunging in one step behind.
She surfaced and sucked in a lung full of chlorine-tinted air, blinking droplets out of her eyes as she flipped over onto her back and relaxed. "Ahhh."
Dar emerged from underwater next to her, shaking her head to clear her hair from her eyes. "Not overheated. Nice."
"Nice." Kerry agreed, enjoying the pleasantly cool liquid cradling her body as she floated. The pool was reasonably large, a rectangle of clear water against a painted blue background with lanes marked on the bottom.
There were no slides to go down, or diving boards to tempt Dar's quirky daredevil side. Just a placid expanse of water inside a glassed in space that would be pleasantly sunny in the daytime but now was full of watery shadows and highlights.
Around the pool were chaise lounges, and on one side was a bar that was currently closed.
That was fine with Kerry. It was nice to have the pool and Dar to herself. She rolled over and dove under again, pulling herself along with her arms and kicking from one side of the pool to the other, the chlorine only stinging her eyes a little as she swam along.
She rose to the surface again and exhaled, then turned when she heard splashing behind her.
Dar was swimming along the length of the pool with smooth, efficient strokes, barely creating any wake as she reached the end of the pool, disappeared underwater to turn, and then surfaced again still in motion.
Kerry didn't feel so ambitious. She stroked forward slowly in a lazy frog motion, blowing bubbles as she meandered around in a circle, going from side to side as Dar turned and came back again.
She took a breath and ducked underwater again, diving down to the bottom of the pool and swimming along the bottom, enjoying the silence and the sensation of weightless gliding. She reached the wall and turned, heading back across the width of the pool in the other direction.
Halfway there, she felt something snag her suit. She turned to find Dar turning with her underwater, those blue eyes glinting with mischief.
Kerry twisted free and shook a finger at her mockingly and headed for the surface as she ran out of air.
Dar went with her and they broke the surface together inches apart. "Hey, it's a fish." Dar smiled.
"Was that a fishhook that caught my suit?" Kerry splashed her a tiny bit. "Boy this feels great."
"It does." Dar agreed. "Wish it was in the pool back home, but I'll take it." She eased over onto her back and stretched her arms along the pool edge, gripping the tile rim with her hands.
Kerry swam slowly around in a circle, the sound of her displacing water the only echo in the large space. "So, where's the first place in Europe we're going to visit? You want to go the Alps?"
Dar's face relaxed. "Thank you for not talking about work," she replied, simply. "I can't take any more thinking about it right now."
"Me either." Kerry paddled over to her. "So, where?"
"Where do you want to go?" Dar countered. "It's going to probably be near your birthday."
"Oo." Kerry put her hands behind her head and floated, bumping Dar gently and then moving away. "Where do I want to be for my birthday this year? Let me think."
Dar was content to do just that. She tilted her head to one side and admired Kerry's lithe body, glad to enjoy the moment.
"Dar?"
"Uh?" She straightened up and stifled a grin at Kerry's raised eyebrows. "Sorry. Drifted off there."
"Ah hah." Kerry looked skeptical. "Maybe it was mentioning it earlier, but you know, I think I'd like to go to Scotland," she said. "Could we start there?"