“Well Dar.” Her ex boss sighed. “Call me crazy, but I did think of suggesting they contract you as a consultant.”
“Oh fuck.” Dar clapped her hand over her eyes. “Kill me now.”
“No, listen.” Alastair chuckled. “It's really not so funny, because the problem is these people just don't know what to do. They leaned for so long on you, and probably me a little, that they're striking out in panic now, Dar. If I could get you to come in and talk to them, maybe that'll help.”
“How? So I can tell them what to do and they can throw their cobalt blue ceramic cups of piss and vinegar at me?” Dar asked. “Alastair, I've got my own company to run here.”
“Whooo!” Kerry snagged a tangle of beads out of the air, then grinned as one of the men on the float hopped off and danced through the crowd, ducking and weaving as people thrust their hands out to him begging for the trinkets he carried.
“Well, that's the point, Dar.” Alastair said, placidly. “You start a company, and before the paint's dry on your business card it's a success. Remember what we said, about them figuring out how much of ILS's success was you?”
“Oh for Pete's sake. I'm just one person.” Dar sighed. “Ker, watch out!”
Kerry had her thighs braced against the railing, and was leaning over as the float runner danced over to her and leaped up, handing her a coconut as he grabbed onto the rail to hold himself in place for a moment. “Thanks!” Kerry grinned at him, pulling herself back.
“I know you're just one person, Dar, but you made a difference, and maybe, if you talk to these guys, they'll figure out how to move along instead of sitting there stewing, and plotting to send lawyers after you.” Alastair said. “Worth a try?”
Dar sighed. “Sure.” She shrugged. “You're the one suggesting it and in the line of fire.”
“Atta girl.”
“Anyway, let me go grab hold of Kerry's belt before she ends up being pulled onto a parade float.” Dar said. “Whatever you want to do, Alastair, I'm good with it. Just don't promise I'll come back to work there.”
“Will do, lady. Have fun.” Alastair sounded pleased with himself. “Talk to you next week, and if you see Ham, buy him a bourbon on the rocks for me will ya?”
“Will do.” Dar said. “Later.” She closed the phone and got up, tucking her fingers into the back of Kerry's jean waistband as she leaned over to talk to the still hanging float man. “Complications, Ker.”
“They'll wait for Monday.” Kerry handed her the coconut. “Say hi to the Zulu folks. They like to party.”
Dar smiled and toasted the man with the coconut, getting a waggle of his eyebrows and a stuck out tongue in response. “I guess it'll wait for Monday.” She agreed. “Cheers!”
**
Several hours later it was late, and they were back in the hotel, and free of beads and bangles and mostly drunken tourists that had accompanied them on their tour.
“That was way more Booze than Boos.” Dar was flat on her back, regarding the slowly circling ceiling fan. “Way funnier than last night though.” She admitted. “That guide was hilarious.”
“He was. My stomach still hurts from laughing.” Kerry responded. “That one story about that pub owner who told everyone he heard voices telling him to tap the kegs....”
Dar chuckled.
“So I didn't see any ghosts. Did you?” Kerry emerged from the bathroom and joined Dar on the bed, squirming over and using her partner as a pillow. “Like, not even one.”
“Nope.” Dar stretched her body out, then relaxed again, and closed her eyes. “Hungry?”
“Oh no.” Kerry shook her head. “I'm still full from lunch.”
“Good. Me too.” Her partner agreed. “Maybe later I'll be up for ice cream.”
Kerry chuckled. “Dar, I've never heard you not be up for ice cream regardless of what we've eaten.”
“No, that's true.” Her partner admitted. “But they had cappuccino mint chip hand churned on the menu and it caught my eye.”
“Uh huh.” She gave Dar an indulgent look. “Should I get an ice cream churn for the cabin?”
Dar's brows hiked up and she returned the look with interest. “We can get one that actual real people can use, not chefs?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Hot damn.”
“Done deal. It's healthier to use all fresh ingredients anyway.” Kerry said, virtuously, glancing up and seeing the devastatingly droll look had to laugh. “Well, that's the theory.”
“The front desk said they could get us tickets to some ball somewhere. You interested?” Dar listened to the derisive snort in response and smiled. “Okay, so we've had our fortunes not told, been on two ghost tours, seen parades, have throws from at least.. I think five different krewes, eaten the best fried chicken on earth and have had around a half ton of beingets. What next?”
“You forgot the picture I bought.” Kerry stifled a yawn and snuggled closer, wrapping her arm around Dar's. “How about we just hang out here together and listen to the music from outside.”
Dar stretched out her other hand and began scratching Kerry's neck gently, moving along her scalp as she squirmed in pleasure. “That sounds really good to me. We can chill out on our balcony too.” She smiled, as she felt Kerry's breath warm the skin on her stomach through her shirt. “Or we could just lay here.”
“We could do that.”
Dar gave her a hug. “You're so easy.”
“I love you.” Kerry said, simply.
Dar lifted her head a little and peered down at her. “I love you too.” She said. “And I think this is a completely appropriate discussion for Valentines Day, don't you?”
“You bet.” Kerry sighed contentedly. “You know what's cool too? That we're both here, and not having to worry about anything or anyone saying anything because we're both here.”
“Did they ever do that?” Dar mused. “Not after the first year or two, right? No one cared after that, did they?”
Kerry pondered that for a minute. “Well, I cared I guess.” She admitted. “I always was thinking about what people would think if both of us took off at the same time. Which doesn't really make sense now that I'm hearing myself say that, but I think there always was a little bit of guilt there for me. “
“You mean, how you got the job?” Dar asked.
Kerry nodded. “Even though you told me a thousand times.” She gazed up at her partner. “I'd been in that spotlight too long.”
Dar nodded. “Yeah, I know. When I actually pressed all the buttons to hire you, and sent you that email, I thought about that.”
“You did?”
“For about five seconds.” Dar grinned sheepishly. “I knew you'd be rock star at the job, so that never bothered me, but I also knew if we ended up where I thought we would it was going to be a little awkward.”
Kerry smiled in response. “I remember being in a meeting one day, after we'd started sleeping with each other and I swear I was convinced everyone was both staring at us, and knew.” She mused. “Then I realized that everyone was staring at us and they probably did know because we were wearing each other's necklaces since we'd gotten up late that morning and just grabbed and ran.”
Dar started laughing silently, shaking Kerry a little.
“And then, I kinda did stop caring.” Kerry mock sighed. “I said, what the hell, Kerrison. If they're going to think that then just thank God it's true.”
Dar was still laughing. “I remember that day.” She got out. “I realized it when I went to the bathroom and I was washing my hands and looked up into the mirror. Should have seen my face. I felt like such a goofball.”
Kerry enjoyed the low, musical sound of Dar's laughter. She had remembered the day too, because Dar had ended up coming into her office and sprawling onto her desk pointing at her throat in eloquent silence.