“Funny.” Dar drawled. “You kept me up all night just the other mphf.”
Kerry removed her hastily clapped hand from her partners mouth. “That’s different.”
“It sure was a hell of a lot more fun than editing router configs.” Dar ran a brush through her hair and pondered if using a dryer was in the cards. She felt a nibble on her arm and looked down to find Kerry leaning against her, eyes half closed. “Oh, you are tanked.”
“I need some stronger coffee.” Kerry admitted, straightening up and pulling over her toiletry bag. “I think it’s mostly that I keep thinking about having to sit in the room and listen to two dozen people like my father deliberately misunderstand every single word you say.”
“Just think.” Dar said. “Next week at this time we’ll be picking up the RV and heading out on the road.”
Kerry visibly perked up. “Boy I can’t wait for that.” She admitted. “Dar, I’m really looking forward to that rafting trip. I just want to flush the world out of my head for a while and see new stuff.”
“Me too.” Dar decided against the blow dryer. “Let me go get my duds on, and I’ll call down for some double shot espressos.”
“Oohhhh… that sounds wonderful.” Kerry brushed her own hair out and started to put on the light makeup she now very seldom used. She listened to Dar ramble around in the outer room, hearing the low whistling.
She got into fresh underthings and went out into the other room, going over to their joint suitcase and taking out the linen, conservatively cut business suit that had been back in the back of her closet for at least a month.
“Know what I forgot to throw in?” Dar was buttoning the sleeves on her silk shirt. “Hose. Oh well. Guess they’ll just have to deal with my tan.”
“I’ve never seen you wear hose. You have some?” Kerry adjusted the belt on her skirt. “Oh wait, I remember seeing a pair stuck back in the back of your sock drawer I thought they were just a token.”
Dar chuckled. “They are.” She tucked in the shirt. “I like that teal color on you.” She studied her partner. “You want to do this demo? You look better than I do.”
Kerry glanced at her reflection in the mirror. “I don’t think so.” She disagreed. “You look good in burgundy and I really like that shirt.”
They both fell silent as they finished fastening and buckling then Dar looked up . “We done being girly now?”
“Hehe.” Kerry pulled on her jacket and tugged the sleeves straight. “Hey we are girls” She walked over and straightened the collar on her partner’s shirt. “Are you going to wear your microchip pin?” She asked. “We can stop in the coffee shop downstairs. We don’t need them to bring something up.”
“Sounds good.” Dar removed her jacket from it’s hanger. “I didn’t bring the pin with me. But let me get my earrings.”
Kerry went over and made sure Dar’s messenger bag had all her notes in it, then buckled it shut as the windows took on a pink glow from the rising sun. They had the presentation scheduled at the White House, then the grilling from Congress, hopefully a break in the afternoon, then dinner at Gerry Easton’s.
Then an early morning flight the next day back home. Kerry got her sunglasses and tucked her them into the belt on her skirt, and got the messenger bag over her shoulder, as Dar finished fastening her earrings. “Ready?”
“Let’s go.” Dar put the key to the hotel room in her pocket and went to the door, opening it and stepping back to let Kerry go through. “Mark should be sending off those files right about now.” She said. “Glad that’s behind us.”
“You think that’s enough information for them to fix the problem?” Kerry headed down the hall to the elevator stack. “Is there anyone even left there to fix it?”
Dar shrugged. “Any competent engineer could apply those configs, and would understand them. I’m sure if they offer enough money they can get some hot shot in there to do it.”
They offered their valet ticket up on the curb, and waited. Kerry opened the back door and put the bag inside, then went around to the driver’s seat and slid behind the wheel. She got her sunglasses settled as the valet closed the door and spent a moment adjusting her position.
“Sorry about that.” Dar eyed her. “Should have adjusted the seat when I got out.”
“No problem hon.” Kerry got the car into drive and started off, pulling out and turning right onto reasonably well remembered streets. “Better for me than you anyway. You always end up cracking your chin on your knees,”
“There’s a Starbucks” Dar pointed. “And it has a drive through.”
“Awesome.” Kerry turned in the driveway. “Double double mocha?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just rolled down her window as she pulled up to the ordering station.
Dar settled back and took out her Handspring, thumbing through the messages. She saw a new one from Mark and opened it, reading through it and making a noise of disgusted irritation. “Doesn’t it just figure?” She said. “I stay up all night fixing that crap and they boot the guy.”
“Huh?” Kerry turned and looked at her.
“Mail bounced back as non existent.” Dar held the phone up. “They deleted his inbox. Can you believe it?”
“Augh.”
Dar shook her head and started typing. “I’m going to tell Mark to find someone.. I don’t care if it’s the god damned cleaning supervisor – and get them those files.”
“Jesus.” Kerry set the cups down in the console between them and paid for the coffee, then rolled the window back up and pulled back onto the street. “That is really kind of ridiculous, Dar. How could that have happened between last night and this morning?”
“We got fired between a Saturday morning and afternoon, Ker.” Dar finished her note and sent it. “Actually that’s kind of a relief, because this guy was no good news for anyone.”
‘Hmph.” Kerry headed down the road that eventually lead to the White House. “Yeah, but who knows how long it’s going to take to get it fixed now.”
“Do we care?”
Kerry glanced at her. “Dar, don’t pull that on me. We both know you care.”
Dar sighed.
“Of course you care. You built that whole system byte by byte.” Kerry softened her voice, seeing the sudden tension in her partner’s face. “C’mon, hon. You put a lot of blood and sweat into it. You were damn proud of that design, and so was everyone else.”
“Mmph. I just keep getting the feeling you think I’m an idiot.”
“What?”
“I think you want me to keep way clear of them.” Dar restated her words. “That it was a mistake to work those files.”
Kerry was silent for a few minutes, as she turned into the administrative gate to the executive building. “Yeah, maybe I do.” She admitted, as she rolled down the windows and took Dar’s and her own identifications into her hand. “Maybe I’m so pissed off at them because of how they dissed you I hope they all go down in flames no matter if some of our customer suffer.”
“Morning, ma’am’s.” The guard took their ID respectfully. “Be right back.”
Dar had relaxed back into her seat. “Sorry Ker. You’re probably right.’ She rested her elbow against the arm rest and her head against her fist. “It’s like a knee jerk.”
“I know. “Kerry reached over and patted her knee. “Let’s wait until later to fight. We’ve got enough on our plate right now.”
“Go right through there, ladies.” The guard was back, handing them their ID. “You’re expected. Park in that first lot, and it’s the second gate, right hand side.”
“Thanks.” Kerry smiled at him, then rolled on when the barrier lifted. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She drove inside and found a parking spot, then joined Dar in getting out and gathering their things.