“Uh oh.” Kerry picked up another wing. “Hope they don’t get cell signal in the Grand Canyon.”
**
They sat in the car parked in the lot outside the congressional office building, finishing up their fruit smoothies, the windows rolled down as the late afternoon sun streamed through them.
They had ten minutes before their appointment. Dar was leaned back in the driver’s seat, one knee hiked up with her elbow resting on it. She had her head tipped a little back, and she was looking out the window, watching people walk down the sidewalk and turn up the steps to enter.
“Ready?” Kerry asked, putting her cup down. “Let’s get this over with.”
Dar nibbled on the straw from her smoothie and remained quiet for a moment. “Hm.”
Kerry half turned and regarded her. “Hm? Hm what?”
“Not sure what I should tell these people.” Dar said, slowly. “I’ve been thinking about that since we left the White House.” She shifted a little and also half turned, so they were facing each other. “I keep wondering if we got ourselves into something we shouldn’t have.”
“It’s a little late for that, hon.” Kerry responded, in a gentle tone. “We made a commitment to them.”
“I know.”
Kerry watched her profile, which was thoughtful and sort of somber. “Well.” She finally said. “Regardless of what we end up doing, we probably should do this thing here and not blow them all off.”
“Yeah.” Dar responded. “You’re right.”
Kerry waited. “But?” She prompted after another silence between them.
“But I realized.. when he was typing in questions in to it, that I’d overlooked something about this system” Dar said. “I’ve been thinking about it.. in the terms of, having trusted people use it.”
Kerry exhaled a little. “And you realized that trust is relative?”
“Outside you and me, yes.” Dar said. “It’s too enticing. You could find out anything about anyone that uses computers with this.”
“That’s true. But you also said, that it’s technology that is out there, in the wild. So its going to happen anyway.”
“Yeah.” Dar said, briefly. “I don’t k now, Ker. I don’t know what to do. My perspective’s all turned around now.” She put her cup down and opened the door, pressing the buttons to roll the windows up .”But you’re right. We do have to go show them something.”
Kerry got out and pulled her messenger bag from the back seat. She slung it over her shoulder as she joined Dar in the front of the car, and they walked towards the building entrance. They walked up the steps and through the door, walking across the floor to the reception desk.
Dar handed over her business card, and the woman nodded, handing it back and pointing to the door behind her that had, once upon a time, been guarded by some big, hungry Marines. Kerry followed her partner through it, then took the lead on the way to the big room the intelligence committee met in.
Just outside they paused, and Kerry reached up to twitch Dar’s collar straight. “So, I’m sure ..” She paused, as Dar put two fingertips against her lips, and looked up at her partner in surprise.
“Don’t do that.” Dar said, quietly.
Kerry’s fair brows contracted. “Hmm?”
“Be straight with me. You’ve been telling me what you thought I wanted to hear all day. Stop it.”
Kerry was stunned speechless. She stood there, just staring into Dar’s eyes. Finally she took a breath. “I ju..”
“I know.” Dar cut her off gently. “You just didn’t want to piss me off and I was in a crap mood. I get it.” She moved her fingers and cupped Kerry’s cheek instead. “But don’t do that. I don’t want that between us. I don’t want to wonder what you’re thinking.”
It was painful and not. It poked a pin in her heart, and yet she felt a certain relief at Dar’s words that surprised her and yet as she thought about that, it didn’t surprise her at all. She put her hands in her pockets and exhaled. “I think maybe this place does that to me.”
Dar looked around, then back at her.
“I lived most of my life inside the mirror fun house of politics.” Kerry said, looking past her at the wall behind them. “Reality was whatever you convinced people it was.” She felt her skin flush as a skittering of past memories flashed into her mind’s eye. “I had to learn how to pitch everything.”
Dar reached over and unexpectedly tweaked her nose. “Not with me, okay?”
Kerry hesitantly looked up, to find herself being watched with wry affection and a mature understanding that made her feel suddenly like a high school kid again. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I just don’t want to ever start down that path with us.”
Kerry’s eyes dropped, then lifted. She reached over and took Dar’s hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing the knuckles. “Thanks for being such a grownup.”
Dar’s eyes twinkled. “If my mother were here to see that, she’d be peeing herself.”
“If anyone else in this building were here to see that they’d probably be peeing on us.” Kerry admitted wryly. She released Dar’s hand and took a breath.
“So level. What’s your take on the demo?” Dar asked. “How should I play it?”
Kerry studied her face for a moment. Then a faint smile appeared. “Okay.” She said. “What I think you should tell these people is the truth. Just lay it out. They’re not idiots. They know the politics. Don’t’ whitewash what could happen.”
‘Even if that kills the project?” Dar watched her intently. “They’re going to freak out.”
“Yes.” Kerry said. “Because it’s going to come out anyway. I’d rather get that out up front.”
“Bridges is not going to be happy.”
Kerry shrugged. “At some point – I think what matters is what makes us happy. Isn’t that what this whole crazy last month has shown us?”
“Could be.” Dar smiled. “But thanks. Glad to hear you say it.”
“That’s what you were going to do anyway, wasn’t it?” Kerry smiled back, then sobered “It’s the right thing for us to do. What stresses me out is that we have all those people back there depending on us now. It bothers me that we could do something that would result in them getting hurt.”
“Isn’t that what we just did though?” Dar asked. “You and I decided to retire. Whole fucking planet stops in mid spin, and half the country floats off into space. I think it’s just part of our mojo.”
“Mm.” Kerry grunted.
‘Anyway.” Dar leaned forward and touched her forehead to Kerry’s. “Don’t ever hold back, okay? If you feel it, say it.”
“Even if it pisses you off? I really was trying not to do that, with all the craziness.” Kerry admitted. “I wasn’t really bullshitting you, I just figured there was a better time to mouth off.”
“Even if.” Dar looked up as footsteps approached. “Ah.”
Kerry glanced over her shoulder. “Ah. “ She repeated. “At least this wasn’t in a dusty old stairwell. Hello mother.”
“We’ll continue the talk later.” Dar squeezed her shoulder, and turned as well. “Hi.”
Cynthia Stuart arrived at their side, and produced a smile. “Hello there. How did your other meeting go?”
Dar turned and pushed open the door to the hearing chamber. “It went well.” She said, standing back to let the other two enter. “Its been a busy day. Hope everyone’s on time here.”
“Oh, I have no doubt. Everyone is most interested in hearing about this.” Kerry’s mother assured her. “In fact it was the topic of conversation at a luncheon I just left. One of the senator’s sons is part of the technology office in the White House and he was quite enthusiastic about it.”