Red Sky At Morning - DK4 (17 page)

The bulldog in a naval uniform gave Dar a once-over, then nodded briefly. “Yes, sir, I’ll be glad to do that. Would you like to start now, ma’am? It’s a big base.”

“Absolutely,” Dar responded, recognizing the aggressive stance with an internal sigh. “Let’s start where they come in. After you?” She gestured toward the door. “Thank you, Commander.”

“My pleasure.” Albert gave her a pleasant, albeit vicious smile.

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

Dar followed the woman out of the office and organized her resources for this new challenge. Given how Albert had phrased her assignment, calculated to offend the petty officer as much as possible without actually coming out and accusing her of not doing her job, she had to wonder which one of them he disliked more.

She eyed the woman plowing along beside her.

“Would ma’am like to stop at Supply and pick up a pad and pencil?” Daniel asked suddenly. “I’m sure you’ll have notes to take.”

“No, thanks,” Dar replied mildly. “I usually work at a macro level.

I leave the micro details to the people who actually implement the designs.”
Hmm. What would Kerry do?
Dar sorted through her options.

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“Look, Chief, I’ve got no intention of spending days wading through your attitude. Let’s go get a cup of coffee and get the fistfight out of the way, then maybe we can get something done.”

The petty officer stopped and turned and studied her with a ferocious intentness. She had a strong presence and an air of fierce competence that almost matched Dar’s own. “I don’t know what your real purpose is here, ma’am, but I’m not one of those data center fluffheads who wander around with printouts tucked up their butts all day. I have a job to do, and I do a damn good one. So, if you want to tell me what your agenda is, maybe I can save us both time and sweat.”

“Problem is, I don’t have one,” Dar replied. “So if you’re doing a good job, you’ve got nothing to worry about, right?”

“What makes you think you can walk in here and judge us?” Daniel moved a step closer. “You think I have an attitude? What did you expect, an outsider coming in here like this, walking into a world you can’t possibly understand?”

“Chief—”

“You think we don’t know what you people out there think of the military? You think it’s easy always getting that attitude from people who couldn’t last through a day of basic training, who think we’re a bunch of mindless idiots?” Daniel stabbed a finger at Dar. “Don’t talk to me about attitude, lady.”

Dar cocked her head. “You like the Navy, Chief?”

That threw the petty officer right off her track. “What?”

“Do you like the Navy? You’re a career in, right?”

Warily, Daniel backed off a pace. “It’s a job,” she answered slowly.

“You take a lot of shit, but it’s like a family. I’ve gotten used to it.

Why?”

Unaccountably, Dar smiled. “You just gave me an answer to a question I’ve been asking myself since I was eighteen. Thanks.” A flock of “what ifs” took off and left her shoulders lighter. “You’re right, Chief. I am an outsider.” Now she met Chief Daniel’s eyes. “You need to choose whether you want me to be a hostile or a friendly one.”

They stared at each other in silence.

THE OCEAN ROLLED in nearby, a rhythmic shush and roar followed by a faint tinkle of shells. Dar and Kerry were sitting braced against a tree with their legs extended out on sand still holding the day’s warmth. Or, to be more precise, Dar was leaning against the tree and Kerry was leaning against Dar, seated between her lover’s legs in a blissfully comfortable sprawl.

“This was a good idea.” Kerry exhaled. “Glad you decided to meet me down here. I was so in the mood for that spicy lobster.”

“Even with the sand?” Dar picked up her bottle of root beer and took a swig of it. “Sure was better than what I’d have gotten at the base 90
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if I’d stayed for dinner.”

“I bet.” Kerry picked up her own bottle and sipped from it. “It didn’t look like there’d be much gourmet food there, though that lunch was pretty good.”

“Mess on a whole wasn’t bad,” Dar agreed. “I think that’s why I never bothered learning to cook. It was easier just to go there and grab something, and then when I went to college, they had the cafeteria, so…” She shrugged. “Never got in the habit.”

“Mm.” Kerry studied the silver moonlight. “So, where did you get a taste for stone crabs, then?” She turned and regarded her partner curiously. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t serve them there, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one diving.”

“Ah.” Dar chuckled briefly. “Yeah.”

Kerry waited for her to continue, but the silence lengthened so she peeked back over her shoulder to see Dar looking quietly out at the sea.

“Dar?”

“Mm?” The blue eyes shifted and focused on her. “Sorry. Not much of a story to it. Just something I…once I was getting a decent paycheck I tried a few things.”

Kerry could sense the discomfort, so she gracefully abandoned the question. “Like I did when I got here.” she agreed. “Know what I did when I realized you’d given me a raise when you hired me?”

“Tried stone crab?” Dar hazarded a guess.

“No. Went out a got new nerd toys.”

Dar laughed, relaxing against the tree. “Yeah, I think I did the same thing,” she admitted. “Problem was, after they promoted me they had no idea what to do with me in those senior management meetings in my motorcycle boots.”

Kerry covered her face and stifled a giggle.

“One of the other managers finally dragged me into Macy’s,” Dar said. “Told me I had more brains than South Beach had boob jobs but I wasn’t going to last in the company if I didn’t at least try to look the part.”

“You obviously learned fast.” Kerry turned her head and watched her partner’s profile. “You’ve got an amazing sense of style. I remember that time you took me into Macy…oh, my gosh. You did take me into Macy’s!”

Dar smiled.

“Same Macy’s?”

“Yep.”

“Good grief.” Kerry covered her eyes again. “I was blown away, Dar. You picked stuff that not only looked good, it looked good on me.”

Dar exhaled. “Yeah, well, thank about six months of reading the stupidest most puerile fashion magazines I could find and watching video tapes of the worst nighttime soap operas that made my brain almost dissolve.”

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“You’re kidding me?” Kerry asked in a dumbfounded tone.

“No.” Dar shook her head. She took another sip of root beer. “I felt like one of those chimpanzees you see on Discovery, learning to ride a bike.”

Kerry turned all the way around, and braced her weight against one hand as she looked at her partner. In the half darkness, Dar’s face was mostly in shadows, but she could see the furrow in her lover’s brow even so. “That must have been really strange for you,” she finally said.

“It was,” Dar replied. “Still is, sometimes. I felt like a fraud then and sometimes I do now, too, but not the same way.” She paused, then a wry grin appeared. “It didn’t hurt that I figured out the silk suits didn’t look bad on me.”

She remembered being in the dressing room, surrounded by the smell of silk and expensive perfume. To her right was a hanger full of sophisticated clothing, and directly ahead was a full length mirror that reflected back the scruffy beach rat she knew herself to be.

“Madame, do you require any assistance?”

Dar glared at the closed door. “No thanks. I can dress myself. Can you?”

Bad enough she’d had to suffer the skeptical looks of the salespeople on the floor
and the careful counting of the hangers by the attendant. She sure didn’t need
some jerkass snoot face wanting to dress her.

With an aggrieved sigh, she stripped off her T-shirt and let it drop on top
of the padded bench, then unbuckled her jeans, kicking off her sneakers, and
adding the worn denim to the pile as well.

What was she doing in here? Dar debated simply walking out, then she
recalled David waiting outside, and turned to remove the first suit he’d picked
out from the hanger.

It was silk, and a rich burgundy color. She dubiously slipped on the shirt,
making a face as the fabric bound her around the arms and shoulders. “That’s
not gonna work.” she muttered, but buttoned it up anyway, adding the skirt
after that and tucking the shirt into it. “I don’t get what this is supposed to
accomplish.”

“What was that, Dar?” David’s voice came from outside. “Need
something?”

“No.” Dar ground her teeth, as she donned the jacket and turned to look
at the mirror with a scowl. “I don’t…”

She blinked at the reflection, one eyebrow lifting. The jacket outlined her
athletic body relatively well, and she found herself unexpectedly liking what
she saw.

Totally different than her usual chinos and polo, or the vests she tended to
wear.

The cream of the shirt offset her tan, and the sophisticated cut of the suit
made her almost unrecognizable in her own eyes—and she suspected, her
coworkers as well.

“Dar? You all right?”

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Dar pulled the jacket lapels straight and turned to regard a surprisingly
sleek profile. “Well, damn it.”

“Dar?”

“Would you please shut up, David? Go find a damn espresso cart or
something,” Dar growled back. “Leave me the hell alone!”

Footsteps retreated, and she was left in peace. Dar turned and put her
hands on her hips, making a face at the fit of the jacket. She sighed and went to
the door to the changing room, opening it and sticking her head out. “Hey,”

she called out to the attendant. “Buddy.”

The man turned and managed not to frown too much. “Yes, madame.” He
stopped in mid word, his sandy eyebrows lifting in surprise at the unlikely
vision before him. “That color does suit you, Madame.”

“Do you have someone who can make these things from scratch?” Dar
asked, ignoring the compliment.

“Madame?” The man came closer. “What things, the clothing?”

Dar opened the door all the way, and came out, extending her arms. The
sleeves of the jacket were halfway to her elbows, and it was visibly tight across
her shoulders. “I’m betting you don’t have anything that’s gonna fit me off the
rack with these wings.”

The attendant, encouraged a bit, studied the problem. “We could offer you
a larger jacket, I suppose, but it will probably blouse here, and…” He plucked
at the lapel. “We do have a tailor, of course, but getting this pattern custom
will be very expensive.”

“How expensive?”

The man tapped his fingers against his lips. “Probably a thousand dollars
over the cost of the suits.” He watched Dar’s face like a hawk. “At minimum.”

Dar ducked back inside the changing room and grabbed the suits off the
rack. She popped back out and handed them to him. “Can he do all of these?”

The salesman blinked hard. “Ah…well, certainly.”

“Can I get them delivered to my house?”

“Well, yes, I’m sure we can arrange that.”

“He here now? Get his ass in here,” Dar said. “I don’t have all day.”

“Bh…uh…yes, madame, of course, ah, let me...I’ll put these over here and
just give him a call, do you, ah…”

Dar handed him her brand new platinum card. “Here.”

He took it, his attitude morphing so fast he almost resembled a piece of
silly putty being pulled. “Of course, Madame. May I call one of our shoppers
for you, since you are in a rush?”

“Shoppers?” Dar’s ears perked.

“Yes,” the salesman said. “We have a service, you see, someone will be
glad to go and pick out accessories for you, shoes, a belt, a purse perhaps…” He
caught Dar’s expression. “Perhaps not, but other things?”

“This person will do my shopping?” Dar said. “Pick stuff to go with that
stuff?”

“Yes.”

‘Bring ’em on.”

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The salesman positively beamed at her. “Would madame like some coffee
while the tailor comes up?”

“Got any ice cream?” Dar countered, beginning to enjoy herself just a
little.

“I am positive we can get some.” The salesman picked up the phone. “And
if you would like to come with me, we have a private fitting room for our
special customers.”

Ah. So this is what that ‘how the other half lives’ thing is all about.

“Lead on.”

Kerry laughed, bringing her back to the present. She glanced down at her partner, who was smiling back at her. “What’s so funny?”

“You are.” Kerry gave her a pat on the leg. “Of course you look good in silk suits, Dar, you look good in everything.”

“Glad you think so.” Dar gave her a hug. “I have to admit I was laughing to myself when you asked me to help you pick clothing, though.”

“You did a great job.”

Dar snorted. “Like anything I picked wouldn’t have looked good on
you?”

Kerry pondered that. “Well, I’m sure you could have found something in mustard yellow that wouldn’t have been flattering,” she allowed. “But I was too busy being freaked out that you knew exactly what size I wore.”

Dar chuckled.

“How did you do that?” Kerry turned and looked up at her curiously. “Don’t tell me you looked it up in some obscure database we manage for megalithic department stores—most of my stuff was privately tailored at home.” She nudged Dar. “What was the trick?’

Dar stared off into the waves for a long moment, nibbling at her lower lip with a pensive expression, then she glanced sideways at her companion, a wicked twinkle appearing. “I guessed.”