storm surge | Page 4

her colorful pencils. A stack of them were in a cup on her desk, in every color of the rainbow and she’d selected her favorite, purple, to mess with. “So where do we start?”

Mari got up and straightened her skirt out. “Remember you volunteered.” She warned. “The first team meeting’s tomorrow night, after work, at the Biscayne ballpark down the street.”

Kerry held up her pencil. “No problem for tomorrow, but you know we’re out of town for a couple weeks after that, right?”

“I know.” Mari said. “Tomorrow’s just a kick off meeting. We’ve got to get everyone the shirts, and the hats, and the shoes.. and get bats… practices don’t start until third week in September. You should be back by then, right?”

“Right.” Kerry saluted. “I’ll be there.” She said. “We’re providing the shirts and hats?”

“Of course.” Mari waggled her fingers. “See you later.”

“Bye.” Kerry watched the older woman leave, then she chuckled and set her pencil down, getting up and grabbing her cup as she headed for the door. She pushed through, poking her head into her assistant’s office on the way out to the kitchen. “Hey Mayte.”

The slim young Latin woman looked up. “Oh!” She smiled. “Good morning, Kerry.” She said. “How was your weekend?”

“Great.” Kerry said, pausing when she heard her cell phone ring. “Hold that thought.” She unclipped the phone from her waistband and opened it, gazing at the caller ID before she half shrugged and pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Hello.” A woman’s voice responded. “May I speak with Kerrison Stuart?”

Uh oh. Kerry winced in pure reflex. “Speaking.” She reluctantly admitted, glancing at Mayte. She held her coffee cup out to her and mimed filling it.

“Of course.” Mayte gave the impression of leaping to her feet with gentle grace, and took the cup from her. “No problem!”

“Yes, my name is Allison Barker.” The woman said. “I doubt you remember me.”

Five seconds. Kerry closed her eyes and put her early training to use. “Actually I do.” She managed to produce after a count of four. “You were the class president the year I graduated high school.”

“Yes, yes I was.” The woman sounded pleased. “I’m so glad you remember. This makes things a lot easier.”

For you. Kerry sighed and took a seat on the edge of Mayte’s desk, not wanting to take this buddingly unwanted phone call back into her office. “What can I do for you?” She glanced up as footsteps passed her, smiling in response as two accounting clerks waved hello at her.

“I bumped into your sister at church today.”

Kerry tipped her head back and gazed at the ceiling, hard pressed to come up with a scarier statement than what she’d just heard. “Really?”

“Yes. She told me you were going to be in town next week, and you know, we’re having our school reunion.”

Kerry was silent.

“Hello?”

“Sorry.” Kerry cleared her throat. “I was trying to remember what the penalty was for fratricide in Michigan.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind. Yes, that’s true. I will be in town next week, but I’ll be very busy helping Angie move. I don’t really have time to attend the reunion.” Kerry looked up as Mayte returned, holding out a steaming cup to her. “Thanks.”

“Well, yes, she told me that.” Allison responded, not at all put off. “And I’m sure you’ll be very busy, but you see, I’ve been asked to contact you and see if you could make just some time to stop by during the banquet and give the keynote speech.”

Kerry had just taken a sip of her café con leche and she stopped, holding it in her mouth as she stared at her cell phone as though it had grown fingers and was waving at her.

“Kerry?” Mayte saw the expression on her face. “Are you all right?”

The blond woman swallowed. “Excuse me?” She said into the phone. “You want me to what?”

“I know this seems odd.” Allison apologized. “And I do understand, really… but the senior class is participating in the reunion and they asked for you.”

Kerry put her coffee cup down and shifted her phone from her right to her left hand. “Okay.” She said. “Are you saying the senior class of my all Christian, girls’ high school wants me to speak to them?”

“Well.. yes. I mean, after all, you’re a very successful businesswoman.” Allison said.

“Have you read the newspapers in the last few years?” Kerry covered her eyes. “Listen, Ms. Barker, I knew about the reunion. I decided not to attend it. Please respect that.”

Mayte’s eyes widened.

The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. “Ms. Stuart, believe me, I do understand what you’re saying, and yes, I know very well what’s been going on around your family the last few years. But you know..”

Kerry mouthed a curse, making Mayte’s eyes widen even further.

“I think you have a modern,