Finding Her Way (7 page)

Chapter Four

They had stopped briefly at Lauren’s house in Dorchester to pick up food plus a few more necessities and Brandon gave his wife a good luck kiss. In less than twenty minutes, they were back on the road again. Jerrica nestled down in her seat preparing for the almost two-hour drive. The sound of random 80’s music from a local radio station played softly in the background. She turned her head to look out her window. Maybe if she were lucky, she would nap on the way. Even as a child, she would fall asleep on long drives with her parents. She watched as the landscape changed, cities turned into towns and towns into large countryside. Jerrica glanced in the back seat to see Jaime concentrating on something on her cell phone. Jerrica felt her shoulders beginning to relax as she snuggled down in her seat.

“So,” Lauren’s voice broke through the silence.

Jerrica realized quickly that her peaceful moment was now over. She turned to look at Lauren who looked like she wanted to talk. Reaching, she turned the radio down.

“Are you going to tell me what happened today?”

Jerrica motioned her head toward the back seat reminding Lauren they weren’t alone.

Lauren glanced in the rearview mirror at Jaime who was engrossed in her phone. Shrugging her shoulders, she lowered her tone, “Well, how about an edited version? You know I can’t wait till we get to the cottage.”

Lauren would be relentless until she got the answer she wanted. “Fine, I ran into an old friend yesterday and we had an argument. I left my briefcase at their house and the case was returned to me today. End of story,” Jerrica blurted out quickly.

Lauren’s scowling expression told Jerrica she was not happy.

“Jerrica…you’re kidding me! I thought….well, you know what I thought and…this infuriates me. What the hell were you doing at…with that…?”

Jerrica found it a little amusing that Lauren was censoring her own language so she didn’t give anything away to Jaime. Jerrica had to stifle the giggle. A noise from the backseat drew their attention.

“Are you okay back there,” Lauren asked.

“Yes, I am. May I add to your conversation?”

Jerrica glanced at Lauren in confusion, nodding yes to Jaime.

“I understand you two have a close relationship and have been friends outside of work for a very long time. I know I’m only the new guy and you’re trying not to get me involved in your personal life, but skirting around the truth is a little degrading to my intelligence.”

“I’m sorry, Jaime. It’s just there is a lot of stuff going on in my life, and the less you know, the less trouble you can get into in the future.”

Lauren glanced in the rearview mirror to examine Jaime’s expression.

After some deliberation, Jaime cautiously responded, “If you’re talking about your past relationship with Ms. Daniel, I already know you two were involved.”

Lauren’s mouth dropped open with this new revelation.

Jerrica turned so she could see Jaime as she spoke.

“I know you two started dating or at least you were intimate approximately eight months after I started working at the company.”

“How did you know that?” Curiosity was getting the better of Lauren.

Jerrica watched as Jamie’s face flushed as she answered. “I saw…and heard them together.”

The innocence in Jaime’s eyes told Jerrica she was telling the truth, and she instantly felt mortified. Her whole body was blushing as she turned in her seat, staring out into the darkness.

“Oh, I have to hear the story to this, please continue, Jaime,” Lauren said with a little evilness in her tone.

“It…was sometime around the end of September beginning of October, if I remember correctly.” She paused to count the months in her head. “That was the first time it happened.”

“Wait, there’s more than just this one time?” Lauren shot a glance at Jerrica.

Jerrica slid down in her seat trying, unsuccessfully to find a place to hide.

“Jerrica, I’m sorry. Do you not want me to continue,” Jaime asked, leaning forward.

“Oh, you’re with friends now, Jaime. Please go on with your story,” Lauren prodded.

Jerrica’s face paled.

“Well…it was a Friday evening, a few hours after everyone had left for the weekend. I had gone back to the office....”

Jerrica could picture in excruciating detail the event Jaime was about to describe. She hung her head in embarrassment.

“I had forgotten a file I had promised Jerrica I would complete before Monday. When I reached my desk, I noticed an unfamiliar coat tossed on my desk. I was pretty sure everyone had left for the day.”

Jerrica did not want to relive that night or any night with Devin, especially from a different storyteller.

“I reached across my desk to grab the file and I heard some sounds coming from Jerrica’s office. I didn’t think anything of the simple noise. I mean Jerrica works late all the time. I continued my task until I heard what sounded like a loud moan.”

Jerrica closed her eyes tight.

Lauren was smiling from ear to ear with the knowledge that this was completely embarrassing Jerrica.

Jaime paused, her face turning a light pink from the pictures flashing in her head, “My first instinct was that Jerrica was hurt and needed help. So…I ran to the door and opened it.”

The pure horror of what she must have witnessed hit Jerrica full force. She leaned forward in her seat, putting her face in her hands.

Oh, this was too good. “Don’t leave me hanging, Jaime. What did you see?” Lauren egged her on.

Jerrica wanted to reach and choke Lauren.

Jaime obviously felt caught in the middle of this tug a war between these two women. She surely understood how uncomfortable Jerrica was at this moment, but she also knew that Lauren was the one who had invited her on this trip. Jaime was obligated to finish the story.

“When I opened the door…I saw,” she said, gulping hard. “…the back side of a very naked woman straddling Jerrica’s lap. I didn’t actually see the woman’s face, but that golden mane of Ms. Daniel’s is unforgettable. I stood there briefly captivated at how beautiful they looked together. Realizing that the noises I heard were of Ms. Daniel’s cries of...passion. I quietly closed the door and left. I do have to admit she is a very striking woman. At least from the angle I could see.”

If Jerrica could have crawled under her seat at that very moment, she would have. The car fell silent for several minutes.

“I’m sorry Jerrica. I didn’t mean to, I mean…I didn’t mean to walk in on your private moment. I just thought you needed help.”

Lauren started to laugh so hard she was sure she would have to pull over. She couldn’t see the road through all the tears in her eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault. It’s ok,” Jerrica said softly. Reaching out, Jerrica slapped Lauren’s arm to make her stop laughing.

The car was full of Lauren’s laughter as they traveled over the Sagamore Bridge.

Jerrica squinted at Lauren. “Are you done laughing at my expense?”

“Don’t get angry at me. I’m not the one who had sex in her office, and got caught.”

Jaime sat quietly in the back seat.

“Jaime, do you think our client was getting her money’s worth?” Lauren asked, wanting to get one more dig in, at Jerrica’s expense before the conversation changed,

Jerrica’s mouth dropped open in shock at Lauren’s boldness.

“Well from what I saw, and heard that evening, I would say she received every last penny’s worth.”

Jerrica rubbed her eyes in frustration while Lauren bellowed in laughter even louder next to her.

Once past the hysterical laughter, she glanced at Jerrica who was staring blankly out into the darkness. “You’re not seriously upset are you?”

“Not upset, just appalled.”

“Appalled at what? You got caught, deal with it.”

“I’ve built my professional life on following the rules. The first time I bend the rules, even a little, I tarnish my reputation in front of my employees.” Disappointment echoed in her voice.

“I don’t think any less of you,” said a soft voice from the back seat.

Jaime leaned between the seats, speaking a little louder. “I respect you more for bending the rules. Seeing you that evening made me realize you are human and that you can have fun just like anyone else. That was also the night I found out you liked women.” Jaime leaned back.

Jerrica sat quietly contemplating what to say next. “I don’t advertise who I am, but if you ask me, I won’t lie about it either.”

Lauren started to feel remorseful for coercing Jaime into telling the story. “Listen, Jerrica, I’m real sorry for this and I’m sorry to you as well, Jaime. This whole thing was my fault. I started this line of questioning. So I am really sorry,” she said staring at the long road ahead.

They sat in silence for a while, before Jerrica spoke. “It’s fine, let’s just enjoy the rest of our drive and our weekend.”

Jerrica wasn’t angry. She didn’t have the energy to be angry. Her emotions were raw from the last couple of days and now this new revelation. Resting her head back on the seat, she finally dozed off. Flashes of Devin ran through her mind as she slept.

“Wake up sleepy head,” Lauren’s voice said.

Opening her eyes slowly, she blinked a few times to see Lauren standing outside the car.

“We are here,” Lauren whispered, turning toward the trunk of the car.

Jerrica stood to exit the vehicle. Quickly grabbing onto the car door, everything around her began to spin. Her body slid down the inside of the car door as the taste of stomach bile penetrated the back of her throat. Next thing she knew, Lauren and Jaime were on each side of her holding her up under her arms.

“Jerrica, are you ok?” Lauren said.

Jerrica looked up at her with blurry eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t feel so good. I think I’m going to vomit.”

“Let’s get her inside. We’ll put her in the guest room upstairs on the right next to the bathroom,” Lauren exclaimed as the two of them helped Jerrica into the house.

Once in the bedroom, they carefully laid Jerrica down on the bed. Jaime was scared, not knowing what to do to help.

“I know you want to help me, but right now you’re only going to get in my way. If you want to help, go unload the trunk. I’ll take care of her,” Lauren said, taking charge of the situation.

Jaime nodded, leaving the room.

Lauren took Jerrica’s shoes off and pulled the hair tie from her hair. Retrieving a blanket from the closet, she placed it over her sick friend.

Opening her eyes at the feel of the blanket she whimpered at her friend. “I don’t know what happened. I was fine and….”

“Shh... Don’t worry about it. You’re just tired and I’m sure everything will be better in the morning. Now get some rest.”

Lauren touched her forehead, no fever, but her skin had taken on a pasty color. She watched Jerrica’s eyes flutter closed. Lauren reached the door, looking back only once and switched off the light, softly praying that Jerrica would be ok.

†

The morning sun leisurely rose above the delicately weathered cottage. Sunbeams cascaded in through the windows, illuminating the guest room. Squinting as the radiance of the day filtered onto her face, Jerrica slowly opened her eyes. Confusion filled her.
Where am I?

Gradually she pushed herself to a sitting position. Leaning back against the headboard she slowly looked around the room. She was at the cottage, front room facing the water, room on the same side as the master suite. Lauren and Jaime must have brought her up here. She tried to remember what had happened. The memories all seemed hazy.

Throwing the blanket back, she cautiously got out of bed. When the spinning and nausea didn’t return, she figured she might actually be finished with whatever had made her sick. Looking down, she noticed she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Jerrica inhaled deeply as the aroma of coffee filled the small bedroom. She started toward the hallway, when she heard a door close. Changing direction, she strolled to the window. She watched as Jaime got into the passenger’s seat of Lauren’s car.
Where are those two going?
she wondered.

She stood in the window long enough to see them drive away. Since rushing downstairs wasn’t a priority anymore, Jerrica started undressing as she moved toward the bathroom to take a shower. She found her suitcase sitting next to the doorway that led from the bedroom to the bathroom. Great, she didn’t have to go searching for it. Entering the bathroom, she smiled seeing fresh towels on the counter.

“Thanks, Lauren, you’ve thought of everything,” she said aloud.

Fully undressed, she stepped into the shower. The welcoming hot water flowed across her overworked body, caressing her aching back, tumbling down her tired calves to the open drain, where she hoped the water would take away all of her troubles. Wrapping the fresh towel around her wet hair she clutched the second towel in her hand and entered the bedroom. Mid-stride she stopped to inspect her exposed body in the full-length mirror. “Why do you bother looking,” she said to her reflection.