Free Finding Her Way by Riley Jefferson Page B

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