Finding Her Way by Riley Jefferson Page A

mentally checked off each item on her list as it was completed.
    Working on the last chore, Jerrica fetched her packed suitcase from where she had deposited it earlier near the front door. Keys in one hand, suitcase in the other, she entered the garage. Popping the trunk she carefully placed the suitcase inside. She paused suddenly, feeling the dread that something seemed missing. Thinking through the list, she strolled back into her house. She retrieved the long coat she had chosen for the cold Cape Cod weather from the closet.
    “Well kids, have a lazy weekend without me. Be good to Mary or she won’t feed you,” she teased as she lightly kissed each cat on the head as they ate breakfast.
    Hand on the doorknob, she reached for her briefcase that was usually kept next to the staircase. Then realization hit her. “I forgot my briefcase!” Jerrica’s voice was elevated in panic. “Where the hell did I leave it,” she cried, quickly looking around the room.
    Damn it all, she’d left it at Devin’s apartment! How in the hell was she going to get it back without causing problems for herself? She didn’t have time for this. She was going to be late.
    Sitting in the car, Jerrica pushed the garage door button, remembering that her cell phone was also in her briefcase.
    “Well, when I screw things up, I really screw things up,” Jerrica said while turning the ignition.  
    The brand new silver BMW coupe convertible purred smoothly as if it was welcoming her home again. She looked at her well-used Land Rover sitting in the other parking space. “Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll take you out soon,” she told it.
    She should be taking the Land Rover to work but it had been so mild the past couple of days, she wanted to spoil herself. Backing out of the garage, slowly onto the street, she slid on her sunglasses. Shifting the car into first gear she punched the gas. She loved the power in this car. It was a gift to herself after the divorce became final.
    She decided she would take the highway this morning. She knew traffic might get heavier the closer she got to work but there were always a few empty stretches where she could feed her need for speed. The nickname her father had given her was lead foot. Once off the exit and onto the interstate, Jerrica quickly wove through traffic. She made the decision to take interstate 93, which would be a longer commute but would be much more fun with its flat roadways. She needed to feel the rush of adrenaline that driving fast would give her. She wove in and out of lanes to find an open section of road. Her patience paid off as she came upon a section of highway that was clear for at least a mile with no on merging exists. Her pulse quickened. “Let do this,” she said, pushing hard on the gas pedal.
    The speed limit was sixty-five in this area but Jerrica knew she could hit at least seventy-five and the authorities might not pull her over. She was willing to take that chance today. The exhilaration grew as the speedometer increased. Switching gears again, Jerrica pushed the gas pedal to the floor. Two hands on the wheel, adrenaline rushing in her veins and concentrating on the road, for a few moments she felt free. All of her problems took a back seat to the powerful feeling of the BMW. Easing up on the pedal, she noticed that traffic was slowing down in front of her. The bumper-to-bumper traffic was beginning as she drew closer to the city.
    Approximately forty minutes later, Jerrica pulled into her reserved parking spot in the North End Parking Garage. Even though she took the train most days, she kept her reserved parking space for days like this when she wanted her vehicle nearby. The monthly fee didn’t cost that much and she knew she could safely leave it here for the weekend. She would bring her suitcase into work hoping that Lauren wouldn’t notice that she didn’t have the briefcase. She had left her laptop on her desk so she could at least contact Devin discreetly