Hurt by Lila Bruce Page A

contemplating if she should speak or wait for Nicole to explain what she was upset about as she broke the slender wooden sticks out of their paper container.
    Nicole decided for her.
    “So, what did you do today?” the petite blonde woman said, flashing stormy green eyes in Jamie’s direction. It occurred to Jamie that it wasn’t so much a question as it was an accusation. She popped the top on her soda and took a sip before answering.
    Maybe that’s what it was, Jamie thought. She was supposed to have done something that she hadn’t. Jamie decided her best course was to lay the day out from beginning to end and maybe that would jog some memory.
    “Well, after I left here this morning I stopped by the coffee shop and picked up a latte. They were out of the pumpkin spice, so I just got a hazelnut. Then I headed into the station. Samuels was late getting in, something about a poker game at the Major’s house last night.”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    “Then I spent about a half hour on hold with the crime lab just to hear that they didn’t have the results I needed for a case. They really need to add on some people there. It shouldn’t take three weeks to get toxicology results back,” Jamie said. She saw Nicole’s expression hadn’t changed and took another sip of soda.
    “Really,” Nicole said, sounding almost bored. Not a good sign.
    “Yup. So then Samuels and I headed out from the station and did the grand tour of some of Chattanooga’s finest pawn shops on the home invasions we’re working. We actually did locate some of the stolen property and get a few good leads,” Jamie said.
    Nicole continued to stare.
    “Anything else?” she asked, arching one eyebrow.
    Jamie shrugged.
    “We stopped and ate lunch at Mario’s while we were out.”
    Nicole pursed her lips and Jamie threw her a small smile, wishing she knew what had Nicole upset.
    “That’s it?” Nicole said sharply.
    “Pretty much,” Jamie answered. From the look on Nicole’s face she could tell that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
    Jamie sat on the couch, staring at Nicole, who stared blankly back. After several awkward moments, Nicole stood and crossed her arms.
    “You know, I’m really tired. I think I may just go on to bed.”
    From the way she said it, Jamie knew that Nicole wasn’t extending an invitation for Jamie to join her. Jamie ran a hand through her hair and nodded.
    “Okay,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’ll just head on back to my place.”
    “That may be for the best.”
    Jamie bit her lip, ignoring the stinging feeling she suddenly felt in one eye. She rose from the couch with a sigh. Jamie looked down at the coffee table, briefly wondering if she should just leave the food or offer to clean it up before she left. Her eyes caught the second bag sitting unopened on the edge of the table.
    “Oh, uh, before I go, I got you something today.” She reached down and picked up the bag. Jamie pulled out the slender, pink plastic bottle from inside and held it out to Nicole. It wasn’t exactly the circumstances she had intended on giving it to her, but decided it would have to do.
    “What is it?” Nicole asked frowning.
    “Bubble bath,” she answered clearing her throat. Jamie stared down at the bottle as if it might gleam some clue as to what they were fighting about. “It’s the not the kind you usually get, but I ran into a girl I went to high school with out in front of the store. She and her husband have just moved back to Chattanooga, and we spent a few minutes catching up. After that, I didn’t have a lot of time to shop, so I just picked up the first bottle I came across. You may not like the way it smells, so don’t feel like you have to use it or anything. I just thought after the other night—”
    Jamie’s words were cut short when she was suddenly propelled backwards and pushed down onto the soft leather of the couch. She opened her mouth to ask Nicole if she had lost her mind, but before she could say