Love's Someday by Robin Alexander

designated driver would like water.”
    Lindsay smiled and walked away.
    “You’re driving,” Kaitlyn said. “I need to pickle my brain for a while.”

Chapter Eight

    “Where have you been?” Erica asked when Kaitlyn answered the phone.
    “Drew and I went to Baton Rouge for dinner.” Kaitlyn frowned at how easily the half-truth rolled off her tongue.
    “Can you meet me at the office?”
    “It’s Sunday. I’m not up to working today.”
    “It’s not about work, Katie.”
    Kaitlyn’s eyes opened fully. Erica didn’t sound like herself. “I’ll shower and be right over.”
    “What is it?” Drew asked as Kaitlyn laid the phone down.
    “Erica wants to talk, I think,” Kaitlyn said as she staggered from the bed.
    “Oh, shit.” Drew threw the covers back and sprang to her feet. “Do you think she knows where we went?”
    Kaitlyn dropped the pair of sweatpants that she had taken from the drawer. “There’s no way. Please tell me there’s no way.”
    “Calm down.” Drew walked over to Kaitlyn and grabbed her by the shoulders. “There’s no way she could know. She probably just needs to talk. Go over there and act normal.”
    “Act normal,” Kaitlyn said with a nod.
    “Go downstairs and eat some toast. Take a couple of Tylenol. I should be out of the shower by the time you come back up.”
    “Are you going to see Ashleigh?” Kaitlyn asked as she began moving slowly toward the door.
    “As soon as I get dressed.”
    “Don’t spring all of this on her today,” Kaitlyn pleaded. “It’s too soon.”
    “Trust me,” Drew said before disappearing into the bathroom.
    “Aw, shit,” Kaitlyn said miserably as she made her way to the kitchen.

    Kaitlyn took the long way to the office, needing a few extra minutes to compose herself before she came face-to-face with Erica. With one look, Erica could usually tell what was going on in her head. She took a quick glance at herself in the rearview mirror after pulling into the parking lot and grimaced at the guilty expression she saw there.
    As she walked down the dark hallway, she could see the light coming from Erica’s office. Kaitlyn paused for a moment and took a deep breath before entering. “If you lied and you have tons of spreadsheets to go over, I’m going—” Kaitlyn was truly stunned when she looked at Erica. Bloodshot and puffy eyes stared back at her beneath messy hair that hung down over her face.
    “Hey,” Kaitlyn said softly. “What’s going on?”
    Erica ran her fingers through her hair then put a hand to her quivering chin. “I don’t know.”
    “What happened?” Kaitlyn moved closer and took a seat.
    Erica took a deep shuddering breath. “Nothing, that’s the problem. She seems to be off in another world. I don’t know how to act around her.”
    Kaitlyn pulled her chair close to Erica’s but made no move to touch her. In all the years they’d known each other, Kaitlyn had only seen Erica cry twice. Once when they were kids and Erica miscalculated on a homemade bike ramp and hit the cement face first; the second was when her grandmother passed away. Kaitlyn wondered if this would be the third time. She could feel her own tears welling in her eyes.
    “I’ve tried to talk to her, but she just shuts down. I feel like a stranger in my own house. I slept downstairs on the couch in my office last night. I just couldn’t make myself climb into bed next to her. I feel like I’m invading.” Erica’s hands shook as she pushed her hair away from her face. “I tried calling you.”
    Kaitlyn averted her eyes guiltily, but Erica didn’t appear to notice.
    “Katie, I feel like she’s left me, but she hasn’t walked out the door.”
    “I think you two need some outside help. Maybe some sort of couples counseling to get you through this rough spot.”
    Erica frowned at the idea.
    “You can’t just give up. You two were happy as could be before. Don’t you want to find that again?”
    “Maybe…” Erica looked down at her