The Hero Next Time: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 4)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Lauren, Friday

Lauren took her problems home with her later, and made dinner with Al in the kitchen while Rachel helped the kids with their homework and made a point of not looking Lauren in the eye. They continued not talking about their earlier argument after dinner, and Lauren retired to an empty bed, certain that neither Rachel nor Al were going to visit tonight, and regretting ever starting the argument in the first place.

It all started when she returned to the office after the session with the marriage counsellor. They'd ended the session on a better footing than it had been on when she'd stormed out. It was fortunate that Sunny had called when he had and delayed her leaving by enough time that Joe had been able to find her and ask her to come back; if he hadn't, who knew if she and Joe would have booked another session or filed for divorce. There was still a long road ahead for them, but at least she knew they weren't over.

Rachel was in her cubicle when she returned, and Lauren said, "Rachel, can I talk to you in my office?"

"Give me a sec," Rachel said, not even looking up from her computer screen. "Just reviewing the numbers on the--"

"Now, please."

Rachel looked up at her, frowning, but then saw her face and said, "Are you okay?"

"I guess that will depend on the answers you give me."

She didn't wait for Rachel to get up, but unlocked her office and walked in. She stood with her back to the door until Rachel closed it behind her. "From the sound of your voice, I take it this is a closed door meeting?" Rachel asked.

Lauren turned on her and said, "Did you come on to my husband?"

Rachel flinched and said, "Excuse me?"

"Back in August, when you and Joe were driving out to Barnet Marine Park to start the ransom process, you discussed the state of our marriage." Lauren was trying to keep her tone as flat as possible as she said this, even though inside she was seething.

"Uh, yeah," Rachel said, "it was all any of us were talking about, especially after you'd gone and fucked things up the day before."

Lauren felt like she'd been slapped. "What did you say?!"

Rachel shrugged. "You and Al, my hotel room, remember?"

"I remember. So, what, in the spirit of turnabout is fair play, you went and made a pass at Joe?"

"What?!" Rachel shook her head furiously, eyes squeezed shut in exasperation. "What are you talking about?"

"Joe told me while we were in session today. He said you offered yourself to him to make up for my indiscretion."

Rachel's mouth fell open. "I... look, I was trying to come up with ways for all of us to be friends again. I'd just confessed to him that you were with both of us that time, when Naomi saw your car. He seemed even angrier that you were having a threesome than that you were with Al, and some of that anger was directed at me, of all people!"

Lauren fake pouted at her and said, "Oh, no, he's angry at his little angel, what are you to do?" Joe had called her his angel ever since they'd returned from being beaten, robbed and left in the middle of nowhere two years ago; she'd served as his crutch on a long march until a kind motorist had picked them up and brought them to the hospital. 

"Of you, me and Al, I'm the most blameless here!" Rachel protested. "All I did was not stand in the way of you and Al, when I had every right to deny you, and Joe went and lumped me in with you and Al as a co-conspirator. So, what did I do? Side with him and say fuck the both of you? No! I tried to make everybody happy, just like I always do, by giving him the chance to join in, make it a foursome. When he said he wasn't interested, I offered to be alone with him, since it seems he can only handle one partner at a time. It's not like I was hoping he'd take me up on it."