Erica watched as Julianne was typing away on the computer trying to upgrade the security system. She turned back to her duty that Ray left her with which was pawing through some files on their latest fugitive when she heard a small noise. Erica looked up to see Julianne looking at her with an unsure expression on her face.
"Have you ever...," Julianne started, "Have you ever been um...in love?"
Erica almost dropped the folder she was holding. That was the last thing that she expected the young woman to say, but Erica placed the folder back into the box before muttering, "Yes, I have."
Julianne was now interested, she figured that Erica would tell her no. Erica walked over to Julianne's desk and then asked, "Why do you want to know?"
"I know that this may sound...stupid but I think that um...uh."
"You're in love?" Erica finished with a question.
Julianne gave the slightest of nods. Erica smiled remembering when she first fell in love back when she was younger. She hadn't really gotten to know the young man as he didn't seem to have a personal interest in her but Erica could see that Julianne was in the same predicament.
"It was before my father had died," Erica explained, "I had met this one guy who I thought was going to be the one you know? The one I was going to be married to, have kids with."
"What happened?" Julianne asked.
Erica sighed, "Turns out that he had a girlfriend."
"I'm sorry."
Erica shook her head, the young woman before her didn't need to be sorry for her. Erica could remember when she had first met Braden, he was kind, nice and made her feel like she was special. But Erica was too love struck to pay attention to her father's advise of falling in love.
Don't get too caught up in it, she remembered her father warn, You can have a boyfriend Erica but level it out, don't get too caught up a boy.
Erica closed her eyes thinking about how she had messed up badly, she had gotten caught up in Braden and in conclusion to her blind love he cheated.
"Did you ever see him again?" Julianne asked bringing Erica out of her thoughts.
"Once," Erica replied, "He has a family now."
Julianne looked at the ground, she too was worried of treading on love. The internet dating sites, she didn't trust anymore and the man she had fallen in love with was hard to read whether he held the same feeling for her.
"It's Ray isn't it?" Erica asked.
Julianne looked up at the bounty hunter in shock, she wondered how she knew that but didn't proceed into asking.
"Yeah," Erica continued, "Does he know?"
"Sort of," Julianne said skittishly.
"What happened?"
"He sort of...likes me...I um suppose."
Erica nodded and said, "What did you do to express it?"
"I meant to kiss him on the cheek but instead he turned his head and it landed on his lips."
Erica raised an eyebrow and said, "I would have just started with a hug."
Julianne took in a shaky breath and said, "Lloyd told me to go for it."
Erica let out an exaggerated groan, of course Lloyd was somehow involved in all of this.
"And you actually listened to him?"
Julianne nodded. Erica leaned forward and said, "He has a thing for you too you know."
Julianne frowned, and then remembered how Lloyd seemed almost excited when she asked him for the advise.
"Oh well," Erica said pushing herself from the table, "You're still going to try for Ray right?"
Julianne gave a half nod half shrug and Erica accepted it.
"Well if Ray does ever respond to your...kiss then remember this, don't get too caught up in him."
Julianne nodded and then asked, "What if Lloyd tries anything?"
"Punch him in the right shoulder, I'm sure he still has a bruise from last time."
