It was a bright night with clear skies and a near full moon. The park's dense trees screened out most of the light, but Barbara could still see clearly after her eyes adjusted. Running on electric, the police cruiser was nearly silent. Keeping the lights off, she glided over the narrow park streets like a ghost.
She had worked a big city force for a while, nearly ten years. Time enough to become thoroughly dissatisfied with the grueling hours and brutality of the city. Barbara had seen herself becoming hard and callous. She quit when she could and moved here, a small college town. Someplace quiet, more relaxed and less savage.
Barbara had been quite surprised to discover that her new beat wasn't all that quiet. The students and townies were rowdy, perpetually inebriated and horny beyond imagining. Policing them was more like providing child care than law enforcement. She had nearly left here too but stuck it out and found a way to make things work. The trick was to make a game of it. After ten years here Barbara truly enjoyed her job, most of the time anyway. The pay was decent, living was cheap and she got away with things that couldn't be dreamed of in a larger department.
The first few weeks of fall semester was always the most challenging time of the year. A fresh batch of students out from under Mom and Dad's thumb for the first time taxed Barbara's patience and skills to the limit. This year had been no exception. Barbara had worked overtime two weeks in a row. The worst part was an increasingly nagging horniness she felt. Linda was just as busy as she was dealing with the flood of new students in her class. The same was true for all her other prospects. Maybe in a week or two things would settle down and she could count on getting laid. In the meantime she would just have to tough it out.
The truth be told she really was in the mood for some dick. It had been nearly half a year since she had had a man, that seemed to be frequency that she craved it. Women were far more complex and interesting, but every once in while a man's simple uncomplicated sexuality was just what she wanted. Like lemon sherbet in the middle of a banquet, something to clear the palate for the more sumptuous dishes to come.
At least tonight had been relatively quiet. Perhaps the kids were settling in a little sooner than usual this year. The street began to climb a low rise and Barbara saw a figure silhouetted against the sky. Instantly she slowed to a crawl and evaluated the situation. The individual appeared to be male and alone. He was walking in the same direction she was moving, with his back turned to her. His gait seemed steady enough, so not too drunk.
Barbara moved the cruiser closer, saw the figure take a drink from a bottle. Enough looking she decided, time to deal with it. The man didn't notice her until she was alongside him and turned on the cruiser's external lights. He stood frozen with a look of dumb surprise on his face, the bottle in a paper bag halfway to his mouth.
Barbara got out and approached him. Young looking, just a little taller than her. Almost certainly a student, probably new, she didn't recognize him. "Good evening, sir. Were you aware that the park was closed at this hour?"
"I, uh, no, uh, no I didn't." he started to take a drink before thinking the better of it and lowering the bottle.
"Well it is. That means you are trespassing. May I see your identification please, sir." The young man seemed to search for someplace to set his drink down. Barbara helpfully held out her hand out and he absent mindedly handed the beer bottle to her. She concentrated on stifling her grin while he fumbled for his wallet.
Barbara handed back the bottle and took the offered plastic card, examining it with her small penlight. A valid out of state driver's license issued for one Micheal McGuffin, aged nineteen. Barbara handed the ID back. "I see that you are enjoying a tasty beverage this evening Mr. McGuffin. There wouldn't happen to be any alcohol in that would there sir?"
"Uh, no?"
Micheal looked unsure if he should try to bluff it out or simply own up to it now that he was caught. Barbara let him squirm a few seconds before raising her light some so that Micheal started to catch some of the light in his face.
"Do you think it's a good idea to lie to my face right now Mr. McGuffin?"
"Uh, no. Uh, yes."
"'Yes' it's a good idea to lie to me?" Barbara was beginning to enjoy this immensely. Whether it was surprise, booze or just natural stupidity Micheal seemed to have a special knack for digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
"No, it's not. Um. That's beer, its uh, its got alcohol in it." Micheal tried to adopt a sheepish expression. "Sorry. It's Mike, too, by the way."
He was at least trying to smarten up some, too late now but putting in some effort. Barbara ignored the introduction and made a show of looking at her notebook. "Well, there Mr. McGuffin I've got you down here for trespassing, open container, consuming alcohol in the park and of course the big one, a minor in possession." Mike's expression of horror was growing by the second.
"Of course I'm going need to find out where you got that beer, that will be major violation for them, big fine at the minimum. For you, it's kind of bad luck being so early in the semester, the judge kind of likes to make a few examples early on, you know how it is." Barbara continued on, suppressing her amusement at the fear contorting Mike's face. She looked up and pretended to do mental calculations. "That will be what, sixty days on the trespassing, ninety at least on the possession. If you cooperate and help us nail whoever sold it to you, you can probably lose the consumption and open container." Mike's mouth was now literally hanging open. "The school administration's pretty hard ass about this as well. Definite suspension, possibly expulsion."
"No! Mom and Dad will kill me!"
Barbara pretended not to hear.
"Kiss that tuition goodbye, non refundable you see."
"No! No! Please."
"Being over eighteen and all, that record will stick too, Pretty sure most employers look for that sort of thing these days. Overkill really, completely unnecessary if you ask me, but nobody does."
Barbara paused for second to enjoy the spectacle of Mike's panic. It was kind of cute really, the way he was completely swallowing the whole story. In reality he would spend a night in the drunk tank, maybe a little longer and end with a fine and a some community service. Not very much fun, but hardly the life wrecker she was shoveling out.
"Please, don't do that, I just made a dumb mistake." Barbara gave him a little look on the word 'dumb' just for emphasis. "My folks will kill me. Please is anything you can do? Please lady, I'm begging here."
"Officer Dyson." Barbara put a little extra sternness in her correction.
"Officer Dyson, sorry. Please."
Mike had a look of pleading that would have done a puppy proud. Barbara decided to let up on the game a little. Not too much though, she was still enjoying things. A very unprofessional idea begin to form in the back of her head.
"Oh I don't know Mr. McGuffin, you see I really have a lot pressure to maintain discipline here. Seeing as how I'm a female officer, there's a little more pressure to be strict. The department seems to feel maybe I might go easy on some perp if he's cute or feel some sort of maternal softness." Barbara leaned a little closer and adopted an air of mock confidentiality. "The truth of it is, police departments are a little, what you would call, chauvinist, if you know what I mean."
Mike tried to look shocked and horrified at that idea. Barbara continued, "It wouldn't look too good if I let you off with a warning, makes me look soft. Seeing as how you are just a young buck here, and a cute one at that, it might appear that you somehow charmed me into letting you off easy. I could get in some trouble.
Mike was struggling between pleading for leniency and not wanting to hurt Barbara's career. He really was just a big kid she thought. I should treat him like one. Barbara made a show of pondering a difficult decision. "Well, you seem like a good lad here, Mr. McGuffin and I would hate to get you kicked out of school. I suppose I could let this slide. Just this once you understand?"
"Oh yes, please, Oh thank you officer Dyson!" Mike was practically falling over himself with gratitude and happiness at the thought being spared.
"The only problem is. "Mike's face immediately dissolved into horror. Barbara felt a little guilty at how she was playing him, and how much she was enjoying it. "If I give you a warning, how do I know you will take it seriously and won't just go out and get into more trouble?" Not guilty enough to stop though.
"Oh I won't, I won't. I'll be good, I learned my lesson."
The unprofessional idea in Barbara's head was fully formed now and doing everything it could to seem like a good idea.. She put on her best thoughtful look. "Mr. McGuffin, if you will excuse a personal question, were you spanked much during your upbringing?"
"Spanked?" Mike seemed the very image of confusion.
"Yes, Mr. McGuffin, were you spanked when you were younger?"
"No, ma'am. Mother doesn't believe in it."
"Well that's the problem. You, young Mr. McGuffin, need a spanking. A simple proposition Mr. McGuffin. You promise sincerely to stay out of trouble and accept a spanking from me, here and now, or I take you in." There it was. Barbara thought she should be surprised at herself, but it wasn't exactly the first time for something like this.
Mike looked stunned. For the first time he seemed speechless.
Barbara gave him a few more seconds, then fixed him with a look. "This is not a difficult decision Mr. McGuffin."
Mike still looked paralyzed, either at the prospect of being spanked or perhaps that this was some kind of test that he dare not fail. Barbara silently counted slowly to five in her head. She made her voice sharp and decisive. "Very well Mr McGuffin, I'll be taking you in then. If will kindly turn around I can get you cuffed."
That seemed to make his mind up. "No! No, I'll take your deal! Ok. I promise I'll be good!"
"And Mr. McGuffin?" Barbara drew out the 'and'.
"And the spanking, you can spank me." Mike seemed surprised he was saying it.
"Excellent decision Mr. McGuffin, I knew were a smart kid. Just one moment." Barbara tossed her notepad and light into the cruiser and retrieved a towel from the stack in the back seat. That had been her very first lesson on the department. Always have towels in the cruiser. It was amazing really how many times the college kids needed to be dried off. Not to mention mopping up all manner of fluids. She arranged the towel over the front of the car and removed her badge before placing it in her pocket. She had to make at least one token effort at making this an un official action.
