41
"There isn't a court in the land that would recognize this as valid," the dark skinned police officer said handing the dog/slave contract back to Valerie who quickly folded it up and reinserted it into her purse.
"Surely," Valerie said, "At least one of you have used your handcuffs for something other than enforcing the law."
The two police gave each other a look across the front cab of the SUV. The man at the passenger window turned his attention to John/Frisky who silently watched from the safety inside his mask. "Is that your signature on the slave contract?"
John/Frisky nodded slightly. "Yes."
"Such as it is..." replied the police officer in reference to the childlike scribbling. Then he asked, "Do you want to be here?"
Again he could feel the stare of Valerie's gaze upon him from the rear view mirror.
"Yes," he heard himself say as if he were a puppet manipulated by Valerie's hand.
The woman in blue shifted positions leaning over and met John/Frisky's eyes through the back passenger window. "Honey, do you want to be here?" she asked in a soft, caring voice.
Again he said, "Yes," as if an overriding program took over his operating system.
The man reached across the front passenger seat handing Valerie the paper work. "Sign here that you are informed you must either pay the speeding fine before this date or show up at the courthouse on this date."
Valerie eagerly did so just to end the anxiety the situation has brought to her. Her hand visibly shook when she handed it back to him.
Both officers stood up. "At least you have him buckled in. I advise you to keep your play at home," the man said. "Not in public."
"I'm not in public," Valerie argued. "I'm in my car. Tinted windows."
"It's still out in the public, hon." the woman said. "For safety sake, it's best to save the dressing up until after you get to your party."
Flustered, Valerie could only nod her head. "Yeah. Okay. You're probably right."
"You and your husband have a nice day, ma'am," the man said slapping the top of the SUV with an audible, dismissive thunk as they both walked back to their police car.
The windows rolled up cutting out the sounds of passing traffic, sealing inside the thick tension.
She wanted to throw her head back and recalibrate her thoughts for several minutes, but to remain would seem to be asking for more attention. So she put the transmission in drive, blinkered her way back onto the street.
"Maybe those cops don't know what year it is," Valerie said. "This isn't the twentieth century anymore." She reemphasized her grip on the steering wheel, the color returning to her knuckles. "I've been very discrete with you in public. It's not like I'm flaunting you through the city parks. You're safe! Nobody could have kept you safer than me."
Who she was trying to convince, John/Frisky wasn't sure. He was just glad the police were gone and they were on their way.
There was plenty to be said, but neither was saying it. They rode in silence for several minutes until Valerie took an off ramp into a densely packed, older part of town where the houses offered only feet between them.
Using the GPS on her phone she followed the vocal instructions until they pulled over into an average older home in the middle of a block. The driveway was cracked and the lawn looked like it missed a few opportunities to be mowed over the late summer.
So this was it? Their little love shack getaway?
The Cadillac idled in the driveway. "I thought you said you couldn't have sex because of the way I'm chained down on all fours," John/Frisky said, not really wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth or upset the apple cart that seemed to be going his way for a change.