"I hate fucking cops!"
Yes, that's what I muttered as I wrote out the checks for my latest speeding tickets.
That summer Friday brooded with foreboding, what with the dark clouds, heavy rain, thunder and lighting. But it was really, really warm. Tornado warnings had been issued.
Since I needed to run a bunch of errands, I had to risk giving myself a bad hair day, which really pissed me off since I had paid a visit to the beauty parlor early that morning. Besides, my brother promised to buy me a late lunch. As I stepped out of the house, I grabbed one of the umbrellas we put on the porch for rainy days. I forgot my purse, and went back inside. I set the umbrella on the kitchen table, and it popped open, all by itself.
Uh-oh, bad luck
. I closed it again, making sure that it latched tight. On the tile floor I spied a penny.
Lucky penny
, I thought.
That should take care of the bad luck. Not that I'm superstitious, of course
, I told myself.
On the way from the car to the mall entrance, the black cat just jumped right out in front of me. I took twelve steps backwards. I went around the ladder but banged into the nearest tree. My lipstick smeared when I got a face full of leaves. The make-up mirror cracked at first glance. But then I spotted a four-leaf clover when I stopped to scrape the dog doo-doo from my brand Coach metallic leather sandals. I picked up the four-leaf clover and stuck it in the clasp of my purse. But I didn't pick up the odd glove lying there, recalling that old wife's tale.
Michael got there before me. I saw his new car in the parking lot. Well, not brand new, but new to him. I inspected the red Corvette convertible.
Awesome!
He had an older Vette a couple of years ago and let me drive it. I easily got it up over a hundred. I wondered how fast this new one could go.
The Vette was a 50th anniversary special edition. You can tell by the emblem on the front with the number "50" with the signature cross-flag design. Same emblem on the seat and floor mats. I was real happy Michael got the six-speed manual transmission rather than the automatic. I just love the feel of a stick in my hand. Jerking it up and down and all around. This car made me wet.
I walked into the restaurant and a waiter led me to Michael's table.
"Hey, Michael, nice wheels! Bet she's fast!"
"5.7-liter V8 with a whopping 350 horsepower at 5600 rpm. With the revolutionary Magnetic Selective Ride Control you can feel the speed right through your fingertips when you're driving. I could have gotten an even faster one, the Z06 hardback. 405 horsepower at 6000 rpm. But I wanted a convertible."
"Good choice, Michael. Can I take her for a ride?"
"No way, Sarah. Dad told me you got two tickets in the last month. He said he won't let you drive his Explorer any longer."
"Yeah, well Mom lets me use her Cavalier. How do you think I got here? I'm a good driver. I never had an accident."
"That Cavalier is junk. It won't even go fifty miles an hour."
"I know! I'm embarrassed to drive it."
"Just then the waiter approached.
"Fish for me," I said, "the Atlantic salmon."
"I'll have the boneless pork chops, Cajun," David decided. "And a bottle of your finest Oregon pinot noir, which is Brick House Cuvee du Tonnelier, Williamette Valley, I do believe."
The waiter departed with our orders and soon brought the wine.
"Michael, you're drinking? Don't you have to go back to the office?"
"I'm the boss. I'm taking the afternoon off. Hey, what the hell, it's Halloween!"
"So pour me a glass of wine."
"You are not old enough to legally drink, seeing that your twenty-first birthday is still about six months away."
"Daddy lets me have a glass of wine. Or a beer. You know that."
"But not in a public place."
"Pour it in my coffee cup. No one will know."
We gabbed incessantly as we ate. Michael filled my coffee cup with wine several more times.
"So Sarah, are you going to the costume ball at the country club tonight? It's the big event of the summer."
"Of course. I love getting all dolled up in cute costumes. You know my friend Jenny. We did Gorilla Day at the zoo for Halloween. You make gorilla masks and tell scary gorilla stories. But the gorilla costumes I tried on were way too hot, and really itchy. So I'm not going trick or treating as a gorilla. And last night we did Fright Fest at Station 'Scare.' We faced our fears in the House of Phobias and did the Nightmare Maze. And then we did Haunted Hayride and I wet the panties to my Scarlet Witch costume. So I'm not wearing that for the costume ball tonight. No indeed, I'm wearing something special for a special someone."
"Well Sarah, whatever it is you are wearing I'm sure it will make a big impression on your special someone."
"So why don't you let me drive your Corvette, Michael?" I suddenly blurted.
"No way!" he growled.
"Is that right?" Then I whispered something in his ear.
"Okay, Sarah, we'll trade Chevys. You take my Vette. I'll take Mom's Cavalier."
"I love you, bro!" We hugged. He gave me the keys.
"I love you too, sis. See you soon. And drive careful!"
* * *
First I stopped at the place that rented the costumes. I tried on the dress with a blue sailor collar and a big red bow across the bodice. The tunic tapered to hug my slender waist snugly, before flaring out in a very short, pleated, blue skirt. Another bow adorned the small of my back. I had worn a pair of modest blue panties to match the skirt. I tied my long red tresses in a ponytail with yet another red bow. White elbow-length gloves and knee-high red boots completed the ensemble. I decided to wear the costume rather than take it with me.
Then I took a ride out in the country. The clouds had dissipated and now the sky was bright blue so I took the top down. Michael had a bunch of CD's. I put in the Donnas and got lost in the music. Unusual he would listen to that. I didn't know he liked old-fashioned no-frills metal. I had no concept of how fast I was going. Fast enough but not too fast, I figured. But way over the speed limit. I could really feel the speed right through my fingertips, just like Michael said.
I didn't even hear the siren until he passed me and motioned to pull over.
"Young lady, do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
"Uh... uh..."
"That's what I thought. Let's see your license and registration."