Quick Thinking

Ah Saint Patrick's Day.

The night started with Vixen, Blondie, and myself giving into our growling stomachs and heading for the restaurant. The others would not be meeting us for a few hours, but that was fine with us. We were seated and ordered the first pitcher of green beer along with an appetizer. The guys arrive along with other friends. It is an odd mix of old friends, current friends, and mere acquaintances. Vixen and Blondie both left early due to having to be at work early the following morning. Like many times over the past few weeks I found myself with JC and Marine1. The group lingered, as the rounds of green beer and Irish car bombs kept coming seamlessly.

Being the DD I enjoyed my Dr. Pepper and tried to participate in some of the mundane conversation that was going on between several of the other guy's girlfriends. At this point I decided some people really should not be allowed to talk. Or at least not allowed out in public.

As last call for drinks is announced Marine1 comes up behind me and slips his arm around me, "Ready?" I nod having been ready for at least an hour. He digs in his pocket and pulls out the keys to the Mustang and hands them over. Marine1, JC, and I say our goodbyes and head for the car. I tell you being DD isn't so bad when you got a fun car to drive at the end of the night. I slide the seat all the way forward and kick off my heals, haven't yet mastered driving a 5-speed in heals ~ bottoms are to slick.

We head north. Always interesting road trips with these two. The destination is Vixen's house. I leave the interstate and make it a few hundred feet down the country side road when Marine1 asks me to pull over. I pull over and press the button for the flashers. Marine1 bails out of the car with a quickness, slamming the door behind him, and heads for the woods. I turn to look at JC in the backseat and he shrugs his shoulders, "Puking or Peeing. Wanna bet?"

I just laugh and shake my head and turn back forward. I see headlights in the side mirror. They are approaching slowly. They pull off the shoulder directly behind us. "I think it's a cop"...... The blue lights switch on..... "It's a cop." I have done nothing wrong but still feel slightly panicked knowing that there is unopened alcohol in the back seat. I'm such a goody goody worry wart.

"Just be calm," JC says.

I glance quickly toward the woods and Marine1 is nowhere in sight. I roll down my window as I see the police officer exit his car shinning his flashlight in the woods as he comes toward the car. I have already fished my license out of my purse and I'm ready.

"Everything ok?" he asks as he approaches the car.

Let me insert here that I am a terrible lair!! And I try to refrain from lying, fibbing, stretching the truth, etc. So where my story came from I have no idea.

"Yes, on the way to a friends and just stopped to call and double check directions." Wow that sounds like a good excuse.

"Where you headed?"

I name off the name of Vixen's subdivision, "I know I go to the end of this road and take a right but couldn't remember from there....."

He then proceeds to give me directions (which I really don't need). Thank you Mr. Nice Cop!! I think we are almost home free when he shines his flashlight into the back seat. "Why's he in the back?"

Again before I could think I had spouted off an answer, "I'm DDing tonight and just dropped off our other friend."

This seemed an acceptable answer to him as he told us to have a good evening and made his way back to the car. I rolled up the window finally letting out the breath I'd been holding. "What do I do?"

JC replies calmly, "Put it in first and pull off slowly."

I did as he said. From the back I could hear him pulling out his cellphone and calling Marine1. "Keeps going to voicemail, it's not in here is it?" As I turned around JC searched the car for the phone while continuing to call. At that moment my phone went it off. Marine1's picture popped up on the display.

"Hey, where are you?"
"I don't know somewhere in the middle of the woods," comes the reply.
"Well head toward the road we are coming back to get you...."

Making sure the cop was gone I pull over on the shoulder again. I roll down the window and call Marine1's name into the night. We can hear snaps and cracks of footsteps descending within the woods.

To Be Continued........

“Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter.Lullabies, dreams and love ever after. Poems and songs with pipes and drums. A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... That's the Irish for you!"

~ Irish Saying ~