I’m bold but taking that little situation as far as we did was a first for me, and I’m sure Grant too.
There’s something so sexy about imagining something before it happens. Getting turned on somewhere you shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, sometimes there are consequences to being somewhere you shouldn’t.
“So, you have to kick us out or something?” I say. “Fine, we can leave.”
“Nah, not just that. I’ve gotta take you down to the station,” the guy says. “Sorry.”
My stomach curdles. “Well, isn’t it their fault for not actually checking our I.D.s?”
Grant looks at the officer.
“Sir, can I be honest with you?”
The man straightens his mustache. “I guess, man.”
“We’re just a couple of kids who came in here to celebrate. It’s true, we’re underage. I asked her to marry me, and we wanted to do one daredevil thing. We didn’t mean any harm by it.”
I stifle a laugh, and the officer turns to me. “You two are getting married?”
I nod, trying to look humble and sincere. “Till death do us part. I just had this silly idea that we could sneak into a bar and celebrate. Not the best idea, in retrospect.”
Grant nods putting on his best game face. “Sir, I understand that you have a job to do and if you want to take us in that’s how it has to be. But you don’t have to take us in. We’re not being drunk or unruly, and we’re happy to leave and never come back here. I swear we won’t.”
“Sorry, I gotta do what I gotta do.” The cop seems like he’s not totally sold on booking us, but I get that it’s his job.
Grant’s a little taller than the man, and I notice a flicker of realization go across his face while he looks at the man’s neck.
“I get that.” He puts out his arms. “We’ll go willingly if that’s what we have to do, obviously we’d never disobey a police officer. But, sir, I have to ask…is that an Alpha Z tattoo I see on your neck?”
The officer’s face brightens, but he doesn’t say anything else.
“I’m an Alpha Z at Greene State,” Grant adds.
“Get the fuck out. I was one at U of I and my high school buddy, Ian, was an Alpha Z at Greene.”
“Shit, Ian was one of my seniors. Great guy.”
He looks around. “Damn. Well, now I wish I didn’t have to do this. But I’ve gotta respond to the call or the bar is going to think I’m not doing my job.”
“I think we can both win in this scenario,” Grant says. “How about this, we’ll pretend we’re extra drunk and unruly and you can look good in front of the management here. Once we get out, you give us a ride home, and don’t book us. You look like a tough guy, the bar is happy, you’re happy, we’re happy. Everybody wins.”
His wheels turn.
Finally, he says, “You guys put on a good show as I walk out of here now, okay? Don’t get too crazy though. I don’t want to be on some damn viral video.”
We nod. He cuffs both of us from behind, and we walk out of the bar in cuffs.
“Thanks, Officer Corley,” the bouncer says as we exit with frowns on our faces.
We get in the cop car with the cuffs on and drive two blocks. Then he lets us out.
“Thanks, Officer Corley,” Grant says.
“No problem.” He tips his hat toward me as he unlocks the handcuffs. “Miss.”
“Hey, one thing,” Grant adds. “Maybe we could keep one of those handcuff sets.”
He looks over at me. “You know, as a souvenir for the start of our marriage.”
Officer Corley grins. “Oh, what the hell.”
He hands Grant the handcuffs and the keys, then shakes both of our hands.
“You keep this guy occupied now,” he says to me. “Can tell he’s got that mischievous mind.”
“Thanks,” Grant says.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Officer Corley adds. “It pains me, but I’m going to have to write you both a citation for underage drinking. I have to give my boss something from this run-in. It’s not much, just seventy-five dollars.”
“Damn,” I exclaim, Grant and I look at each other in panic.
“I know, right,” Corley adds, then says, “Better than being taken into the station though.” When neither of us reply, he lowers his voice saying, “You can go to jail for using a fake, ya know.”
I sigh, and grip Grant’s forearm. He’s letting us off with a fine, so I won’t add the fact that we didn’t even use a fake,