Giuliano Saade @ The Eternal Solitude of the Restless Mind

.

Raymond Walsh @ Man on the Lam

.

He said he’d take me to dinner and bar hopping but his face and mood crashed when I excitedly exclaimed I knew the place he had in mind.  In a childishly annoyed voice he spat out, “Well, is there anywhere you haven’t been yet?  Taken aback, I spilled a facetious apology for having explored my new digs without him – had I known we’d meet, I’d certainly have stayed home in my pajamas, eating cereal and watching TV lo’ these many weeks.

Caffeine infusions the following morning revealed a missing credit card, left at the last bar we’d visited and still there waiting for us with a fee.  Jokes about posting bail, ponderings about the magistrate for such incidents, and springing the card from the pokey ensued while en route.

That’s when; in the reflection of the side mirror I noticed the “Party Lights” behind us.

I silently prayed the cop now approaching had been laid well the night before and sufficiently caffeinated that morning.  The cop returned to his cruiser with necessary documents while his partner remained at the vehicle’s rear.  Seconds ticked into minutes, minutes ticked into what seemed like dog years.  It was taking too long.  Nothing to contest, easy ticket, the form no more than a series of boxes to check, what was the problem?

The broad chested, well starched, ebony shirt with shiny badge finally reappeared in the side window and relayed details of 3 prior incidents that had gone unpaid… for several years – to which my date claimed no recollection.  Politeness on both sides slipped into something else.

I could see no good would come of their “failure to communicate” and I told myself to make a break for it, run, and don’t look back.

During my fantasy of becoming a fugitive I’d missed critical dialogue.  Lost in the unfolding events resembling a movie with no rewind feature available, all I understood was Date was a deadbeat and everyone was now angry.  Date stepped out; the cop spun him around and instantly, adeptly secured silver bracelets on Date’s wrists.

Cop’s hand on Date’s head, he was aided into the back of the cruiser.  I was instructed where to meet them – they promised to wait for me there.  I did, they did, and we regrouped at the parking garage elevator.  Cuffs secure, Date still pissed-off, one less-than-happy cop on either side of him, and me… feeling completely uncomfortable blurted,

“Well, you wanted to take me somewhere I’d not been yet, this is definitely new to me.”

.

David Bennett @ Light Reading – Mostly Photography

.

Tasha Che @ Tasha’s Travel Troves

.