* * *
“Do you want to know something, Officer?” Rick was finally enjoying himself on this trip.
“It is my goal in life to know things, sir.” The attractive cop responded, obviously not amused.
“Vermont State Trooper Jennifer Julia Kennisaw lives to know things. I wish she’s get to know me.” Rick thought Gil was trying to hard with that one.
“You don’t have to call me Vermont State Trooper Jennifer Julia Kennisaw, Gil.”
Rick looked at his wife. “Young love.”
“I’m not in love with-“ The young officer was turning red. At first Rick thought it was with embarrassment but when she turned to him, he saw the anger there. Being married to a Latina, he knew female anger and was sorry he brought it on himself… or Gil. “I don’t like men. He knows that.”
“I can’t call you Jenny or Jennifer or J.J. and since we’ve known each other for twenty years, calling you Officer Kennisaw just seems a bit formal.” Rick wanted to warn Gil not to mess with angry women, but he could see from the smile on the young man’s face that he was one of those thrill seekers who jump out of airplanes or tie bungee cords to their waists and jump off of bridges. Once Rick had thought to go to Spain and run with the bulls. Now the operative word for Rick in all of this was “thought.” He thought about it and then thought he liked living without a bull’s horn impaling his ass and tossing him twenty feet in the air before being trampled by other fools looking to be gored and trampled. Rick thought about jumping off or out of things and then thought he’d like living more than potentially feeling every bone in his body break before his skull caved in on his brain. Rick thought about all the crazy things people did and thought they were all ways to spell some kind of incredible boredom that must infuse their lives and that they all needed to learn to find pleasure in the little things like drinking a cup of really good coffee with your wife. Not some fluffed up coffee drink, but coffee…just coffee. Or, when the chance arrives, watching other people risk their lives for nothing more than a cheap thrill. Now that Rick was out of the line of officer’s ire, he turned to his wife and smiled. “This is turning out to be a great trip, Marisol.”
He saw Gil smile a little and thought the boy was playing with fire.