I was so tired, it took all my focus to stay awake. I don't know what made me think I could leave work late and still be okay drive to Vegas. A group of my best girl friends were meeting out in Sin City for Labor Day, but as I had just gotten a new job, I didn't feel right asking for Friday off. They were already there, and as I drove on the darkened highway, I wished I had bought a ticket and flown. Now, here I was, maybe two hours away from Vegas, out in the desert, by myself with no one to talk to, falling asleep!
Yawning, I cranked up the radio and blinked a few times; it wasn't enough. I turned the AC up to high, trained the vents to hit me on various parts of my body. That seemed to work a little, but I caught myself starting to drift off about ten minutes later.
Cursing, I brought my car back into its lane, grateful I was traveling late at night. No one was around me, which was perhaps my only saving grace. I was thinking I had gotten away with my little slip when I heard a siren and saw flashing lights in my rearview. Fuck me!
Putting on my blinker, I navigated to the side of the road. I sat there for a moment, frozen with fear. Did the cop see me swerve? I jumped in my seat when the officer knocked on my window. Slowly, I rolled the window down and looked up at him. Broad shoulders, chiseled face. Yummy.
"License and registration please." Good voice, too, and big hands. I stared at the fingers gripping his little notebook for a moment before responding to his request. Fumbling in my purse and glove box, I swore at myself again. I'm getting pulled over, and all I think of was the cop was hot? What the hell is wrong with me??
As I handed my license and registration card to him, I noticed his eyes narrow. Look calm, look awake, I chanted silently. Look innocent. But I was having trouble looking the police officer in the eye.
"Do you know why I pulled you over ma'am?" I shook my head a little, worried. The cop gestured back down the highway. "No? You swerved across two lanes, ma'am, and did it while speeding."
Crap. Two lanes? I grimaced as he glared down at me. That wasn't a little slip. No wonder he pulled me over.
"Have you been drinking..." he paused to look at my license, "Ms. Carter?" He stared at me intently, head cocked to the side to better see my face.
"N-no, officer." Great Lana, that was convincing. Even I heard the tremble in my voice.
"Wait right here." He headed back to his vehicle, and I smacked my palm against my head. Stupid, stupid! Noticing for the first time that my stereo was still blasting, I turned it off then looked around. The policeman was in his car, checking everything. I fiddled with my purse, turned down the air, played with the hem of my skirt before he finally returned.
"Ms. Carter, are you sure you haven't been drinking?" His body was imposing, one hand resting on the roof of my car as he leaned down to hand my cards back to me.
"No, officer."
"Great, then you wouldn't mind stepping out of the car, would you?" I blinked in surprise and looked at him fully. His face was stony; he wasn't joking.
"Um...no, sir." I unbuckled myself and got out of the car.
"If you'll move to this side, please." I followed him to the passenger side, the part furthest from the road. He had me do the standard drunk driving test; walking in a straight line, asking me questions. I must have convinced him of my sobriety, surely I did, as I performed them perfectly, but I was shocked as he instructed me to place my hands against my car.