Ever since I was little, I always admired police officers. Strong men in powerful uniforms, maintaining order... I suppose you could call it an obsession. By the time I turned eighteen, I already decided that this was the kind of career I needed to pursue. It was my destiny. Unfortunately, three more years were to come before I could make this dream come true. So I just waited patiently.
One summer afternoon, I was just hanging out in the city. I wanted to stop by the convenience store nearby to buy something to drink, when I saw them. Two men, right before the store, chatting and drinking coffee. They were wearing police uniforms and they were the perfect images of cops that I had in my head. They were much taller than me, shoulders wide, their muscles filling out their uniforms perfectly. I felt an instant wave of respect for these two men, keeping the order of our little town, even though I knew nothing about them. I have to admit, my eyes might have slipped in their direction a little too much as I was passing them by. I think they noticed as well - they responded with a suspecting look, which made me turn my head away. I just passed by and entered the store.
Even as I was walking through the aisle and choosing one of the sodas in the cooler, I couldn't keep my mind off of those two. The shiny boots, their big, powerful hands resting on their belts - packed with police gear... I somehow managed to pick something and pay for it at the cashier.
As I walked out of the store, I noticed those two officers still standing by the door. Once again, my eyes got a little bit lost at the way those uniforms fit perfectly and I didn't see the curb right before me. I stumbled and lost by balance, almost falling down on the sidewalk and spilling out my soda! That got the attention of the two officers, who chuckled at my misfortune.
"Gotta be a little more careful, kid," said the taller one. He had a very handsome, clean shaved face and a buzzcut. Dark hair and eyes, which were sizing me up and down. I wondered why that was and I hoped he didn't think I stole something...
"Yes, sir," I said, my face red, "Apologies, I will be more careful, sir."
"No need for those kinds of formalities, son," the other one said. He had ginger hair and a full beard. His rolled up sleeves revealed big, furry muscled arms, which were not to be reckoned with. "Why don't you come a little closer? Come on, don't be shy..."
My heartbeat doubled in tempo as I approached the two of them. At first I thought I was in trouble, but then I saw the sly smiles on their faces.
"I'm officer Harvey, and this is officer Logan," the bearded one told me, "We saw you looking in our direction earlier. You looked a little preoccupied there, son. Is there something you'd like to share with the police? Saw something suspicious?"
"No!" I shook my head, my face even more red now, "No, officers, nothing out of the ordinary, I was just admiring you."
That made both of them raise their eyebrows.
"Admiring us?" the taller one, officer Logan, repeated.
"Yes! Becoming an officer of the law has always been my dream, sir. I can't wait for the day I will be able to enroll in the academy."
"The academy, huh?" Harvey replied, "What's your name, son?"
"Robert. But everyone calls me 'Bobby'."
"Right. And how old are you, Bobby?"
"Eighteen, sir. So three more years to go."
"Eighteen..." Harvey repeated and exchanged a sly look with Logan, "Did you hear that, Logan? Little Bobby here is eighteen and he's passionate about cops."
"Loud and clear," Logan smiled and gave me a pat on the shoulder, "It's a good career, kid. Can't go wrong. I think you will be very popular at the academy."
"Thank you, sir," I was unable to contain my smile at the compliment. Did they really think I was a good choice for a cop? I hope they weren't just being nice...
"Say, Bobby," Logan said, still resting his powerful hand on my shoulder, "We don't have a lot to do this afternoon. Have you ever seen a police car? From the inside?"
I froze. That sounded like a suggestion.
"No," I said, looking right into his dark eyes, "Could I?"
They exchanged another look and a smile as Harvey shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not against it."
"Perfect then. Let's go then, Bobby."
They were parked in an alley behind the convenient store - surrounded by walls from all other sides. Nobody was there - it was a very hot Sunday afternoon, so most people were at home relaxing or vacationing by the lake. Officer Logan came before me and opened the front door for me.
"Go in the front - there's a front bench seat you can pull up."
I slipped right into the beautiful, black and white patrol car. It surprised me how much it looked like a regular car - except for the police gear on the dashboard and the grating separating the back from the front. I found the front bench seat and pulled it up, as both officers took their respective seats by my sides and closed the door.
It was a little cramped in the car, but I didn't mind the company of these two men at all. On the contrary - I was honored to be sitting there. I was ogling everything, from the walkie talkies to the handcuffs. I then turned my head to look in the back, through the grating.
