Love, Lust 'n Geology (1ST DRAFT)

Chapter 40: OPP troubles

This chapter is dedicated to Senrab for her support, her thoughtful, detailed & encouraging comments & PM's, & her continuing interest in the story :-)!

Thank u so much, Tricia! I really appreciate it :-)!

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Chapter 40: OPP troubles

"Oh, I wish it had been Tom!" Samina murmured, nervously chewing her nails, as she surveyed the OPP cruiser; it was parked about a hundred feet away, on a strip of broad shoulder, on the opposite side of the highway. Umm, that would be the nails of her free hand. The other continued to clutch Chris's phone in a death grip.

Chris wasn't at all sure that he could, or should, second her wish. He had seen the inside of far too many jail cells in his time, starting from a fairly early age. Yes, it was true! His parents had divorced when he was two. His Mom had remarried, providing him with six younger siblings, three sisters, and three brothers. His Dad hadn't, remarried, that is, or given him any siblings, either. He'd spent every summer with his Dad, until this one. His grandfather – Dad's Dad – had often joined them. He'd passed away from a heart attack, just last fall. Chris couldn't remember his Grandma. She'd died when he was a toddler.

His Grandpa had been a Western buff and had bought DVD's of classic Western TV shows for him: Gunsmoke, Maverick, The Rifleman, Rawhide, Bonanza, and others. Every night, the three of them would watch a show, or two, over dinner. And so, he'd seen more than his fair share of jail cells growing up, 19th-century ones, anyway. Not to mention that he'd also gotten a taste of America's love affair with guns!

Chris was convinced that if Tom stepped out of the cruiser right now, he'd be getting his first glimpse of a real jail cell – a 21st century one – today!

"How do you know it isn't Tom?" Chris muttered, his eyes narrowed, and similarly glued to the cruiser.

"He isn't on duty today."

"Oh." Oh! No wonder Tom had had all that time to harass him! He unwittingly released an audible sigh of relief, muttering, "Whew! Good!"

"Why?" she asked, giving him a quizzical look.

A single brow of Chris's rose in response. "Oh, c'mon Samina, you know how Tom feels about me!" If anyone should know, she should! After all, Tom had probably run him down in front of her!

"Tom just doesn't understand you, that's all!" she shrugged. Yeah, right! Chris thought, glancing at the contrary evidence which she held in her hand. Speaking of which ...

"You should gimme my phone back," he said, reaching for it.

"No," she muttered, knitting her brows and shaking her head while drawing it behind her. Slipping it into the lower, side pocket of her field pants, she velcroed the flap shut.

"Oh, damn, it isn't Bill, either!" she exclaimed, as two officers she'd never seen before emerged. Bill would have let them off the hook, too – wouldn't he?

One of them was tall, the other, well, shorter – she'd never seen an OPP officer who was actually short! Both were burly, their appearance suggesting that they hadn't exactly skimped on Timmy's donuts while on duty, but that unlike OPP officers she'd encountered in TO, they'd actually worked most of the calories off. They stared briefly at her and Chris, before joining up in front of the cruiser. She and Chris immediately looked the other way. And then, remaining on their side of the highway, they proceeded to amble in her and Chris's direction, conversing along the way.