Page 40 of Trained By Her Daddy

Chapter 14

John escorted me down a long hall with white stucco walls before we entered a conference room on the right. Officer Green was seated at a round table in the middle of the small room.

“Ahh, right on time,” he said, politely standing to shake John’s hand before turning to meet my eyes. “And it’s nice to see you under more pleasant circumstances, Lori.”

The circumstances might have been more pleasant for him, but my ass was burning inside and out. Was it my imagination that his demeanor was much more compassionate after the accident? No, I wasn’t imagining anything. One side of his mouth appeared to be curving upward in a lopsided grin. Christ. Was the man smirking?

“Let me pull up a chair for Lori, so she can take a seat.”

Though there were three comfortable looking seats at the table, I watched as he rapidly replaced one of the chairs with a metal folding type that had previously been set against the wall. And then I spied a silent exchange pass between the men’s eyes. Was the chair with the padded seat removed because this man whom I’d only met one time, wanted me to sit on a hard surface? Were the men friends because they were cut from the same cloth? Was everyone in this town into domestic discipline?

John dusted off the metal seat for me and then made himself comfortable on an upholstered chair. After crossing one leg over the other, he finally drawled in a quiet tone. “Officer Green is a busy man, so maybe we should get right to the point of this meeting. What do you need to say to him, Lori?”

Fuck. We were out in public, and he was talking to me like I was a five-year-old-child. But with one glance at his intense hazel eyes, I knew it was best not to bait him with a retort or make him wait too long for a response. John did not have a sense of humor, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Officer Green wasn’t performing a stand-up routine at the local comedy club on the weekends.

Looking down at my folded hands, a quick response slipped out softly. “I’m sorry, sir.” But when Officer Green’s short stubby fingers began tapping impatiently onto the wooden table, I knew I’d better make my apology more specific. After inhaling a cleansing breath for courage, I immediately blew it out, looked the cop in the eye and spoke in my best contrite voice. “I’m really sorry for lying to you. The accident was my fault.”

“Don’t stop now, Lori Hope. Tell Officer Green why the accident was your fault.”

My eyes darted from John to the large man in the blue uniform as I swallowed hard, willing the words to exit my mouth. “I’d been texting my friend, so I didn’t see the van move into my lane.”

Officer Green nodded once and tilted his head toward mine. “But your cellphone was on the backseat of the car.”

“I tossed it backward after the crash. Tossing my cellphone in the backseat of the car to hide the evidence was a juvenile knee-jerk reaction which I also regret.” He watched in silence as I wiggled my ass on the seat, and it was probably obvious I’d recently received a sound spanking from his friend, John. I should’ve tried to hide how uncomfortable I was, but my sore ass had no business sitting on a metal surface at that particular moment.

“Be still, Lori,” John admonished before throwing an eye to his friend. “And tell him why you tossed the phone.”

“I-I didn’t want anyone to know I’d been texting. I’m really sorry, and I promise never to do it again.”

“Well, I can assure Officer Green that you won’t have a chance to do it again, because you won’t be driving anytime soon. And any fines imposed as a punishment will be paid for with your own money.”

The husky man in the blue uniform sat forward in his chair. “There is a steep fine here in Austin which could be as much as five hundred dollars for texting while driving, young lady. Are you aware of how many people die in car accidents because this type of law is disregarded?”

My heart sank as I moved my sad gaze to John. “Yes, sir. I know.”

“And her report to the insurance company will be amended as well,” John drawled, casting a stern stare in my direction. “She’ll be calling to tell them the whole story when we get home. The real story.”

“I appreciate you coming by to tell the truth, Lori. It’s not easy to admit when you’re wrong, but it’s the right thing to do. John’s an honest man and I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him a long time. We’ve been through quite a lot over the years.”

John stood and extended a hand to his friend. “Thanks again for seeing us. I hope next time it’s under better circumstances.”

Pulling myself off the chair, I was dying to rub the pain and fatigue out of my sore ass. But instead, I intelligently extended my hand to the officer. “Thank you for accepting my apology. I assure you, I’ll never make the mistake of texting and driving again.”

“I’m sure you won’t.” His nod was bold before he threw a blinking eye to John.

As we walked down the hall, I should’ve kept quiet, but instead two questions spilled from my mouth. “Why would he pull over a metal folding chair for me to sit on when there were already three chairs around the table, and what was up with that last wink he threw your way?”

“Bill Green and his wife were friends with me and Jeannie for many years. They lived the same lifestyle we did.”

“I figured as much.”

John took my hand as we exited the building and crossed the parking lot. “When he called after your accident, he never asked if I was going punish you. It wasn’t his business. But I’m sure he assumed that as my girlfriend, you’d be facing severe consequences for violating such an important traffic law and then lying about it. He and I are believers that people who disregard the rules should be held responsible for their actions.”

It was lunchtime when John parked the car in the driveway, and I immediately raced to the bathroom to wash my hands before settling down on a padded seat at the kitchen table. “What’s on the lunch menu, Daddy?”

“How about a grilled cheese sandwich, for old time’s sake?”

“Ahh, a bit of nostalgia amidst the chaos.”

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