FIRE WORKS

Two long generations of fine police officers casted a demanding shadow over Marcus's head, ever since he was old enough to be able to fill out his very own police report, which be the way was at nine years of age. He had cited his babysitter for smoking weed in the bathroom. Executed and prosecuted. The girl lost her job of house sitter shortly after.

Yeah, it had always been a safe bet to say that Marcus was going to continue on writing in his fathers many paged story. After all, it was what his father did, and it was going to be the destiny of his son as well. The uniform for some reason was a tailor fit for the Blunt boys. It was the only outfit any of them ever had dreamed to wear. Two uncles, three cousins, a father and a retired grandfather that at one time or another endured a badge. He even had a aunt that worked as an 911 operator across town.

Everybody's blood is blue before it tastes the oxygen, Marcus just never wanted his to turn red. He was going to be a blue blood for life. It is all that he ever wanted. And now, after all the time in the academy, Marcus is proudly a member of the Bellfield Police Department. Five months and six days on the job officially, and he knew it was exactly were he wanted to be. Behind the badge, climbing the same ranks his father had.

The holidays were for the rookies to scrape and work. From the most family oriented ones like Christmas, to the most minor; Forth of July. It was a hazing of sorts. Until you demonstrated seniority, you were running the clock.

But Marcus was honored to be able to pay those dues. He would have hand polished every dashboard, vinyl seat, of every Department issued patrol car if that was what the Department needed him to do. And with the small town of about thirty two hundred, the holiday meant it was going to be his first solo jab at the streets of Bellfield.

It was nearing about quarter after nine when Officer Blunt found his way to the corner of Watercrest and Hempshire. It wasn't on accident Officer Blunt ended up at the mini-mart. He made his Senior Commanding Officer stop pretty much every shift they had worked, sometimes twice a night. It all depended on weather or not Jess was behind the counter. And with a mandatory work schedule of six nights a week, Jess was usually always there. Which meant Marcus stopped more often then not.

Plus the coffee was free for the cops. It was a master plan designed by the owners to rid away any would be crooks thinking about sticking up the place.

Sure she was only seventeen years old to his twenty-three, but with the way she dressed and the way she spoke, it was hard not to crush on her. With all the hormones the farm hands feed their cows and chickens in order to produce more milk and eggs, it was no wonder all the young girls were starting to mature quicker and faster then generations past. Their bodies were showing well before hitting their teens, minds were developing long before they were even able to think. And the men noticed.

Not that Marcus would ever even consider to act on an opportunity because of her age, but he saw nothing wrong with making himself seen. She wasn't going to be illegal forever.

Officer Blunt walked through the glass doors with a stoned grill. Both thumbs tucked behind his gun belt and his chest flared out farther then his step. And just as usual, there she was, posted up behind the register. One hand holding a can of hair spray and the other teasing away, looking just as beautiful as she always does.

She dressed in a gray sweat shirt that had the collar obnoxiously stretched out. The pulled cotton allowed her shirt sleeve to drape off her left shoulder, almost down to her elbow. The fall of her collar seductively exposed her purple bra strap that matched the shade of her eye shadow perfectly. A purple to-to over the top of a pair of gray spandex, and the lavender jelly sandals to boot. A poster for the music channels. Marcus's mouth watered at the sight.

" Any problems tonight little lady ? " Marcus asked with a jokingly concern for authority.

" Officer Blunt, you know the only time I ever have a problem is when you come in my store. " Jess said as she leaned over the counter, flirting with the fact that Marcus could just almost see down her shirt.

" A problem with.... keeping my hands off of you. " She joked back with him.

Jess wasn't nowhere near as stupid as some people might have thought her to be. She knew the school thing wasn't ever going to pan out for her, neither was the minimal wage gas station gig she barely held on to. If the right kind of situation presented itself where she could snag a good man with a good job and good benefits, easy to look at, then that was what she was going to do. And if it took her toying with the fact that most men found it hard to turn away from her, then that was the game she was going to play, and a good game she played.

" So, you want me to pour you a hot cup of coffee there stud ? Or did you just... come in here to stare at me ? "

" Yeah I did. " Marcus blubbered like a little kid.

" You did ? " Jess giggled.

" No ! I mean yes. I mean yes I do. I mean... yes I do want a cup of coffee. " Marcus said a mess, as his face grew warm with embarrassment. Quick to change the subject, Marcus thought he had ate more of his own foot then he cared to digest.

" So...." Marcus said as he pondered to think of a conversation.

" So...what ? " Jess repeated back to him to let him know that she was on the same page as him, what ever page that was.

" Umm... did you see that new Madonna video on MTV last night ? " Marcus asked her, trying to make small talk. Anything to take the attention off the blistering red color of his cheeks.

" Nope ! " She replied.

" I was working, don't you remember ? You and your partner came in for a cup of coffee and chased them two boys out of the store. "

" Oh yeah, that's right. " Marcus nodded.

" Well I recorded it on my VCR if you want to watch it. " He noted.

" Madonna is like so last year. Paula Abdul is my favorite singer. Plus she's like the best dancer ever, don't you think ? "

" Oh yeah, totally. " Marcus said as he posted his weight up against the counter. Feeling a little bit more comfortable then he felt a few seconds ago.