Chance [Completed Short Story]

Chance

"I'm really sorry to break this news to you, but the boss wants the draft on his desk by ten a.m. tomorrow morning," Emily announced sympathetically, placing a thick folder on my desk. 

"Tomorrow? Ten?" I glanced at my watch. It was just past four p.m. already. Where was I supposed to get the time from to draft a complete proposal between now and tomorrow morning ten a.m.? Oh yeah, that's right. I was supposed to smile and suck it up, right? I was so damn lucky to have landed this internship, after all. 

I sighed, nodding. I was fresh out of college, and I didn't have an option but to put on a brave face and stay behind. "I'll try my best." 

I ended up staying behind until 8 p.m., not quite finished with the work, but close enough so that I'd be able to make the deadline if I was at the office for a really early start tomorrow morning. I was the last person to leave the office - the place gave me the creeps at night, and I hated my boss for having insisted on having the stupid document ready within such an impossible timeframe. It was almost as though he drew pleasure from torturing me.

My eyes were glazing over, my head felt like cardboard. I couldn't think anymore... I was driving home mechanically, following the now-familiar route. There was almost no traffic on the roads, the only thing keeping me awake was the sound of the radio. 

That was, until the sound of a siren jolted me out of my trance, and I saw the blue and red lights flashing in my rear-view mirror, then the police squad car's headlights flashed, indicating that I should pull over. 

"Shit!" I cursed, feeling teary. It had been one hell of a day, and a long one at that... 

I pulled over, and sighed, wondering if I'd run a red light?

An officer in uniform appeared next to my window and motioned for me to wind it down. I smashed my hands onto the steering wheel in frustration, took a deep breath, and obliged. 

"Good evening, Miss. Can I see your license please?" The male voice asked. 

I fished for my license inside my wallet in the darkness shrouding the car, knowing that it was pointless to try and resist whatever was about to happen here. 

"There you go," I said tonelessly as I handed it over, still stubbornly refusing to look at him. 

"Thank you, Miss... Lily Hart..." He scanned my license and confirmed the details, and I rolled my eyes, wondering which cardinal sin against the laws of proper behavior in traffic I'd committed.

 "That all seems in order," he spoke again and bent down to look at me. My eyes widened, because the asshole-cop was actually quite a looker, from what I could see in the dim light cast by the streetlamps. But I was still angry and frustrated, and tired and I so desperately wanted to go home and have a hot shower and just go to sleep in my bed... 

"Can I go?" I asked impatiently, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel. 

His eyebrows shot right up. "Miss Hart, do you have any idea how fast you were going?" He asked politely, but with a shade of incredulity in his voice. 

"Enlighten me," I spoke sarcasm fluently. 

"Do you know what the speed limit is on this stretch of road?" The asshole-cop sounded kind of patronizing now, and I lost my cool. 

"Just save us both some time and give me the damn ticket, please," I lost my temper. 

"Excuse me?" He asked with complete disbelief.

"The ticket. I don't care about the speed limit." I dug the hole much, much deeper for myself. 

"Fine, suit yourself. Here you go..." he started typing something, and printed out some form of fine, handing it to me.