When The Wrong One Loves You Right

Card Tricks

Quick as the snake he was, Phillip snatched the thong dangling from my ankle and stuffed it in his pocket.

I bared my teeth at him. "Give that back you cretin!" I ground out.

At that moment a flashlight shone in our eyes.

"Phillip?" called a voice from inside the cruiser. Followed by low chuckle. "I don't believe this shit, man, don't you ever learn?"

Phillip held up his hand in front of his eyes in the glare of the bright light. "Uh? Oh! Frankie? Frankie is that you?"

A laugh came from somewhere behind the bright light. "Yeah, you mother fucker, it's me."

"Jesus," Phillip said, squinting, "can you get that fucking light outta my goddamn face?"

Another laugh and the light was killed. A car door opened and soon a tall, well-muscled black man was ambling towards us. I hid my face against Phillip's shoulder. God, this was humiliating. No doubt the officer had seen exactly what we'd been doing. This was no more than I deserved, I thought.

"Hey, man! Why the fuck am I always catching you doing this shit?" the officer named Frankie asked with a smile in his voice.

Phillip's large hand came up to touch my back and hold me close to him, in an obvious display of possession. "I don't know, Frankie. Maybe you're just a perv who like to watch."

Frankie's booming laughter mingled with Phillip's and I pulled away from him angrily. 

"Oh, uh, Frankie this is Cameron. We, uh sort of grew up together. Cam this is Sergeant Frank McKinney. We go back a long way..."

Sgt. McKinney laughed, a warm rich sound that would have been pleasant if I hadn't felt it was at my expense.

"We sure do!" Sgt. McKinney laughed. "All the way back to his first offence at age sixteen when he..."

"Oh! Shit, Frankie!" Phillip interrupted.  "I really have to get Cameron home! She's on a tight schedule...she's getting married soon and..."

"Married?" Sgt. McKinney stared at me. "Out for a final fling, young lady, with this player?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. " I pity the poor guy!"

I smiled tightly and glared at Phillip. Gut punch it would be as soon as this humiliation was over.

Phillip, sensing my rising embarrassment and the outrage that would soon follow, touched my elbow. "Yeah, so, um...we'll just be going now, Frankie."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sgt. McKinney said putting his hands up. "Not so fast, Phillip! You're forgetting a little thing called public indecency? It's against the law to have sex in public, you know."

Phillip gestured to himself then me. "I didn't...we weren't...doing that. That would be stupid."

Frankie nodded skeptically. "There's just the little problem of you having your head up her ass...literally, Phillip."

I groaned and raked my fingers through my curls. Holding my forehead in my hand I fumed inwardly at Phillip.  

Phillip looked affronted. "Were...were you watching us, Frankie? My God, I can't believe it...we place our trust and our lives in the hands of New York's finest, and what are you out doing? Cruising around looking at people having a...a very...very...private moment."

Sgt. McKinney began reaching for his handcuffs. "Well, maybe you need to get a room next time for your private moments, huh Phillip."

Phillip groaned and looked pouty. "There's no fun in that, Frankie."