Strip Search (Tap That)

She couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses but the corner of his mouth turned up. “I don’t use my official uniform on stage and it’s a small town. It’s like when cops do lip sync videos. It’s meant to foster a sense of community.”

“Naked chests can do that,” she

said, in all seriousness. That was certainly true in LA.

Axl laughed. “So, Leighton Van Buren, from Beverly Hills, what in the actual hell did you think was happening here if you didn’t think I was a real police officer?”

That was a good question. And an embarrassing one. Her throat started to close. She grabbed at her chest, massaging her skin and rolling her shoulders to try to relax. “I thought my boss set me up. She said I need to be more spontaneous. More fun. So I thought she was monitoring me on the dash cam and that if I wasn’t flirty she would be upset with me and fire me.” For a second she got lightheaded but she fought the sensation. “I was trying to bring it. You know. Create a moment. Manufacture a reaction.” Now she was babbling and she forced herself to stop talking.

For a second Axl didn’t say anything. Then he dragged his hand over his mouth, his jaw working. He reached up and removed his sunglasses. There was amusement in his eyes.

Thank goodness. She may still be arrested for harassing an officer, but hopefully he would go easy on her. Her palms were clammy.

“Leighton. I’m actually speechless. That’s the most… interesting attempt to get out of a ticket I’ve ever heard.” He tucked his glasses in his shirt pocket. “Can I assume then that you are not on drugs, legal or illegal, or alcohol?”

“Yes. You can assume that.”

“I’m still going to run your license.” He held his hand up. “You behave yourself. No more sexual innuendos while I’m on duty. Save them for later.” He capped that off with a wink to indicate he was teasing her.

Nonetheless, her cheeks were on fire. She wanted to dig a hole in the asphalt and bury her head in it. “I think my flirting skills are subpar.”

“Your flirting skills are just fine. I was debating if I was going to have to arrest you for attempting to bribe a police officer with sex though.”

“Holy crap,” she blurted out. “That would have been bad. Really bad. Like so bad.” She would die. Actually die. She pictured her parents getting that phone call from Sadie. “That is not what I meant, you know.”

Leighton offered to blow a cop to get out of a ticket.

Her father would have a heart attack. Given that he was seventy-five, it wasn’t that improbable.

Her mother might actually be proud of her though. Barbie Van Buren had long lamented that Leighton couldn’t cut loose.

Axl shook his head, like he couldn’t believe any of this. “I don’t know anything about what the hell is going on here. Turn around and I’ll release you.”

Obediently, she turned around. He unlocked the handcuffs.

“For the record, if you’re telling me the truth, your boss sounds like a piece of work. Why do you have to be flirty to work on a wedding show?”

“I swear I am telling you the truth. I don’t have to be flirty, per se, just bubbly. Lively. Interesting. I’m none of those things.”

Obviously. If she was, Axl wouldn’t be eyeing her like she was bonkers.

Axl clearly didn’t think she was fun so much as certifiable.

* * *

Axl studied the woman in front of him. He didn’t know what to make of her or this situation. It was kind of funny. But it was also kind of awful. So, what, she had to be a performing monkey just to work on a TV show? According to what he’d been told, she wasn’t even the host. “What is your job, specifically?”

“I’m the creative director.”

“Then why do you have to be bubbly? I’m sorry, I’m still not getting the connection.”

“Because I interact with clients. She thinks I don’t bring enough energy and whip them up properly. My skills lie more with organization.”

“I don’t know anything about Hollywood or TV or reality shows or whatever. But what I do know is that you are actually one of the most interesting women I’ve met in a long time. If I were you, I’d be looking for a new job.”

He meant that. She was very interesting. And it seemed like she was completely in the wrong career. But that wasn’t really any of his business.

She confirmed that by looking away, down to her feet. When she looked back up again, she looked troubled. She took a few deep breaths. “I need to get to an appointment. Can I just have the ticket for speeding? Since apparently, that’s why you actually pulled me over.”