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“Hey! If you like me drunk, you should drink with me sometime. It’d be fun!”
Ken’s smile disappeared. He was quiet for a minute, the red taillights of the cars in front of us illuminating his serious expression. I watched his Adam’s apple slide up and down in his throat before he finally said, “You wouldn’t like me drunk.”
“Why not?”
Ken didn’t look at me as he turned onto the highway. I stared shamelessly at his perfect profile, wondering what could possibly make me not like the man it belonged to.
“I get…violent when I’m drunk.”
“Really?” The word burst from my mouth as I leaned toward him. “But you’re so”—infuriatingly gentle…freakishly self-disciplined—“calm.”
Ken’s eyes flicked to mine in warning. “I am now, but in high school…” His voice trailed off as he shook away a memory. “I used to drink by myself in my parents’ basement and then sneak out and break shit. I was really depressed and destructive. It wasn’t until I got arrested that I realized how out of control it had gotten.”
“You got arrested?”
“Yep. And if I still drank, I’d be getting arrested again…right now.”
I noticed as Ken spoke the words that the red lights splashing across his face had been joined by blue ones. Looking in front of us, I found the source of the new color. The entire highway had been blocked off by police cars for a random DUI checkpoint.
“Holy shit! Ken! I’m underage! What if they smell alcohol on me?”
Ken shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “I dunno. Maybe just pretend like you’re asleep?”
It was a solid plan. As I closed my eyes and rested my head on the passenger window, it wasn’t lost on me, even in my woozy condition, that if it hadn’t been for Ken, I might be the one getting a DUI that night.
I should take him with me everywhere.
“Evenin’. License and registration, please.”
I heard Ken shuffle in his seat as a bright light swept across my face.
“That your girlfriend?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s her name?”
“Brooke Bradley.”
“Where y’all coming from tonight?”
The officer asked at least ten more questions before sending us on our way, but I didn’t hear any of them. I was too busy clenching my fists and biting the insides of my cheeks to keep from bursting into a song and dance routine.
“Yes, sir!”
He said, “Yes, sir!”
He didn’t even hesitate!
“That your girlfriend?”
“Yes, sir!”
As soon as they waved Ken through the roadblock, I sat back up, my face splitting into a massive, drunk girl grin.
“You still awake over there?” Ken asked.
“Uh-huh…” I giggled.
“What’s so funny?”
“I just heard some interesting news about your relationship status.”
“Oh, really?” Ken asked, his voice wavering at the end. “Was it good news?”
I nodded, enjoying watching him squirm for a change. “It was really good news.”
