would try to stop me? Surely I can overpower most men of your world.”
“Putting the number of men aside, we can’t draw attention to ourselves. It’s bad enough you look like you’re ready to paint a house, or you’re a member of a boy band.” Monty turned the car into a lot filled with cars and lined spaces.
Kevin laughed. “A boy band? I don’t know about that.”
“What is a boy band?” I asked.
“Nothing you need to know about.” Monty pulled into a space. “Get your game faces on.”
“Let’s do this.” Kevin opened his door and got out. Next, he opened my door and pointed to the buckle of the strap. “Just press that red button to release the belt.”
He was definitely enjoying his position of greater knowledge. I decided to let him for the moment, but he was not getting away with it for the whole trip. I grabbed my pack from the floor and climbed out of the car.
Monty placed a small flimsy card in my hand. “This is your ID. Show it to anyone who asks.”
I examined the card. “Mary?” Luckily, we used the same written language. Otherwise, I would have really been at a loss.
“It’s a common name here. Not like Brutus.” Kevin held up his card. “Where the hell did that come from?”
Monty smiled. “I didn’t pick the names.”
“Who are you?” Kevin craned his neck to peek at Monty’s card. “Marshall. Who’s Talen?”
“Bobby.” Monty got serious. “All right, that’s enough name talk. Get yours memorized, and let’s go.”
We crossed the paved lot and entered the building. Monty walked up to some sort of electronic box that shot out slips of paper.
He handed me one with the same name from the card. “This is your ticket.”
Monty led the way to what looked to be an endless line. For the first time, I really looked at the clothes people were wearing. Charlotte was right; my clothes would have stood out. Talen was getting a lot of attention—but not as much as Kevin. Two girls were openly ogling him. Really? In public?
I inched closer to Kevin.
He leaned down. “You doing all right, Mary?” His eyes twinkled.
“Yes, Brutus.”
“Oh, man! I love it. I sound like a villain from an eighties video game.”
“Video game?”
“I’ll show you sometime.”
“Okay.”
Eventually, we reached a high desk, and as Monty predicted, I was asked to show my ID.
The man at the desk smiled at me when he handed back the card. “Enjoy your trip, ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
Kevin placed his bag on a moving belt. He stepped through a small arch. I went next, and we each grabbed our packs from the other end of the belt. Monty joined us as we waited for Talen.
A man in uniform pointed at Talen. “Sir, please step over here.”
Talen stopped short. “Excuse me?”
“Sir, you’ve been selected for a more thorough search.”
“A more thorough search?”
“Yes. If you’d just raise your arms above your head.”
“Are you out of your wits? Why would I do that?”
Monty walked over to intervene. “Just do it, Bobby.”
Talen turned purple. “Not a chance. Why am I the only one who needs to?”
“Sir, I assure you it was a random selection.”
“Random?” Talen glared at the uniformed man. “Not likely.”
“Sir, would you please step to the side? You’re holding up the other passengers.”
“As I should. No one should be subjected to such treatment.”
The man pulled a small device from of his pocket, and I got a bad feeling. Someone needed to intervene.
I took Talen’s arm and smiled at him. “Please, just do as the man asked.” Growing up with many men around, I’d learned the art of calming them.
His expression softened. “Fine.” He stepped to the side with the uniformed man.
Thoroughly searched, Talen was waved forward, and we walked to our gate.
I adjusted my
“Putting the number of men aside, we can’t draw attention to ourselves. It’s bad enough you look like you’re ready to paint a house, or you’re a member of a boy band.” Monty turned the car into a lot filled with cars and lined spaces.
Kevin laughed. “A boy band? I don’t know about that.”
“What is a boy band?” I asked.
“Nothing you need to know about.” Monty pulled into a space. “Get your game faces on.”
“Let’s do this.” Kevin opened his door and got out. Next, he opened my door and pointed to the buckle of the strap. “Just press that red button to release the belt.”
He was definitely enjoying his position of greater knowledge. I decided to let him for the moment, but he was not getting away with it for the whole trip. I grabbed my pack from the floor and climbed out of the car.
Monty placed a small flimsy card in my hand. “This is your ID. Show it to anyone who asks.”
I examined the card. “Mary?” Luckily, we used the same written language. Otherwise, I would have really been at a loss.
“It’s a common name here. Not like Brutus.” Kevin held up his card. “Where the hell did that come from?”
Monty smiled. “I didn’t pick the names.”
“Who are you?” Kevin craned his neck to peek at Monty’s card. “Marshall. Who’s Talen?”
“Bobby.” Monty got serious. “All right, that’s enough name talk. Get yours memorized, and let’s go.”
We crossed the paved lot and entered the building. Monty walked up to some sort of electronic box that shot out slips of paper.
He handed me one with the same name from the card. “This is your ticket.”
Monty led the way to what looked to be an endless line. For the first time, I really looked at the clothes people were wearing. Charlotte was right; my clothes would have stood out. Talen was getting a lot of attention—but not as much as Kevin. Two girls were openly ogling him. Really? In public?
I inched closer to Kevin.
He leaned down. “You doing all right, Mary?” His eyes twinkled.
“Yes, Brutus.”
“Oh, man! I love it. I sound like a villain from an eighties video game.”
“Video game?”
“I’ll show you sometime.”
“Okay.”
Eventually, we reached a high desk, and as Monty predicted, I was asked to show my ID.
The man at the desk smiled at me when he handed back the card. “Enjoy your trip, ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
Kevin placed his bag on a moving belt. He stepped through a small arch. I went next, and we each grabbed our packs from the other end of the belt. Monty joined us as we waited for Talen.
A man in uniform pointed at Talen. “Sir, please step over here.”
Talen stopped short. “Excuse me?”
“Sir, you’ve been selected for a more thorough search.”
“A more thorough search?”
“Yes. If you’d just raise your arms above your head.”
“Are you out of your wits? Why would I do that?”
Monty walked over to intervene. “Just do it, Bobby.”
Talen turned purple. “Not a chance. Why am I the only one who needs to?”
“Sir, I assure you it was a random selection.”
“Random?” Talen glared at the uniformed man. “Not likely.”
“Sir, would you please step to the side? You’re holding up the other passengers.”
“As I should. No one should be subjected to such treatment.”
The man pulled a small device from of his pocket, and I got a bad feeling. Someone needed to intervene.
I took Talen’s arm and smiled at him. “Please, just do as the man asked.” Growing up with many men around, I’d learned the art of calming them.
His expression softened. “Fine.” He stepped to the side with the uniformed man.
Thoroughly searched, Talen was waved forward, and we walked to our gate.
I adjusted my
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