Page 81 of Wild for You
I end the call before she can finish her sentence because I don’t need anyone else’s opinions about what I should do anymore. I’m in full-on survival mode, and I feel like every second I spend away from Gwen makes me want to explode, and I still need to apologize.
“Hold on. This is going to be a bumpy ride!” Sam calls from the front seat.
I grip the Oh Shit handle and smile. “Let’s go get my girl.”
* * *
We pullup to the terminal, and Sam drops me off so he can park. “Hey, man, good luck,” he says just before I close the door.
“Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate all of this, and I promise I’ll cover that speeding ticket back there.”
“Oh, I know you will,” he laughs. “Now, go get your girl.”
I slam the car door shut and brace myself on my crutches as I look up at the gigantic airport before me. Gwen’s in there somewhere … I’ve just got to find her.
I grip my crutches and limp my way to the front desk to buy a random ticket and make my way through security.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second, buddy. What’s the rush?” The security officer pulls me aside for a random check.
“I’m trying to catch my flight just like everyone else in this line,” I retort. The second the words come out of my mouth, I know I’ve just fucked myself.
“We’ve got ourselves a smart-mouth, do we?” The security officer smack’s his gum as he scans me from head to toe.
Jesus, Jack, why the fuck did you pick this particular instance to lose your cool?
“Hey, I know you. You’re that Wombat Willy character, aren’t ya?” The security officer clenches the taser on his belt buckle.Are you fucking serious right now?
“That’s me.” I hold my hands wide and wiggle my fingers, hoping to ease some of the tension. “Do you want an autograph or something? I’m down for a selfie or whatever, but I really need to get going to—”
“You got a lot of nerve, buddy.” He pulls out his billy stick and points it in my face.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s the problem?” I hold my hands up in surrender.
“The problem? The problem is my son doesn’t have half of his arm cuz of you!” A spray of spittle soaks my face as he screams at me.
If there was ever a more inconvenient time to run into an angry parent, it’s now. I should’ve known this would come back to haunt me. I force a laugh and point to my own missing appendage. “It seems karma is real now, doesn’t it? I’m sorry about your son’s arm. I really am, but there’s a girl, and I really need to get—”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He grins. “Why should I help you when you made my son look like a fool?” he hisses.
I cock my head to the side and try to contemplate what he said, but my pent-up rage gets the best of me. “Your son made himself look like a fool. Maybe next time he won’t be such a dumbass and think the rules don’t apply to him.” I shrug.
“That’s it. You’re gonna pay for that, you prick!” The officer spins me around, slamming my face against the wall as he pulls the cuffs out from his belt.
“This is fucking awesome!” some kid in line behind me calls, and I have zero doubt that he’s filming me. I hang my head in defeat because this rent-a-cop’s got something to prove, and I’ve just given him the perfect bait. There’s no way I’ll make it to Gwen in time.
That’s when the idea hits me … I just need to create a bigger scene since I’m already trending on Twitter …
“Since we’re doing this … there’s something else I think you should know about your bouncing baby boy—”
He tightens the cold metal cuffs over my wrists. “Don’t you talk about my son—”
“Did you know that he and his buddies had drugs on them during the entire trip?” I laugh. “Yep, he was so strung out, I imagine he didn’t even feel it when the caiman ripped his arm off.”
“Liar!” the security officer yells, and I know I’m getting closer. I can actuallyfeelhim shaking with rage.
“Yep, what college does he attend again?” I pretend to think. “Oh yeah, Princeton, is it? I wonder what would happen if they found out a person with such low character was representing their school?”
“You son of B-word!” the officer screams, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.
