The other officer was older, white haired, in uniform. He appeared in good humor, somewhat amused by the situation or maybe just a little bit daft. He reached into the front seat and retreived the cuffs from the pile of Diet Coke cans littering the front seat floor.
Assuming that the hick cops had decided to have some fun with the California kids and show them some respect for the law, I decided to go along with the whole thing quietly with a slightly wry but not altogether disrespectful hint of a smile on my face. I was cuffed and stuffed as the rest of the party walked forward 20 yards to where Raoul's Lexus was parked.
The deputy started to search Raoul's Lexus, and I suddenly knew I was in for an ordeal when I realized that Raoul was wearing a pair of green hemp shorts with a large yellow-on-red label on the back depicting a spread-eagled cannabis leaf. If only he'd untuck his shirt.
© 1997,98 Henry Kingman