“Miss, I need you to step right over there,” the guard strict voice instructed, while he pointed to a grey pad with black footprints painted on it. He waved to a female guard and hollered, “Female assist needed.”
I felt my face redden, but did exactly as he had instructed. I walked the few feet to the grey pad and placed my pink socked feet right over the black footprints. The female was heading my way as I watched Goth guy go through. It beeped. I heard the guard mumble something about “random” and point to an enclosed glass area.
Goth guy nodded and strolled to it, smiling at me and pinching his thumb and index finger together, rubbing them up and down. I nodded graciously to my defeat. Yeah, I owed the guy money, but I was really worried about the blank-faced drone of a woman almost on me. I held still, waiting, trying not to fiddle with my clothes.
“Do you have anything in your pockets, miss?” she asked, stepping in front of me.
“No.” I kept it simple.
“Okay, I’m going to need you to put your arm straight out from your side,” she stated and I did as she ordered. “Now, I’m going to move this wand around your person to see what set off the detector.” Her expression never changed from drone version.
She appeared to need my consent, since she didn’t move to do what she stated, so I said, “Okay.”
Like that was the magic word, she moved, waving a long black stick all around me. It beeped at my chest.
She stared. “It’s probably the buttons on your sweater. Can you remove it for me, please?”
Oh, no-no-no-no-no. I blushed tomato red in an instant. She watched me. I think I stood there silent for too long because her eyes actually shifted from drone state to a semblance of interest. Somehow, I didn’t think that was a good thing.
I nodded quickly and unbuttoned it, praying I didn’t get hauled off to jail for wearing my darn bomb shirt here. This was already getting out of hand. Who knows what they would do with someone who practically had a threat written on their chest. Lord help me.
I tugged it off as calmly as I could. I heard Goth guy laugh loud as another guard came and took it from me. I watched as he placed it in a tub and send it through the x-ray machine. I turned back to my drone guard.
But…she was no longer a drone. Her whole body was shaking, her face turning as red as mine, as she stared at my chest. Past her, I could see Goth guy bent over, still laughing, where a guard stood with a little circular white pad in his hand, paused like he was about to do something, but now he stared at my chest too, his head shaking back and forth in disgust. My guard wasn’t disgusted, though. She was starting to gurgle from holding back her laughter.Wonderful.Well, at least it wasn’t jail.
“Please hold out your arms, again,” she sputtered, eyes watering.
I did as she bayed. After that, it went without a hitch. No more beeps for me.
She waved me away, telling me in stops and starts I could get my items that had collected at the end of the metal table on this side. I rushed over and grabbed my sweater, yanking it on and buttoning it up lickety-split. Better. I grabbed my duffle and purse, slung them over my shoulder and grabbed the other binwith my other junk in it. I walked a few feet to the benches and sat down watching Goth guy pass some sort of hand swipe test while I put on my shoes, belt, and watch.
I was fishing a ten-spot out of my purse when he strolled over, holding his bin. He was smiling and shaking his head at me. I held up a stopping hand when he opened his mouth.
He laughed and continued anyway, sitting down next to me, “That was the funniest damned thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I’m glad I could amuse you,” I murmured, standing up. “Here’s your winnings.” I held out the money.
He shook his head. “It wouldn’t feel right. You’re obviously new at this.” He smiled sweetly when I finally nodded, conceding I was a newbie. “Word to the wise, if you don’t want to get pulled aside, don’t wear clothes like we do. Or more specifically, awesome fucking shirts like you’ve got on.” He stood up, done with dressing. “Look, I’ve got almost two hours before my flight takes off. Do you want to grab a cup of coffee or a sandwich with me?”
I blink. And stared. Oh, goodness. I was getting hit on. Where the heck was my group?
I scanned the vast area and finally saw them past the roped off area of the security check point. I wondered how far they had gotten by the time they had noticed I wasn’t there. My eyebrows burrowed. I didn’t really like that thought.
“I’m sorry, I can’t. My group is waiting for me over there.” I pointed in their direction.
He looked over. And around. “Where?”
“Right, there. The lady and four men.” I jerked my head in their direction without pointing this time.
He looked right at them for a long moment, his eyes steady and perusing – not intimidated, and then back to me, where he looked me up and down. Finally, he murmured, “Why?”
I felt my face fall. That one word, said by a stranger, spoke aloud all of my previous worries.
“Here, seriously take this. You earned it,” I said softly and stuck the cash back out to him. He took it, but I only think he did so to make me feel better. “It was nice to meet you and thanks for the offer. Happy random pickings in the future.”
His lips quirked up and he lifted up a hand to stop me from moving away. He dug in his pocket and held out a business card. “Call me if you’re ever in Las Vegas, Shirt Girl.”
I took it, just as he had taken my cash. “Sure thing, Random Guy.”
