The 6X4 inch photograph was covered in fingerprints and even had a coffee stain on the corner of it but it was Bridget's favorite picture. BunBun sat between her legs nibbling on a carrot she was feeding him while tickling her thighs with his whiskers. BunBun was hardly ever left in the cage and probably one of the happiest rabbits in the world.
Bridget held up the picture closer to her face and scrutinized it like it was one of those find 8 differences between two identical pictures that you find in the comic section of the newspapers. The picture was taken 3 years ago at an amusement park just two weeks before her and Brian broke up (her ex). She had won the tickets from a radio station when she accurately guessed the names of all 4 band members of the Beatles. The weather had been perfect that day at Hershey Park and Brian had been so sweet and kind that day devoting the whole day to her and hanging onto her every word like when they first met. If only she would have known that the only reason he was so calm and relaxed was because he was reminiscing about the girl he had secretly slept with the night before.
Bridget caressed the photograph with her thumb and tried to stare right into Brian's heart while he sat on a bench next to her looking content with his bulky arm wrapped around her and a big Hershey's chocolate bar mascot standing behind them. She felt the tears run down her cheeks as she only wished she could straighten that boy out. Brian had other problems too. He had a strong addiction to heroin and often stole her mac card to get money for his habit. He often became belligerent once he was doped up.
A knock came at her bedroom door startling her and causing her to drop the picture right on BunBun's head. The rabbit didn't seem fazed in the least bit and kept right on munching the carrot. An elderly woman's voice squeaked and quavered like a crone from an old folks home.
“ Honey baby doll. Don't you have a date with that trucker guy.....oh what's his name?”
Bridget quickly wiped away her tears and tucked the photograph under her fluffy pillow. “ Vincent.” She replied, “ His name is Vincent.”
There was a pause and the faint smacking of lips suggesting that maybe her mother was eating a piece of fruit. “ Oh, that's a wonderful name. A strong handsome name as a matter of fact. When you see him give him my highest regards.”
Bridget looked over at her alarm clock which read 5:45pm. Vinny was an hours drive away and told her to be at his place at 6:30pm. It was no big deal. Her zippy sports car got her to places in record time almost always.
Bridget quickly donned a brand new pair of green dress pants and her favorite black satin blouse. She grabbed her cellphone and scampered out the door kissing her mother on the cheek on her way out. This was so surreal. She hadn't been on a date in 3 years and she didn't think Vinny was a bad looking guy.
Bridget used her dexterous driving skills to zip by poky cars and try to make up for some lost time. She chuckled to herself as she daringly passed a tractor trailer on a double yellow line just barely making it back to the right side of the road before an oncoming Camaro honked his horn in frustration.
She reminisced about Shaggy and what he would be saying to her right now if he were in the passenger's seat. Her driving used to scare him half to death. He was such a pantywaist. But she missed the little bugger. He was a sweetheart and a good snuggler and thanks to him this date had been made possible.
When Bridget looked in the rear view mirror, to her dismay she saw flashing lights. Oh no! Not now! Please don't ruin my date. I haven't seen anybody in 3 years. Bridget duteously pulled over on the right side of the road and smacked her hands against the steering wheel in frustration. She lit a cigarette to calm her nerves and waited patiently.
A tall blond hair blue eyed wiry man stepped out of a police car. He tugged his pants up higher around his waist and headed towards her car. It was time for the Bridget Jones wannabe to put on a flirtatious look and talk her way out of a speeding ticket. She took a deep drag from her cigarette and blew smoke in the air pursing her lips like a Hollywood star.
The police officer stood outside her window with his head down reading something in his hand with the brim of his hat obscuring his face. When the officer finally looked up Bridget felt a sigh of relief. The officer squinted his eyes and looked at her incredulously.
“ Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?”
Bridget let out a mirthful laugh and lowered her sunglasses from her eyes to size up the handsome cop.
“ You just pulled me over 3 weeks ago silly. Right in front of Wal-Mart on Rt.16. I'm on my way to go see your brother.”
Alvin's radio clipped to his belt chirped rather loudly and he quickly turned the volume down. “ Oh Vinny? Hey you don't say. Him and I don't talk much since his detriment years ago. He has this thing about cops...”
Bridget glanced at her watch real quick. She was going to be late. “ It's okay. I intend to straighten him out.” She said making it even more obvious that she was checking her watch and in a hurry.
Alvin clicked his pen and placed it in his shirt pocket.
“ Well hey listen. You were doing 75 in a 40mph speed limit but I guess I can let you go with a warning. Drive more carefully next time and say hello to Vinny for me.”
Bridget tried to scrutinize Alvin's left hand to look for a wedding ring but it was obscured by his citation booklet. She would gladly accept a date from officer Young any day but she knew he was way out of her league. Bridget felt like she just swallowed an aphrodisiac when she felt the vibration of the big V-8 engine of the cruiser zoom past her. A little more wishful thinking as she watched Alvin speed off into the sunset. She told Shaggy once how excited she used to get when guys on Harleys would rev up their motors. Almost talked the poor boy into buying a motorcycle.
Bridget glanced at her watch which read 6:10pm. She would have to hurry up before the Gadget Man got upset.