Pat looked at Hank and then back at the sergeant. “Hookers?”
“Hookers,” Flynn confirmed. “We’ve had complaints from residents on 54
th
Avenue near the university. They’ve noticed three or four different girls hanging around the corners and generally disrupting traffic. One of the calls that came in was a domestic. The wife found her husband talking to one of the
ladies
while walking the dog. So, tonight you’re both going out wired with an arrest team in two vehicles. Just walk the area and make yourselves approachable. When the ladies suggest a date, it’s your job to ask what the date entails and get a price in exchange for a sex act. That’s all you have to do. No money needs to change hands.”
“Well, that’s not so bad. I get to keep my clothes on for a change,” Pat said with a smile. Hank giggled as he recalled the times when the opposite was true.
“For sure, you get to keep your clothes on. Also, remember that everything is being recorded for court, so try not to say anything that will kill the bust. This won’t kick off ’til at least eight p.m., so get your desks set up the way you want them, take custody of your new unmarked cruisers, and go home and change. Wear something that will make you look like a couple of frat boys. The hookers should eat that up; no pun intended.”
After organizing their desks, Pat and Hank picked up keys , checked out portable radios and headed to their assigned units. In the parking lot, they stopped to talk briefly.
“Well, here we go again buddy. What are you planning on wearing?” Hank asked Pat.
“The tightest pair of jeans I have and a polo shirt. I’ll use the two-inch .38 in my waistband for a weapon and I should be set. You?”
“Sounds good to me. It’s funny as hell. We’re used to trying to attract guys we suspect are serial killers and now we’re going after female hookers! This job just never gets boring.” Hank laughed as they got in their cars and left for home.
Pat arrived to find that Dean had gotten in from work already. When he went through the front door, Dean flew around the corner and into the hallway, thinking that something was wrong since his lover was home after just a couple hours.
“Hi Lucie; I’m home,” Pat said in his best Ricky Ricardo voice.
“I can see that, what’s wrong?” Dean asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
“Nothing, I just have to change out of this suit, and into casual clothes for my first assignment.”
“Oh God, what now? Please don’t tell me it has anything to do with a gay bar!”
“Not this time honey. Hank and I are going hooker huntin’ on the streets of College Park!”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. We’re assigned to Vice and Homicide and our first assignment is hooker patrol. Now let me go get dressed as hooker bait, okay?” Pat said with a smile as he ran up the stairs to the bedroom.
Once there, he tried to think how best to present himself. He took off all his clothes and slipped
the
jeans on, and chose a green polo. When he walked in front of the mirror, he realized there was no way he could go out the front door of the house dressed like this let alone into the police station. His endowment hung down the left side of his jeans giving ample evidence that he was indeed male.
Just as Hank decided that underwear was required, Dean came into the bedroom to ask if he wanted something quick to eat. Dean’s eyes dropped to Pat’s package and he said, “Oh my God, you’re not going out like that, are you?”
“No, just decided that would not happen,” Pat said as he pulled his jeans off. He opened a drawer, took out a pair of gray Calvin Klein Boxer Briefs and slipped them on under the jeans. Now, instead of a snake going down his leg, he had a nice bulge going on. Much more suitable for the task.
“This okay, sugar butt?” Pat asked with a smile.
“Well, it’s still too revealing as far as I’m concerned, but it’s an improvement. I guess it’s all right.”
Pat looked himself over in the mirror one more time and approved. He went to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Inside, was a small .38 that he slipped into his waistband on his right hip. He pulled the polo down over it and concealing the fact that he was carrying a weapon.
He went down stairs and found Dean waiting with a steak sandwich for him. Hank ate it gratefully, kissed his lover and returned to the station for the mic that he would be wearing.
As he walked into the detective bureau, catcalls and whistles greeted his arrival. “Damn, boy, how can you even walk in those jeans?” one jealous detective shouted out. Pat ignored them and grabbed a cup of coffee while he waited for Hank.
Before long, Hank arrived and while his wardrobe was not as “enticing” as Pat’s, he looked pretty damned good. He walked over to where Pat was sitting and sat down on the corner of the desk.
“I almost didn’t get out of the house; Shawn was all over me when I took off my uniform. He wanted a quickie before I left, but I got out of it. With Shawn, I would rather not have sex at all if I have to hurry it. When he gets home at six tomorrow morning, then I’ll take care of business.
“Okay guys, let’s get you rigged up with the wires,” the sergeant said.
Once they were fitted with the equipment, they had one final operational meeting and then they left the Hyattsville station. The arrest team traveled in one car, and Pat and Hank took their own car. They parked three blocks from where they would be working and walked to the area.
Since they hadn’t turned on the mics yet, they were free to talk.
“This really cracks me up, Pat,” Hank said.
“Why’s that?”
“The cases that got us this promotion were gay victim crimes, and now we’re working our first case as detectives, and what are we doing? Trawling for hookers!” Hank said with a laugh. Pat smiled.
“Hey that could be a new reality television series: Trawling for Hookers with your hosts, Pat and Hank!”
They both chuckled as they neared the starting point of the operation.
“Okay, how do you want to do this? Should we split up, or do the frat buddies routine?” Hank asked.
“Let’s do the frat buddy bit,” Pat replied.
“Okay, let’s turn on the mics and get to work.”
It was just after eight-thirty in the evening and now that fall had arrived, it was dark by that time. The temperature also began to drop, which was something they hadn’t planned for. They didn’t see any activity that could be considered “working the streets” until almost 10:15 when they spotted two women on a corner.
“Okay, two possible at the corner of 57
th
and Green Oak Drive,” Pat said in a low voice that was transmitted clearly to the officers in the arrest car.
“Then she called me a liar and said we could never go there again!” Pat said to Hank when they were within earshot of the ladies.
“Well, she’s moody,” Hank said, playing along.
“Hi, boys; how’s it going tonight?” Two women emerged into the light of the streetlamp.
Pat and Hank stopped and looked at them. “It was going okay until I had a fight with my girlfriend,” Pat replied
“Oh, she must be one stupid, stupid girl to get in a fight with someone as cute as you,” replied the second woman.
“That’s what I’ve been telling my boy here since it happened, but he’s all depressed and shit,” Hank said.
“Well, if you wanna party with us for a couple hours, we can make you forget all about the bitch,” offered the first woman.
“You’re going to a party?” Pat asked with an innocent expression.
“We are the party, sexy,” she said, putting an arm around Pat’s shoulder as the other woman moved in on Hank.
“We got us two pretty college boys here, Jessie, and by the looks of yours, he’s well equipped for our kind of party.” Both hookers looked down at Pat’s package.
“Oh, that kind of party!” Hank said.
“Sure sugar. You wanna party with us? We can get a room over at the motel for forty bucks. They know us there.”
“What are you going to do for us?” Pat asked.
“Well, that depends on what you like. Can you pay for the room?” she asked.
“Yeah, we got money.”
“In that case, a hundred will get you either head or pussy. How’s that sound, stud? You college boys have that kind of money?” she asked as she flicked a finger over Pat’s bulge.
“Okay, let’s go over to the motel and have us some fun,” Pat said loudly enough for the arrest team to hear him.
Just as they got to the motel, two squad cars swung into the parking lot. Officers jumped out and arrested both women on prostitution charges. They quickly removed the cussing women from the area so they wouldn’t tip off any other hookers who might be in the area. But there was no other activity that night, and the guys went back to the station to fill out paperwork.
Chapter Three
They
went back out the next evening and managed to make one more arrest. The rest of the work week went by without encountering anymore working ladies in that area of College Park. Word had spread that two very cute young cops were busting hookers, and the girls moved closer to the border with the District of Columbia. They could quickly cross over the line and be in the District in a matter of moments, which would stop any arrest in progress unless they had committed a felony.
It was the weekend and both Pat and Hank were looking forward to spending the next two days with their partners. As the men left the detective bureau and entered the parking lot, Hank initiated the same conversation that had taken place dozens and dozens of times before.
“So Pat, do you guys wanna do something this break?”
“More than likely. Ya got anything in particular in mind?” Pat asked.
“Would love to maybe get together, bring some beer, order pizza, and play cards. That do anything for ya?”
“Yeah, that sounds really nice actually. My place?” asked Pat.
“Well, it is bigger than my dump, but either way is fine with me, buddy.”
“Okay, let me check with Dean when I get home and I’ll give ya call. Not tonight though, probably tomorrow night, okay?”
“You got it! I’ll wait for your call.”
* * *
It was
just after midnight when Pat walked into his living room as he heard the furnace kick on. It promised to be a crisp night and the heating season was underway. At first Pat thought that Dean had gone to bed, which would have been unusual on a weekend, but a shout from the other room told Pat all was normal.
“Pat?”
“No, it’s the milkman,” Pat answered with a snicker.
“Hmm, milkman….somehow the way you said that just turned me on.”
“I could say my name and turn
you
on. Where are you?”
“I’m in the kitchen taking a pie out of the oven,” replied Dean.
“You’re baking? Really?”
“Yes! Don’t act like I can’t find my way around the kitchen.”
As Pat walked into the kitchen, he smiled at his lover and gave him a kiss. “Hmm, that smells good, apple?”
“Yep. How was work? Did you get any more employees of the oldest profession?”
“Nah, word got out and they all disappeared. I guess we were lucky to have gotten one the second night we were out. That’s okay, too much damn paperwork for the effort as far as I’m concerned.”
Pat went to the bedroom to change into gym shorts and a T-shirt. He decided to have a quick shower in case Dean was feeling his oats later and wanted to play “hide the salami.”
After a good scrub, Pat turned off the water and opened the shower curtain to find Dean standing there with a smile and a towel. Pat took the towel from Dean’s outstretched hand. “So, you want something?”
“Now what do you suppose?”
“I suppose yes?”
“But of course, but let’s go downstairs and relax first.”
Pat dried off and took his robe from the back of the bathroom door. Decently covered, he walked into the living room to find that Dean had mixed them a drink and put out cashews, Pat’s favorite snack. Light music was playing and they settled into the sofa with matching contented sighs.
Dean kissed Pat on the cheek and said, “You know something? I really love you. I never thought that I would find someone in this life that I would love as much as you. I thought being gay meant a series of one night stands with occasional affection, but I never expected this deep love. I’m really lucky to have found you.”
Pat set his drink down on the coffee table and pulled Dean into his lap. “You are correct,” he said, looking down into his lover’s eyes. “You
are
lucky to have found me!”
Dean burst out laughing, but when Pat looked down again, he saw a tear had fall from Dean’s left eye and realized just how serious his lover was being. He bent down and kissed Dean on the lips and said, “I love you so much; you’ll never really understand.”
More tears sprang to Dean’s eyes at these words. “What are you crying about, honey? You know I hate it when you cry, so please stop.”
Dean began to laugh through his tears. “I can’t help it. I’ve been getting very emotional lately whenever I think of you and what you mean to me. I really do believe we’re both lucky to have found each other. Maybe I’m pregnant?” Pat laughed and then sobered. “In all seriousness, I agree, my love.”
“When you were involved in those horrible serial murder cases, I worried about you to the point that I almost got fired from the bank. I totally fucked up a set of books I was reviewing because I was worried about you. I was waiting for my damned phone to ring and to hear the words that you were hurt… or worse.”
“You almost got fired? You never mentioned that! Why not?” Pat said with just a touch of anger in his voice.
“Because of exactly how you’re reacting. I knew you’d be angry with me, and I didn’t want you thinking about anything but your job. I put a bug in Hank’s ear as well.”
“Hank? What did you say to Hank?”
“I told him that he had better watch out for you and keep you safe or I would make his life miserable. I don’t think he believed I was serious, but I was.”
“Wow, baby, don’t ever let yourself get like that again. I’m in an even better position now as a detective. Much less danger then before.”