“To Protect and Serve”

Richard had never seen a woman with a handgun before, at least not close-up. Except for those few times he had been stopped for speeding by female members of the LAPD.

Richard reflected on how the interloper at the Smoky Karaoke had sure backed-off fast, when he had caught a glimpse of Lola’s handgun. Thank God, he had run away, with his tail between his legs, rather than putting up a fight. Lola later told Richard that the gun wasn’t loaded, that there really hadn’t been anything to worry about; she ‘had the situation completely under control,’ she assured him.

Driving home, after he dropped off Lola at her apartment (she didn’t even kiss him good night darn it), Richard found himself wondering about two things: “Why had Lola chosen to carry a concealed semi automatic weapon on her Karaoke date, and why was the LAPD’s slogan ‘To Protect and Serve?’”