SPEED LIMIT

We were sitting on the patio of our favorite Mexican restaurant eating a late lunch. I looked over at my son Alex. “This was a great idea!” I said as I took a bite of my Pollo Especial that we were sharing.

My husband Steven nodded in agreement as he took a bite of his Caesar salad.

There was a cool breeze and I was enjoying the sound of the water splashing from a nearby fountain. “I don't know why we don't come out here more often?”

Alex took a sip of his water. “I know, it's only twenty minutes away.”

A half hour later we were back in the car. “We should do that again.” I said as I was traveling down Route 33, a four lane road, headed back home.

“I'm in!” Alex called from the back seat.

I was in the slow lane but keeping up with the traffic which means I was going about 10 miles over the speed limit. An SUV was trying to pass me on the left but we were pretty much staying together when we passed a police car tucked back off the road.

“Oh, man!” I cried as I looked down at my speedometer to confirm I was speeding. I wasn't sure what to do. Should I tap my breaks, proving I was going too fast or keep going, pretending I wasn't doing anything wrong. I chose the latter.

Steven tried to reassure me. “You're fine. Everyone is going the same speed.” he patted me on the leg.

I nervously looked in my rear view mirror and saw the police car pull into traffic. “Oh, great!” I sighed. “He's coming!”

Steven shook his head. “Stop worrying. Maybe his shift is done.”

I kept checking the mirror. Then I saw the sign that my exit was coming up in two miles. “Now what do I do?” I asked as I pointed to the sign. “If I take the exit it looks like I'm trying to get away!”

Alex laughed from the back seat. “Or it looks like you're taking your exit.”

I took a deep breath, feeling my anxiety beginning to rise.

Steven patted me on the leg again. “What's the worst that could happen? You get a ticket?”

I looked over at Steven. “Yes!” I cried. “I get a ticket, our insurance rates go up and you call me Speed Racer for the next five years never letting me live it down that I was speeding!”

Steven laughed. “True.”

I looked in the rear view mirror again. “Oh my gosh! He's turned his lights on!” I instinctively eased my foot off the gas, dropping back and letting the left hand traffic pass me. My hands were beginning to get sweaty as I tried to accept my fate.

That's when the police car passed me and got behind the SUV that had been next to me a moment ago. “Oh my gosh!” I said as we watched the SUV pull over to the side of the road, the police car pulling up right behind them. “We were going the same speed!” I cried.

Alex laughed. “See. He wasn't after you.”

As we passed the pulled over car I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. “That could have been us.” I said as I put my blinker on and took our exit.

“But it wasn't.” Alex said.

I wiped my sweaty hands, one at a time, on my pants. I could still feel my heart racing.

As we continued down the road Alex leaned forward. “You know you're going 35 when the speed limit is 45 here.” He pointed to the speed limit sign we were passing.

“I know.” I said as I continued at the slower speed. “I'm not taking any more chances today.”