Drawn To You (Taking Chances #3) by Liwen Ho Page B

going to have a mouth-watering steak and seafood dinner, thanks to you.”
    “Ha! So I’m not the only one who thinks you’re uptight,” Sam snickered. “You have the best coworkers. It’s so good to meet you, Oliver.” She let go of Lucas’s hand to shake the older man’s. “I’m Sam, by the way.”
    “Why, thank you, dear. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. You must be the reason why he didn’t notice the light change back there. He had his eyes on the pretty woman next to him instead of the road.” He raised his voice and directed his next statement at Lucas. “I only pulled you over, man, to make sure you hadn’t fallen asleep.”
    Lucas leaned one elbow on the center console and faced Oliver. There was hope yet. “I was right! I didn’t break any laws. I wouldn’t make that dinner reservation just yet.”
    Oliver rubbed his chin for a moment. “Well, let’s not overlook the fact that you held up traffic at a green light, then rushed into the intersection when it was yellow. That’s two counts of hazardous driving. If I remember correctly, that’s code 21 … 214 ...”
    “Codes 21451 and 21452,” Lucas grimaced. “Great. There goes my clean record.”
    Sam quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve never gotten a ticket before?”
    “I’ve never been pulled over until today.”
    “You’re amazing.” Somehow her tone didn’t reflect the true meaning of those words.
    “Not amazing enough if I’m getting ticketed.”
    “Now wait, hold on here,” Oliver began, “what kind of friend do you think I am? It wouldn’t be right for me to put a damper on your date considering how little you get out. Tell you what, since this is your first offense and whatnot, I’m gonna let you go with a warning.”
    Lucas shook his head. “Oliver, you don’t have to do that. I was at fault. I deserve the citation.”
    “Call it a freebie in the name of love.”
    Sam put her hand on Lucas’s arm before he could respond. “Come on, it would be rude to refuse his generosity. It’s in the name of love, after all.” She flashed a smile at the officer. “We appreciate it very much, Oliver. Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.” Oliver handed the paperwork back to Sam. “Thank you for putting a smile back on my boy’s face. Have a good night,” he added before walking away.
    “But—”
    “Come on, Stickler. You heard the man.” Sam leaned back in her seat and grinned. “We’re free to go.”
    Lucas placed his hands on the steering wheel. In his side mirror, he watched Oliver pull away from the curb and wave at them as he drove past. He also started his car and headed onto the road. The next minutes were spent in silence as he replayed their interaction with Oliver. He felt both amazed and disturbed at how easily he had gotten out of the situation. Or more accurately, how Sam had gotten him out of it. All the red flags from earlier that evening suddenly flooded his mind. “How do you get away with that?”
    “That? That was nothing. You should’ve seen me last year when I got pulled over on the way to my parents’ restaurant. The cop ended up following me there for dinner. My mother gave him the royal treatment, including free refills on soda. It worked out so well, he gave me his number by the end of the night.”
    The ease with which Sam spoke irked him. She made that rookie cop sound like easy prey, someone she could use and dispose of at her convenience. “Did you go out with him?”
    “Naw, he was cute, but too young. He still comes to eat at the restaurant though. He loves the chow mien and milk tea.”
    “Hm,” he mumbled under his breath, “I forgot you like them old.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “You know, Oliver’s a good guy. You shouldn’t have lied to him.”
    “I didn’t—whatever. Do I need to remind you that you’re the one who asked me for help? I only said what I said to get you out of a ticket.” Crossing her arms, she huffed, “You’re