Chapter 135: Call a Spade a Shovel

The timing was correct almost to the minute, when the knock came on Cheryl's door. My reaction couldn't have been more inappropriate. "How the fuck did she get through the security gate?' I asked Cheryl. "If you have somehow gotten Kate a key, I am gonna throw your ass out of here."

"Shut up and open the door," Cheryl demanded.

I looked through the spy hole in the door to see Gwen standing outside. "What the fuck are you playing at now?" I asked, just before I opened the door.

"Gwen, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked not at all gently.

"Cheryl agreed to an in depth interview. She called a few minutes ago and told me to come over. Why is this any of your business, anyway?" she asked in snappy voice.

"Good point," I turned by back to her, then said to Cheryl, "Good try but I'm not interested in this game. You need to find another player hon." I said it as I turned to leave.

"What the hell is she talking about?" I heard Gwen ask, just before I closed the door. It was a short walk to my own apartment.

I should have been angry, but instead I found it amusing. I wondered how long it would take Cheryl to bring Gwen over, or if she could. It was all smoke and mirrors with Gwen. To her nothing was real. After all her whole live was about Illusion. Yes it really was all smoke and mirrors to her.

Since I had already had dinner, and I wasn't going to be playing house, I decided to just catch up on some TV shows I had missed. The Internet was great for that. I was shocked to see that on one of the major cable stations, there was a promo for my silly reality TV show.

The voice over was by some gravely voiced dude. I had no idea who he was, or if he was supposed to be someone I should know. "Maxine Stone is a real Private Eye, not some TV show bullshit," he said. "If you want to know what her life is like, take a look at the old web TV shows. They were made of her real life last year. If you already know, then hang on to your hat, because Max is back and more bad ass than ever, in her new Realty Network show, Meet Maxine. The things she does, and is willing to do, will blow your mind. I have to warn you, this is not for minors or the weak of heart. The isn't just reality TV. It is real life at it rawest caught with hidden cameras."

There was more bullshit, but it was hard for me to watch. They were running bits and pieces of the old shows, along with out takes of the new stuff as well. At least I finally knew what everyone was talking about with the new promos. Those things as much as told people that I was a foul mouthed skank. Well I am pretty graphic in my language, and my life too, I admit. Even so no woman wants to be portrayed as so slutty that you can't let your kids meet her. I had to wonder, if that was true in real life as well. I mean did people avoid me, because I was to 'earthy' as my mom used to say.

I decided that I needed a real drink. Instead of the Cop Out, I drove the the liquor store. I sprung for a fifth of Canadian Club whiskey. I usually drank some pretty rank bourbon, but I was in a mellow mood. I stopped by the convenience store for ginger ale. It was the same store where I had stopped the robbery a couple of months before.

"Miss Max," The Korean owner said in here sing song voice. "How you been?"

"I have been fine, how have you been?" I asked.

"Very good," she said. Her accent was heavy, but her English was really quite good.

I walked back to the cooler containing the sodas. I returned to the cash register walking slowly through the store. I picked up a bag of chips, then checked out.

"You be careful," I said.

"I think you need to be more careful than me," she said smiling at me.

"I'll keep that in mind." I said waving as I went out the door.

Once I got home, I poured myself a stiff drink then began to watch TV on line. Not streaming TV, but on line reruns of shows from the last three weeks. The more I drank the less interested in the shows I became. Finally after four drinks, I wasn't even paying token attention to the shows.

"Screw this," I said aloud. I closed the site and pulled up an adult chat room from my bookmarks. Once I got through all the bullshit I signed in as lostlady41.

On an adult chat site a woman just needs to sign in. It is guaranteed that the men will find her. After I signed in the windows began to pop up all over the place. Mostly it was guys who claimed to be teenagers looking for older women. The second most common pop ups were from men asking, Do you have a daughter. Those I closed immediately. The young guys I usually took the time to explain that I didn't chat with younger men.

Hey lost lady, how are you? The pop up from Daddy 24 read.

I'm just fine how are you? I typed.

Horny, his answer read.

Asshole, I typed. Then put his ass on ignore.

Hello slut, the next one read. it was from someone called 'mean daddy'.

Sorry you have the wrong person ... Bye. I typed.

Hey Max it's good to see you again. The words came from SimonSays.

Good to see you as well Simon. I haven't seen you in a while, I wrote.

Ah so how is the job? he asked.

The job is fine, how is yours? I asked.

Good, boring but good, he wrote

All jobs are boring at times. What is it you do again?' I typed.