Maria stood under an awning in front of the lobby of the Ritz Carlton talking to the bell hop.
Mac sat at a makeshift desk cleaning weed listening to The Golden Palominos. He received a message stuffed a pipe, took three hits, turned off the sterio, shuffled the weed on the desk into a bag and walked outside and jumped in a cab.
"Cab 1819," Mac said.
Mac lit a cigarette, waited for his pager to beeb. It went off, he read "Ritz Carlton 2401 E Camelback see bellhop."
He smiled, promising he thought, drove a half mile pulled into the parking lot, saw a girl making hand jesters to a man wearing a funny looking uniform. Mac rolled down the window,"did you call a cab," he asked and turned up the heater. The guy in the funny looking uniform pointed at the girl. "For her," he said.
"You called me a cab," she said and stumbled."I thought we were going to party."
She's pretty good looking or really good looking, Mac thought. "How drunk is she?" Mac asked.
"Really drunk," the girl said and laughed.
"And then some," the guy in the uniform said.
"You're coming home with me,"she said and grabbed his arm. She tried to drag him toward the cab. He escaped. "I have to work."
Mac laughed. "Where you headed?" He asked.
She pointed south east. "Over there."
The man in uniform leaned into the window. "Please get her out of here."
"If she wants to go and can tell me where she lives I'll take her."
"I told you where I live," she said, walked to the door and opened it. "Can I sit up here?" She sat in the car.
"I need something more specific than a general direction."
She smiled. "Of coarse you do. Let's move. This place let me down."
"Sorry to hear that. Over there," Mac said, and pointed south east.
She laughed. "Percisislly."
Mac turned the car around and headed south east.
"What time is it?"
"One thirty."
"They kicked me out of the bar. I was the only one in there and they kicked me out. They wouldn't put my drink in a to go glass.?
Mac laughed. It turned into a grin.
"You have a pretty smile. It isn't funny. They even kicked me out of the lobby. I didn't even want to be there. My friends met some boys from Colorado, I think and left me. I'm OK with that. I can take care of myself."
"I bet you can."
"I can. Turn left."
He turned left.
"Next right."
A couple turns latter they pulled up to a small red brick apartment.
"Mi casa."
"Nice place."
"It's not."
"It looks OK from here."
"Looks can be deceiving."
"True."
"What do I owe you Mac?"
"How you know my name?"
"Your name is Mac. I meant Mac like in would you like a drink Mac or hey Mac or how much do I owe you Mac?"
"Five bucks."
She handed him a twenty. "Keep it."
"Thanks a lot."
"I hope my friends are alright."
"They probably are."
"That's a bold statement Mac," she said and laughed. You never said if you would like a drink."
"Yeah. Why not?"
"I have half a bottle of vodka in my freezer."
"Sounds good."
"Absolute. A lot of people prefer Kettle One or Grey Goose. I do not."
"I don't either."
She smiled. "Come on."
Mac couldn't decide whether her face was pretty or cute. She wore cowgirl jeans that flattered her damn near perfect ass, a well made white blouse, hair short and well styled, nose damn near as perfect as her ass, brown eyes that looked sad even when she was laughing or smiling. He decided both. He followed her into a room. A giant TV dominated the space, dwarfing a couch and a chair placed to close to the TV and a small table covered with magazines an ashtray ashes and an assortment of garbage. She walked in without unlocking the door. "Excuse the mess. I clean on Saturday. Guys only care about the TV right. It's one of the biggest ones they make." She turned it on, walked into the kitchen. Mac sat down. She came back with two milk glasses three quarters full of Vodka and handed one to Mac. "Thanks."
"Your welcome."
She sat next to him, picked up the remote, found a station advertising a kitchen knife, took a drink and set her glass on the couch. "Take off your jacket and stay awhile."
"You should lock your door."
"I lose my keys alot. Sometimes I forget to leave the window open."
Mac took his jacket off, folded it and laid it on the couch. Maria moved and knocked her glass over. Mac picked up his jacket to late. Maria went into the kitchen and came back with a glass a little more full than the last. "I have to be more careful. This is it. No more." She cleared a spot on the table and placed her glass on it and laid down on the couch, her feet aginst Mac's leg. "Sorry about your jacket. How bad did I get it?"
"Pretty bad. Not to bad," Mac said and laughed.
"What do you do?"
"What you mean?"
"What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a cab driver, your cab driver."
"You don't seem like one. Drink up. I'll be right back."
Mac learned quite a bit about the best designed kitchen knife in the history of the world while he wondered how long he should sit around pretending to drink vodka. Maria appeared from the hall bottomless, hid behind the chair and peeked over the top. Mac smiled and waved. She ran down the hall. He followed her. She ran out of road and knelt against a door. She turned her back to him, turned her head. "Who are you?" She asked.
"You know who I am."
"What's your name?"
"You know my name. Mac if you forgot. I don't know your's."
"Maria," she said stood up walked past him, laid on the couch, placed both hands over her crotch and smiled. "Do you like what you see?"
"Very much. Very much. About the best thing I've ever seen."
"No lie?"
"Swear to God."
No bullshit, he thought.
2.10.2018
1.26.2018
scoence
I don't know what I'm doing, I'm being paid so I plod along. I am following a women. I receive money every week in the mail. I have been following her for a month according to a notebook I carry.
I vaugly remember two weeks ago. Everyday after is clearer. I recollect yesterday like it was yesterday. I can't be sure about yesterday though due to my condition. It plays like a movie I haven't seen yet but know what will happen even though thoreitically it already has.
The book From Here To Eternity sits on a table beside my bed. There is a book mark on page 202. A set of car keys was sitting next to the book, at least they were two weeks ago. Inside the car I found a notebook with a diary. I traced the diary back two weeks and drove to a house and parked down the block. I think I took a walk behind the house. According to the notebook I carry binoculars and a pretty nice camera and climb a tree that gives me a great view of and in some spots into the girls house. She is small and pretty. Her house is imuculate according to what I see from the tree and wrote in the notebook.
The first day I remember following her she never left the house. I sat in the tree for an hour, walked back to the car and watched the house until about eleven PM and drove back to my apartment and wrote. She never left the house. I opened From Here To Eternity and read a few chapters while I drank from a bottle of whisky I found in the kitchen.
One night at about nine PM she left her house,drove to a hotel and had a drink with a woman. I followed them to an elevator. About fifteen minutes latter she walked through the lobby got in her car and drove outside the city to a semi mansion. She went inside and came out five minutes latter and drove home. She had a key or the door wasn't locked. What was that about? I wrote in my notebook.
About a week ago she went to a mall. I followed her from store to store. She left the mall with about five bags. I followed her home. Her bakyard is secluded. I climbed the tree and watched her fix a drink. She turned on a television. She finished the drink and went into a room I couldn't see, came out wearing one of her new outfits I presumed. She poured another drink made a phone call and vanished again. She appeared in another outfit finished her drink and turned the television back on. I watched her drink and watch TV for about an hour and went back to my car for a couple more hours and waited to see if she would go out. She didn't. I drove home, read for awhile,fell asleep and woke up hungover. My bottle of whisky was embty. I wrote in my notebooket get a bottle of whisky.
Yesterday I was having breakfast at a dinner I stop at every morning and a tall guy walked up to my table and asked, "are you still driving a taxi?"
"I'm not," I said.
"I called you about a ride about two months ago and you didn't answer," he said.
"Sorry."
"See you around."
I wrote cab driver? In my notebook. Not that it matters I thought.
While I was watching the house I revived a call from a guy named Barry who said he was in town and wanted to get together. I told him I was pretty free all the time and we decided to meet latter that night. I checked the contacts on my phone and there wasn't a Barry. I decided to meet him regardless. Nothing was happening at the house anyway. To be honest I wasn't and aren't sure I want to know what I forgot. It is kind of nice having a blank slate or at least one that only goes back two weeks. Before I left to meet Barry, she walked outside and walked around her front yard, stopped and looked in my direction. She couldn't see my car. I got out of the car and walked toward her. I didn't know what I was going to do or why I was doing it. When I was Parallel her driveway, she said, "sir, could you help me put a box in my trunk? I can't lift it."
"I would be glade too," I said and followed her into her house.
I came too on the floor in a hall. She was sitting on a chair casually holding a gun. "Why are you following me?"
My head hurt. I felt blood.
"You'll be fine."
"What did you hit me with?"
She kicked a tire iron across the floor in my direction.
"Why are you following me?"
"I'm being paid too."
"Who's paying you?"
"I'm not sure."
She stood up. "Sit in the chair. If you do anything I will shoot you," she said pointed the gun at me for an instant and smiled. She has a nice smile, I thought. I sat. "What do you mean you're not sure?"
"I don't know. I get an envolope in my mailbox with cash every monday."
She laughed. "I know who it is."
"Are you laughing cause it's funny or ironically cause you're pissed."
"You don't remember me?" She asked.
"I don't remember anyone or anything."
"That's farfetched."
"Maybe."
"Are you curious about how I figured out you were following me?"
"Not really. I do wonder if you saw my car when you walked outside?"
"I didn't."
"What were you doing outside?"
"I was looking to see if any of my niehbores was out in their yard and could help me put a box in my car."
"And it was just dumb luck that the guy who who's following you walked up?"
"Pretty wild huh?"
"I don't buy it."
"I could care less. You work for me now."
"I have to be somewhere in about an hour."
She laughed. "Your first job is to put a box in my car."
"I guess I don't have a choice."
"Follow me."
I followed her into an empty room except for a box. I went to pick it up. It was heavier than I thought. "What you got in there?" I asked.
"The prick paying you to follow me."
I laughed. "Bullshit."
"Believe what you want."
I placed the heavy box in her trunk. She told me to make my meeting and come back after. "How do you know I will?"
"You will. What else do you have to do?"
I met Barry in a bar. He was drinking a beer. I was forty five minutes late. He said he didn't mind. I ordered a whiskey on the rocks. He asked me if I heard about Beth? I told him I hadn't . He laughed. "You were in love with her."
"I was?"
"Her fourth husband shot up a grocery store and killed six people. He was an ex ranger. She always fell for the super solider lifers. This one was crazy. She shoulda settled for you."
"Sounds like she would have divorced me."
Barry laughed. "I'm still with Kim. Can you believe that."
I could. "How's Kim?"
"Fat as a fuckin' house."
I took a sip of my drink and watched a player hit a double on TV.
"I ran into Steve about six months ago. He's still with Trish. Weren't you in love with her too.?"
"I love em all I guess."
"He asked about you. I said I hadn't seen you in thirty years just like him and than a couple days latter I find you on face book. Trish was with him. She asked about you before he did while he was taking a piss." Barry Laughed. "Maybe you should look her up. Steve's as bald as me and Trish looks pretty good."
I took another sip and watched a guy drive the guy who doubled in.
"So what the hell you been up to CJ?"
"I'm a private detective of sorts."
"No shit."
"No shit."
"You know where to get any blow?"
"I don't."
"I figured you would."
"Sorry man."
"How about girls?"
"Girls?"
"Yeah girls."
"There's a whore house on 32nd Street."
"I knew you would be worth getting together with," Barry said, slapped my back and laughed. "Let's get the fuck outa here."
I drove him to the whore house and waited in the front room. A dog walked into the room and laid at my feet. I listened to a guy and a girl argue over a television. I thought why does she want me to stop by her house. Does she have a real reason or is she messing with me. I decided it doesn't matter and that I want to and I might be falling for her. I guess I fall for them all if Barry is to be believed. I laughed. The dog looked at me. I patted his head.
I gave Barry a ride to his hotel. On the way I learned that we were Paratroopers stationed at Fort Benning about thirty years ago. Beth was a Sargeant and Trish and Steve were also in our Company. Barry and I smoked a lot of dope and drank a lot and were always in trouble. Steve was a pussy, Beth was Kim's best friend and led me on and I fell for it. He also told me Ackerman was a narc and Rick was a crazy son of a bitch and a guy named Jack almost killed me cause I was fucking his wife Teri. Apparently he hit me on the back of my head with a shovel at a party. "That was a crazy fuckin' night," he said.
"Yeah I guess it was."
"Pick me up at seven tomarrow night we have some serious drinking to do."
"I'll try."
"What the fuck you mean I'll try."
"I mean I'll try. I might be busy."
"What hell's wrong with you. Meet me in the bar at seven. Don't be late this time."
"If I can I will." I truly want to hear more of the story of my life thirty years ago, I thought talking to Barry is like reading my autobiography.
"You have too. Otherwise I'll get drunk in the hotel bar and be bored as shit."
"I'll do my best. Tonight was interesting."
"Tomarrow night will be better."
I drove back to her house. All the lights were off, I wondered if I should knock on the door or go home or leave a note and drive home. I saw a flash, she said, "how'd it go?"
She was sitting on a lawn chair smoking. "FIne," I said.
"Who did you meet?"
"An Army buddy. Do you have another one of those?"
She handed me a cigarette. "Do you need a light too."
"I do."
She handed me a lighter.
"Do you mind?" I asked, pointing at a chair next to her.
"Be my guest."
"So you don't know who hired you to follow me?"
"I don't."
"What have you assertained?"
"Not much."
"And he's satisfied?"
"I guess."
"What have you told him?"
"I tell him or write on a paper and send to him what I observe."
"What have you observed?"
"Not much. I followed you to a hotel and than to a house a few nights ago give or take."
She smiled and laughed.
"Keep up the good work. I'll see you tomarrow."
She stood up flicked her cigarette in the street and went inside. I assumed she wanted me to continue following her or at least to act like I am. I liked the idea because I could continue collecting a check without the pressure of being found out since I already was. I did wonder what her aim is but figured I would know soon enough or not and at some point the shit would hit the fan one way or another and when it did I would have to adjust.
I went home, drank some whiskey and read until I fell assleep. In a dream I stood beside a river and watched people climb a small tree and dive into the shallow river. Someone asked me to join them. I declined. A girl walked up and asked me for a smoke. "I'll trade you," she said and handed me a beer. She looked at the guys gathered around the tree and said,"idiots."
"Where you been," I asked.
"I gave Kim and Barry a ride back to my house. I thought that wouldn't last." She laughed. "What do I know."
"Barry's smitten."
"So is Kim."
We both laughed.
"Isn't the water cold?" She asked.
"Ice cold."
"Idiots."
"Where's Wayne?"
"He has CQ. One of those morons is going to breack his neck."
"And than it won't be funny anymore."
"Knock that shit off," she yelled.
"You're not their Sargeant out here."
"Some of them look like they are in high school. Where did they come from."
"Beats me. Let's get out of here."
"And go where?"
"Your house."
"That would not be appropriate."
"How bout D Fords?"
"We could do that. One of you morons is going to breack your neck," she yelled.
"You're not our mother Beth," someone yelled.
"Shut the fuck up Brown," Beth yelled.
I laughed. We walked to her car. "You should tell Sargeant Wilson you want to go to Fort Hood next month. I need a packer. It could be fun. You ever been to Juarez?"
We went to D Fords and drank to much, I woke up looked at a clock and felt like shit.
The next morning at the dinner the waitress said, "you look rough."
"I had a weird dream."
"What will you have?"
I ordered and ate a big breakfast and drove to her house and parked in my usual spot. I watched the house, fell assleep, woke up, went into her backyard and climbed a tree. I watched her sit on her sofa and read for awhile. She walked outside, noticed me and asked, "What are you doing?"
"The best way to appear to be doing something is doing it."
"What if I was masterbating?"
I laughed. "I wish you were."
"Get down."
I de treed.
"You look like shit."
"I had a strange dream."
"What was strange about it?"
"I think it acctully happened."
"What's strange about that?"
"Maybe strange isn't the right word."
"What word is?"
"I don't know. I drank a lot. Maybe I'm making more out of it than is really there."
"You probably are."
"Probably."
"You want to get high?"
"Why not."
We smoked some weed, did a few lines of coke and watched a Jenifer Lopez movie.
"That was stupid," she said.
"I like Jenifer Lopez."
We did another line. "I should go back to my car and act like I'm working.
She laughed. "You think someone is watching you watch me?"
"You never know."
"Wouldn't your cover be blown already?"
"That's a fair point."
"Do whatever you want."
"I'd rather stay here."
"Be my guest. I'm taking a shower."
I was sitting in a motel room drinking Jack Daniels out of the bottle watching a baseball game. Someone knocked. I opened the door. A pretty girl smiled. "You look like someone kicked your ass," she said and laughed. "I have about four hours. Pour me a drink." I found a plastic glass in the bathroom and poured whiskey in it and handed it to her. "Get some ice and a coke. I can't drink this." I killed the glass and found the ice machine and a soda machine. I poured her a drink. "That's better. How long have you been here?"
"A while. I'm not sure. Pretty long I think."
"You're a mess." She smiled. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Who's playing?"
"What?"
She pointed at the TV. "Who's playing.
"Oh, I'm not sure. Do you like baseball?"
"It's OK. Not really."
"We can watch something else."
"It's fine." She took off her shoes and laid on the bed. I grabbed the bottle and laid beside her.
"I think Jack is getting suspicious,"she said.
"Based on what?"
"A feeling."
"Do you want to cool it?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
She smiled. "Yes I'm sure CJ."
"I don't want to cause you trouble."
"That's sweet CJ. I can handle it. Are you scared."
Kind of, I thought. Jack would have the advantage of righteous anger. "A feeling," I said.
I woke up. She was sitting next to me reading. "You were out cold."
"What time is it?"
She picked up her phone. "Six fifteen."
"Fuck. I'm going to be late if I don't get my shit together."
I asked her if she would sell me some coke. She filled up a vile from a large bag and tossed it to me. She wouldn't take my money. She said it grows on trees and laughed. I thanked her and went to meet Barry. I was fifteen minutes late. He was talking to a unattractive girl,didn't mind that I was tardy and was thrilled when I showed him the coke. The three of us went up to his room and did a couple lines. I asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted Sherry to give him a blow job. I thought he has the sex drive of a much younger man if he needed a blow job from the unattractive girl before we had a chance to strike out although one in the pot is sometimes better than two in the Forrest. I told him I would meet him in the bar.
I vaugly remember two weeks ago. Everyday after is clearer. I recollect yesterday like it was yesterday. I can't be sure about yesterday though due to my condition. It plays like a movie I haven't seen yet but know what will happen even though thoreitically it already has.
The book From Here To Eternity sits on a table beside my bed. There is a book mark on page 202. A set of car keys was sitting next to the book, at least they were two weeks ago. Inside the car I found a notebook with a diary. I traced the diary back two weeks and drove to a house and parked down the block. I think I took a walk behind the house. According to the notebook I carry binoculars and a pretty nice camera and climb a tree that gives me a great view of and in some spots into the girls house. She is small and pretty. Her house is imuculate according to what I see from the tree and wrote in the notebook.
The first day I remember following her she never left the house. I sat in the tree for an hour, walked back to the car and watched the house until about eleven PM and drove back to my apartment and wrote. She never left the house. I opened From Here To Eternity and read a few chapters while I drank from a bottle of whisky I found in the kitchen.
One night at about nine PM she left her house,drove to a hotel and had a drink with a woman. I followed them to an elevator. About fifteen minutes latter she walked through the lobby got in her car and drove outside the city to a semi mansion. She went inside and came out five minutes latter and drove home. She had a key or the door wasn't locked. What was that about? I wrote in my notebook.
About a week ago she went to a mall. I followed her from store to store. She left the mall with about five bags. I followed her home. Her bakyard is secluded. I climbed the tree and watched her fix a drink. She turned on a television. She finished the drink and went into a room I couldn't see, came out wearing one of her new outfits I presumed. She poured another drink made a phone call and vanished again. She appeared in another outfit finished her drink and turned the television back on. I watched her drink and watch TV for about an hour and went back to my car for a couple more hours and waited to see if she would go out. She didn't. I drove home, read for awhile,fell asleep and woke up hungover. My bottle of whisky was embty. I wrote in my notebooket get a bottle of whisky.
Yesterday I was having breakfast at a dinner I stop at every morning and a tall guy walked up to my table and asked, "are you still driving a taxi?"
"I'm not," I said.
"I called you about a ride about two months ago and you didn't answer," he said.
"Sorry."
"See you around."
I wrote cab driver? In my notebook. Not that it matters I thought.
While I was watching the house I revived a call from a guy named Barry who said he was in town and wanted to get together. I told him I was pretty free all the time and we decided to meet latter that night. I checked the contacts on my phone and there wasn't a Barry. I decided to meet him regardless. Nothing was happening at the house anyway. To be honest I wasn't and aren't sure I want to know what I forgot. It is kind of nice having a blank slate or at least one that only goes back two weeks. Before I left to meet Barry, she walked outside and walked around her front yard, stopped and looked in my direction. She couldn't see my car. I got out of the car and walked toward her. I didn't know what I was going to do or why I was doing it. When I was Parallel her driveway, she said, "sir, could you help me put a box in my trunk? I can't lift it."
"I would be glade too," I said and followed her into her house.
I came too on the floor in a hall. She was sitting on a chair casually holding a gun. "Why are you following me?"
My head hurt. I felt blood.
"You'll be fine."
"What did you hit me with?"
She kicked a tire iron across the floor in my direction.
"Why are you following me?"
"I'm being paid too."
"Who's paying you?"
"I'm not sure."
She stood up. "Sit in the chair. If you do anything I will shoot you," she said pointed the gun at me for an instant and smiled. She has a nice smile, I thought. I sat. "What do you mean you're not sure?"
"I don't know. I get an envolope in my mailbox with cash every monday."
She laughed. "I know who it is."
"Are you laughing cause it's funny or ironically cause you're pissed."
"You don't remember me?" She asked.
"I don't remember anyone or anything."
"That's farfetched."
"Maybe."
"Are you curious about how I figured out you were following me?"
"Not really. I do wonder if you saw my car when you walked outside?"
"I didn't."
"What were you doing outside?"
"I was looking to see if any of my niehbores was out in their yard and could help me put a box in my car."
"And it was just dumb luck that the guy who who's following you walked up?"
"Pretty wild huh?"
"I don't buy it."
"I could care less. You work for me now."
"I have to be somewhere in about an hour."
She laughed. "Your first job is to put a box in my car."
"I guess I don't have a choice."
"Follow me."
I followed her into an empty room except for a box. I went to pick it up. It was heavier than I thought. "What you got in there?" I asked.
"The prick paying you to follow me."
I laughed. "Bullshit."
"Believe what you want."
I placed the heavy box in her trunk. She told me to make my meeting and come back after. "How do you know I will?"
"You will. What else do you have to do?"
I met Barry in a bar. He was drinking a beer. I was forty five minutes late. He said he didn't mind. I ordered a whiskey on the rocks. He asked me if I heard about Beth? I told him I hadn't . He laughed. "You were in love with her."
"I was?"
"Her fourth husband shot up a grocery store and killed six people. He was an ex ranger. She always fell for the super solider lifers. This one was crazy. She shoulda settled for you."
"Sounds like she would have divorced me."
Barry laughed. "I'm still with Kim. Can you believe that."
I could. "How's Kim?"
"Fat as a fuckin' house."
I took a sip of my drink and watched a player hit a double on TV.
"I ran into Steve about six months ago. He's still with Trish. Weren't you in love with her too.?"
"I love em all I guess."
"He asked about you. I said I hadn't seen you in thirty years just like him and than a couple days latter I find you on face book. Trish was with him. She asked about you before he did while he was taking a piss." Barry Laughed. "Maybe you should look her up. Steve's as bald as me and Trish looks pretty good."
I took another sip and watched a guy drive the guy who doubled in.
"So what the hell you been up to CJ?"
"I'm a private detective of sorts."
"No shit."
"No shit."
"You know where to get any blow?"
"I don't."
"I figured you would."
"Sorry man."
"How about girls?"
"Girls?"
"Yeah girls."
"There's a whore house on 32nd Street."
"I knew you would be worth getting together with," Barry said, slapped my back and laughed. "Let's get the fuck outa here."
I drove him to the whore house and waited in the front room. A dog walked into the room and laid at my feet. I listened to a guy and a girl argue over a television. I thought why does she want me to stop by her house. Does she have a real reason or is she messing with me. I decided it doesn't matter and that I want to and I might be falling for her. I guess I fall for them all if Barry is to be believed. I laughed. The dog looked at me. I patted his head.
I gave Barry a ride to his hotel. On the way I learned that we were Paratroopers stationed at Fort Benning about thirty years ago. Beth was a Sargeant and Trish and Steve were also in our Company. Barry and I smoked a lot of dope and drank a lot and were always in trouble. Steve was a pussy, Beth was Kim's best friend and led me on and I fell for it. He also told me Ackerman was a narc and Rick was a crazy son of a bitch and a guy named Jack almost killed me cause I was fucking his wife Teri. Apparently he hit me on the back of my head with a shovel at a party. "That was a crazy fuckin' night," he said.
"Yeah I guess it was."
"Pick me up at seven tomarrow night we have some serious drinking to do."
"I'll try."
"What the fuck you mean I'll try."
"I mean I'll try. I might be busy."
"What hell's wrong with you. Meet me in the bar at seven. Don't be late this time."
"If I can I will." I truly want to hear more of the story of my life thirty years ago, I thought talking to Barry is like reading my autobiography.
"You have too. Otherwise I'll get drunk in the hotel bar and be bored as shit."
"I'll do my best. Tonight was interesting."
"Tomarrow night will be better."
I drove back to her house. All the lights were off, I wondered if I should knock on the door or go home or leave a note and drive home. I saw a flash, she said, "how'd it go?"
She was sitting on a lawn chair smoking. "FIne," I said.
"Who did you meet?"
"An Army buddy. Do you have another one of those?"
She handed me a cigarette. "Do you need a light too."
"I do."
She handed me a lighter.
"Do you mind?" I asked, pointing at a chair next to her.
"Be my guest."
"So you don't know who hired you to follow me?"
"I don't."
"What have you assertained?"
"Not much."
"And he's satisfied?"
"I guess."
"What have you told him?"
"I tell him or write on a paper and send to him what I observe."
"What have you observed?"
"Not much. I followed you to a hotel and than to a house a few nights ago give or take."
She smiled and laughed.
"Keep up the good work. I'll see you tomarrow."
She stood up flicked her cigarette in the street and went inside. I assumed she wanted me to continue following her or at least to act like I am. I liked the idea because I could continue collecting a check without the pressure of being found out since I already was. I did wonder what her aim is but figured I would know soon enough or not and at some point the shit would hit the fan one way or another and when it did I would have to adjust.
I went home, drank some whiskey and read until I fell assleep. In a dream I stood beside a river and watched people climb a small tree and dive into the shallow river. Someone asked me to join them. I declined. A girl walked up and asked me for a smoke. "I'll trade you," she said and handed me a beer. She looked at the guys gathered around the tree and said,"idiots."
"Where you been," I asked.
"I gave Kim and Barry a ride back to my house. I thought that wouldn't last." She laughed. "What do I know."
"Barry's smitten."
"So is Kim."
We both laughed.
"Isn't the water cold?" She asked.
"Ice cold."
"Idiots."
"Where's Wayne?"
"He has CQ. One of those morons is going to breack his neck."
"And than it won't be funny anymore."
"Knock that shit off," she yelled.
"You're not their Sargeant out here."
"Some of them look like they are in high school. Where did they come from."
"Beats me. Let's get out of here."
"And go where?"
"Your house."
"That would not be appropriate."
"How bout D Fords?"
"We could do that. One of you morons is going to breack your neck," she yelled.
"You're not our mother Beth," someone yelled.
"Shut the fuck up Brown," Beth yelled.
I laughed. We walked to her car. "You should tell Sargeant Wilson you want to go to Fort Hood next month. I need a packer. It could be fun. You ever been to Juarez?"
We went to D Fords and drank to much, I woke up looked at a clock and felt like shit.
The next morning at the dinner the waitress said, "you look rough."
"I had a weird dream."
"What will you have?"
I ordered and ate a big breakfast and drove to her house and parked in my usual spot. I watched the house, fell assleep, woke up, went into her backyard and climbed a tree. I watched her sit on her sofa and read for awhile. She walked outside, noticed me and asked, "What are you doing?"
"The best way to appear to be doing something is doing it."
"What if I was masterbating?"
I laughed. "I wish you were."
"Get down."
I de treed.
"You look like shit."
"I had a strange dream."
"What was strange about it?"
"I think it acctully happened."
"What's strange about that?"
"Maybe strange isn't the right word."
"What word is?"
"I don't know. I drank a lot. Maybe I'm making more out of it than is really there."
"You probably are."
"Probably."
"You want to get high?"
"Why not."
We smoked some weed, did a few lines of coke and watched a Jenifer Lopez movie.
"That was stupid," she said.
"I like Jenifer Lopez."
We did another line. "I should go back to my car and act like I'm working.
She laughed. "You think someone is watching you watch me?"
"You never know."
"Wouldn't your cover be blown already?"
"That's a fair point."
"Do whatever you want."
"I'd rather stay here."
"Be my guest. I'm taking a shower."
I was sitting in a motel room drinking Jack Daniels out of the bottle watching a baseball game. Someone knocked. I opened the door. A pretty girl smiled. "You look like someone kicked your ass," she said and laughed. "I have about four hours. Pour me a drink." I found a plastic glass in the bathroom and poured whiskey in it and handed it to her. "Get some ice and a coke. I can't drink this." I killed the glass and found the ice machine and a soda machine. I poured her a drink. "That's better. How long have you been here?"
"A while. I'm not sure. Pretty long I think."
"You're a mess." She smiled. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Who's playing?"
"What?"
She pointed at the TV. "Who's playing.
"Oh, I'm not sure. Do you like baseball?"
"It's OK. Not really."
"We can watch something else."
"It's fine." She took off her shoes and laid on the bed. I grabbed the bottle and laid beside her.
"I think Jack is getting suspicious,"she said.
"Based on what?"
"A feeling."
"Do you want to cool it?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
She smiled. "Yes I'm sure CJ."
"I don't want to cause you trouble."
"That's sweet CJ. I can handle it. Are you scared."
Kind of, I thought. Jack would have the advantage of righteous anger. "A feeling," I said.
I woke up. She was sitting next to me reading. "You were out cold."
"What time is it?"
She picked up her phone. "Six fifteen."
"Fuck. I'm going to be late if I don't get my shit together."
I asked her if she would sell me some coke. She filled up a vile from a large bag and tossed it to me. She wouldn't take my money. She said it grows on trees and laughed. I thanked her and went to meet Barry. I was fifteen minutes late. He was talking to a unattractive girl,didn't mind that I was tardy and was thrilled when I showed him the coke. The three of us went up to his room and did a couple lines. I asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted Sherry to give him a blow job. I thought he has the sex drive of a much younger man if he needed a blow job from the unattractive girl before we had a chance to strike out although one in the pot is sometimes better than two in the Forrest. I told him I would meet him in the bar.
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