The Reality Engine Ch. 07

"Oh, well that makes sense," Mary said, as she gave her roommate a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck tonight, Kloe!"

Meanwhile, out in the student parking lot behind Mojave Max Hall, Alania and Margaret were walking through the early evening.

"Okay, tell me again, what are we doing out here?" Margaret asked.

"We're going to stick a tracking device on Crazy Steve's car," Alania explained.

"Why are we doing that?" Margaret asked.

"So that we can follow him on his date with Kloe," Alania said.

"Why do we want to follow him on his date with Kloe?" Margaret asked.

"So that any future $1,500 prepaid debit cards don't slip through our fingers," Alania said.

"Oh, well that is a good reason," Margaret remarked.

"You bet it is," Alania said, as she produced a small tracking device from her pocket. "Battery powered GPS transmitter, and the signal is picked up by orbiting satellites, and is beamed down to my cell phone. Ain't modern technology amazing?"

"I don't want to ask why you just so happen to have one of those handy," Margaret said. "However, I have to know, why do you have one of those handy?"

"My dad is a drunk," Alania said. "When I was little, sometimes, he would get so black-out wasted that he would disappear for days at a time. My mom bought a few of these, and slipped it under the hood of his car, so that when he did go off on a drinking binge, we could find him and bring him home. Saved my family a lot of trouble."

"Your dad never figured out he was being tracked?" Margaret asked.

"Nah," Alania replied. "He thinks he's just really predictable."

"Well, then, I can see where you get it from," Margaret said.

"Get what from?" Alania asked.

"Well, you do drink, a lot, you know?" Margaret asked.

"So do you," Alania retorted. "So does everyone on a college campus. Now, help me find that car."

"Hey, is it that one?" Margaret asked, as she pointed at a gray Lexus.

"Good call, I think so," Alania said, as she pulled up a note on her cell phone. "Let me just check the plate with what I have written down here. Yup, they match, this is his car."

"Why do you have his license plate number handy?" Margaret asked.

"Don't you ever get tired of asking questions, bitch?" Alania asked, as she planted the tracking device near the front left wheel of the car, right under the bumper and the guard.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Margaret said, as she and Alania walked away from the car.

"No, it's okay," Alania said. "In High School, I thought he was stalking me, so I wrote down his license plate number on the notes application of my cell phone in case I ever came across his car near my home. I wanted to be able to know it was him."

"Oh, well that makes sense," Margaret said. "So, what's the plan?"

"We wait for them to leave on their date, and then, we follow them. Simple," Alania said.

"Okay, wait, so why is it that after all this time worrying about Crazy Steve stalking you, we're now stalking him?" Margaret asked.

"$1,500 prepaid debit cards," Alania said. "What part of that don't you understand? Am I going too fast for you?"

"No, I mean, what kind of information do you expect to get by tailing Steve on his date?" Margaret asked.

"Remember what we thought on Sunday morning when we left the party?" Alania asked. "We felt sure that it was only a matter of time before Steve was wrapped around my little finger again. He's dating another woman, which means he's not my plaything anymore, and if he's not my plaything, well, that spells a lack of prepaid debit cards. You follow me, Watson?"

"He's on a date with Kloe," Margaret said. "What do you expect to do? Just barge in when they're having snu-snu and tell them to break it up?"

"We'll either think of something, or we'll have more information upon which to plan our next move," Alania said. "Intelligence gathering is the first priority of war."

"So, we're spying?" Margaret asked.

"Spying is such a dirty word," Alania said. "I prefer advanced information networking techniques."

"Oh God," Margaret said.

"Hey, get down!" Alania exclaimed, as she pulled Margaret behind a truck parked in the lot. A moment later, and Steve and Kloe walked by, arm-in-arm to his car, got in, and drove off.

"That was close," Margaret said, as soon as the car was out of sight. "Are you getting a reading from the transmitter?"

"Got it," Alania said, as she opened her cell phone app. "Now, let's follow them. We'll take your car."

"Right," Margaret said.

Back in Steve's dormitory, Henry, Chad, Bridget, and Scott were going over photos of girls who had applied to be Calvin's date.

"Your mom did a great job gathering all this information for us," Scott said.

"Yeah, it's hardest on my mom," Bridget said. "My sister and I are away at college, and my dad is away at work all day, so it's my mom who mostly has to deal with Calvin all the time. She desperately wants to help him, but has given up on ever finding a way."

Bridget was flipping through photos of girls on her phone, looking for the face that would stand out to the 3 guys she was with.

"Wait, that one," Scott said, as he pointed to a photo of a nice looking brunette on Bridget's phone. "Shauna Lomb, what's her deal?"

"18 years old, and she and I graduated from High School together last year," Bridget said. "However, I don't think I've ever met her in our four years together at school. I vaguely remember seeing her face at a game here or there, but that's as far as it goes."

"Wait a minute," Henry said. "I think she might have been in my art class Sophomore year in High School, but I couldn't swear to it."

"It's not surprising," Scott said. "You two both gained admission to a good University, so you were both mostly in AP classes in High School. Due to scheduling differences, AP students might never have classes with students in regular classes or in the rudimentary classes."

"Yeah, that's true," Bridget said. "Henry and I were both in Calculus Senior year, but I know some Seniors were still in Geometry, or worse. If she wasn't a good student, it's possible we could have gone to school together for four years, and never knew each other existed."

"So, what do you think?" Chad asked Scott.

"She's got the appearance I'm looking for," Scott said. "Good looking, and, at the same time, non-threatening. Do you have her bio?"

"Yeah, she didn't provide much," Bridget said, as she swiped right on her phone. "Let's see, currently enrolled in the local JC, which figures. Unemployed and currently living at home, also figures. Favorite TV shows include Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, and Friends, yup, I'm sensing a pattern here. Favorite movie is Twilight, and favorite book is 50 Shades of Gray, and, the circle is complete."

"Call her," Scott said.

"You sure?" Bridget asked. "She sounds like a drip to me."

"She probably is," Scott said. "Fortunately, for the assignment we have in mind for her, not being too bright is a positive."

"Okay, I'll grant you that," Bridget said, as she dialed Shauna's number on her cell phone.

A moment passed, and Shauna came on the line. Scott, Chad, Bridget, and Henry introduced themselves and stated their business.

"Sure," Shauna said. "I'll date your brother, Bridget. The money's good, and I've got nothing better to do. How hard could it be?"

Bridget and Henry exchanged a worried glance, but Scott seemed unfazed by Shauna's nonchalance.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Scott said. "First, do you play video games?"

"Yeah, quite a bit," Shauna said. "Honestly, since I finished High School, life has been boring. I'm technically enrolled at a JC, but it's just a couple of remedial classes I have to get out of the way. It's not tough at all. Games are a good way to fill in the free time."

"Do you exercise regularly?" Scott asked.

"3 times a week," Shauna said. "I live two blocks from a gym, so it's pretty easy to get there, except in the winter when there's snow."

"Do you smoke or drink alcohol?" Scott asked.

"No to both," Shauna said. "I can't stand cigarettes, but I did have a drink a few times at High School parties. Nothing but normal kid's stuff, and I don't drink regularly."

"Any drug use?" Scott asked.

"Other than for seasonal allergies, no," Shauna said. "I tried pot once Junior Year in High School, didn't like it much, never tried it again."

"Any tattoos?" Scott asked.

"No, and my mom would kill me if I ever thought of getting one," Shauna replied.

"Are you religious?" Scott asked.

"Yeah. Church every Sunday, and Bible Study every Wednesday night," Shauna replied.

"Have you ever had a job?" Scott asked.

"No, never had to get one," Shauna said. "Never needed the money. I still don't, but $400 for 3 dates is a good deal for 3 nights work."

Scott asked many other questions, in a similar vein, during this interview, and at the end of his interrogation session, he was satisfied.

"So, Scott, what do you think?" Bridget asked.

"I think she's perfect, and I want to hire her," Scott said.

"Okay," Bridget said. "If Scott wants to hire you, then that means you're hired, Shauna. Let me tell you what you need to know."

Meanwhile, Kloe and Steve had finished their dinner at Rosario's, the nice Italian Restaurant in downtown Frostbite Falls. Kloe had, to this point, spent most of the date taking pictures on her cell phone, and uploading them to her Facebook page. Steve paid the check, and the young couple made their way to his car.

"Hey, do you really want to go to the theater next?" Kloe asked.

"Up to you," Steve said, with a smile. "If you would rather go somewhere that will make for better pictures, I'm open to it."

"I'm sorry," Kloe said. "I know I've been kind of obsessed with taking photos tonight, but Derrick, my ex-boyfriend, already painted the town red last night with 3 girls, and I've had friends from back home messaging me about it all day. He was always going to come out of our relationship in better position than I was, sure, but dating 3 girls at once? That blew me away."

"Well, I'm sure we could find another guy, or two, next time we go out to even things out for you," Steve said.

Kloe scrutinized Steve's facial features for a second, she couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. She finally realized he was serious.

"I know just the thing," Kloe said. "I have the perfect idea for the pictures that will put me over the top."

"Okay," Steve said. "Where to?"

"Can you drive us to the lake?" Kloe asked. "You know the one, right?"

"Veronica Lake or Lake Salle de Bain?" Steve asked.

"Veronica, because it's closer, and it's the one I've been to once already," Kloe said. "Have you been to Lake Salle de Bain?"

"Haven't visited either one yet," Steve said, as he typed the destination into his cell phone map application. "First time for everything. I think some lovely lake-side pictures are just the thing to top off your Facebook photos. It will be picturesque, natural, and romantic."

"Yeah," Kloe said. "Let's go."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Rosario's parking lot, Margaret and Alania were in Margaret's car waiting and watching.

"It's so much harder to keep tabs on them in an Italian restaurant than a mini golf course," Alania said. "With mini golf, we could peek at them over the walls, and see what they were up to without being observed. Thank God they're in the car now, and about to head out."

"It seems like what they're most up to is Kloe taking pictures of their date, and Steve tagging along as the dutiful little boy who gives Kloe her social media likes," Margaret said.

"Which makes sense," Alania said. "We've both met Derrick, and he's a hottie. If Kloe broke up with him, or he broke up with her, or however it went down, there are going to be questions from their friends back home. You know how a one horse town always is, everyone knows everyone else, gossip is everywhere. It makes sense Kloe would be publicizing her date on social media."

"Yeah, maybe that's all that there is between them," Margaret said. "They didn't seem that affectionate playing mini golf. That's good for us, right?"

"Sure is," Alania said. "If Steve is only dating Kloe to help her with her friends and family back home, that means our supply of $1,500 prepaid debit cards is secure. Wait a minute, it looks like they're headed out again, get ready to follow them, at a safe distance."

"Right," Margaret said, as she turned the key in the ignition, and prepared to start driving.

Meanwhile, back at Steve and Henry's dorm room, the four friends had finished talking to Shauna, and as soon as they had, they had called Bridget's parents to inform them of the hire. After all the normal explanations had been made, and assurances had been given, approval was finally granted for a first date, which would take place in two days, on Friday night.

"I sure as hell hope we know what we're doing," Bridget said, as she relaxed in her chair, with the night's labor at an end.

"It's a lot of pressure to get this right," Scott said.

"Yeah," Henry said. "I mean, the money doesn't really matter, right?"

"Yeah," Bridget said.

"Am I the only one who finds this incredibly awkward?" Chad asked.

"No, you're not alone there," Bridget asked. "Hiring a girl and forking over 500 large ones so that she'll date your absolute loser of an older brother leaves you with a strange feeling of, I don't know, indifference? I'm not excited, because I don't think this plan has a chance. I'm not disappointed, because I'm sure this is going to go badly. I only hope Calvin can behave himself, and not royally fuck this up. I only hope something terrible doesn't happen, and he winds up in jail, or something."

"Your mom might take that outcome, to be honest," Henry said. He was joking, but everyone knew he wasn't joking by nearly that much.

"Ah, what the hell?" Bridget asked. "We've done our part, and the rest is up to Calvin and Shauna. No point worrying about it anymore, right?"

Bridget said that, but the truth was, everyone had a sinking feeling in their stomach. Out of the four young people, they were all terrible at waiting, and now, with the arrangements finalized, all they could do was wait for word from the front. There was no more action they could take, as it was out of their hands. None of them liked that one bit.

Scott kept his promise to Steve, and he texted him the name of the girl they had chosen, and her picture.

Meanwhile, back on the road, Margaret had a dawn of inspiration.

"I know where they're going," Margaret said. "It's Veronica Lake, got to be. That's the only thing down this way. Kloe and I went with a bunch of people a couple of weeks ago."

"Okay, how do we get in position to snoop on them?" Alania asked.

Margaret thought a moment, "I bet they're headed for the south entrance to the lake. That's the one we used too. That makes it easy, since I know where it is. We can park the car a short distance away, and then sneak up on them unnoticed. It's really dark out right now, and we shouldn't have any trouble," Margaret said.

Steven drove his car into the main south entrance and parked his car in a designated area near the lake, he climbed out of the car, and raced over to the passenger's side to hold open Kloe's door for her. She got out too.

"Thanks for being such a good sport tonight," Kloe said.

"You're welcome," Steve said, smiling. "Do you mind if I take a minute to check my messages?"

"Sure," Kloe said, as she looked over his shoulder, and at his cell phone. "I'm just as curious to know how it went with finding a girl for Calvin as you are."

"Well, here we are," Steve said. "Shauna Lomb, 18 years old, graduated from High School in the same class as Bridget and Henry. Pretty girl."

"Yeah, she is," Kloe said. "I trust Scott's judgment, but don't you think he could have picked someone a little hotter? I can't believe this is the best that $400 for 3 nights of work can buy you."

"It's not really about finding a beauty queen," Steve explained. "We want a girl who's, as Scott put it, beautiful, but also non-threatening."

"I see," Kloe said. "Is the date going to happen on Friday night?"

"Yeah," Steve said. "That's the plan. Calvin really needs help, and the sooner he goes on this date, the better."

"You really feel for him, don't you?" Kloe asked.

"He's like the brother I never had, even though I've never met him," Steve said. "I know Scott feels the same way I do. We've both lost loved ones to suicide, and I don't want Calvin to become another statistic."

"You're such a good person, and I mean that, Steve," Kloe said. "It's rare to find people who so actively look out for others like you do. Thanks for helping me out by going on this date with me tonight."

"This is a mutually beneficial relationship, right?" Steve asked. "You help me and I help you. I'm going to do my best for you."

"I appreciate that," Kloe said. "How far are you willing to go to help me out?"

"Tell me what you need from me, and the answer will almost certainly be yes," Steve said.

"That's good to know," Kloe said, as she pulled her phone out of her purse. "There's just one more kind of photo we need to take, but I'm unsure if you'll go through with it. I would really help me out, as it would cement us as an item with my friends and family back home, but if you don't want to, I understand."

"What is that?" Steve asked, curious.

"I'd like to take some naked photos," Kloe said.

Steve just about broke the world's record for the standing high jump, "Huh?" he asked.

"I can explain," Kloe said.

"Please do, I'd like to hear this," Steve said.

"Okay, it's like this," Kloe said. "When a guy and a girl first get together, sometimes, they'll take nude photos of themselves together. Nothing naughty is shown, you understand. We both get naked, and then we hold each other, or we shoot the photos at angles that hide the genitals, but which make it plain we're both naked. The idea is that it shows we're committed to being together, and it puts it into the minds of our friends and family that we're actively fucking each other. Again, if you don't want to, I understand."

"I don't get why I should be complaining," Steve said. "You're a very lovely girl. Are you sure you want your friends to think you're having sex with me?"

"Do you want to see me naked Steve?" Kloe asked.

"Yeah, what man wouldn't?" Steve asked. "Would you post the pictures you take of us to Facebook?"

"Facebook can be puritanical when it comes to nudity, sometimes," Kloe said. "My friends from back home have already seen the pictures I posted to Facebook tonight, and they want more. I figured I'd send them our photos directly."

"Okay," Steve said, as he audibly gulped and visibly blushed.

"What do you want to do to my body?" Kloe asked, in her sultriest voice.

"Um, yeah," Steve said, as he pulled at his sweater's collar trying to come up with an answer.

"Do you want to dump your semen in my pussy and impregnate me with your babies?" Kloe asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "What man wouldn't? The thought of you 8 months pregnant with child? Damn."

"Well, c'mon, don't just stand there, get those clothes off and help me with mine," Kloe said.

Off in the distance, Alania and Margaret were watching through a pair of binoculars. They had concealed themselves behind a large bush.

"Holy shit!" Alania whispered. "What the fuck are they doing now?"

"Shit," Margaret said. "They're taking off their clothes! This is not good."

After five minutes, Steve and Kloe were both naked, and Kloe spent a few minutes posing for Steve, whose boner was very happy to see Kloe in the nude. After this, she gathered up all their clothes, and put them into the car.

"You take just your car keys, and I'll take just my smart phone and my selfie stick," Kloe said. "That way the pictures will look as uncluttered, and as natural as possible. I don't want people to see our clothing getting in the shots by mistake."