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Go big or go ho I could do

"Go on, Elizabeth" I nudged her with a sympathetic curve of my lips and tilt of

Elizabeth was boring

I hated being wrong al bored Still, I could take her problem, one I’d heard tooe And why not? Someone had to do it

I sulked--it’s not pretty to say, but I did--drank arita, and read Elizabeth’s face as she carefully laid out what she wanted piece by piece, artfully juht if I saw the picture of the puzzle clear and bright as the North Star, I’d think her vain

She was

I’d think her greedy

She was that, too

I’d think her selfish and malicious

Well, that’s in the eye of the beholder

I’d think her a sociopath

As if she’d be the first to cross uppy

I’d think her a murderer

Don’t we all have our piddly faults?

I made out the puzzle despite her best efforts, and her best was very good The secret was to not look into her eyes but beside them before wrinkles in her fine skin were hidden like bodies in a graveyard under a blanket of softening spring grassor, in this case, by expensive makeup See the forehead not s froer on that beautiful dress that had the high neck to conceal the ravity, physics, and Einstein himself in one hellacious hat trick

I felt for her--I did

I do lie--how do you think I spot the best so well?--but that isn’t one of theetting old if only it didn’t show so e not for appearance but for its wisdoe appears like ic at the press of a few keys if you cared (no one cared), it was different No, these days we’d put the aged in nouveau leper colonies if we could, to hide the sight and wisdom How much wisdom can you fit in one hundred forty characters or less? Is that really an issue the modern world cares about?

"Like" yes or no on that question, please

Sighing, lass and laid it out for herif not quite in the way as she’d laid it out for so many I did it in words while she used silk sheets "Elizabeth, you’re ar All this?" I brushed my hand an inch above the table to indicate the threads of her tapestry of deceit that draped in invisible folds "It’s lies And they’re good lies, mind you I may tuck a feay for future use," or just to take out and covet as the shiny trinkets they were, "but in my bar you don’t have to tell me lies You said your husband was Catholic Think of this place as a confessional" I winked "Or better yet, a whorehouse No judg and you should You’re paying for my service If you can’t tell ive it to you?"

I actually could, but where was the entertainreat liar was forcing a great liar to tell the truth We hate it like poison We’re contrary that way

Hate it she did, all the war out of her as quickly as if she’d turned off the lights with a flip of the switch It’s harder to be a successful sociopath if you have to show your true face to the world Not ih, not at all--just a little harder I had faith that Elizabeth could handle it I had faith that Elizabeth had handled many buer ones than sier isn’t always better