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Chapter 17: "The End of Summer"

The weather had taken a turn for the better as August approached its end. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect, and the forecast predicted that it would last for days. It was just the kind of weather needed for a weekend at the beach. The whole thing had left Max feeling rather excited, which was quite evident as she shopped for swimsuits. "Oh Cheryl, what do you think of this one?"

"A one-piece, really?" Cheryl asked with a bit of surprise. "I expected you to go right for the bikinis."

"I thought about it, but I don't want to pull too much attention. Terra should be the center of focus at this party, not me."

"That's what I love about you Maxi," Cheryl smirked, "always thinking about others before yourself. If more people thought like you, the world might be a better place."

"Oh stop it, I'm just being considerate." Max smiled through the compliment, humming to herself as she perused the swimwear. "Oh, I like this one. Open down the front, but still covers nicely, and the deep purple is a quiet kind of sexy, don't you think?"

"You look sexy in anything, hun." Cheryl chuckled, fingers locked behind her head as she watched Max compare suits in a mirror. The skunk had been laughs and smiles all day, which was usually the norm for her. But given recent events, and Max's history, Cheryl knew better than to just assume that everything was alright. "Are you okay? You know, it's alright to be sad or upset after a breakup."

"I'm fine." Max answered quickly. "Do you think we can find a nice sarong to go with this?"

"Maxi, we're not in high school anymore. You don't have to hide behind that smile, not around me."

"I'm fine." Max reiterated firmly, shooting a glance at Cheryl before putting her smile back on. "Hey, you should get something, too. Something sexy that'll really knock Aiden on his ass."

"I hate shopping for swimsuits." Cheryl muttered, knowing when to pick her battles. "I can only wear certain things or else I get a rather noticeable bulge." With a sigh she stepped up behind Max, placing her hands on the skunk's shoulders. "Listen, you don't have to talk about it, but it's okay to be sad or angry. You don't need to bottle it all up."

"I know, but I'm fine." Max insisted, flashing that smile once more. "I already shed my tears and now I'm moving on. C'mon, let's find you something cute for the party. You won't have to worry about anyone else taking Aiden's attention after he sees you."

It took some work, but Max was able to convince Cheryl to pick up a cute swimsuit that would turn heads without revealing too much. With plenty of time left in the day, they decided to spend some time window shopping and enjoying the nice weather. Cheryl had split off for just a moment, leaving Max on her own to admire a new line of lingerie. She was busy imagining herself working in one of the outfits when someone called out to her, catching her off her guard. She was surprised and less than happy to see it was Amy's friends, Trish and Ling, and they didn't look too happy either.

"Hey, I've got a few things to say to you." The coyote said as she pointed a finger Max's way. She was storming over quickly, Ling following with equal determination. "You're not just gonna get away with what you did."

Max sighed, knowing where this was going. Not that she could blame them for being upset, but she didn't want to deal with an ex's angry friends. She knew she should probably leave, but a part of her wanted to stay and maybe defend herself.

"How could you?" Trish growled, poking Max firmly in the chest. "She opened herself up to you, dared to take a chance with you, and then you just toss that all away? How could you just dump her like that?"

"I didn't just toss it all away." Max countered, slapping Trish's hand aside. "I loved being with Amy, but I can't be with someone who keeps those kinds of secrets from me. And I definitely can't be with someone who's in another state."

"You could have at least tried." Trish growled, narrowing her eyes. The coyote clearly wasn't interested in listening to Max. She was pissed, and the defense of her friend was all she cared about. "She was willing to try,willing to do what it takes. You just gave up as soon as things got a little inconvenient. You're nothing but a coward."

Max narrowed her eyes back at that, wanting to slap the teen for her gall. But she held back, doing her best to keep her own temper in check The last thing she wanted was an all out fight in a public place. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened, but it wasn't going to work out okay? I wish things could have ended better, but life's not always so kind." She took a step closer, squaring up to the coyote. "We all have to deal with breakups, hell I've had plenty. If you really want to help Amy through it, you should be with her instead of picking a fight with me."

Trish started to respond, fire in her eyes, when Ling put a hand on her shoulder "She's right. Besides, she's not worth it."

There was a moment of hesitation before Trish nodded in agreement. "You're right, Ling. I shouldn't waste my breath on some over-sexed, narcissistic stripper. Let's go."

They started to leave, but Ling paused just long enough to gaze back at the skunk. "She cried for you, you know. You better not forget that." She scowled at Max before heading off to catch up with her friend.

Max watched them leave, keeping her defiant air for as long as she could. But as soon as they were out of sight, she collapsed against the wall. "I cried too, dammit." She felt like crying now, but the public setting helped her hold it back. She didn't want to break down here, in front of all these strangers. Finding some level of resolve, Max took a few steadying breaths, doing her best to bury her pain.

"You okay, Maxi?" Cheryl asked as she finally returned. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, not much. I just had a little talk with Amy's friends." She flashed Cheryl a sad smile, already reading her friend's expression. "I'll be okay, I promise."

"Okay." Cheryl smiled, thinking better than to argue. "Here, I got you a smoothie. So, are there any other stores you want to go to?"

Max smirked as she took the drink. She knew what Cheryl was up to, pretending to go along with it to make things easier, but had no intention of calling her on it. As always, Cheryl was the one to help Max feel stable when her life seemed to be falling apart. And she'd never say no to a smoothie.

---

"It's so beautiful out here, isn't it Nii-san?" Jessica hummed as she watched the scenery go by. She smiled at Aiden as they drove to Terra's party. "The scenery out here is great, and the weather is perfect for the beach. This is gonna be so much fun." She glanced over her shoulder. "Have you ever been out here, Max?"

"No, this is a first for me." Max smiled from the back seat. "Though I've always wanted to go to Cape Cod." She turned her gaze back to the passing view and away from Jessica's smirk. The girl seemed to feel she had achieved some kind of victory in getting invited to the party and almost seemed to be gloating about it. Or maybe it's just because she had gotten the front seat instead of the skunk. Either way it didn't matter to Max; she didn't mind that Jessica was coming along and was more looking forward to the distraction of the party.

They pulled up to the beach house in the early afternoon, several other guests already there. Max inhaled the sea air deeply, smiling as the warm breeze caressed her face and fur. She knew now that this was exactly what she needed to help cheer her up, to help her move on and forget. There were friends here she knew, or hoped at least, wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon.

"Max, you came!" Terra greeted them warmly as they approached the house. "I'm glad. I was worried you wouldn't get off work." She gave the skunk a tight hug, which Max didn't expect but certainly didn't refuse. "You're not going to get in trouble with your boss, are you?"

"No, I'll be fine." Max chuckled, returning the hug. "Mistress Vanessa said it was alright, as long as I work on Monday. She's pretty relaxed about that sort of thing, so long as it's not too late notice."

"I'm glad. I'd hate it if you got in trouble because of me." Terra backed off with a smile, and a slight blush Max noticed. She was going to say something when Terra glanced to one side. "Jessica, is that you? Oh my god you've gotten so big."

It was the fox's turn for a hug, and Jessica returned it with a giggle. "It's only been a couple of years, Terra. Congratulations, by the way."

"Last time I saw you, you were still a kid." Terra joked, ruffling her hair. "Now look at you; a full grown woman. I bet you have to beat men off with a stick."

"Oh I don't have to worry about that." Jessica smirked, clinging to Aiden's arm. "I have my Nii-san to protect me. He's the only guy I really need."

"Isn't that cute." Terra chuckled. "C'mon, let me show you around." The siamese led the others to the rather impressive house and private beach property. Max was once again blown away by Terra's family wealth. While she had been expecting the nice house, she hadn't imagined that her family actually owned a part of the beach. A small part, but still quite impressive.

They quickly changed into their swimsuits and joined the festivities. While Aiden went off to see his friends, Jessica in tow, Max found herself once again in the company of Terra and her model friends. She recognized Renee and Emily almost immediately, both of whom seemed slightly amused to see her.

Emily bounded over quickly, the sheep seemingly full of energy. "Good to see you Max. I love your suit. You would have looked amazing if you had worn a bikini like the rest of us, but you rock this one piece pretty well."

"A bikini would be too much with her boobs and butt." Renee put in with a smirk. "She's not at work after all, so there's no need for her to show off." She finished with a nod to the skunk. "You look fabulous. Purple is definitely your color."

"Thanks, I think." Max smiled back, not sure if she should really feel complimented by either of them. They seemed sincere at least, though they had an odd way of praising others. Still, at least she was with friends and in a relaxing environment. As the others returned to their talks of modeling and fashion, Max took the opportunity to really take in the scenery. They were the only ones on the small beach, the warm sea breeze lifting her spirits. She could see how blue and clear the ocean was from there, the sunlight glistening on the gentle waves, as if inviting her to come for a swim.

Some of the others were already on their way to that water, including Aiden and a few of his friends. It had been some time since she had last gone swimming, even longer since she had been in the ocean. She certainly wasn't going to miss the chance today if she could help it. "Say, do you guys want to go swimming?"

The models all looked at each other before breaking out in laughter. The mirth continued until they saw that Max wasn't laughing with them. Emily was the first to realize it and speak up. "Wait, you're serious? You really want to go swimming?"

"Well, yeah." Max shrugged, not sure what they found so funny. "Why else would we come out here, wearing these swimsuits? I mean, the weather's perfect for it, so why wouldn't we?"

"Don't you know what that salt water does to your fur?" Renee scoffed at the very idea. "The salt corrodes it, taking out the shine we work so hard for." She looked the skunk over, as if admiring her fur. "Well, I guess you don't have to worry about it as much as we do, but your fur is too gorgeous to risk."

Max hesitated, once again not sure if she was just praised or insulted. She ran her fingers through the fur on her arm, gazing off at the ocean. Aiden and the others were already deep in the tide, tossing a volleyball around and generally having a good time. She looked back at the girls, who were just sitting around gossiping. Max was having unpleasant flashbacks to high school, when she often passed up the things she wanted to do to keep in with the popular crowd; the supposed friends who had ditched her in the end. She hated herself then, and refused to go back to that. "Thanks for the warning, but I've been looking forward to swimming all week. I'll take my chances."

"That's a shame." Renee sighed. "You could be modeling with a body like that, but if you treat it wrong, you'll be stuck stripping forever."

"I like stripping." Max declared with a bit of pride. "And I like swimming, so I'll talk to you guys later." Feeling pleased with herself she practically skipped along the beach, looking froward to the feel of the water and having some real fun.

"That's just too bad." Renee shrugged. "I guess she just can't make the necessary sacrifices needed to stay beautiful, like us."

While the others voiced their agreement, Terra watched Max join in the fun. The others, even her fiance, seemed to be having a lot of fun as they swam and splashed in the water. She used to love swimming too, until her modeling career got in the way of it. Heaven forbid she get any salt water or chlorine in her fur.

But why should that get in the way of her fun? Especially considering this was her party. "You know, I think I'm going swimming too."

"You can't be serious." Emily gasped. "Terra, you've got a shoot on Monday. You can't go swimming now. What about your perfect fur?"

"To hell with all that." Terra smirked as she stood up. "I haven't had any real fun like this in a while, so I'm going swimming. You guys can sit around here if you want, but I'm going to enjoy myself."

They watched Terra leave to join her friends in the ocean, momentarily stunned into silence. "That girl has been acting funny ever since she met that Max." Renee muttered. "I hope she doesn't ruin her career just to have some pointless fun."

"Well, if she does, maybe Max can get her a job stripping." They all had a good laugh at that, but Max and Terra were both now having too much fun to care about what others might think.

It was later in the day when Cheryl pulled up to the beach house. She was initially impressed by the size of the property, but those thoughts were lost when she saw all the other guests, most of whom she didn't know. Everyone was either in the water or near it, and Cheryl was relieved to see that Jacob didn't have his hands all over her Aiden, not yet anyway. In fact, the ones closest to him were Max and Jessica, and she knew they were safe.

Collecting her things, Cheryl started to make her way across the beach. She wanted to introduce herself to these people and join in the fun as soon as she could, but a group of women intercepted her, a dalmatian apparently leading the pack. "I'm sorry, but this is a private beach. You'll need to go somewhere else."

"I was invited, by Terra." Cheryl explained, not really appreciating the rude welcome. Maybe they got unwanted visitors often? "I'm a friend of Max's and Aiden's." She held out her hand, doing her best to remember her own manners. "Cheryl Goodwin. Nice to meet you.

The woman turned her nose up at the greeting, and it didn't look like they were going to let Cheryl pass until Max called out from the water. "Cheryl, you finally made it!"

They turned to see Max and Aiden running inland, but didn't move until the fox pushed his way through to take Cheryl in his arms. "I'm glad you could come. Work wasn't too tough, was it?"

"No, work was fine. I am glad to be here though, with you." They shared a kiss, which brought up some mumbling from the models that was mostly ignored. The women took a couple steps back as Terra and Marcus joined them, and Cheryl pulled away from Aiden to greet them with a smile. "Are you two the happy couple? Well, congratulations, and thanks for inviting me."

"Don't even think twice about it, honey." Terra smiled, surprising her with a hug. "A friend of Max's is a friend of mine. Plus you're Aiden's girlfriend, so of course you were invited. Speaking of; Aiden, why don't you show her where she can change?"

"Sure. C'mon, there's plenty of places to change in the house."

The other's watched as they headed for the house, Renee letting out a derisive snort. "She's really a friend of yours?" She asked Max, seemingly unimpressed. "Someone like her's really dating that hunk Aiden?"

"Yes they're dating, and yes she's my friend. My best friend in fact, ever since we were little girls." Max smirked, knowing where this would likely go and not wanting it to go there. "She and I are very close, like sisters. We always look out for each other." She shot Renee and the other's a brief look of warning before turning back towards the ocean.

Renee watched her go, taking it all in with a frown. "You're fur's getting matted." She called out, beginning to rethink her opinions of the skunk.

"Nothing a shower won't fix." Max called back. She had played the popularity game once before, and she had no intention of doing it again. Not when she was making real friends again, like Terra, who was already following her back to the water.

The party continued on into the evening, and as the sun began to set a bonfire rose in the center of the beach. With good food provided by Marcus on the grill, and plenty of drinks in the fridge, the guests were in quite a jovial mood. Most of the guests anyway. Cheryl found herself feeling a bit out of place around all these models, and was doing her best to stay close to either Max or Aiden, and away from those who clearly didn't want her there. It wouldn't have been so bad, since Terra and Aiden's friends were actually very nice, but Cheryl was having trouble getting as close to Aiden as she wanted to be, between Jessica and Jacob both fighting for his attention.

She had managed to snag a seat next to Aiden around the fire and was doing her best to keep the fox's attention on her and away from Jacob, who was sitting on his other side. Cheryl had been keeping an eye on the coon all day and to his credit he hadn't pushed too far. But now that the alcohol was flowing, she had noticed more than a few eyes looking over her boyfriend's body, and it was starting to ruffle her fur. Max had told her not to be so obsessive, but with all these beautiful people around wanting to steal her boyfriend, how could she not be concerned?

Cheryl leaned back, taking a deep breath as she tried to clear her mind and enjoy the party. When she glanced over however, she was less than pleased to see Jacob's hand on the small of Aiden's back. She felt a fire in her at that, and it was all she could do to not scream out at the guy. Instead, she tapped Jacob's hand to get his attention, and when he looked over the raccoon was met with a scowl that sent a chill down his spine.

"Sorry." He mouthed, quickly pulling his hand away. The ensuing growl made him flinch, and Jacob quickly turned his gaze to the fire, both hands on his beer. In all honesty, he hadn't even realized he had wrapped his arm around Aiden. He'd have to be more careful with Cheryl around, despite the temptation.

The fox wasn't missing out on Cheryl's scorn either, though he seemed oblivious to it as usual. 'How could he not notice?' Was all she could think as she glared at the fox. 'How could he just let Jacob do that? Did he really not notice, or does he just not care?'

"I need a drink." She muttered, standing up and throwing a look Aiden's way. He just flashed her an innocent smile, but that only annoyed her further. She made her way to the house where she found Max on the front porch, gazing off across the ocean. "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Max smiled warmly at her friend's approach. "I was just thinking, enjoying the view. How are you holding up? Make any new friends yet?"

"Not likely." Cheryl chuckled as she opened a fresh beer. "Marcus and Terra are nice enough, but I don't think the others like me."

"Yeah, some of Terra's colleagues can be a little... difficult to get used to."

"Glad I don't have to." She chuckled, leaning against the railing next to her friend. "Aiden, on the other hand... I don't know how I can put up with that guy. I just caught Jacob practically coping a feel and Aiden didn't even seem to notice. A normal person might think he was cheating, but I think he's just an idiot."

"Which is worse?" Max joked, glancing over at the bonfire. "Looks like you lost your seat."

Cheryl looked over to see that Jessica had indeed taken her set, and while slightly irking it could have been worse. "What's her deal?" She asked as she watched Jessica lean on her brother's shoulder. "She acts all sweet around Aiden, but she keeps giving me such nasty looks."

"She gives them to me, too." Max said as she also watched the siblings. "She's very protective of him. I don't think she likes other women getting too close to him." The skunk blew out a sigh, gazing out across the water. "I'm a little jealous of her."

"Hm." Cheryl was only half listening at this point. Her eyes were on Aiden, watching as Jacob slid closer to the fox, leaning against him quite comfortably. That raccoon was quite ballsy after a few drinks. And Aiden, for his part, was just letting it all happen. A low growl emanated from her chest as she watched the coon's hand drift behind Aiden once more, resting more than comfortably at the base of his tail. Aiden's tail twitched in response, and he seemed to glance Jacob's way, as if he knew but didn't seem to care. He clearly saw no problem at all with letting a friend, not his girlfriend, touch him so affectionately.

"I can't do this anymore." Cheryl muttered to herself, feeling the anger and jealousy well up inside her. "I can't do this to myself anymore."

Ignoring Max's inquiries, Cheryl stormed across the sand towards the bonfire. She had to keep her breath steady as she approached, wanting to stay as calm as she could so she didn't explode at Aiden right in front of everyone. She did well as she stepped up behind the fox, tapping him on the shoulder. "Aiden, we need to talk."

Aiden turned to her with a smile on his face as Jacob pulled away guiltily. "Hey hun, what's up?"

Cheryl look around, seeing a few others looking their way. "I need to talk to you in private, please." She whispered, making sure her tone conveyed the seriousness of the situation.

"Yeah, alright." Aiden kept his smile, though he could tell that something was wrong. Quietly, they made their way away from the others, closer to the water. "Alright, so what's up? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something's wrong, and the fact that you don't realise it proves that." The Torgi took a deep breath, turning to look Aiden directly in the eyes. "Aiden, I don't think it's going to work out, you and I. I think we should break up."

"What?" Aiden's ears dropped at the news, as he stumbled over his words for a moment. "I... I mean... You... You want to break up? Why?"

"Why? Aiden, you are a pain in the ass to date!" Cheryl blew out a sigh, not sure how to say this nicely. "Aiden, Jacob just had his hands all over you! He was feeling you up and, and you let him! It's like you're cheating on me right in front of me."

Aiden tilted his head to one side, clearly confused. "Jacob was... no. No I told him to back off; that I'd never cheat on you."

"Then why was he practically grabbing your ass just five minutes ago?" Cheryl groaned, pacing about in the sand. "Most people would just assume you're lying, or that you just don't care. But I don't think that's the case, because you are a good guy and I know you're loyal." She looked back up at Aiden, into those blue eyes that had first pulled her in. "No, I think that you just don't think. Not for yourself anyway. As long as it doesn't go against your morals, you just let others do what they want with you."

"That's not true." Aiden argued, not sure what to make of that assessment. "I mean, if that were true, I would have let Jacob sleep with me when he first opened up to me."

"Yes," Cheryl nodded, "and if we weren't dating, I think you would have. You don't really stop anyone who makes a move on you. Even me." Cheryl looked away, feeling a bit guilty. "That's how we hooked up in the first place: I wanted you and pushed for it, and you pretty much let me with barely any hesitation."

"So?" Aiden countered. "Maybe I let you because I thought you were cute, and I wanted to date you too. That doesn't mean I just let other people use me or whatever."

"Maybe, and I'd like to believe that, but it's the same thing with your ex, and all those one night stands. Even your book getting printed wasn't your idea. You let yourself get talked into it." She shook her head, feeling a weight hanging on her heart. "Look, I admit I can be a bit of the jealous, possessive type, but there are reasonable limits, and I can't be with someone who lets other people feel him up; someone that seems so oblivious to what's going on, and how it affects me."

"Cheryl..."

"Look, I still really like you Aiden, and I still think we can be friends... and maybe occasional lovers. I just don't think we can date seriously. I'm sorry."

Before Aiden could say another word, Cheryl turned and walked away. Aiden could only watched her head into the house, not sure what to think. Slowly, as if in a daze, the fox returned to the fire, taking his seat between his sister and his friend. "Everything okay?" Jessica asked as she leaned on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Aiden lied, "everything's fine. She's just not feeling well."

While Aiden pretended everything was okay, Cheryl was collecting her things. Max caught her on the way out, having seen their talk but hearing none of it. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean... I'm just gonna go home, Maxi. I'm tired and I don't belong here. I'll talk to you later. Have fun, alright?"

"Alright, you take care, hun." Max watched as Cheryl made her way to her car. The skunk then turned her gaze to Aiden, who was noticeably slouching, despite what appeared to be rather pleasant conversation. "Oh Cheryl..." She sighed, only hoping the breakup wasn't going to be too painful for all of them.

It was late when Cheryl finally arrived home, though her parents were still up and quite surprised to see her. "I didn't expect you home tonight." Her mother said, the middle aged corgi giving her daughter a hug. "Is everything alright, Pumpkin?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cheryl smiled, returning the hug. "It was just a boring party, and I'm kinda tired. I'm just gonna go to bed."

They said their goodnights, then Cheryl went to bed as if everything was fine. She quickly got changed and crawled into her bed without a sound. It wasn't until she was alone in the dark of night that she finally let it all out. Quietly she sobbed into her pillow, letting out the pain in her heart as the tears fell down her cheeks.

---

As the city bus came to it's usual stop that warm weekday evening, Max disembarked for her typical three block walk to work with her usual air of calm. It was a routine she knew so well the skunk could do it with her eyes closed. One block down, then a right and two more blocks to the club. She went through the walk as if in a daze, her mind going over the events of the past weekend. Aiden had told her, later on in private, what had happened that night. Max had already assumed what had happened of course, but had been glad to hear it hadn't been too messy.

Still, there were a few things that were bothering her. Aiden had clearly been trying to act as if nothing happened, but Max could tell it was bothering him. Plus she hadn't been able to get in touch with Cheryl at all. She could only assume that her friend was just taking some time to clear her head, and hopefully things would soon return to normal.

Max rounded the club, making her way towards the employee parking lot and entrance, when her usual routine was disrupted. The last thing she expected was to see Amy hanging around outside the club, most likely waiting for her. "Amy? What are you doing here?"

"Hi Maxi." Amy smiled sheepishly, and her nervousness reminded Max of when they first met. "I uh... I heard my friends had a talk with you. Whatever they said, I'm not all that mad at you. I mean I don't hate you or anything, I just... I dunno what I'm saying."

"It's okay honey, I get it." Max offered a smile, though it faded a bit as she saw Diamond walk past, a curious smirk on her face. She tried to ignore it and focus on Amy instead. "They're your friends, and they're just looking out for you. I don't blame them, or you."

"Right." Amy nodded, clearing her throat and fidgeting nervously. "So long as you're not mad. Also, I wanted to officially say goodbye. I'm leaving for New York tomorrow and I wanted to see you one last time before I go. I just wanted to make sure there are no hard feelings or anything, you know?"

"Of course, everything's fine." Max took the collie in a hug, feeling a bit of cathartic release in the embrace. "I know we'll both move on from this, and I'm sure you'll do great in college, and soon you'll be too distracted and busy to worry about it."

"Thank you Maxi, for everything." Amy gave her one last squeeze before breaking away. "I don't know if it means anything, but I think you'd do well in college too, if you wanted to try it."

"I don't know about that." Max chuckled, blushing a bit. "I was never very good at school stuff."

"Maybe, but you have confidence and a drive for... well I don't know what for, but I know it's there."

Max looked away, blushing heavily now. She wasn't sure what to say to that, having no idea what the girl was talking about. "Well, thanks for coming by Amy. It's good to see you, but I have to get inside or I'll be late."

"Oh, of course." Amy stepped aside, still fidgeting nervously. "I'll see you again though, right? During summer breaks or something?"

Max paused at the door, thinking it over for just a moment. "I don't see why not. We can work out lunch or something. I really have to get inside now though. Good luck at school honey, and I'll see you around."

They shared a quick goodbye, then Max quickly went inside without looking back. She was surprised she didn't feel worse as she made her way to her station. Perhaps that clean goodbye was just what she needed to help her move on.

With a smile on her face, she returned to her routine, now trying to decide which makeup and perfume to wear for the night. It was, unfortunately, not so out of the ordinary when Diamond suddenly appeared behind her, a smug grin on her face. "So, who was that cute little thing? Your girlfriend?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Max sighed, "but she's my ex-girlfriend. We broke up about a week ago."

"Oh." The wolf backed off a bit. Even to her it didn't seem right to tease Max about a recent breakup. Besides, she had something more interesting to tease her about. "Take a look at what I got."

Max looked into the mirror to see Diamond's fingers tracing a familiar looking heart shaped pendant. Diamond seemed very pleased about the choker around her neck, and she was apparently trying to gloat about it. "Earned this through real hard work and determination. I didn't even have to sleep with the Mistress to get it."

"Well good for you."Max said with a forced smile. "And again, I didn't have to sleep with anyone to get this. That was just a perk."

Diamond just stared at the skunk for a moment, caught off her guard. "That's it? You don't have anything else to say?"

"The sex was good?" Max shrugged, wanting to finish getting ready. "What do you want me to say?"

"Well, I don't know." Diamond huffed, clearly disappointed. "You aren't mad or upset about this at all?"

"Why would I be?" Max shrugged, making her way over to find an outfit. "It doesn't bother me. I didn't even know about these collars until I got one. Really I have no reason to care, except to be impressed that you managed to get one yourself." She paused, corsets in hand as an idea popped in her head. "You know, you didn't really seem to care too much about these either, until I got my promotion. It was after that you started going on about earning one yourself." A smirk crossed the skunk's face as she turned to look at Diamond. "Really, you should be thanking me for giving you the drive to earn it and best me."

"What!?" Diamond scoffed, her fur ruffled. "You did no such thing, and I'm not thanking you for anything. You watch yourself, skank." With a low growl she stormed off, her tail thrashing angrily.

Max giggled to herself as she got back to work. It really hadn't bothered Max at all that Diamond had gotten that promotion and choker, but she loved the chance to get under that bitch's skin.

The routine of the evening continued on, with Domino bringing in a decent crowd and tips. She certainly had nothing to complain about with all the eager and attractive clients that sat at her table that night.

She was getting dressed at the end of her shift, looking forward to a good night's rest, when Diamond walked by once again. The wolf seemed to have cooled off now, though there was an odd look on her face. "Hey, did you see a rise in tips with your promotion? I was expecting more than I got."

"Not really. It's not like our customers know what these things mean. It's more of a status symbol, and gets us easier access to the Mistress and stuff, but that's about it."

"Huh... Well, night Domino." The wolf left without another word, and Max was just astounded the dancer had actually said anything to her. They'd never exchanged greetings and farewells before, just insults and snappy comebacks.

Shrugging it off, she finished getting dressed and left the club. It was a crisp evening, though still rather warm and comfortable. Max was lost in her head as she made the quiet walk back to the bus stop, with barely a wait for the bus. Sometimes this part was her favorite part of her commute; a chance to really sit down and relax. The skunk shut her eyes, giving in to the motions of the bus as it continued along it's route, barely registering as it made its various stops.

She was feeling rather at peace, until an overwhelming smell filled her senses and jarred her nerves. It was a pungent cologne, and Max nearly gagged on it. 'God, did this guy bathe in it? Wait...' A sudden, involuntary shiver ran down her spine as she realized that the smell was unpleasantly familiar to her, but she couldn't place where from.

She did notice when the passenger behind her leaned in closer, and her fur stood on end as a raspy voice breathed in her ear, "Long time no see, girl."

Her eyes went wide when the recognition hit her, and as Max turned to look at the source, a sense of dread overtook her. There she froze as her fearful gaze once again met the sinister looking eyes of Walter Schleck.