The bungalow blinds were drawn. I knocked on the door and waited. I knocked again, but no one answered. I put my hand on the doorknob and jiggled it. It was locked, of course. For a minute I thought of sticking my business card under the door but decided I didn’t want Monica Fullbright to know yet that I knew where she lived. I decided to go to the gym.

Gold’s Gym in Venice is the bodybuilding mecca of the Western world. Located two blocks from the beach in a semi-industrial area that is now populated by the lofts of successful artists, design firms and the extremely prestigious Chiat/Day ad agency, it is a former warehouse. There are 47,000 square feet of Nautilus, Icarian and Eagle machines and enough free weights to give one to every man, woman and child in Belize. At any given time there will be several hundred serious bodybuilders pumping iron to some jacked-up bass-heavy rock and roll while examining themselves in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that cover all the walls.

I hurried in to get out of my suit and into my workout clothes and to see if Rodney was there. I don’t know Rodney’s last name. Somehow we’ve never gotten around to last names. He and I been knowing each other, as they say, for about two months. We’ve never made a serious commitment to each other, but whenever we are both there Rodney will spend some time training with me or spotting for me. Freud said, “The body is the ego.”

On my way in, I glanced over to the juice bar to see if Rodney was there having one of his strawberry protein drinks, which had a strange chemical smell, or some wheatgrass, which he claims is good for toning the muscles and releasing toxins. Although there is a serious amount of steroid use here, releasing toxins is a hot topic. I like that about the gym. Conversation is limited to what you ate, how you shit it out and your muscles. I didn’t see Rodney and went upstairs to the women’s locker room and changed into a black bandeau top, black tights cut off at the knee and a pair of red high-tops. When I first started, I wore a baggy sweatsuit, but Rodney told me muscle is an aspect of feminine gender and that I should get clothes like the other women wore so I could watch my body as it changed.