“Nothing. Stay where you’re at.”
“I can do that.”
He did not speak, but the silence wasn’t oppressive.
Eventually, I sat up, and the world didn’t shift. Lucy snuck onto my lap, making biscuits while I stroked her. After a few moments, Lucy crawled in Kalvoxrencol’s direction, tail straight and nose scrunching. He froze. She smelled him before hissing. Kalvoxrencol didn’t even twitch. Slowly, she smelled him again. This time she didn’t hiss.
“Progress,” he commented.
I glanced at his tail around my leg, then back to his face. “Progress.”
His fingers crept across the couch in my direction. As the tips of his claws brushed my thigh, I stood, heat flushing my cheeks. His tail remained around my ankle, but when I stared at it, the prehensile appendage unwound. The moment I was free, I dashed to the bedroom with Lucy right behind me.
Chapter 8
Nicknames are better, right?
Before going to sleep, I’d asked NAID to wake me up in the morning. She did so with gentle beeping. I rolled over, swearing, and Lucy stretched, clawing at the silky sheets.
“Youdidask me to wake you.” Her thin lips puckered. She did that often. Maybe it was a habit of Edith Smith?
“Sorry. I’m not a morning person.”
“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have, let alone display emotions. It is unfitting for NAID.”
“My mom used to tell me, emotions were for everyone. Men could cry. Women could be angry. Emotions are a part of us.”
“I’m not human.”
“But you are a person.” NAID was a person. There were no doubts or arguments that could sway me.
“As you’ve said.” NAID grinned.
“NAIDs don’t have emotions?”
“There is one of us. We are all part of the whole, interconnected. My connection was not established to the hub, because of Prince Kalvoxrencol’s rush to leave. NAID does not have emotions or original thoughts. It is a computer program.”
“But you’re different. Since the first time I met you, you didn't seem like a computer. You even chose this appearance, so I wouldn’t be scared.”
“There is a flaw in my programming.”
“No, you are just you.”
“I like that.”
“That’s why you should choose a name, like you chose this face.”
“Edith Smith. Ninety-two. Married with fifteen children and forty-two grandchildren. She is a fan of Ruby Dixon, red wine, and jazz. She likes to post videos about marriage and life advice online. She has over ten thousand followers on various sites,” NAID said like she was giving a report.
“That’s a lot of children.”
NAID’s eyes twinkled in mischief. “By her own words, though more colloquial, she loves reproductive activities.”
I had absolutely no response to the frisky grandmother, so I weakly said, “Good for her.”
“Would you like to see her videos or read some of her favorite books? They are what you would call alien smut.”
Thatwas not something I needed at this exact second. “I’m good.” My eyes moved to the door. “Is he out there?”
