Page 42 of Fembot
Watching Calvin was even better than watching the animals, Winston thought. Calvin’s wonder was innocent and pure but also backed by scientific facts that were available to him because his brain was a literal computer.
“It’s one thing to know that the average giraffe is sixteen to eighteen feet tall, but another thing entirely to see one in person.” Calvin stood outside the giraffe enclosure and looked up at the gentle giant. Well, gentle in a zoo. Winston remembered hearing about a couple who’d been attacked by one while on safari. He wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of a giraffe.
“Did you know the giraffe can run at thirty-five miles per hour?” Calvin turned around to look at them. “Sorry, am I doing this wrong?”
He furrowed his brow. “I did a lot of research on dating before today, but I think I’m getting it wrong. There was too much information on the topic to be sure.”
“You’re doing fine, Cal,” Winston reassured him. “The point of a date is to spend time with a person, or people, that you want to get to know better.”
“The point is to have fun,” Lucky added. He’d always been charming and he always seemed to know exactly the right thingto say in any circumstance. “And I’m having the best day I’ve had in a long time. So yes, you’re doing it right.”
Lucky slid his arm around Calvin’s waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Tell us more about the giraffe.”
Winston admittedly didn’t pay much attention to the random animal facts Calvin knew. He did, however, pay close attention to how Lucky seemed to glow under the attention. He was enthusiastic about this place, and Winston hated himself a little for not bringing Lucky back sooner. Winston knew he could be very single-minded about things. He’d been so focused on getting through the end of his degree and with making sure he and Lucky were in a good place, that he’d forgotten that Calvin had needs too.
Maybe it hadn’t worked with Lucky before because it was always supposed to be the three of them. Hell, Winston might not be necessary to them. Maybe he was the extraneous piece of fluff. The hanger-on. Calvin and Lucky seemed happy together, chatting about giraffes as they wandered to the next exhibit in the African enclosures.
Then, Calvin turned and looked at him and reached out his free hand and Winston didn’t care so much if he wasn’t needed. He was wanted. He told himself he wasn’t going to be a fool about this, but mere days into their brand-new relationship, Winston was already letting the dark side of his brain whisper stupid shit in his ear about how he didn’t belong with them. Didn’t deserve them.
When Winston took Calvin’s hand, he pulled him close. “Are you okay, Winnie?”
Winston’s mouth twitched upon hearing that name applied to him outside the bedroom.
“I detected an increase in your heart and respiratory rate. Are you feeling okay?”
Fucking robots. Winston couldn’t even have a mental breakdown in peace anymore. But maybe that was for the best.
“I’m fine. I promise. I had a moment of foolishness, but I was already pulling myself out of it.” Unable to resist, Winston leaned in and brushed a kiss against Calvin’s cheek. He met Lucky’s curious gaze and kissed him too.
“As long as your foolishness was contained to only a moment, Win.” Lucky arched an eyebrow at him.
“It was. I promise.”
Lucky still looked skeptical, but he let it go. And for the rest of the morning, everything was perfect. They made the loop around the big central African enclosures. The sea lion exhibit was closed for improvements, so that was a little sad, but it gave them a reason to come back another time.
They made it around the outer edge of the African exhibit and decided to stop for lunch at a cafe nestled in the Australian corner of the zoo. The restaurant overlooked the Cassowary enclosure. Even from a distance, the birds terrified Winston.
Calvin shot him a knowing look, but before Winston could explain, Lucky chimed in.
“Our dear Winnie is afraid of large flightless birds.” Lucky put his hand on Winston’s thigh and gave it a squeeze.
“It’s a perfectly rational fear.”
“Yes, because they can get to us through the fence. And the glass. Not to mention we’re perched several feet above them.”
“That just means we can see more of them.” Winston shot daggers at Lucky. Well, he tried to, but he was too smitten with Lucky to pull it off.
“Cal and I will protect you. Won’t we, Cal?”
“A Cassowary has a powerful kick. I would take some damage, but it would be worth it to protect you, Winnie.”
Winston’s face heated. “It should be a crime for you to be as fucking cute as you are, do you know that?”
Calvin’s brow furrowed, but Lucky was quick to explain. “It’s an expression.”
“I knew that,” Calvin said, clearly lying.
Wait.Could Calvin lie? Was he capable of that? Winston would have to check the specs of his programming to be sure, but he didn’t think it should have been possible. But there were so many things about Calvin that weren’t what Winston expected from a robot.
