Page 7 of Fembot
“Wow. That’s… what did you order?”
“Several pantry staples such as rice, flour, sugar, pasta. Some fresh fruit and vegetables. The itemized list is in your inbox.”
“My inbox?”
“All robots are programmed with their owner’s contact information upon purchase.”
Lucky entered the kitchen as Cal started, without Winston prompting him, to clean the counters. Lucky looked at Winston and his eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline they rose so high.
Calvin didn’t acknowledge Lucky’s presence.
“What’s he doing?” Lucky joined Winston at the counter and leaned against it.
“Cleaning,” he answered. “Cooking. Ordering things for the kitchen.”
“Leave it to you to have your shiny new toy in the kitchen making you a sandwich. So innocent. You could have him, like, rob a bank or something.”
“Wrong,” Cal said. “I can’t be commanded to break the law.” He went on with his tasks and ignored Lucky, who gaped at him.
“Holy shit. He’s so cool,” Lucky said to Winston, then he repeated it to Cal. “You’re so cool. Can anyone tell you what to do?”
Lucky vibrated with excitement. He’d always gone through life with the energy of a sugar-high four year old. All gas, no brakes.
To Winston’s immense relief, Calvin said no. He hated to think what might happen to Cal if anyone in the house, or outside it, could tell him what to do.
“Only Winston and people he gives permission to can.”
Winston couldn’t get over how the more Calvin talked, the more real he sounded.
Lucky turned to Winston and batted his eyelashes. Lucky was one of those people who was impossible to say no to. He had round blue eyes that he knew how to make work for him. Even though Winston knew from firsthand experience that Lucky was no innocent, he still managed to get under Winston’s skin and soften his resolve.
“Please, Winnie, I promise I won’t get carried away.”
Winston narrowed his eyes and was about to respond when Calvin spoke.
“Is Winnie your preferred name? I understand that friends sometimes use nicknames as forms of endearment.”
Winston blinked at Calvin and drew a blank for several seconds. “Are you asking if you can call me Winnie?”
“I am asking if that’s your preferred name, yes.”
“It’s not. I prefer Winston.” He folded his arms over his chest and looked at Lucky. “You can tell him what do to, but only sometimes and only if you don’t get carried away. And he has to do what I say first.” Winston felt oddly possessive of Calvin already, and it had only been an hour.
Lucky let out a happy whoop and grinned from ear to ear. It was easy to see how Winston had fallen into bed with Lucky several times over the past few years. Lucky was sweet and gorgeous. He resembled an over-eager puppy more than he did a person sometimes.
“Man. I wanted to make him do something.”
“Well, you can tell him what you want for dinner. I can’t decide, and he was going to cook anyway.”
Lucky’s eyes got larger and rounder, a feat Winston didn’t think possible. “Can he make eggplant parmesan?”
“I can make anything,” Calvin replied. “But we don’t have the ingredients required for that dish. I’ve updated the groceryorder.” Calvin turned his attention to Lucky. “Would tomorrow be okay?”
“Tomorrow is fine. Holy shit. He’s going to make me eggplant parmesan.”
“Do you even like it?”
Lucky laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve never had it. I just know that if I eat another pizza I’m going to turn into a pepperoni.”
