Page 10 of Nice and Splicy

Before he can say more, she says, “He’ll need a standing desk.”

This is the second time she’s paid attention to my needs and comfort. I tilt my head, trying to figure out why she would do such a thing.

“Eventually, you two are going to be monitoring the Internet and social media for references to the splicers. I won’t tolerate hate speech. Once this goes public, we’re going to keep a tight watch on that type of thing.”

“I thought you said that wouldn’t happen for over a year,” Jo says, one eyebrow raised in question.

“Keeping secrets is a curious business. You never know when someone will let the cat out of the bag. I wouldn’t have climbed to this rank if I wasn’t thinking ahead and troubleshooting things before there’s even a whiff of a problem.”

Chapter Nine

Jo

I never knew Slater well. Never wanted to. I was just an angry kid who didn’t want a dad. I wish I could take all that back. Surely my childish actions put a strain on mom’s relationship with him.

Perhaps I can get to know him better now that we’re on this base together. From what I’ve seen, he’s a stand-up guy. He could make fun of the males in his care, treat them as second-class citizens, or worse—animals. Instead, he goes out of his way to be fair and provide what they need.

He’s thinking ahead. I imagine there are many ways to smuggle info out of this base. Food and supplies have to come in, which means trucks leave. There are a lot of ways an ingenious person could get information out to the public. I imagine the plan to have a big, happy coming out party when all the splicers are ready for worldwide attention might be a fantasy. When this hits the front page, not everyone is going to be happy about it.

“I’ll put in a requisition for a sturdy standing desk for Chance if you tell me what paperwork to use,” I say. “In the meantime, we’ll figure out a way for me to teach him some basics.”

Soon it’s just Chance and me in the room with two desks, two computers, and an unboxed printer in the corner.

How to make a setup Chance can use? I’m not sure how to manage this logistically. I’m a hacker, not an engineer.

“We could put my computer on the floor. I can lie down.”

He kneels onto all four knees, then rolls slightly with his back legs to the side and front legs curled but forward, keeping his head and human torso erect.

“Perfect. I’ve never been around horses—” I stop myself. It’s hard to know what’s politically correct. “Um, I know you’re not a horse.”

Other than his obvious pleasure at me including him at dinner last night, I find his emotions hard to read. Not now, though. He leans toward me, his expression serious and thoughtful.

“This is new to both of us, Jo. I’d never been within a block of a woman until a few days ago. We both shared our first meal in the dining room at the same time.”

I let my surprise show on my face. I thought Slater said the women have been here for a month.

“They kept me at the reject barracks until then.” He shrugs.

I’m sure there’s more to the story, but I’ll save my questions for another day.

“You didn’t know about splicers until yesterday. Let’s just admit we’re in uncharted territory and are discovering how to do this one step at a time. You’ve been very nice to me, so if you say something that might hit me wrong, I’ll assume you had no intention of being hurtful.”

There’s something about the soft look in those piercing blue eyes and his quiet tone of voice. It makes being in his company feel safe. I feel accepted and respected.

“Same here, Chance. Maybe we can figure out how to be friends.”

Friends. That’s an odd thing to aspire to. I’ve had very few in my life, and after my lover just framed me for a federal crime, I’m not overflowing with trust.

A few minutes later, I’ve unplugged Chance’s computer setup, moved it to the floor in front of him, and plugged everything back in. Just one problem. Though he can reach his computer, he won’t be able to get a good look at the monitor on my desk as I explain things to him.

“You could sit here.” He rearranges his body a bit, indicating I could nestle against his flank between his two sets of horse legs. That way we can share the keyboard and both see the computer.

“Uh… okay.” If any other man suggested I practically sit in his lap, I would already be calling the HR department, but the way Chance looks up at me from the floor, so open and unsure of himself, I know his motives are innocent.

As soon as I’m on the floor, tucked against his belly between his legs, I realize how intimate this position is. His short coat feels pleasantly soft under my hand as I hold his foreleg to lower myself down. The scent of fresh air and clean linen clings to him.

Trying to keep us focused on the task, I ask, “How much do you know about computers?”

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