Page 77 of CHOICE Lover
“Daddy!” she shrieks. “Found you! I’ve been looking everywhere.”
“I’m here. Why don’t you come down?” he shouts, earning an encouraging squeeze from Electra.
“Two hours passed, and I feared the worst. I’ve looked in every closet in this entire building! I thought they’d taken you again—”
“Chryl, please come down,” he yells, more firmly this time. They were able to keep the robbery out of the news. The last thing he needs is for Chryl to announce it while a dozen bystanders have their cameras on them.
“No way, José! Daddy comes to Chryl this time.” Before he realizes what’s happening, the lasso flies. The crowd seems to have guessed what was happening, because there is a straight path to him and Electra with enough space for the rope to loop around them. Chryl tugs and it cinches tight, causing an equally shocked Electra to squeak.
The crowd breaks out in uproarious applause.
“Oh damn, it caught her too,” Chryl says. “Oh, well.” She yanks the rope toward her, and they have no choice but to follow.
It takes five minutes of coaxing to get Chryl down from the stage, and not before she gives a short farewell address to her fans, whom she encourages to follow her on FrogBlog at CowgirlChryl2390.
“You’ve created a monster,” Electra says when they finally enter the sweet bliss of his private SAT.
“I actually had the same thought earlier.” He glances toward the backseat. “Chryl, how did you learn how to use a lasso?”
“I knew I could impress you!” She beams. “When you left, I watched a how-to video, then went to the simulation chamber to practice. It only took me a few tries. It was much easier than the people in the video claimed.”
Res6 shakes his head. A manupartner adapting as quickly as Chryl has fascinating implications for the future of CHOICElover. Her nature is programmed, but her nurture—the environmental factors thatinfluence individual development, plus her learned and stored experiences—seems to be individuating Chryl. What more proof does he need? Her paperwork says she’s been activated for a little over three years. She’s like a fully grown and educated toddler. Fascinating, but also horrifying. Perhaps they should impose term limits on CHOICElover leases. “How did you get them to let you into a simulation chamber without me?”
Chryl leans forward from the backseat like she’s about to share a juicy secret. “They recognized me from photos on the network, so they knew I belonged to you. I told them you sent me to practice, and that you sent a message giving me permission. When they couldn’t find it, I told them how upset you were going to be, so they decided it would be easiest to let me in. Between lying and sexual favors, I can accomplish anything!”
Electra must not have connected that Chryl is learning by observing them, thank Zorg. Otherwise, his lies might come to light.
Electra cuts him off from his disturbing thought, saying, “Do what you want with your body, but lying is wrong, Chryl.”
Chryl chuffs. “You lied. Two hours? Really Electra. Lying isn’t that hard.”
Res6 and Electra share a glance.
When they arrive back at the unit, he commands, “Chryl, please lock yourself in the room.”
She stomps. “Why can’t I stay out here with you?”
This jealousy trait is really getting out of hand. Is that what caused her original owner to turn her in? It might be worth sending a survey. “Because you’ve had a long night and I need to deal with the disruption you caused.”
Chryl frowns. “The crowd loved me.”
He sighs, pointing at the door. “Pleasejust go.”
“Fine,” she says, before perking up. “Can I at least have the bed tonight? The floor is uncomfortable.”
This causes Electra’s brows to shoot up.
“Yes, you can take the bed.” Anything to get rid of her.
Finally, the door closes and locks. With his m-volt, he thinks the command to keep it locked until he commands it open. Satisfied, he turns back to Electra, who’s twirling a lock of her dark hair and biting her lip.
“I can’t believe you’re making her sleep on the floor,” she says.
He shrugs guiltily. “I made her a nice pallet.”
Electra rolls her eyes. “What now?”
Now that they’re alone, his desire flares back to life. He thinks the command for a twinkling moonlit night. The room darkens, and soft music fills the space. He stalks toward her. In a swift move, he cups her jaw and kisses her. She rises to her toes, returning the kiss with the same vigor. He walks her back to the couch, gathering her dress in his hands, and drops onto the seat, pulling her onto his lap so she’s straddling him. He kisses her neck. “I told you I wasn’t done with you.”
