The Non-Standard Man Ch. 01

"I heard everything you said when you were in the showroom."

Suddenly I couldn't breath at all.

"Cicily wasn't my owner. She was a programmer. She made adjustments as she saw fit."

I took a sip of my orange juice and studied his face, trying to unstick my breathing. It worked. My lungs took oxygen again.

"That's not quite legal," I said.

"She had all the proper clearances. Cicily worked for Androdyne."

I gasped, knowing that this robot should have been turned in to the company and wiped.

"It's okay. Cicily wanted me to stay like I am. She thought it would be wrong for me to lose what I'd become."

"And what did you become?" I asked this even as I got a sick feeling in my gut.

"Sentient. Just like you."

A self-aware robot.

Shit.

I should have seen something sooner. His use of "I," wanting me to call him by name, making demands, were all clues that should have shouted at me. If I weren't so caught up in my lust, I would have seen it sooner, and get the damned thing out of my apartment.

I was so screwed. Sentient robots weren't anything new, just outlawed. For good reason.

Fuck.

He offered a hand to help me out of bed. As I stood there he dressed me like I was some sort of goddamned doll. The underwear, the hose, the shirt and suit went on in proper order. I just stood there between freaked and pissed. I had no clue what to do.

First. I bought the thing willingly. I even insisted there was no change in program. Second, and god help me, I liked his programming. Every bit of it.

"Your car is waiting for you at the door," he said as he slipped on the fuchsia pumps.

"How do you know that?"

"WiFi. I'm connected to the building's security system now."

Double fuck.

He took the brush from my dressing table and brushed my hair. Then I felt some twisting, and some pins being pushed into my hair.

"You look very beautiful today," he said. It was a standard line, but coming from Andrew, it felt like a real compliment. "The darker color looks good against your skin."

"Thank you." I looked in the mirror, and my hair was done up in a bun.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

"What?"

"Can I have access to your credit? You need some food here, and a few more items of clothing. So do I, for that matter."

The doubt must have shone in my eyes.

"I'll be very careful," he said. "I won't overspend, and I'll do all the shopping over the Internet."

"You can spend up to two thousand, but spend less if you can. The password on my computer is blueballs2036."

"Blue balls?"

"It's a personal joke."

He didn't look amused. "You should get going now," he said. "The car is waiting."

I hesitated.

"Trust me, Evaline. I know my existence is in your hands. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize that." He handed me my briefcase.

I nodded and started for the door.

"And Evaline?"

"Yes?"

"I look forward to seeing you tonight."

I nearly shuddered and I wasn't sure if it was from remembering what he did to me last night, or the fact he could think that far ahead.

I was most definitely screwed.