25 – Contradictions and the Spice
Electra
How could she be so stupid? Had she not kissed him, these regrettable feelings wouldn’t be festering.
For a moment last night, she thought something deeper was growing between them.
As she ran her fingers over him, there was something burning in his deep gold eyes.
Hunger? Worship? Devotion? He made her feel like the heroine in one of her stories, elated and powerful.
She got so drunk on the feeling that she allowed herself to believe he would pick her.
She almost offered a piece of her heart to him.
But it’s her fault for thinking things might go right this time. That he could even be the type of man to offer her something. He’d been pretending she was a manupartner like he did before. That had to be it.
His words ring in her mind. “It’s you. I promise it’s you, Electra.”
With such perfectly desperate sentiments, how could she not get swept away? She bites her fist, choking back a sob. I will not cry over that man.
This is exactly why she’s never bothered with a boyfriend. Book boyfriends are enough. They can never disappoint you or keep a gorgeous female clone who’s decided she’s a cowgirl in the spare room.
She jolts up.
That’s exactly why Res6 created manupartners!
Her stomach squirms. Oh God. She’s a hypocrite.
No, the real reason she’s never had a boyfriend is that she was too busy making ends meet while she wrote every spare moment she got.
There wasn’t time for a boyfriend. Well, and the men from her time were a questionable lot.
But when the time was right, she would have taken the time to find one of the good ones. The one.
Well, that’s a ludicrous fairy tale. Might as well hope she’ll discover she’s a secret witch, or that she’s the long-lost heir of a kingdom of powerful women warriors.
She takes a few grounding breaths and forces herself out of bed.
You will not cry over that man. You have officially reached this year’s wallowing threshold.
Her mascara-stained reflection stares back at her determinedly. She really shouldn’t have slept in yesterday’s makeup, but oh well. The water steams as she steps into the shower, letting the hot stream wash away her delusions.
When she’s dressed, she finds Res6 sitting at his computer desk, staring blankly at the screen. His eyes have uncharacteristically dark circles, and his hair looks like he’s been dragging his fingers through it.
“Sleep well?” she asks cheerfully, though it’s clear he didn’t.
He doesn’t answer, but his eyes trail her as she gets a pick-me-UP nourishment packet and VitaShot from the refrigerator and takes them to her desk to get situated for the day.
There are a dozen messages waiting that need to be sifted through.
It’s time for another column entry, and then there’s the correspondence she’s taken up with several fans, including her favorite new friend, Sister Xelna—the leader of the group building that amazing scratching post monument they saw while people-watching on the roller-boats.
As eager as she is to respond to Xelna’s latest message, she has a strong urge to poke at Res6, who hasn’t taken his eyes off her. “Where’s Chryl?” she asks, noting the blanket and pillow on the couch.
He clears his throat. “The lab.” For a moment, her heart leaps. Did he change his mind? He must read the excited expression on her face because he shakes his head. “For tests.”
Her heart sinks. She tries to infuse as much nonchalance into her voice as she can muster. “Oh, well, good for you.”
Res6 groans. “Electra, can we please talk about this?”
She shakes her head. “There isn’t anything to talk about. Last night was a mistake.” His eyes widen as devastation washes across his face. She isn’t going to feel sorry for him. He knows what he needs to do to fix this.
He gets up and—suddenly he’s rolled her chair around and is kneeling at her feet.
He takes her hands, holding them between his.
His brows are knitted together as if what he’s about to say is incredibly painful.
“Chryl didn’t start real, but I think she is becoming real.
This is what I was trying to tell you last night before you got upset and left. ”
Electra blinks. She left, didn’t she? Then she fell into a spiral of self-pity.
“Lextr sent the scan results. There are new neural connections in the areas of her brain responsible for memory. Her experiences are individuating her.”
“How is that possible?” He wasn’t picking his company over her like she assumed. If what he’s saying is true, Chryl something new. It’s reasonable that he’s grappling with how to deal with her. Shame washes over her at her behavior. The future is really throwing her for a loop.
“I don’t know exactly yet. Most people turn their manupartners in before a year. Chryl is over three years old, which is unheard of. We’ve never thought to study what would happen to a manupartner as it ages.”
Electra swallows. “You suspected this yesterday?”
He nods. “I’ve been watching her. She’s mimicking us.”
“The lying thing,” she guesses.
“Yes, and she’s started replicating your expressions.”
“Oh God. The lasso thing too. If she can learn that fast, could she become dangerous? Her jealousy is already a little frightening.”
Res6 raises himself to his feet, taking her hand and guiding her to the couch. They sit side by side, and her mind instantly goes to the moment they shared in this spot. He brushes his fingertips over her flushed cheeks. “You’re so lovely.”
The awe in his voice is unmistakable. She hadn’t imagined it. Still, there was the ever-present Chryl. She clears her throat. “So you won’t recycle her?”
He frowns. “I’m afraid that would be murder at this point.”
“Well, it’s reassuring you see that as a problem, since you were giving me murder-y vibes when we met,” she says.
Chuckling and shaking his head, he says, “Tommy agreed to keep Chryl for a while until we can determine exactly what is going on with her.”
Her stomach swoops. He listened to her. She can hardly believe it. “Really?”
He brings her hand to his mouth, turning it to place a devoted kiss on her wrist. “Really.”
It’s too good to be true. That doesn’t stop her from grinning like a madman. “Okay.”
He leans forward, and her pulse jumps. “I don’t want us to fight, Electra.”
“Me either,” she says.
“Good.” He cups her jaw, softly kissing her.
Right as she’s about to lean into the addictive sensation—thereby throwing every thought she stewed on overnight out the window—he pulls back, giving her a lopsided grin.
“You aren’t stupid. You’re intelligent, entertaining, humorous, sexy, rather irresistible, thoughtful, admirably strong . . .”
Tears well as he lists her qualities. When he finishes, she laughs. “Are those the traits you selected when you thought you were programming me?”
A broad grin breaks out on his face, making him impossibly handsome.
Fuck Adonis, she’d pick him all day, every day.
She’s about to launch herself into his lap so they can finish what they started last night when the front door opens to reveal Chryl, still in her cowgirl outfit, and Tommy, wearing a shimmery gunmetal jumpsuit.
“We’re here to get Chryl’s things,” Tommy says.
Electra shoots up and marches over to Chryl. “Did you get freckles?!” She’s not jealous—more shocked.
Chryl tilts her head this way and that, showing off the new spots sprinkled across her cheeks. “I think I wear them better, don’t you think, Daddy?”
“Yes,” Tommy answers, right as Res6 says, “No.”
Chryl beams as if they both said yes, eliciting a groan from Electra.
“I posted a vlog about the procedure my new daddy”—she frowns at Res6—“was kind enough to arrange for me. It only took ten minutes, and he said I can get rid of them just as easily when they fall out of fashion.” She gives Electra a smug look.
“Chryl, no FrogBlog. We discussed this,” Res6 says, giving a firm look to Tommy.
Chryl stomps, glaring at Electra. “Why does Prototype get to have one and not me?”
“She doesn’t,” Res6 says.
Chryl opens her mouth to argue—oh God, did Chryl discover her username?—but Electra cuts her off. “I don’t see what’s wrong with Chryl having a blog. Everyone knows she’s a manupartner.” She clears her throat, feeling only slightly guilty for defending her own self-interest. “Like me.”
Chryl’s eyes narrow, and Electra can practically see her wheels turning—the learning Res6 was talking about. She braces as Chryl’s mouth opens. “Girl power?”
Electra beams. “Yes, us girls have to stick together.” She hopes she isn’t pouring it on too thick.
She was terrible in drama class. “If it makes Chryl happy . . .” she says, hoping Res6 will get the hint.
If a blog makes her happy, maybe she won’t turn evil.
Because obviously that is the biggest danger, as per EVERY VILLAIN ORIGIN STORY EVER.
“Right.” Chryl turns to Res6. “Yes, Electra should have one too if she wants one. No one knows she’s not a real manupartner.”
Electra’s stomach clenches right as a muscle in Res6’s jaw twitches. “Electra is a manupartner, just like you,” Res6 says. “Just a Prototype like we talked about.”
“You are very good at lying.” Chryl winks.
Res6 pinches the bridge of his nose. “Chryl, if the public had reason to believe that either of you are different . . .” He pauses, seeming to consider. “It would hurt CHOICElover, which would hurt me and Tommy. Do you understand?”
Chryl’s eyes widen. She nods and flings an arm around Tommy’s neck. “I would never do anything to hurt my new daddy.” Then she mimes zipping her lips.
“I’m with the ladies. If there’s a problem, it’ll be easy to mitigate. Tell the public they’re part of an experiment for a new product we are testing.” Tommy says as Chryl bounces against him. He shifts, clearly uncomfortable with her exuberant attentions.
Res6 doesn’t argue. “Fine. I’m only agreeing because Chryl is already exposed.”