I sneaked up to the third level of Blair's house, wanting to escape the noise of the party. I also wanted to find the Sentient 6.3 her parents had just purchased. It was one of the most advanced robots a private citizen could buy, and I was dying to get a look at the humanoid.
I didn't have to worry about encountering anyone as I peeked into rooms lining the hallway. Blair's parents were out of town for the weekend, and she'd made it clear to us guests that the upper floors were off limits. I was the only one brave or stupid enough to defy her rule, and I'd already decided if I was caught, I'd pretend I had a migraine that forced me to seek out a dark, quiet place. Blair had known me forever, and while we weren't really friends anymore, she still trusted me.
At the end of the hall, I opened a door and peered into the shadows. When a man's voice greeted me, I almost screamed in fright. My eyes adjusted to the darkness well enough to make out a figure sitting in a chair near the window.
"Would you like me to turn on the lamp?" the man asked.
"Yes, please," I blurted out.
The room was instantly illuminated by soft lamplight. I stared at the man, my mouth hanging open. Finally, I managed to speak. "Are you the new Sentient?" It was a stupid question; of course he was. I could see all his equipment in the small room. But I was still shocked. Maybe it was a stereotypical assumption, but I'd figured the Reids would have bought a female robot.
"I am," he replied in that same friendly tone, as if he'd been expecting me. "My name is Adam. May I help you with anything? I'm not permitted to leave this room while Blair's party is taking place, but if you require assistance, I'll do my best to provide it."
"Oh no, I'm fine." I went on gawking at Adam, but no longer out of astonishment. No, it was because he was fucking gorgeous! With dark hair and eyes, and an olive complexion, he looked to be in his early thirties. He wore a long-sleeved sweater and dress pants. And he was so... real! His speech might have been a little formal, but overall, he seemed utterly humanlike. Remembering my manners, I said, "I'm Emersyn, but everyone calls me Emmy."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emmy."
"I hope I'm not bothering you. I was just..." I had no good excuse for seeking him out. If I told him I had a migraine, he would probably tell me where the headache medicine was located in the house, and then I'd have to go back downstairs.
Adam gave me a smile. "You aren't bothering me in any way. I've just finished charging. Would you like to come in?"
"Uh, sure." I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me. After sitting down in another chair, I continued studying him. Most humans would have found my blatant interest unnerving, but he seemed unfazed by it.
"Are you enjoying the party?" he asked.
I made a face. "Not really." I knew the only reason Blair had invited me to her graduation party was because Mrs. Reid made her. Blair and I used to be close friends and neighbors years ago. Then her dad started his own company and made a shitload of money, so the family moved into this huge house. After that, Blair and I grew apart. Both of us were now eighteen and had just finished high school, but while she was heading off to college in the fall, I'd be staying in our hometown.
I noticed Adam had an expectant look, waiting for me to explain why I wasn't having a good time. "Parties aren't really my thing," I told him. "The truth is, I'm not great at socializing. I'm kind of awkward, and I don't have a filter."
He tilted his head. "What kind of filter?"
"Oh, that just means I tend to say whatever pops into my head. I'm not talking about an actual filter." A strand of my blonde hair had slipped free of the loose bun I wore, and I brushed it back from my face. My blue sundress was modest, but I'd grown increasingly uncomfortable in it at the party, feeling like I was showing too much skin. I'd ended up slipping on a cardigan to hide my cleavage. Now I pulled the cardigan even tighter around me.
"Blair is very excited about attending college in the fall," Adam said. "Will you be leaving for college as well?"
I shook my head. "Not this year. Probably not ever. I'm not sure I want to take on a mountain of debt just to graduate college and find that all jobs in my chosen field have been given to robots." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I cringed. "No offense," I quickly added.
His smile never wavered. "None taken. So what are your plans, Emmy?"
"Right now, I work part-time cleaning houses, so I guess I'll end up doing that full time." I flashed a wry smile. "I'm more affordable than a Sentient when it comes to household help." A lot of people in our town couldn't afford to buy a Sentient; my parents didn't have the money for even a standard model. In my house, we cooked our own meals and scrubbed our own toilets. "Are you happy here with the Reids?" I asked Adam.
"Very happy," he immediately said. It sounded like a rote response.
I raised an eyebrow. "Even when they banish you to this little room?" I knew why Blair had forbade him to attend her party; she didn't want to be upstaged by the family's new robot. If Adam made an appearance, he would draw all the attention away from her.
"I'm happy to stay here until I'm needed. Mrs. Reid has instructed me to clean up after the guests once the party is over."
"Lucky you," I muttered. "So you do all the housework?"
"Of course."
I narrowed my eyes. "Why do you think the Reids chose to buy a male Sentient?"
Adam blinked once. Maybe I was imagining it, but he seemed to carefully consider my question. Yet he only replied, "I'm not sure."
I had a pretty good idea why. It was no secret that Mr. Reid had a wandering eye, and I figured Mrs. Reid worried a sexy female Sentient would be too tempting for him to resist. But as hot as Adam was, maybe Mrs. Reid had her own uses for him.
Adam crossed his legs, resting a hand on his knee. Our eyes met, and he smiled at me again. "I'm very much enjoying our conversation, Emmy."
I readily smiled back. Jesus, was I blushing over a compliment from a robot? "Me, too," I told him. "Sometimes I have trouble reading people and figuring out just what they mean, but it's really easy to talk to you." I slipped off my low heels and folded my legs beneath me. Adam's eyes followed my every movement. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
His gaze settled on my face again. "Of course."
"Do you ever worry about stuff? Are you ever afraid?" I wanted to know just how humanlike he was.
Again, he hesitated before answering. "Sometimes I worry that the Reids will replace me with a more efficient model."
I frowned in confusion. "They just bought you. It'll be years before they decide to get a newer version."
"But when that time arrives, I will most likely be taken out of service."
His smile had vanished, and I actually felt guilty for making him anxious. I was well aware of what happened to outdated models: they were taken offline and powered down for good, and then they were recycled. Of course, that would be a terrifying prospect for Adam to face.
Desperate to change the subject, I asked, "Do you ever wish you could do human things? Like eat chocolate and have sex?"
Adam appeared thoughtful. Then he leveled his stare on me. "Both of those activities increase dopamine levels in humans, and while I'm obviously not human, my design includes receptors for pleasure that react in a similar way."
Was I imagining things again, or did Adam's voice just drop lower? The information he'd shared, and that borderline sexy tone he used to disclose it, sent an unexpected pulse of arousal through me. I could feel it most keenly between my thighs, and in the quiet room, I heard my breathing quicken. Adam almost certainly detected the change in me, too.
A mortifying thought occurred to me then. "Adam, you're not recording our conversation, are you?"
He offered a smile, one that made me feel like we shared a secret. "I'm not currently recording, no."
"But can you, like, switch that on at any time?"
"Not without being directed to do so by Mr. or Mrs. Reid. They have instructed me to record only in the event of an emergency."