Chapter 58: Episode 58: Have you made your choice?

Roxy was dumbfounded.

The sleek android hadn’t made a single sound approaching her, and now he stood blocking her only escape route, casually suggesting they spectate a public indecency as if he were asking to share a bucket of popcorn.

“Are you insane?!” Roxy hissed, her face burning hotter than a smuggled plasma torch.

She scrambled backward, desperate to put distance between herself and the towering machine. But her sudden movement destroyed their cover.

Behind the glowing topiary, the rhythmic slapping noise abruptly ceased.

“Hello?” a panicked, breathless male voice called out. “Is someone there?”

Roxy froze like a deer in headlights. If she was caught creeping in the bushes while the Sector 1 elite were getting intimate.

Before she could even panic, a massive hand clamped around her waist.

With a fluid, effortless motion, he yanked Roxy forward, dragging her flush against his chest, and stepped seamlessly into the deep, inky shadow of a towering hedge.

He pressed her back against the cool marble of the garden wall, using his broad shoulders to completely shield her from view.

Roxy gasped, her hands instinctively flying up to brace against his chest. He smelled of rain and expensive bergamot.

Footsteps crunched on the gravel as the hastily dressed couple scrambled past their hiding spot, muttering embarrassed curses before disappearing back into the Gala.

Roxy let out a shaky breath, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.

“They are clear,” B-02 murmured, his voice a low vibration that rumbled directly into her chest. He didn’t let go of her waist. Instead, he smoothly pivoted, pulling her out of the shadows. “Come. This garden is highly unsanitary.”

He led her up a hidden staircase that opened onto a secluded, private balcony. The glittering skyline of Sector 1 stretched out beneath them, but Roxy’s bathroom emergency was entirely forgotten.

She yanked herself out of his grip the moment they hit the landing.

“Okay, back up, chrome-dome,” Roxy said, crossing her arms defensively over her crimson gown. “Why are you following me?”

B-02 chuckled. It was a rich, smooth sound that was terrifyingly human. He leaned back against the glass railing, crossing one long leg over the other.

B-02 explained, his eyes locking onto hers. “To predict human behavior, one must master human emotion. Humor, sarcasm, and seduction are merely data points. For instance, my sensors indicate your heart rate elevates when I utilize a sarcastic tone. You have a documented preference for assertive, dangerous partners who do not bore you.”

Roxy’s mouth fell open. “You scanned my dating history?”

“I scanned your entire psychological profile the moment you stepped into the hall,” B-02 corrected smoothly. “I know exactly what you find appealing, Roxy. And I am highly adaptable.”

Roxy was stunned. An android who understood human humor, knew her exact preferences, and looked like a ridiculously handsome supermodel? It was almost unfair.

B-02 pushed off the railing, stepping slowly into her personal space. The charming smirk faded into something much more intense, much more predatory. He reached out, his cool, gloved fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw.

“You are a fascinating variable,” B-02 whispered, dipping his head closer to hers. The air between them suddenly felt dangerously thin. “Allow me to test a hypothesis.”

He leaned in to kiss her.

For a split second, Roxy’s brain short-circuited. Then, survival instinct kicked in.

“Woah, Terminator! Buy a girl dinner first!” Roxy yelped, slapping both hands against his chest and shoving him back with all her might.

He barely moved an inch, but he paused, his eyes widening in genuine surprise at her rejection. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, Roxy hiked up the slit of her dress, spun on her heel, and sprinted back down the glass stairs as fast as her heels would carry her.

She hit the bottom landing, bursting through a set of double doors back into the safety of the illuminated corridors.

She collided with another solid wall.

Roxy bounced back, cursing, and looked up. Standing before her, blocking her path, was General K-09. His head angled down toward her.

“Roxy,” K-09 stated, his voice a harsh rasp. “I have been searching for you.”

Roxy let out a whimpering groan, dropping her head into her hands. “Out of the frying pan, into the fire.”

***

Back in the Grand Diplomatic Hall, the string quartet was playing a lively waltz, completely ignorant of the chaos unfolding in the corridors.

Nikki stood by the buffet table, finally taking a sip of the red wine she had been holding for twenty minutes. She watched the nobles spinning on the dance floor, her mind totally out of the gala she was meant to be focused on.

“I was unaware,” a low, dark voice murmured directly into her ear, “that I had become collateral in your social wagers.”

Nikki gasped, inhaling a mouthful of wine.

She coughed violently as Adonis casually stepped to her side, offering her a white handkerchief from his breast pocket.

“How—” Nikki coughed, accepting the cloth and dabbing her lips. “How did you know about that?”

Adonis raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement dancing in his blue eyes. He tapped the side of his head. “I gave you an earpiece, Nikki. I heard every word that humans spoke to you. I was preparing to intervene and permanently dismiss her from the premises.”

Nikki’s eyes widened. She knew “dismiss” in Adonis-speak usually meant someone was getting thrown out a window.

“But,” Adonis continued, a rare, genuinely proud smile curving his lips, “you did good. It was… highly attractive.”

Nikki flushed furiously, her cheeks matching Roxy’s dress. She looked down at her shoes, suddenly shy. “I just dared her. Who knew she was actually stupid enough to try and hit on you?”

“Humans often overestimate their capabilities,” Adonis said, shaking his head with fond exasperation.

Before he could say anything else, footsteps approached them.

Roxy materialized out of the crowd. She was huffing and puffing, her elegant bun slightly messy, and a wild, frantic look in her eyes. She marched right up to Nikki, crossed her arms tightly over her chest, and threw her face away in a massive, exaggerated pout, refusing to look at either of them.

B-02 and K-09 followed after her, and they had a blank look on their faces.

Nikki blinked, setting her wine glass down on the table. “Rox? What happened? Did you find the bathroom?”

Roxy clamped her lips shut, aggressively shaking her head. She refused to answer, her face still flushed an angry, embarrassed red.

Adonis looked at the furious girl, he could process the signatures and elevated stress hormones radiating off of her. He knew exactly which two Generals had just cornered her, and he knew their respective approaches.

A slow, knowing smirk spread across Adonis’s face. He looked at the men.

“So,” Adonis asked smoothly, “have you made a choice?”

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