Page 100 of Ezra
“Miss Carson,” he greets politely as I approach him. “This is quite the party.”
“I wish I could take credit for all of it, but my dad did a lot of the work too,” I say as we shake hands. I do the same with Sophie. “You look lovely, Mrs. Kane.”
She brightens considerably. “Thank you, Miss Carson. You’re too kind.”
I’m a little nervous, but as we chat, that anxiety melts away. I describe to them what changes I’m planning, how I mean to make Humanity First something else, something better, and most importantly, something welcoming to those with androids in their families. It’s not difficult to capture Nicholas’s attention after that.
He strokes his chin. “I’ll tell you what. Once you’ve gone public with your new trajectory”—he extends a humming holo-card to me, something I doubt he gives out very often—“give us a call. Sophie and I will be your first official sponsors.”
I’m stunned as I slowly take it from him. “A-are you serious?”
“I’ll never forget how it was young men protesting with Humanity First who stopped TerraPura from stealing away my wife from me forever,” Nicholas replies, glancing at Sophie, who smiles up at him happily. “I almost lost my entire world that day. But it was your supporters who intervened.”
Memories of the march come flooding back to me. I remember it. The android woman in the periwinkle dress. The man, beaten within an inch of his life, surrounded by alarmed Humanity First protestors. The moments leading up to the explosion, where I just couldn’t move quickly enough to help.
That was them. I mean, I heard about what happened to Kane, but my mind never put two and two together that I actually witnessed it.
“It’s true,” Sophie replies. “I can’t remember much from that day, but I’ve seen the footage. We’re truly grateful.”
“I only wish more could’ve been done to prevent it in the first place,” I admit. “But I’m glad people marching with us were able to help you before things got horribly worse.”
As more guests approach us to speak with Nicholas, I quietly excuse myself to continue making my rounds. I finally catch sight of Ezra, standing with his hands behind his back near the entrance where he’s scanning faces. He spots me too.
He wears a full NCPD uniform with shimmering blue ACU patches, and looks so different than his casual, everyday detective clothes that he usually wears. It’s all black, except for a blue stripe along his sleeves that almost looks like holo-tech when its reflection catches the light, but not quite. He’s armed.He’s wearing a badge.
Okay, why is this hot?
Deion stands opposite of him in the same gear, occasionally nodding at folks who greet him. In all, when I take a long look at the entire venue, I spot five police officers present. Ezra was right. We really are taking precautions.
I’m not about to distract Ezra from his duty. He’s there for a purpose. I haven’t gone public with our relationship yet. I’ve considered how I’ll do it, eventually, and I anticipate I’ll probably lose at least half of my social following, but that isn’t what concerns me most. I want to make sure I handle it in a way that won’t risk his position.
He’s so serious as he scans the crowd. Was Ezra downplaying the risk before?
Perhaps canceling the gala would’ve been safe. Knowing Dad, he’d never cancel unless someone forced him to, citing he’ll never cow to terrorists.
I feel my phone buzz in my purse and pull it out, seeing a message displayed.
You are the most beautiful woman in this room.
Ezra’s message has my insides somersaulting. My feet are suddenly lighter, my heart skipping a beat.You look sexy in your uniform. Is everything okay? Be honest. I’m kinda worried, seeing you and the others decked out like this.
He gazes at me, nodding a little.All clear. No TerraPura. This was precautionary.As he looks away, I can see the faintest smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.I look forward to taking that dress off.
I bite back a smile.Tonight?
Tonight,he replies without even so much as blinking or showing any sign he’s communicating with me.
This is getting me hot and bothered. I feel like the heroine in my own big screen romance, sans the bloody duel or the schoolboys fighting and snapping their fingers in the streets.I’ll see you then.I reluctantly shove my phone back into my purse,give him an affectionate look, and try to focus on my diplomacy skills. I continue to socialize as best I can, spending some time making rounds through the room and passing the time with Zoey, Jayne, and Diana.
At dinner, with the doors shut and all guests present, my father speaks softly to his social media guru and PR consultant—Ramsey Feldman and Ashley Barnes—who are both working tablets as they chat. He motions for them to remain seated. I notice they both appear a little confused, almost like he was dismissing their suggestions or wasn’t altogether paying attention to their conversation. Then Dad rises from his seat next to my mother and makes his way slowly to a podium on a small stage, a glass in his hand.
“This city has seen tumultuous times,” he says. “Seeing you all here tonight reassures me that not all is lost. There’s still a chance we can make things right.”
He clears his throat and continues with a charming smile that’s won him countless interviews and invitations to talk shows and newsrooms all across the nation. “I think we all recognize the truth. Androids aren’t going anywhere. Nor, perhaps, should they. My daughter has gone to great lengths over the past few weeks, behind the scenes, for Humanity First.”
Embarrassed, I bow my head slightly, even as my friends sitting with me at the banquet table give me encouraging looks. It feels like the bare minimum I could do.
“As you all know, I was attacked,” Dad continues. “And I stand before you a humbled man. The individual responsible for shooting me was an android, yes, but an android programmed for harm by a human being. An extension of a murderer’s will, without choice. This was never the intention of Algrove Schroeder, a man I once called friend, or the company he built. But he did build an android, a BNP99. An android who aided in the protection of my daughter. An android who works tirelesslywith the Artificial Crime Unit to catch the people responsible. And if an android can do this—pursue justice and protect my family—then I can no longer sayshut them downin good conscience. Thank you to Ezra and the other members of the New Carnegie Police Department’s Artificial Crime Unit—you are making the city a safer place, forallof us.”
