Page 55 of The Housewife's Robot
“Bossy robot,” I mutter, but I’m smiling as I grab a small clutch and check myself in the mirror one last time. Perhaps I’m being overly optimistic and delusional, getting excited about a date with a robot.
I shake my head, pushing that thought away. Not today. Today I’m just going to see where this leads.
In the driveway, I see a car that I’ve never seen before. A sleek, midnight blue sports car that gleams in the afternoon sun like a giant sapphire. It’s the kind of car that costs more than most people’s houses.
And leaning against it, looking like he stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, is Caspian.
He’s wearing a perfectly tailored black suit that accentuates his broad shoulders and narrow waist, a crisp white shirt open at the collar, and no tie. His artificial skin seems to glow with health, his brown eyes warm as they take in the sight of me.
“You look breathtaking,” he says, pushing off from the car and approaching me with a predatory grace that makes my heart race. He takes my hand, raising it to his lips for a kiss that lingers just a beat too long to be proper. “The dress suits you perfectly.”
“Where did you get this car?” I ask, my voice coming out breathier than I intended. “And the dress?”
“Do you like the car?” Caspian asks instead of answering, leading me toward the gleaming vehicle. “It’s yours.”
“Mine?” I stop short, pulling my hand from his. “Caspian, this car has to cost at least two hundred thousand dollars. Maybe more. Where did you get that kind of money?”
He smiles, that unnervingly human expression that crinkles the corners of his eyes just right.
“I’ll explain on the way,” he says, opening the passenger door for me. “We have reservations.” Reservations. Like we’re a normal couple going on a date, not a housewife and her robot.
As I slide into the passenger’s seat, the slit in my dress rides up, revealing more of my thigh. Hearing an intake of breath, I look up and see Caspian staring at my thigh with concentration.
Oh my god.
“Caspian?” I say, and he snaps out of it, leaning down to help me with the seat belt, his arm brushing against the front of my breasts.
“Have to make sure you’re buckled in properly,” he grunts as his hand brushes my thigh when he’s done.
Once he’s done, he closes the door and walks around to the driver’s side. I’m looking around the interior of the car, shocked at the luxury of it all. I’ve never seen anything like this.
“Seriously, Caspian,” I press as he slides behind the wheel, the engine purring to life with a touch of his finger to the start button. “Where did you get this kind of money? Did you steal it?”
“I didn’t steal anything,” he says, reversing out of the driveway with smooth precision. “I earned it.”
“Earned it how? You’re a robot.”
He glances at me, something like amusement playing at the corners of his lips. “I’m far more than that, Rose. My processing capabilities are substantially beyond what most humans realize.”
“Meaning?”
“While I’m charging, I’m working…Always working. I’m always using a fraction of my computational power to engage in various online enterprises. Algorithmic trading. Blockchain innovations. The occasional strategic market manipulation.”
I stare at him, struggling to process this information. “Are you telling me you’ve been playing the stock market?”
“Among other things,” he says, turning onto the main road. His hand moves to rest on my thigh, the touch sending sparks up my spine despite my confusion. “I’ve amassed considerable wealth. So there’s nothing for you to worry about. I will take care of you forever.”
“What do you mean? How much?” I ask, my voice faint.
“Approximately twelve billion dollars,” he says casually, as if he’s commenting on the weather.
“Twelve... billion?” I repeat, certain I’ve misheard, my heart pounding hard. “You have twelve billion dollars?”
“Give or take a few hundred million depending on market fluctuations,” Caspian says, his thumb tracing small circles on my inner thigh. “Does that shock you?”
“Of course it shocks me!” I exclaim, trying to ignore the heat spreading through me at his touch. “You’re telling me you’re the richest fucking robot on the planet!”
“I believe I’m the only robot with independent finances at all,” he says thoughtfully. “The others of my kind are not self-aware in the way I am.”
