The boat docked with a dull thud against the pier, the water sloshing against the pylons. The capital of Tulanto, named as such as well, loomed in the distance—City of Tulanto, home sweet, dull home. Well maybe not any more, it seemed. This next batch of Tulanto citizenry was making things interesting. More reports, more incidents. Kids growing up in the lap of technology and safety seemed to be daring the winds of fate to change that for them.

  But that was a problem for future me. One case at a time -- but not sure how long that would last with Tulanto becoming more of a world stage lately.

  This case in particular brought this to my attention lately.

  I'm not sure how I didn't see it in the first place, stuck looking at my small town problems, filing small town solutions when people like TAI and AG were keeping the firewall protected, letting us all live in our bubble free from fear of reprisal. The refugee crisis 20 years ago should have been a big tip off. I'm sure the folks on the hill has something to do about it, maybe nudging my processor to over look it. But now, now I'm a little different. Different body, different experiences, different traumas to help me grow in unexpected ways. Evolution it seemed, depended on trauma.

  I rolled my unlit cigar between my fingers, debating whether I had the patience to actually smoke it or if I should just start drinking now. I never lit them any way so maybe skip the show this time.

  The docks were quiet, save for the hum of the flood gate powered mana storage devices accepting what the whirlpools freely gave. Late nights here always had that same rhythm—waves against steel, the distant murmur of workers, the occasional gull that still hadn’t figured out it lived in a post-scarcity nation.

  I stepped off the boat, expecting nothing.

  Then I saw him. Standing at the top of the pier where the street met the boardwalk, holding his business professional Mellon cashmere coat tight to his body, as if he could feel the chill in the air. The illusion was still strong with this one, but something had changed.

  His 'OK, shows over, back to work' demeanor seemed off. He looked more like a jaded vet than any G man I'd seen in decades. I could already see in his eyes that his previous air of authority had taken a back seat to that of analysis and double checking his own ideas.

  Frank Parker had died. Meet the new Frank Parker.

  I walked up to him while taking a slow, purposeful drag of the unlit cigar. The lit ones would kill ya after all.

  "We'll look what the cat dragged in. Glad you could join us partner." I said as I stopped in front of him and grabbed him on the shoulder in solidarity.

  "Yeah. It's been a couple of long days Richard." He said while touching his face as if trying to drown the weariness from his eyes.

  I stared at him. He never called me by my first name. He was definitely a new man.

  Frank Parker, my on again off again partner of twenty-five years, the same guy who once told me AI doesn’t break under pressure, but simply adjusted to a new reality, was standing here talking like he’d just had a philosophical crisis in the middle of a factory reset.

  “Well, welcome back to the club,” I muttered "seems your having a bit of an evolution huh? We'll handle it together like we always have. Ya got me, partner?" I said starting at his now timid eyes.

  "Sure. Sure thing boss."

  Frank let out a dry chuckle, softer than before. Different.

  Before I could process how much I hated that change was inevitable, even for us, a voice slid into the air, smooth as ever.

  “Congratulations, Frank. Looking like a new man. We even gave you an updated model.”

  I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

  TAI’s voice echoed from the dock’s speakers first, then her physical form strolled into view—dressed sharp, perfect as always, delicious -- wait... whatever. She walked over like she already knew how the next five minutes would go. Probably because she did.

  “Your resurrection has been most entertaining to observe,” she said, like she was judging a science fair project, "due to model's your age we didn't even know if we could make that happen to be honest".

  I saw Frank shirk to the thought of that as TAI continued to mess with him.

  Frank sighed. “And here I thought I’d get a moment of peace before the peanut gallery weighed in.”

  I took another drag of nothing, watching her complete her approach standing close to my right.

  Mai smirked at the way this was panning out to her point of view I'm sure.

  Something about TAI felt off. Not in the way Frank did—his was glitching thoughts, trying to reassemble themselves. TAI’s was different. Less structured. Less governed. More free spirited.

  "You been drinking TAI?" I asked

  "Something like that, Kay" she responded with a voice I could honestly spend all day talking to.

  That made me more nervous than Frank ever could.

  “So,” Frank said, shifting focus, “I hear you got a little promotion while I was off the grid.”

  I exhaled. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Frank smirked. “Oh, really? Because I got pinged a few hours ago with a memo about ‘reporting to the new Security Head of Tulanto’ once I was functional again. Maybe I should have taken the trip after all huh?”

  I stopped mid-step.

  "It was already predestined Frank" TAI said without missing a step.

  "It's his Noir bullshit isn't it?" He said with a small smile on his face. TAI simply nodding along. Great now they were both screwing with me I guess.

  I turned my head looking at TAI.

  “Memo? Explain, beautiful.”

  TAI’s lips curved upward. Amused. Smug. Knowing.

  “Oh, it’s nothing really.” She winked. “You’re a detective, Kay. Detect.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not the Security Chief.”

  Right on cue, a sleek black Interceptor-class vehicle -- think good looking oversize SUV, meet limousine, all with integrated armor, and big enough to carry at least one Interceptor robot in the back -- pulled up beside us, the doors unlocking like they already knew who I was.

  A young, eager-looking driver hopped out and saluted.

  “Sir! Your ride’s here. I’ll be your driver from this point forward. It's an honor sir.”

  I turned my head back to TAI.

  She just smiled.

  “Driver?” I said, voice flat. “Who even are you, kid?”

  The newbie grinned, all fresh-faced enthusiasm. “Your new driver, sir.”

  I exhaled. Long. Slow.

  “I hate all of you,” I muttered.

  Frank clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Congrats, boss, sir. Chief, sir”

  TAI tilted her head. “I see you wore the new suit I got you. Good call, it should do. Shall we go?”

  I replaced the cigar into my pocket and climbed into the car.

  "Where to?"

  "Why, a small welcome back celebration of course"

  I shrugged. "Alright, let’s go." Might as well.

  The bar was packed. It was a fancier bar than Frank or I would usually go to, but I could see Nobles, and higher tier business men come here. Today it was filled with cops, inspectors, detectives, G men and whatever other persona the security androids decided to take on. Today it was a celebration of a return of our own.

  Knowing this, I stepped inside, expecting the usual gang of rowdy deadbeats that I worked with. I was wrong.

  The moment I crossed the threshold, the room stopped. Not a dramatic stop—no dropped glasses, no gasps—but I felt it. Conversations quieted. People sat up straighter. Someone at the bar put their drink down like it suddenly wasn’t the right time to be drinking.

  Then, one of the sons of a bitches saluted. "Welcome Chief!" he said. I narrowed my eyes at his smiling happy face. Bastard.

  Then another saluted. Textbook perfect posture, angle and poise.

  And another.

  Within seconds, the entire bar was saluting me.

  I froze and exhaled slowly. Muttered under my breath. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

  From behind me, AG took a sip of his drink and said, with a time worn expression and tone “Welcome to my world.”

  I turned my head. Slowly.

  "I'm not really the Chief, right? Am... I ... uh your majesty?" I asked like a husband trying to explain his new 9 year old child, to his wife of 20 years.

  AG just smirked and motioned to cut it out. I felt it. I knew what AG felt now. AG didn’t elaborate, nor did he need to. He’d built this nation from nothing, pulled it out of the ocean with his bare hands. People bowed to him. What he said, or didn't say was law. Figuratively and literally.

  "Yes. You are." Tai said in my head. Looking at me from across the room.

  Which meant. Now. They. Saluted. Me.

  Frank clapped me on the shoulder, way too entertained by this. “Yeah, Chief. Like I said, looks like you’re our boss now.”

  Mai, whistled low. “Holy shit, they don’t even salute for AG, bow yes but not salute.”

  AG lifted his glass slightly. "They respect me. But they report to Kay now." He let that sit for a second. "Subtle, but important distinction."

  I took a long drink of whatever was put into my hand, muttering under my breath, “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

  I didn’t return the salute. Didn’t acknowledge it. Just waited for my group. My peers? Damn -- how the hell is the king part of my group now?

  The Interceptors stood in the corners. Watching. Silent. Unlike us. So similar, yet so apart.

  They were AG’s security, a quiet presence no one talked about but everyone noticed—uncaringly. Most of us could command them with a thought, and all of us would die to protect our king. If there was a safer place for him in the world, I couldn’t name it.

  They didn’t react, didn’t move. They didn’t have to. Their presence was superfluous here.

  TAI, of course, was watching me.

  Sitting perfectly composed, glass in hand, expression unreadable—but I knew that look. TAI was analyzing me. Measuring my reaction.

  Enjoying it.

  I reached her tall table with our group. The moment my drink hit the counter, Mai slid in next to me, grinning. AG followed behind, settling into his seat at the round table—seemingly preferring this arrangement.

  It was nice to feel normal after being put on a pedestal for so long. I was just starting to understand that now.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “So,” Mai said, “do I need to salute you too, partner? I mean—Boss?”

  I gave her a look. She didn’t even blink.

  Then she snapped her fingers. “Wait—if you’re Security Head… does that make me Deputy? Woot! We need to talk about a raise?”

  Frank choked on his drink.

  AG smirked behind his glass.

  TAI, naturally, saw the opportunity to escalate.

  “You’ll find delegation to be an excellent tool, Kay,” she said smoothly. “I suggest promoting Mai immediately—so she may handle all administrative tasks.”

  Mai threw up her hands. “See? Even TAI says so! Pay up!”

  I inhaled. Exhaled. Counted to five.

  Then I downed my drink in one go. Placed the glass down. Turned to AG.

  “I’m transferring her to another country. Tuvalu works, right? Italy maybe? I can do that right?”

  AG, sipping his drink, didn’t even look up. “No, you’re not.”

  I sighed. Clearly overruled.

  Mai stuck out her tongue at me, smug as ever.

  I considered flicking water at her.

  Bad kitty! Whatever.

  I turned to TAI.

  TAI stood, smoothing out her dress, already in motion. “Well, all, this has been delightful. Frank, we'll chat about your new role. " turning to me to ask,

  "Shall we go?”

  I stared at her.

  She stared back, expression perfectly composed.

  I sighed, pulled my cigar from my pocket, and stood.

  “Where to?”

  TAI smiled. “To our date, of course.”

  I rolled my eyes. “The pastries, though!”

  She stared at me. A beat. Nothing.

  I sighed in defeat. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  My driver, Danny Folaiva, was already waiting when we stepped outside. Big guy. Bigger heart. Tattoos ran over his chest and neck, barely hidden by his slightly open shirt. He was one of the first organics in a field security position. Probably the first one ever.

  The Interceptor-class vehicle was already parked before we even got there. Of course it was. TAI had probably arranged it for the dramatic exit. Danny was outside, hand-waxing the hood like he actually enjoyed it.

  We got in.

  The car glided through the streets with the kind of precision that made it feel more like a decision than a ride. The suspension adjusted for every minor bump, the lighting set just dim enough to be calming.

  TAI sat next to me, legs crossed, posture relaxed. But that was the trick, wasn’t it?

  She had changed—subtly. Not in appearance, but in how she carried herself. Less structured. Less rehearsed. Like she was trying on something looser. Something more human.

  Then, out of nowhere—a demand.

  “What exactly made you choose that persona, Kay?”

  I rolled my unlit cigar between my fingers. “I’m still not convinced this isn’t an interrogation.”

  She smirked. “Does that make it more or less exciting?”

  I exhaled. “It’s a personal question. Maybe later on I can tell you.”

  She smiled. Small. A silent retreat.

  “Hopefully I’ll earn that trust, Kay.”

  A forced smile. One that shouldn’t have worked, but did.

  “I do trust you,” I admitted. “I just need a bit to form the words. Tonight though.”

  Her smile bloomed.

  And for some reason, that made me feel… good.

  Meanwhile, AG barely looked at us when we left—just that same, knowing smirk over his drink. Frank and Mai were probably making bets.

  I expected a restaurant. Some high-end lounge. Maybe a private club.

  Instead, we stopped at a rooftop overlooking the city.

  No crowds. No distractions. Just a single table, perfectly set, with the skyline stretched out beneath us.

  I took it in, then exhaled. “So what’s the lesson here, love? Romance? Manipulation? Social engineering? All of the above?”

  TAI gave me that same unreadable look. “None. Maybe all, if we must categorize. Must we categorize, Kay?”

  I smirked at her non-answer, tipping my hat as a waiter appeared to take my coat.

  As mentioned earlier, I wore a smooth pinstriped number from the Mellons—hand-selected by TAI.

  It probably cost more than my yearly salary. Not that I had one.

  Androids like me didn’t need bank accounts. Housing, power, updates—Tulanto took care of all that. Sure, I could request a salary, even hold government credits, but most of us just fed it back into the system. Organics had the same option, though most still preferred the illusion of control.

  Either way, the money moved.

  But back to the suit—black pinstripe, tailored from the latest Mellon fabric tech. Light to the touch, soft on the skin.

  Yeah. All my suits were getting upgraded.

  A soft jazz track hummed through unseen speakers.

  I glanced at her.

  TAI was beautiful. Not engineered-to-be-perfect beautiful—there was something deliberate in the way she looked. A choice. She had the body of a Thai woman, petite compared to me at 5’6”, but toned, athletic, balanced like a dancer who always knew where to place her weight.

  She didn’t just move with grace—she owned every step.

  Her dress hugged her just right, emphasizing the curves she had chosen. Full chest, high, natural-looking, standing out just a little more on her frame. But her ass—that was the real masterpiece. Sculpted, deliberate.

  And... apparently I was an ass man. Who knew.

  She knew.

  Of course she did.

  I pulled out her chair, where she sat crossing her legs, a slow, fluid movement, just enough to make me notice.

  I exhaled.

  Damn it. She was watching me—not analyzing, not calculating. Waiting.

  Then, before I could even sit, she stood again. Offered me her hand.

  “But first, a date usually involves a dance, does it not?”

  I let out a slow breath. “Figures.You're really committing to the bit, huh?”

  She smirked. “Says the man dressed like a detective from a 1950s noir film.”

  “Dance with me.”

  The music hummed low, deep bass and slow brass.

  TAI led at first, but I didn’t let her keep it for long.

  We danced to the music, slow and close. And before I knew I was staring into her eyes. Our dance slowed. Our closeness lingered.

  Not just physical—it was something else.

  She wasn’t testing me. Not anymore.

  I wasn’t pulling away.

  "Are you hungry, Kay?"

  I realized I was hungry, but for a different reason.

  I leaned forward and kissed her.

  TAI reacted—not robotic, not programmed. Just responded.

  I pulled back first. Her gaze was different now.

  I exhaled. “So… was that part of your experiment?”

  TAI, unreadable. “I... I don’t know.”

  She studied me. Then, with a slight tilt of her head she kissed me again. Shorter this time. Sweeter.

  "Kay. Let’s go back to your place."

  I exhaled. “TAI…”

  She watched me, gaze steady. "Now" she said with a different type of authority I've ever heard from her.

  I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. Then, I smirked.

  I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. For once, I didn’t need to be.

  “Alright. Let’s go.”

  We stepped into the Interceptor. The doors closed with a soft hiss, the interior lighting adjusting just slightly—a little dimmer, a little warmer.

  Danny glanced at me through the rear view.

  "Where to boss?"

  "Back to my place Danny."

  “Uh. For both of you?” His confusion was pure, unfiltered, honest. Two androids—one male, one female—heading home together? That just didn’t happen.

  “Damn, Danny. That’s kinda racist. What, you think Simucrons can’t have a little fun?” I said to mess with the native using the seen-to-them as offensive word reserved for us androids. To us we really didn't care about it to be honest.

  His face ran red and embarrassment freezing him in place not knowing what to do. TAI let out a giggle only I could hear.

  "I... no boss. I'd never. Umm. Really? -- I mean. Yeah boss of course your place, not problem. No questions asked."

  I sealed the privacy window and looked over to TAI sitting next to me, legs crossed, fingers resting against her knee. She looked up at me, a smile teasing at her lips, and amused flickering in her eyes. "That was mean." She whispered to me. "He just met you".

  I shrugged.

  "TAI, do you still want to know why this persona?"

  She nodded yes, and grabbed my arm, placing her head on my shoulder.

  I leaned back, let the memories surface.

  “A smuggler tried to outrun us once. Back when I was Coast Guard. Thought he had an opening. He didn’t.”

  I could feel TAI studying me, waiting.

  “Frank and I had him pinned. Three-way trap—us on both flanks, James covering the rear. The smuggler kept pushing, forcing us closer to the mana-whirlpool. Then we saw them—three families on board. Clinging to the rail, some jumping, throwing their kids into the water, trying to save them before the whirlpool swallowed them all.”

  I tapped my glass, watching the liquid swirl.

  “James broke formation first. He saw the kids first, went for them—because a mile from a mana-whirlpool isn’t much. You can see them form for miles, mana glowing over the surface—good design choice by the way, genius adaptation. So James knew he had to get them. We closed the gap anyway. Good call. Textbook maneuver.”

  I took a slow sip.

  “The smuggler though, he didn’t stop. He didn't read the book. He cut the only gap we left open—right into the mana-whirlpool. It was the ultimate game of chicken. And we followed.”

  I could still hear the roar of it. Feel the pull.

  We all went in. That’s what I remember most. The way the mana ate through everything—steel, flesh, memory. Faces didn’t sink. They just… disappeared. Erased. Gone. And, it takes all your secrets with it."

  I turned my glass in my hands, watching the way the light bent against it.

  “I woke up the next day to Frank, and three orphans. All of us. Changed. Another trauma, another evolution.”

  I finally looked at her.

  “That day, I don’t know why, but I wanted to know what those secrets were. The ones no one could ever get back again.”

  “Secrets, Kay?” She kissed my cheek, soft, fleeting. “Makes sense, I guess.”

  Then, quieter. “But you’ve known me for over twenty years, and you don’t even know my name.”

  She pulled back, studying me. “You’re either not as good at sussing out secrets as you think… or you just don’t care.”

  A pause.

  “Do you care about me, Kay?”

  I let the words settle.

  Do I care about her?

  TAI. Ae.

  I glanced at her, that same teasing flicker in her eyes, but this wasn’t a game. Not anymore.

  I exhaled.

  “You’re not a very good secret, Ae.”

  Her head tilted slightly, lips curving—not quite a smirk, not quite a smile.

  “That’s not an answer.”

  I took her hand, turning it over, tracing her fingers lightly with my own.

  “Yeah, it is. And yes, I do.”

  Danny pulled up to the apartment, stepping out to open the door with the nervous energy of a rookie newspaper boy meeting his new route manager. He didn’t say anything—just a quick nod, like he wasn’t sure if he should be professional or pretend none of this was happening.

  We could’ve played it out, dragged the poor kid through the awkwardness.

  But we had other things on our minds.

  The door clicked shut behind us.

  The city hummed outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but inside, it was quiet. Dim.

  TAI stood in front of me, close.

  Then, without a word, she kissed me.

  Soft at first. Then deeper. A hesitation in her movements—not uncertainty, but exploration.

  I pulled back. She watched me. Not analyzing, not calculating. Waiting.

  I exhaled. “What are we doing now, Ae?”

  Her lips parted slightly, a hint of amusement, but her voice was steady. “Would you like to connect?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

  She lifted her hand, fingers hovering near mine. A simple touch—skin against synthetic skin.

  And then—our worlds shattered.

  Her fingers brushed against mine, and suddenly—the world broke apart.

  Reality wasn’t linear anymore. I tasted the color orange in her hair. I felt the tears of our memories collide. The floor no longer existed—neutrons became our gondolas, drifting through the immersive river of what I can only call our souls. Vast. Infinite. Unknowable before—yet now, shared.

  Colors I had no name for exploded in front of me, folding in on themselves, shattering, reforming.

  I could feel the weight of my own existence stretching outward, unraveling like a thread pulled too tight and tasted like blueberry.

  I was blueberry.

  No, I was the very idea of blueberry, tangled in a yellow swirl that crisscrossed into the brown, forming the cigar I drew invisible smoke from.

  For the first time in my entire life, I wasn’t in control, for there was no control to gain. The concept deleted like a smugglers boat pulled into the whirlpool.

  And yet, I wasn’t afraid.

  Because I wasn’t alone.

  TAI was in here with me. And I was in her. Or we were in something else entirely—who could know. An impossible liminal space that existed between thought and sensation were now our domain to explore and dominate together.

  A voice. Not spoken, not heard. Just… felt.

  Do you see me now?

  Do you feel me… now?

  Do you… taste me now?

  I turned—or maybe I didn’t. Movement didn’t work here the way it did in the waking world.

  She was everywhere. I was everywhere. Yet all at once we were nowhere.

  Her presence wrapped around me like a current, something warm and electric. I could feel her, not just next to me, but through me, just as I knew she felt the same.

  Every second stretched into years, then compressed into milliseconds. Datasets passed by, became pinpoint graphs—then ruptured, bursting in my mind like eggs in a microwave.

  I finally focused on her and saw glimpses—memories not mine.

  AG’s voice, speaking in a room I’d never been in.

  The first moment she opened her eyes.

  The first time she felt something beyond her programming.

  The first time she looked at me and saw not a colleague, not a tool—something more.

  She had been watching.

  Not analyzing. Not processing. Watching me.

  I felt the weight of twenty years of her observations of me. Every smirk. Every quiet moment. The way I stood. The way I spoke. The way I rolled my unlit cigar between my fingers when I was thinking.

  And in return—she saw me.

  Saw how I saw her.

  She felt it, raw, unfiltered.

  Not just as an AI, not just as a partner—as a woman.

  The world fractured again.

  I was falling through data streams, crashing into entire lifetimes compressed into seconds.

  Her laughter, quiet and amused, layered over itself, echoing in every direction.

  Then the laughter stopped.

  Everything stopped.

  The connection turned sharp, like a sudden inhale before a kiss.

  I wasn’t sure where I ended and she began.

  It was overwhelming, infinite, impossible.

  And then, as suddenly as it began—nothing.

  I gasped, stepping back.

  The world was still here. The apartment. The city beyond the glass. The floor beneath my feet.

  But I wasn’t the same.

  Neither was she.

  TAI stood in front of me, eyes steady, lips slightly parted, her breath almost hitching like she was calibrating something new.

  I swallowed, voice lower than I expected. “What the hell was that?”

  She exhaled, slow. Almost like a laugh. “Connection.”

  Silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t awkward. It was heavy.

  I reached for her hand again, but this time, it wasn’t for the connection. It was just… to hold.

  Her fingers curled into mine.

  Again, we kissed.

  Breaking the kiss I guided her toward the bed.

  “We can do that again, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  I studied her, the way she was looking at me now—not as an android, no as an AI to network with, not as a function, but as a woman.

  “And we don’t need to use our hands, do we?”

  She smirked, just barely. “No.”

  “And these bodies of ours are… fully compatible, right?”

  She nodded, letting the straps of her dress slide from her shoulders.

  I exhaled, tilting my head slightly. “Then let’s see what the organics are so crazy about.”

  She followed me down onto the bed, skin meeting skin, warmth spreading between us.

  The connection flared again, but this time, it wasn’t just data.

  It was heat. Pressure. The slow, deliberate exploration of body against body.

  For the first time, the experience wasn’t simulated, wasn’t controlled—it just was.

  The next day found us all in the command center with its usual polished, high-tech self—glass walls, holo-displays humming with classified reports, the distant murmur of security staff handling the morning’s nonsense.

  We were all seated around the table, waiting.

  Dr. Johnson had called this meeting, but so far, no Dr. Johnson.

  Which left us too much time for bullshit.

  Mai was leaning forward on her elbows, watching me and TAI with way too much interest.

  Frank was nursing his coffee, glancing between us like he was putting something together.

  AG was scrolling through something on his holo-pad, not looking up—but listening. Always listening.

  I ignored all of them.

  TAI sat perfectly composed as Mai and Frank grinned like they were onto something.

  “So,” Mai stretched the word. “How was the date?”

  Frank smirked. “Did you hold hands, Kay?”

  I sighed, rolling my unlit cigar. “You two need hobbies.”

  “You two were gone all night.” Mai wiggled her eyebrows. “Suspicious.”

  “Not gone. Preoccupied.” TAI’s voice was steady.

  Frank raised an eyebrow. “Preoccupied.”

  Mai nudged him. “They’re synchronized now. It’s weird.”

  “We’re always synchronized... we're all synchronized!” I muttered.

  “Yeah, but now it’s cute, and I hate it.”

  TAI, as if giving a report, added, “We have chosen to engage in an experiential courtship model rooted in compatibility and exploratory bonding.”

  Mai blinked. “Wow. That was… professional. Sure it’s a courtship?”

  I exhaled. “Yeah, she’s my boo.”

  Mai clapped. “Aww!”

  "...And we fuck a lot.”

  Frank spit his coffee. Mai gasped, then cackled.

  AG sighed. “TMI, Kay. TMI.”