A Surprise Favor – Chapter 16

What can I do?

I mull over the question on the return trip to the villa. I stare out the window at the flat green desert countryside between Ciudad Paloma and Playa Paloma while Lia and Nina chat about food. Lunch time is quickly approaching, and I have no appetite.

For food, that is.

In the past, this is the kind of mood that would send me straight to the sexbots. Preferably the Daniel or Zachary models who never had a problem with using toys. I would pay for a session, blow off steam with a good romp in the hay, get some dessert, and head home, clearheaded and ready to deal with anything.

And I liked being able to leave the sexbots at the love hotel. No messy feelings. No need to worry about their egos or if they needed anything from me.

Now, I have three men at home, and they all own a stake in my life.

Kalvin, Saif, and Takemo. They rely on me for companionship, for the safety a network provides. I’m the one who runs the business, pays the bills, and makes sure they’re comfortable.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy having them around, but the responsibility is heavy. It’s almost a burden, like a trap I can’t escape from without leaving them behind. And I can’t do that; they’re my family now so their needs come first.

But it’s hard to take care of them when all I want to do is blow off steam myself and forget about the other crap going on in my life right now. Every day, I’m weighed down by the responsibility of meeting their needs along with my own. The financial worries, the piloting stress, the constant fighting with my mother… it piles up until I’m smothered. Hopeless.

Could I just disappear? Leave it all behind and start fresh somewhere else? The temptation is strong, to run away and forget everything exists for an hour, a year, a decade or more.

But what would I do? Where would I go? Sigh. Kalvin, Saif, and Takemo have committed to me and leaving them is not in the cards. Plus, there’s Lia, Carlos, Nisrine, and Nina — they’ve become like family to me too. Would they be okay without my help and protection?

Maybe if I took a break for a little while…

My mind drifts off as I ponder my options — find a quiet spot somewhere away from everyone and everything so I can clear my head; take up meditation; spend time with Vivian and her family; finally learn how to crochet…

Yeah, no, Skylar.

The possibilities are endless, but nothing seems quite right yet.

“Oh, pull the car over,” Lia says, looking out the window. The autocab slows to a stop and Eduardo comes into view. He’s wearing a light white linen shirt, open at the collar with rolled-up sleeves, paired with navy blue shorts, which show off his toned legs. A small tote bag is slung over one shoulder. “Hi, Eduardo. Fancy seeing you around here.”

Lia has the charm turned up to eleven.

Eduardo smiles as he leans into the window.

“Hello, ladies. Where are you off to?”

Lia smiles. “Heading back home. Time for lunch.”

“I’m meeting a client at a house not far from here and then we’re heading out to lunch, too.”

“Any chance you’ll be around later this afternoon and evening?” Lia asks, and I side-eye her. What is she up to?

Eduardo’s smile widens. “For you, of course. I have a few appointments and then I’ll be available in the late afternoon.”

“Us too. Come by the beach and say hi.”

Ah, I think this is another ploy to nudge Carlos into paying her more attention.

I clear my throat. “I think we’ll be farther down the beach again, like where you found us yesterday. Come by around six. We’re going to have drinks on the beach and dinner. You’re welcome to join us.”

“I see,” he says, standing up. “By the big modern house.”

“That’s the one.”

“Great. I’ll see you all there.” He waves and steps back. Lia raises the window and the car glides away from the curb, on the road again.

I clear my throat and raise my voice. “Ai, have you found anything else out about Eduardo we should know?”

“I have done extensive searches over the last few days,” Ai says, taking over the speakers in the car. “And I have followed him around. He appears to be what he says he is — a real estate developer in town to make some deals. He doesn’t have much of a past. He’s not in anyone’s network and has his own bank accounts. He likes to spend time on forums about The Atherton Avengers Football Club where he shit-talks pretty much every forward player. He has a wine subscription to Skyline Cellars on Sonoma, and he watches porn only about twice per month. That’s about it. He really loves his job.”

Nina blinks. “Your AI spies for you?”

The car turns onto our block. “Yeah, I mean, what else is she going to do?”

“First of all,” Nina starts, and I feel a lecture coming on, “she’s not supposed to be out of your ship. You can’t let her roam the duonet and cut in on house and autocab speakers.” She locks eyes with me. “This is the kind of stuff that can get you imprisoned for unethical AI use.”

I shrug. “It’s too late to put the genie back in the bottle.”

“Or put the AI back in the sexbot,” Ai says, with a sigh. “I asked for this and Carlos said no.”

“He was afraid of what you would do to unsuspecting clients.” Lia opens the door as we reach the curb. “It was the right choice.”

I touch Nina’s leg. “If you’re going to be a part of my crew, you’re going to have to roll with it.”

Nina’s lips pinch. “I do not ‘roll with’ anything.”

I shrug again. “Welcome to your new life.” I shift my legs to get out of the vehicle, but pause. “Unless you’d like to return to your network or beg for the military to take you back.”

She sighs as she grabs her bag. “Looks like I’m rolling my way into my new job.”