Robot daddy fantastical.., p.14
Robot Daddy (Fantastical Daddy Doms Book 4), page 14
I dressed quickly, in slacks and a blouse, grabbed my briefcase, and headed toward the kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee would be waiting for me.
Another pro to having a robotic boyfriend. They didn’t need to sleep, so there was always time for them to take care of you. Coffee made, house cleaned, sexual needs attended to...they did it all.
I poured the coffee in a travel mug with a splash of creamer and wolfed down a piece of toast and a slice of melon.
I was not a breakfast person. I only ate it so I wasn’t tempted to lie if Rob asked me later. Lying did not go over well with Daddies. Robotic or otherwise.
My ass twinged at the memory of the one time I had made that mistake.
Never again.
The cuckoo clock on the wall chimed eight times, and I rushed into the bedroom. I was going to be late again.
“Yo, Robo-Daddy!” I yelled to get his attention as I simultaneously pushed an earring through my ear and wedged my feet into my shoes.
I had to work a lot harder to be on time to the lab these days. Rob was very good at providing distractions.
“Yes, my little Einstein?”
“What are you thinking about making for dinner tonight? And by ‘making’ I mean, having delivered?”
We had gotten to a point where I was comfortable enough to leave him at home while I went to work every day, but trusting him to cook was not a thing that would be happening.
“Whatever you’re in the mood for, little one. Just show me the money!”
We had watched Jerry Maguire last night, and it looked as if he was eager to put his new input to good use. I giggled, and threw him a wad of cash from my purse. “Maybe Indian food. It’s been a while since I had some good curry.”
“Whatever floats your boat, little one. I aim to please.”
“Chicken curry, garlic naan, and mango ice cream,” I requested, rushing over to give him the prerequisite kiss on my way out the door.
“Got it,” he agreed. “I will be counting the hours until you return.”
More than likely he would be glued to the TV, watching old movies all day, but that was okay. It was all part of our routine, and he would have a handful of new quotes to try out on me when I did return home.
“Bye!” I yelled, rushing out the door. “I love you!”
Oh shit. Did I just say that?
I did. All three words together. In one sentence.
To a robot.
I hadn’t even said I love you to Kyle for over a year.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
My phone rang in my purse, and I ignored it, knowing it was Brian wondering where I was. We had a big presentation this morning, and we needed to get the details locked down. And I was late. Again.
Exhaling deeply, I forced myself to walk to my car. There was no time to backpedal, or explain it, or correct myself so that it was a simple “love ya,” which is still bad when you’re saying it to a robot, but not as serious as when you use all three words together.
I had to leave, knowing I had just professed my love to a robot and hoping he hadn’t heard me.
Fuck.
I walked in the door and kicked off my shoes, not even bothering to walk them to the closet. It had been one hell of a week at the lab, and I was so ready for it to be over.
Why can’t today be Friday?
The smell of Indian food permeated my nostrils, and I set my purse down by the door and stalked to the kitchen. Rob was sitting at the breakfast nook.
The table was set, my food was plated, and a wineglass sat front and center, waiting to be filled.
I loved coming home to dinner set up and ready to eat, even if it was still just takeout. Having someone else do the ordering, and having it waiting for me when I got home had spoiled me. It was my second favorite part of the day.
Today, though, I was too tired to even care about food. I looked at the spread, and the cute robot boyfriend sitting at the table, and I felt drained.
“I’m not hungry,” I announced. “I’m going to take a bath.”
His face fell, and I felt terrible.
The one thing about being a robot that I knew he hated was not being able to take a shower or bath with me.
I loved a nice leisurely bubble bath, but I had avoided them recently, not wanting him to feel left out. But right now, I didn’t care. I wanted a bath, and I needed the space to de-stress from my day. I was peopled out, and that included robotic people. I didn’t even have the energy to explain that to him, so I turned and walked away.
In the bathroom, I went all out, setting an ambience of peace and relaxation. I lit candles, dimmed the lights, poured in three capfuls of foam bath, and set an app on my phone to play soft instrumental music. When I stepped into the tub and sank down into the hot water, covering myself in bubbles, the stress of the day began to melt away.
I really need to do this more often.
It’s not my fault robots can’t enjoy some of the finer things in life.
I could feel my thoughts turning to Rob and the complications of being in love with a robot. My head was noisy today, and I was overwhelmed.
I pushed the noise out of my head, and sank deeper into the tub, closing my eyes.
I must have dozed off. When I opened my eyes, the lights were on, the candles were burnt out, and the music was off.
Rob was sitting on top of the closed toilet lid in only a pair of boxer briefs.
“You must have had quite the day at work, little Einstein. You fell asleep in the tub. I’m pretty sure the water is cold by now.”
It was.
I sat up, and peered at him.
“Always taking care of me, aren’t you?”
“That’s what a Daddy does, little one. Even a robotic Daddy.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t eat dinner, and I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you.”
Rob shook his head. “I will never understand how stressful the human life can be, little one. No apologies. You needed a break.”
He stood and held out a fluffy towel, motioning for me to stand as well. I did, and he gingerly wrapped it around my body, careful not to let so much as a drop of moisture touch him.
I was careful as well, drying every drop of water from my body before hugging his perfect frame
“Thank you for taking care of me,” I whispered.
“Always.” He scooped me in his arms and carried me to the bed, cradling me like a baby.
He dressed me in a soft cotton nightshirt and tucked me into bed, before climbing in beside me and pulling my body over so that my head rested on his chest, with his arm wrapped around my shoulder.
The Princess Bride was playing on the television, but I was too tired and comfortable to even sneak a peek.
“I love you,” I whispered as I drifted off to sleep.
I stretched lazily, a smile playing on my lips as all of my sore muscles protested the movement. I did not want to get up, but one look at the alarm clock told me I didn’t really have a choice.
At least it’s Friday. You can be a lazy bones all weekend and let Robot Daddy spoil you silly.
The thought warmed me to the core, and my pussy twitched.
Down, girl. You’ve had your fill.
I looked over at Rob, who lay motionless beside me. How odd. He usually put himself in sleep mode until my alarm went off and then got up and made me coffee. I reached my hand behind his neck and pressed the power button, waiting for my favorite part of the morning.
Nothing happened. I pressed it again, holding it down in case it needed an extra second to warm up. When his face didn’t soften, and his eyes didn’t flutter open, I sat up and stared.
I could see the cord coming from his charging port and plugged into the wall. “What the heck?”
Jumping out of bed, I checked both connection points. They seemed secure, but I unplugged and replugged both of them anyway. One more try with the power button proved fruitless, and I decided to jump in the shower and get ready for work to allow him time to charge enough to turn on at least.
We had been pretty good about not letting his battery die completely, so I didn’t really know how long he would need before he could function after a hard reboot like that. I took my time getting ready and even sat down and had a cup of coffee. I hadn’t had to make my own coffee in ages, and as I sipped the magical energy juice with a generous helping of caramel-vanilla creamer added in, I noticed how quiet the house was.
You’ve lived alone for years. This is not new.
It was amazing how fast I had gotten used to hearing Rob sing or chatter on about current events. I hadn’t had to watch the news at all. In the silence, I quickly finished my first cup and went back to the bedroom to wake Rob.
“Okay, big guy, you’ve slept in long enough. I have to go to work.”
I pushed the button. Still nothing.
Okay, something is up.
I rolled Rob onto his stomach and opened the flap that kept his mainframe easily accessible but cleverly hidden. No lights, no power, nothing.
What the hell happened?
With one eye on the clock, I tugged on a couple of key wires, and frantically pushed buttons. Nothing was working, and I had to be at work soon. I was running out of time.
Normally, I would kiss Rob on the cheek and tell him what to order for dinner, and then be on my way out the door.
Leaving him here broken seemed wrong. There was only one thing to do. I was taking him to work with me.
Maybe Brian can help me figure this out. Two brains are better than one.
I pulled my desk chair to the bed and loaded Rob for transport. It was impossible to get him to my car any other way, he was so heavy with his metal frame. Thankfully, I had parked in the garage last night. That would reduce any chance in my neighbors seeing me struggle to get a limp man into my car.
My logical brain wouldn’t let me panic. One step at a time. I just needed to get him to the car. When I got to the lab, I could call and have Brian help me take him upstairs.
And then we could get him fixed, assuming we could figure out what was wrong.
Not figuring this out is not an option.
I have big plans for this weekend.
“We’ve tried everything, Stella.” Brian sighed in exasperation and rubbed the side of his head. It was his tell that he was over whatever we were working on, and he had been doing it for hours. I felt terrible for wasting his day of work, but I was now officially panicked. He was right, though, we had tried everything, but there had to be something.
“I’m telling you, he worked perfectly last night. There has to be something. We missed something. Just one more try.”
That’s a lie.
“I can’t. It’s seven o’clock on Friday night, I’m exhausted, and I have plans to go on a hike tomorrow morning with my brother. You have to be pretty tired yourself. Go home and get some rest. I promise, come Monday morning we will get this all figured out.”
He was right, I knew he was right, but there was no way I was leaving this lab without Rob. He needed me. But Brian wasn’t going to leave without assurance that I was also going to pack up and leave soon, so I lied through my teeth once more.
“You’re right. I’m going to run one more diagnostic check through the system and call it a night. Thirty minutes max.”
He nodded and headed for his locker. “We will get it figured out,” he promised again as he left.
Damn straight because I’m not leaving this room until I do.
The door opened, and the room flooded with light. I looked up from Rob’s open control panel and blinked.
Brian stood in the doorway, gaping at me. His expression was a jumble of concern and anger.
“Stella!” He spoke sternly, narrowing his eyes at me. “Those are the same clothes you were wearing when I left on Friday. Have you left at all? Have you been here all weekend? ” He shut the door behind him and hurried toward me.
When he reached me, he pried the screwdriver from my hand, set it on the table, and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Stella, you’ve been working on this for three days?”
I nodded. “Well, yes, I guess, but I have to finish it! I have to fix him! I need him! He needs me.”
“You have been here for the entire weekend?. Have you slept? Have you eaten?” He ran his fingers through his hair, muttering. “I knew I should have made you leave with me Friday night. Seriously, you are the most brilliant scientist I know. If you have been working nonstop and haven’t figured out the problem, then enough is enough. He’s not coming back, and it’s time to let him go.”
Glaring daggers, I shrugged him off and reached for the discarded tool.
“I can’t give up. There has to be something I can do. This makes no sense.”
“Stella.” Brian’s voice was a growl, low and deep. “Stella, we have a meeting today. When was the last time you showered? Or god, brushed your teeth even?”
I ignored him, continuing to push buttons and connect wires, knowing they were the same buttons I had already pushed and the same wires I had already connected.
I slammed the panel shut and pushed the button to power him on. Just like the first hundred or so times, nothing happened. He lay perfectly still on the cold lab table, with not so much as a jerk or blink to give me hope.
I was exhausted, discouraged, and missing my best friend. And my Daddy. Tears pricked the back of my eyes, and this time I didn’t fight them. I gave in.
Heaving sobs shook my body, and I fell off of my stool and crumpled to the floor.
Brian dropped to his knees beside me, wrapping me in his arms. “Oh, Stella, oh honey. I’m so sorry. Let it out, babe. Let it all out.”
“I don’t want to let it out,” I sobbed. “I want to fix him. Why can’t I fix him? Seriously, Brian, what good is my degree and my awards and all of my experience if I can’t fix the one thing that means the most to me?”
Brian didn’t say anything. We both knew I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say right now. I sat on the floor, sobbing into his chest until the tears faded away.
When I pulled away, he smiled. “Atta girl. Let’s get this mess cleaned up and go over our notes for today’s meeting.”
I shook my head. “I need to try one more thing. I think maybe if I…”
Brian held his hand out to stop me. “Stella, doll, you know I love you, and I would fix it for you if I could, but, honey, this might be for the best. He was a robot. You are hysterical and heartbroken over a robot. What were you going to do, date him for the rest of your life? Give up on having a family or a normal life, a boyfriend or husband who could support you, emotionally and contribute financially? He can’t get a job or buy a house or have a credit card with his name on it, even, because he’s not real! Stella! He’s not real!”
I shook my head and scowled at him, putting a hand up in front of me to stop him as if it could block out the truth in his words.
It couldn’t, of course. And he didn’t stop.
“What were you going to do Stella? Marry a robot? You can’t do that! I know you loved him, but you need to accept the fact he is gone now, and move on, preferably with a real human boy!”
I scowled at the Pinocchio reference. The random jumbled movie quotes had been adorably endearing coming from Rob, but from Brian, they just pissed me off.
“I can’t Bri. I can’t move on. I even wish I could. I know in my head you are right, but my heart…” I was about to cry again. “I loved him. And I know that’s crazy, but I’m never going to meet anyone like him again. Believe me, I know what’s out there.”
Brian sighed. “You know, he really did remind me of my cousin.”
I matched his sigh with one of my own. “Would you cut it out with the Bobby stuff, please? For fuck’s sake, Brian, I’ve told you over and over. I’m not interested in being set up, and especially not with your cousin.”
Brian opened his mouth to argue, then stopped himself and nodded. “Okay, I get it. I’ll drop it. But please, think about what I said.” He frowned, and changed the subject. “What time do you leave Thursday?”
“Leave?” I stared at him blankly.
“Your sister’s wedding? That’s this weekend, isn’t it?”
Oh god. It was. I had been so wrapped up in trying to fix Rob, I had completely lost track of time and days, and forgotten all about the wedding. And now it was a few short days away. And my date was essentially, dead. “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” I braced my hands on my knees, and tried to not keel over as I started to hyperventilate. “Brian,” I wailed. “What am I going to do? I can’t show up without Rob! My family loves him! They will practically stage a revolt! And what do I say to them? How do I explain this? I should have never listened to you in the first place. This was all just a terrible idea, and it blew up in my face.”
“Calm down.” Brian took my hands in his. His steady eyes locked with mine, and I watched as he took a series of deep steadying breaths. I did the same, trying to match my breathing to his. When I was sufficiently calm, he spoke.
“I can go with you this weekend if you need me to. We can say that Rob sends his regrets, but he got called away for a work emergency. It will be okay.”
I nodded. “But only if I need you to. Only if Rob isn’t fixed by then. He might be, you know. There has to be something I haven’t tried yet.” My eyes darted around the room as I racked my brain for the winning equation. The missing part of the puzzle. It had to be here, somewhere. I just knew it. “You know, I probably just need some coffee. No, a shower. A shower is definitely what I need. I do all my best thinking in the shower. I bet if I take a break for a few, grab some coffee and a shower, I’ll be good as new, and I can start fresh. Then I can fix him.”
Brian nodded. “Okay, that sounds like a plan. Run home and clean yourself up. Hit the showers, brush your teeth, change your clothes. I can cover for you this morning. Just make sure you are back in time for the meeting.”
“Will do!” I was feeling hopeful, and much less ripped raw as I grabbed my purse and jacket, and scurried down the hall toward the elevators.
