The tour through the underground wasn’t as exciting as they’d imagined. Mostly, it was just robots—many of them broken and lined up for repairs. The only interesting parts were the tracks the robots moved on, disappearing into various tunnels—Wesley said they led all the way to Barnes’ labs—and the entrances. Most were hidden trapdoors in the outdoor toilets of the fake town, with a few tucked into the wells.


    It was neat, but the evening was better. Their last night in this place. At the bar.


    Phil had scrounged up some beer and food for them, wished them a good night, and headed off to sleep. Jasper had been unusually quiet the past few days. Ava stared dreamily out the window. And Daniel stared at her.


    Until she suddenly turned to him.


    “What are you guys thinking about?”


    “That I’ve got to go back to work,” Jasper said, sounding grim. “And everything’s going to start repeating again.”


    “Repeating?”


    “Yeah. Same clients, same deals, same apartments.”


    “Our jobs are kinda related,” Daniel said. “We build homes; you sell them.”


    “Probably,” Jasper shrugged. “It makes money—I can’t complain—but I miss the thrill. A thrill like we had here this past week.”


    “Yeah,” Ava said. “I’ve got to go back to work too. And Sam Hayes probably hates me now.”


    “Can’t you find another job?” Jasper asked. “There are tons of architects out there.”


    “I just started with him. He’s super picky about who he hires. Until recently, I was the only newbie in years. But now there’s this other girl.”


    She was talking about Emma. And Daniel could tell from Jasper’s look that he’d caught it too.


    “Whatever,” Ava said, brushing it off. “I won’t bore you with my stuff. Tell me about you guys. We barely know each other.”


    “I’m Jasper, a broker,” he said, pointing at himself. “I love hitting bars every night and going home with women who’ve got no morals. That’s my whole life.” He gestured at Daniel. “This is Daniel. He’s got a girlfriend of ten years who…” He caught Daniel’s glare and switched gears. “And he’s some kind of software chemist.”


    “Engineer,” Daniel corrected.


    “Same thing. Makes programs. But he’s damn good. They gave him invites here, after all.”


    “He could’ve introduced himself,” Ava said.


    “We’re not at an addicts’ meeting,” Jasper shot back. “And he’d just lie anyway. It’s better when a friend says it.”


    “Would he say the same about you?”


    “Absolutely,” Daniel jumped in. “Couldn’t describe him better. A slacker with a cushy job.” He turned to Ava. “What about you?”


    “I’m Ava,” she said, giving a playful wave like at a support group. “Not just a nickname—it’s my full name. I was in university until recently, graduated, and started an architecture internship. It ended not long ago, and they took me on full-time. Nothing else interesting about me.”


    “No husband, kids, divorces?” Jasper couldn’t help himself.


    “Nope,” Ava laughed. “I had a long-term relationship—my first high school love, actually. We were together eight years. Then he cheated, I got mad and cheated back, and that was that.”


    “You didn’t cheat with me, did you?” Jasper couldn’t resist. Daniel was annoyed he was steering the conversation, but he made it fun. “Blondes are my type, unlike this guy here.” He kicked Daniel under the table.


    “Well, I don’t even remember the guy I slept with,” Ava said. “I was so pissed I went to a bar, downed a few shots, and got wasted. I was pretty aggressive. I remember the bartender’s face when I started ordering—that’s about all I recall from that night.”


    “So it’s totally possible it was me,” Jasper said, snapping out of his slump.


    Ava smiled at him.


    “Nah. I saw the guy in the morning. We were in some hotel room. He was about forty, with a scruffy beard and hair, lying naked next to me. I was naked too. I don’t even know what we did—or if we did anything. I grabbed my stuff and bolted. Not exactly something to brag about.”


    “But you did,” Jasper said.


    “We’re spilling everything, right? And after tomorrow, we might never see each other again. What’s better than telling your most embarrassing story to a stranger?”


    “Alright, then I’ll go next,” Jasper said, planting both hands on the table. “I don’t even know if Daniel and Colin know this one.”


    “Colin?”


    “The third guy in our crew,” Jasper said, winking at Daniel. “So, listen. I fell in love.”


    “Unheard of,” Daniel said, taking a sip and cutting in. Jasper glared at him and went on.


    “When a guy falls in love, it’s intense. Nothing like it is for women.”


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    “I’d agree with that,” Ava said.


    “Yeah. So, I did everything for this girl. I think she liked me too—at least from the signals she gave. But we hadn’t done it yet. I wanted it to be special.” Jasper paused for a moment. “I snuck into her room late one night. I figured she was eating with her family since she wasn’t there, and the big room in their house was lit up.”


    Daniel knew this story. Jasper had told it before.


    “…And I stripped naked,” Jasper continued.


    Now Ava was laughing too.


    “But I brought a rose. Naked, with a rose in my hand. She lived on the first floor, it was warm out, the windows were open. Easy for someone to climb in. I don’t know how long I stood there—it felt like forever. Then I heard movement in the hallway. I thought it was her. I stood up straight, posed and everything.” Jasper clutched his head. “Even telling it now, I’m embarrassed.”


    “Keep going,” Ava urged. “Was it her mom who walked in?”


    “If only it’d been her mom. Or her dad. It was her boyfriend. Turns out she had one and was introducing him to her parents that night.”


    Ava tried not to laugh but failed. Daniel had heard it before, but it still cracked him up.


    “And?”


    “Well, nothing. He yelled for her, she screamed, her mom and dad came running. I bolted out the way I came—through the window.”


    “What happened after?”


    “You know what happened?” Jasper took a swig of beer. “Later, I hooked up with her mom. She was cooler than her anyway. Older, but cooler. I don’t know if the daughter ever found out. Probably not. I’m good with it.”


    Ava didn’t know what to say.


    “Did you talk about it while you were with her mom?” Daniel asked, knowing the answer.


    “That’s how it started. She told me to wait in her room the same way.”


    Ava hid her flushed, embarrassed face in her hands.


    “Stop, stop. I can’t listen to this.”


    “Oh, no,” Jasper said. “The only loser here is Daniel. He’s got nothing. Virgin ‘til Emma, and he’ll stay that way after her. She’s—”


    “Jas! Stop.”


    “Bro, I’m fed up,” Jasper said. “I want the best for you. Either be with a normal girl or ditch Emma and come drink with me every night. You’re doing neither.”


    “You two have secrets from each other, huh?” Ava said, glancing between them.


    “Nah,” Jasper said. “He knows what I think of Emma. Not just ‘cause she kicked me out of their place. She’s just way below his level.”


    The three fell quiet for a while. The topic seemed exhausted, though their faces showed they all had more questions.


    Jasper downed the rest of his beer and stood.


    “Chicks, I’m off to bed. Let tomorrow come quick and get this over with. Don’t forget your rooms are on either side of mine. If you end up in the same bed, keep it down—I want to sleep.”


    “We might call you in,” Ava shouted after him.


    “Yes! Great idea,” Jasper said, raising a hand as he headed for the stairs.


    They watched him go until he disappeared, singing some tune that stopped when he shut his door.


    “So?” Ava looked at Daniel, her eyes darting between his and somewhere behind him. “Is what he says about you and… Emma true?”


    Daniel paused. People didn’t usually grill him about his relationship. It irked him a bit, but Emma had been right earlier—what better than spilling to a stranger?


    “Actually, everything’s fine for me,” he lied. “But from the outside, maybe there’s some kind of problem.”


    “Maybe?”


    “Look, since she started her job, Emma’s been busier, and we barely see each other. It was better at first—I brought in the money, she took care of me and the house. Now we see each other at night just long enough to figure out dinner. That’s it.”


    “What about the sex?”


    “Aren’t you pushing it?”


    “Didn’t we agree?” Ava said. “We’re strangers. Tomorrow, we’ll probably forget each other’s stories. Think of me as someone to confess to, to lighten the load. Then I’ll share something.”


    “Alright,” Daniel said. “Sex with her is amazing.” He glanced for her reaction, but she gave none, so he went on. “When it happens.”


    Ava burst out laughing, then quickly stopped.


    “Sorry. That was good.”


    “Your turn.”


    “I lied earlier,” she said. “I cheated on my boyfriend first.”


    “With who?”


    “Who’s not the interesting question. Ask why. I’ll tell you—it was over. He just didn’t know it. We weren’t doing anything different from what you’re describing with your relationship.”


    “Are you trying to get me to break up with Emma?”


    “No, of course not,” she said. “I just know that feeling when two people have run out of steam. Look, I hope things go back to how they were for you at the start. But if there’s nothing holding you together, the better option is…”


    “To cheat?”


    “What would you do if someone told you they cheated on you?”


    “Well… she cheated on me early on.”


    Ava leaned back, staring at him for a long moment.


    “That’s when your relationship should’ve ended. Sorry to say it, but that’s disrespect. And I’m saying this as someone who’s cheated.”


    “I know, but—”


    “No, there’s no excuse,” she said. “She must’ve really been worth it. But hearing you talk about her now… your relationship’s not even working.”


    “Aren’t you an architect? Since when are you a relationship expert? From what I gather, we’ve had the same number of relationships.”


    “So?”


    “If you’re being honest,” Daniel said, puffing up a bit—she was smiling back at him—“would you sleep with someone on a first meeting? Like you and me right now?”


    Ava kept smiling. She pushed her chair back and stood. Her pink T-shirt had come untucked from her jeans, hanging loose around her hips—longer than it needed to be. She walked over to him, lifted one leg over his, and sat in his lap. Her lips pressed against his, her tongue slipping between them. This time, she didn’t smell of beer. It was delicious.


    She pulled back and leaned toward his ear.


    “This isn’t a first meeting,” she whispered, kissing him again before pulling away. “We’ve kissed before, don’t you remember?”


    Ava stood and left him there alone. She walked slowly to the stairs and climbed up.


    He waited until she was out of sight, then got up too.


    He lingered a moment before approaching her room. Standing at her door, he rested his hand on the knob.


    If he turned it, there’d be no going back. Tomorrow, he’d go home to Emma—Emma, who he’d been with for over ten years, who knew everything about him. Emma, who he hadn’t seen in a week and who probably missed him. Emma, who he’d forgiven and would forgive for anything.


    He’d told Jasper sleeping with a robot wasn’t cheating. But would sleeping with a real girl in a robot world be infidelity?


    He took a few steps and turned the knob to Room 204.


    It was cool inside.


    He barely blinked all night.