"So, do you like them?" Lin asks.

"I really do."

"You want to touch them?" Her voice goes all breathy and the corners of her lips turn up in a seductive smile.

"Can I?"

"Yes, you can touch them.”

I run my fingers along them, feeling the silky soft smoothness. They’re even better than I had expected.

“Do you like the size? Do you think they're big enough?"

"They're perfect. They're beautiful."

I take one of them off the bed and hold it against my chest as I turn toward the tall mirror in my room. I've never been excited about clothing before, but these shirts that Lin bought me are amazing. I could really look great with Lin dressing me.

"This was so sweet of you, thank you," I tell her. "You didn't need to do this for me."

"I wanted to. You have done so much for me, it's the least I could do."

"You are the best, Lin," I say, pulling her in for a hug, which turns into a kiss and then another. She fumbles with my buttons and soon my old shirt is on the floor.

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“Try one on,” she commands, disengaging and stepping back. “I want to see how they fit.”

I would have preferred if the next step was less clothing rather than more, but I comply without complaint.

“Perfect!” she declares as she runs her hands along my cloth-covered shoulders and arms.

The phone in my pocket beeps. Alan is calling.

"You were right, sir," he says when I pick up. "There was a theft reported at a hospital in Topeka last night. Drugs for anesthesia and sedatives from the list you gave me were stolen, not the usual narcotics that get targeted. I'm still trying to get the details. Early reports say it looked like an inside job, so he probably paid someone with access to steal them for him. I thought you would want to know right away."

“Tell Cindy to get the jet ready,” I tell him. “We need to be there as soon as we can.”

“On it, sir.”

I thank him and disconnect.

“I’m coming with you,” Lin declares.

“No, I need you here,” I disagree. “You showed me that you’re better than I am at the video search algorithms. If I’m going to find Jeff, I need someone here I can count on to coordinate the operation. Someone with a strong technical background, who can do more than Alan can alone. It’s got to be you.”

“What about Evan? Or Louise?” she protests. “Or make Andrea do it, she’s smart.”

“I need Evan with me. If Jeff gets a working implant, or if he screws up or goes crazy and lets bots run wild, we need to be able to double team him. Louise said she’s elbows deep in something important, and doesn’t want that interrupted unless it has to be. Andrea’s smart, but for this job she’s no good. I’m going to need someone in my ear for this and you know she’s not a talker. Besides, she won’t help with anything to do with tracking Jeff.”

“Fine,” she pouts. “But you better listen to what I tell you.”

“I will hang on your every word,” I promise. “And this way, you get to spend more time with my wonderful grandparents. I’m very jealous.”

“Fine,” she says, not looking at all mollified. “Now take off your shirt again. I want to see you in the red one.”