> Natalie’s Inbox: Dear Mom, I have arrived. The estate here is marvelous.

Roger Grainer poured another whiskey and celebrated his latest achievement. Decades ago, he’d learned how women were nothing more than two-faced, back-stabbing bitches. Since then, Roger had taken a friend’s advice and tried genie collecting. Genies, those ephemeral beauties, never complained that he couldn’t give them more than he had. They never spread vicious gossip or attempted to sully his reputation. Nor did they require hefty payoffs to keep their mouths shut.

Life was much simpler when a man had genies to tend to his needs.

As an avid collector, he’d searched out the rarest breeds. From clones of movie stars to a seductive, synthetic succubus, he’d “been there” and “done that.” There’d been a memorable weekend with twin harlequin bunnygirls in estrus. His survival was a testament to the skill of his doctor.

Then the Dark Net’s, Silk Road marketplace released notice of a special auction for a rare, nearly one-of-a-kind genie. A stunningly beautiful redhead, young, eager, and supposedly possessing a true loyalty to her owner. She’d be the perfect mistress, an eager participant in every kink or perversion her owner enjoyed.

Frankly, Roger didn’t believe it.

Still, he had to know for sure. His usual procurer, David Grant, was a fellow collector who also dabbled in specialized genie sales. Usually doing well, he’d nearly lost his shirt trying to sell a Cthulhu genie. Roger wasn’t into androgynous sex. Otherwise, he might have “communed with an old one.” He might be a bastard, but he was a heterosexual bastard.

Grant returned his call several hours later. “If you’re calling about the centaur, she’s no longer available.”

Centaur? Ugh. “David, you know I prefer female bipeds.” Roger added extra emphasis on “female” in case David had another fish-thing to unload.

“Yes, yes, of course, what can I do for you?”

“The auction.”

David audibly sucked in his breath. “Ah, damn, I’d hoped it slipped your notice. She’s right up your alley, old chum. Frankly, I’d hoped to poach her and mark her up for resale.”

If anyone knew his type, it was David. From selling him his first toy girl until his last trade-in, David had handled the transactions. “Tell me about her.”

“Let’s discuss my fee first.”

Of course, his “friend” would want his pay. Roger opened the negotiations. “One percent.”

“Five,” David countered.

Roger sighed. The alternative to David was to risk exposure and handle his transactions directly. “Two and a half.”

“Thank you. I accept your generous offer. Well, this genie is quite special. First, she’s a natural sixteen years of age and untouched. The remarkably beautiful, little miss innocent will pass as human in every possible way, including intelligence, and while she’ll cease aging at eighteen, she’ll enjoy a normal human lifespan.”

“Hold up,” Roger interrupted. “You know the problems with keeping a human-passable secure. Why should I want the trouble?” Genies with human appearances or human-level intelligence were security nightmares. They were always conniving and attempting to escape. God forbid if one managed to run away. It might become damaged or worse, picked up by the police.

“They’ve cracked the loyalty gene, Roger. After you break her in, she’ll stay with you of her own free will. In fact,” David chuckled darkly, “and this is my favorite part. She’ll become physically addicted to having sex with you, and only you. If you withhold the ‘D,’ she’ll suffer withdrawal symptoms. No other ‘D’ will do. Withhold it long enough, and she’ll die, painfully.”

“No, shit?” She was right up his alley.

“No, shit.”

“How do I sign up for the auction?”

“The entry fee isn’t cheap, but if you don’t win, it’s fully refunded less a modest handling fee. Sign-up is five hundred bitcoins.”

“FIVE HUNDRED?” Roger ran a quick check on his phone. That was over three million dollars! “You bastard, and you got me for two and a half percent!”

“Two and a half percent of the final sale price, old chum. All the heavy hitters are in it to win it. You’re not getting her cheap.”

Now, Roger sat in his home office, drinking two fingers worth of a twenty-year-old single malt. A single malt whisky, four years older than the redhead secured inside his playroom. The glass in his hand shook, and he set it down before wasting it. Whew, it’s hot in here. Loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button on his shirt helped. He’d not felt jitters like this since his first time with a real girl. It didn’t matter; he’d successfully outbid every other collector in the world. The prize of a lifetime was upstairs.

***

As if Stephanie’s disappearance wasn’t bad enough, Jason had caught the flu. Mom loaded him up with acetaminophen and the latest antivirals. She’d sent him to bed and set Alfred to spying on him.

It was enough to make a boy cry.

The worst part was he knew Mr. Timms was responsible. How many times had Stephanie warned him about her father? How he would break them up if he found out about her and Jason. Jason rolled over and punched his pillow. He’d even felt Stephanie flinch when Mom announced Mr. Timms stopped over. Yet, he hadn’t thought to say anything. Ouch, every joint ached, and this fever made it difficult to think straight.

Mom popped into the room without knocking. “How are you feeling?”

“Terrible,” he replied, rolling onto his back. Then he winced when Mom swiped the ice-cold thermometer across his forehead.

His mother glanced at the display. “Your fever is dropping. Keep drinking.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Is there anything I can get you?” His eyes must have given him away ’cause mom held up a hand. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

“Call her mom again,” Jason demanded.

“I’ve already left half a dozen voicemails. You’ll be the first person to know when she calls back. Now get some rest, that’s an order.”

***

Robert Thomas recognized a wifely glare when he saw one. Given the recent turmoil concerning their son and his absent girlfriend, he knew why Shirley was upset. Still, it didn’t hurt to be certain. “All right, wife, what’s the problem?”

“You know exactly what the problem is.”

Yep, this was about Stephanie. “What do you expect me to do?”

“I don’t know. You’re a lawyer, do lawyer shit.”

Ouch, Shirley rarely swore, and when she did… “Sweetheart, she’s a minor. Her parents have every right to ground her.”

“It’s not her mother who’s responsible. Natalie approved of Stephanie and Jason’s relationship.”

“Fine, her dad grounded her. It’s still his right.”

“Didn’t you notice how Stephanie never called her father, ‘Dad.’ She hated the man. Something bad is going on over there.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Can’t you call someone? Get someone to investigate, see if everything’s okay.”

Robert took a sip of water. He was going to sleep on the couch tonight. Maybe if he ripped the band-aid off, it wouldn’t hurt too much. “I can’t.” His wife’s eyes flashed. Before she could retort, he held up his hands. “Shirl, I’m an officer of the court. I can’t make a false report. If I did, they might disbar me.”

“Fine, I’ll do it.” Shirley pursed her lips, then asked, “Who do I call?”

“Here in Allegheny County, it’s CYF, Children Youth and Families. Alfred has the number.” Robert shook his head and stood. He’d lost his appetite. “I’ll go next door and ask about her.”

Shirley grabbed her coat and accompanied him next door. Robert rang the doorbell, and they waited. Minutes passed before a balding man in a jacket stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

“What can I do for you?” he asked. A gust of wind ruffled the man’s hair, and he buttoned his coat.

“Mr. Timms?” Robert asked. The man replied with a curt nod. “I’m Robert Thomas, and this is my wife, Shirley.”

“Yes,” Timms turned to Shirley. “I remember you, Mrs. Thomas, from the other week.”

Shirley wasn’t here for pleasantries, and she got right to it. “Where’s Stephanie? Can we see her?”

“Ah,” Timms said with a small smile, “I thought this might be about my foster daughter.”

“Foster daughter?” Robert and Shirley said at nearly the same instant.

Mr. Timms nodded. “Stephanie didn’t tell you, did she. I can’t say I’m surprised. Of all the fosters we’ve helped, she’s been the most difficult. Stealing, lying, it’s all attention-seeking behavior, and the girl can’t help it.” Timms looked away, then back. “A childless couple, with more money than sense, adopted her. They first met Stephanie about a year ago. The adoption’s been in the works for months.”

“What’s their name? Where are they from?” demanded Shirley.

Timms glanced briefly at Shirley before turning back to Robert. “I’m sorry, but the confidentiality laws are quite clear. The family specifically did not waive their right to privacy.”

Robert extended his hand and shook with Mr. Timms. “Thank you for telling us this much.”

Timms waved it off. “Not a problem. Stephanie spent a lot of time visiting you and your son. Your concern is understandable.”

Robert and Shirley didn’t speak to each other until they reached their front door.

With a touch on his arm, Shirley stopped her husband. “Robbie, this isn’t going to be good news for Jason.”

“No,” Robert shook his head, “but he needs to know. Do you want to be there when I tell him?”

“Of course.”

***

At the tap on his door, Jason glanced up from his tablet. Mom and Dad stood there wearing their “Determined Parent” faces.

“What’s wrong?” he asked and sat up.

Dad said, “We spoke with Mr. Timms, Stephanie’s foster-father. He told us a well-to-do family adopted her. The adoption had been in the works for months, and Stephanie knew all about it. Are you certain she didn’t mention anything about it?”

Jason knew he was staring. Adoption? Foster-father? “She never said anything.”

“Well,” Dad spoke in his soothing lawyer voice, “not everyone is good at giving bad news to others. Especially when they care about the other person. Stephanie might not have wanted to upset you.”

Jason didn’t say anything. He still hadn’t sorted all this out.

Dad continued. “Things like this are a part of growing up. Unfortunately, becoming an adult sometimes means growing a thicker skin.”

Mom and Dad waited, but Jason still didn’t speak.

Sighing, Dad stood. “We’re going downstairs to finish supper. Afterward, we’ll watch some Tri-D. Jason, we’ll be here anytime you want to talk.”

***

“I’ve never seen a more miserable boy,” Robert sighed. He and Shirley cleaned the kitchen together like they used to do.

Shirley paused while snapping a lid on a neoplas container. “You don’t think he would do anything…to harm himself, do you?”

Surprised at the question, Robert pinched his eyes shut in thought. A moment later, he lifted his head. “Alfred?”

“Yes, Mister Thomas?”

“I want you to keep an eye on Jason. Stay out of standby or sleep modes. You are to alert us if you think Jason is going to do something dangerous.”

“Yes, Mr. Thomas. Sir, if I might say so, I feel terrible for him. Miss Stephanie meant a great deal to the young master.”

Robert quirked an eyebrow. “Just how self-aware are you. Alfred?”

“I’m not qualified to answer a question like that, sir. I am state-of-the-art, so perhaps I’m merely good at mimicking self-awareness.”

“Thank you, Alfred. Keep an eye on my son.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

“Good morning, Jason.”

The words registered somewhere, but not consciously. No, Jason’s attention lay on one of the half-dozen photographs hanging inside his locker. Every morning, Jason held a silent communion at the Shrine of Stephanie.

The hint of musky vanilla had more of an impact and intruded on his daydream. He blinked and followed the scent to his right. Caitlin O’Sullivan stood there wearing an unhappy frown.

“Uh, hi, Cait.” Jason blurted.

“Uh, hi, yourself,” she replied. “I swear, Jason, the next time I see Stephanie, I’ll tell her how you ignore your friends.”

Jason blinked. Stephanie hadn’t especially liked Caitlin. Heck, ignoring Caitlin might have earned him one of Steph’s special rewards. Then the sharp point of reality plunged home. Stephanie moved away, ghosting him in the process.

“What’s wrong?” Cait asked. “And don’t say, “nothing” because I can see it.”

She probably could. Sometimes Jason felt like a black cloud followed him around. Jason took a breath. He needed to get this out sometime. “Steph moved away a couple weeks ago.”

Perhaps checking to see if he was kidding, Cait’s vivid blue eyes searched his. “What do you mean, moved away? Do you know where?”

“Someone adopted her, and she’s gone. I only found out last week.” Saying it out loud made it real. His eyes burned, and he blinked to keep things under control.

Caitlin’s mouth dropped open. After visibly collecting herself, she straightened and said, “Who adopted her? Where did she go?”

“I don’t know—” The five-minute warning bell cut him off. Up and down the hallway, clots of students broke up and filed towards classrooms.

“We’ll find you at lunch,” said Cait. Her cool hands gripped his, then she turned and ran down the hall.

A pair of lunch trays dropped to the table startling Jason from his funk.

Elise dropped hers the hardest, then pulled out a chair with a loud scrape. Without preamble, she jumped right into it. “What did you do to Stephanie?”

Caitlin winced at her friend’s accusatory tone. “Be nice, 'lise.”

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In the weeks since the dance, Jason noticed Elise spending time in the company of Cait’s twin brother, Connor O’Sullivan. At first, Jason hoped it signaled an end to his and Connor’s rivalry. Instead, it seemed to have soured his relationship with Caitlin’s best friend.

If Caitlin’s words affected Elise, it didn’t show. “All I’m saying is it has to be his fault. I mean, he almost got Connor kicked off the team.”

“That’s enough!” Cait stood so fast, her chair rocked back on its two rear legs. Everyone in the immediate area turned to stare. Red-faced, Cait pulled her chair back and sat. She took a breath. “Elise, you promised.”

Instead of answering, Elise glanced at her watch and stood. “I’m going to wait for Connor.” Leaving her untouched tray on the table, she stormed out of the cafeteria.

“What just happened?” asked Jason.

Caitlin sighed and studied her clenched fists. “She makes me so mad.”

“Did I do something to her?”

“No,” Cait’s blue eyes flicked up to his, and she smiled. “’Lise and Connor are dating. It turned serious over the weekend. So, I guess, she’s protecting her…” Cait glanced up as if the words she needed were on the ceiling. “Investment, yes, Elise is protecting her investment.”

A relationship turned serious seemed to have only one possible meaning. Way to go, Connor, I guess. To Caitlin he said, “Are you gonna be okay?”

“Me?” she waved off his concern. “Sure, I make new best friends all the time. Tell me what happened to Stephanie.”

“…so, she just kissed you goodbye, and you never saw her again?”

“That’s right. I was crazy for a while, missing her. Then my dad talked with her father. Mr. Timms said Stephanie was a foster kid all along and some rich family adopted her.” The next part of the story still hurt. “Apparently, she’d known about the adoption for months and never said anything.”

It seemed to bother Cait almost as much as him. “I can understand her not wanting to give you some bad news, but why hasn’t she called or sent a text?” All he could do was shrug. “Have you checked your spam folders?”

“Yeah,” Jason said, “I’ve sent a bunch of messages too.”

The lunch bell rang. Jason stood and waited for Cait. Together they dropped off their trays. In the hallway, Cait stopped Jason with a touch on his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you tonight. We'll talk some more.”

“Thanks.”

That evening, about five minutes after Caitlin hung up, Jason’s mom tapped on his open door. “Got a minute?” she asked.

“Sure, pull up a chair.” It was a joke because he sat on the only chair in the room.

Instead of sitting, Mom walked around, collecting various articles of clothes, and putting them in his hamper. While she worked, Mom asked, “Who’s Caitlin?”

Wary of parental curiosity, Jason chose a neutral reply. “A friend.”

“Uh, huh.” Mom sat on the edge of his bed. “Is she the same girl who invited you to the dance?”

“Yes.” Then to ward off whatever concern Mom had, he added. “Look, we’re just friends. She’s concerned about me, that’s all.”

“Uh, huh,” repeated Mom. “Well, I’m concerned about you as well. There’s a thing called rebound. I don’t want you making a poor decision because you’re on the rebound from Stephanie.”

Of course, Mom’s reason made perfect sense. Then he thought about it more. Mom had always wanted a daughter, and she’d genuinely liked Stephanie. Putting it all together, Jason realized he wasn’t the only person who needed closure. “Mom, Stephanie and I shared a private email address. We used it to talk about, well, private stuff.” He glanced across the room, and Mom nodded. “Since she left, I’ve sent hundreds of messages and checked the inbox hundreds of times. If Steph wanted to contact me, she’d be able to do it from any public or private terminal.”

“You don’t think she’ll get in touch?”

“Not anymore." Jason shook his head, maybe someday he'd believe it. "I’m trying to not get angry about it. You heard Dad. Stephanie knew about the adoption for months, and she never said a word. Steph and I…well, we didn’t have secrets from each other. At least I didn’t think so.”

“And you’re ready to move on?”

“No, but I think I need to. Probably with Cait or maybe another girl? Who knows, maybe I’ll find somebody better.”

Jason and Caitlin ate lunch together and hung out between classes. Sometimes Elise joined them, but she rarely stayed for more than a few minutes. On their way to math class, Caitlin sighed as if buried under the weight of a mountain. “I wish I had someone to go out with this weekend.”

When Jason glanced over, Cait flashed her blue eyes at him.

“So, where do you wanna go?” he asked. The words barely escaped his lips before she tugged him into an alcove near the school’s auditorium.

“I didn’t say yes, yet,” she said

“What, you don’t want to go out with me?” Now he was confused.

Like a cat chasing a mouse, Caitlin backed Jason into the corner. They stood close, barely an inch apart. “You have to ask me properly.”

“Oh,” Why were girls so complicated? “Caitlin, O’Sullivan, would you go out with me?”

She nodded and glanced up at him. “Are you asking because you want to ask or because I want you to ask?”

“Cait,” he said, forgetting himself and brushing a stray lock of her hair back into place. Then he kissed her. Caitlin’s lips tasted like strawberry Chapstick. Which was charming and adorable, and then she bit his lip. “Ouch!”

“Ha,” she said, “we need to talk before there’s any fooling around.”

“I thought you liked me?”

“I do, but I’m not going to be the girl you use to ‘get over’ her. You have to like me for me.”

Why were girls so complicated? “What do I need to do?”

Smiling now, Cait took his hand and pulled him back into the hallway. “We’ll talk about it on our date, Friday night.”

Confused and with no hope of understanding left, Jason wondered where he’d lost control. “Where are going for our date?” he thought he should know.

“You invited me, so you pick the place. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I’m easy.”

Winter in Western Pennsylvania limited the options. Picnics were out, as was the recently reopened Wexford Starlight Drive-in. That left movies, malls, and he tried to think of another date location starting with an “M,” but whether Cait was easy or not, a motel seemed inappropriate.

Their first date consisted of conversation at a coffee house. Then a walk around a local indoor mall. It had gone well enough. At least he thought it had. The private table at the coffee house had been a good idea, and they’d talked for hours. Caitlin liked him, but she was worried he’d use her to “get over’ losing Stephanie. It made sense, and Cait deserved better than that.

Their second date came the following night, as did Jason’s face to face meeting with Connor.

The night air was frigid, and Jason ran up the walk to Caitlin’s front door. He pressed the doorbell and waited. The door opened, and Connor stood there.

“Hello, Brainiac.” The sneer in his voice could cut solid rock.

“Connor, if you want a fight, let me inside first. It’s too cold out here.”

Caitlin’s twin brother shrugged and stepped aside. He closed the door after Jason passed.

“I don’t see what Cait sees in you. You’re just a scrawny little nerd.”

“You know, Connor, I could wonder about you and Elise. But since she’s Cait’s friend, and I respect your sister’s judgment, you must have a few positive qualities.”

The larger boy shook his head. “I can’t tell if you’re full of shit or not. It doesn’t matter. C’mon in and have a seat. Cait’s upstairs doing girl stuff.”

Soft drinks in hand, both boys took seats in the kitchen. Jason had an idea but wasn’t sure if it was good or not. What the heck. “Hey, I heard congratulations are in order.”

Wary, Connor said, “About what?”

“You and Elise got serious the other weekend. Like I said, congratulations.”

Connor’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about it?”

“Girls talk about boys. I just happened to be there.”

“No, shit?” Apparently, Jason hit a nerve. Connor leaned forward; his antagonism gone. “What’d she say?”

She hadn’t said anything. Jason only knew about the successful dirty deed because Caitlin mentioned it. Still, he had to answer. “Elise said you were very sweet and made her happy.”

“Really? All she told me was it hurt like hell and was over too fast.” Connor winced and cut off his words.

“Chicks.” Jason shrugged.

“Yeah.” Connor agreed.

Soon enough, Caitlin and Jason became fixtures at each other’s houses. On school nights, Connor and Elise joined them while they finished their homework.

“Master Jason, Miss Caitlin is on the phone.”

“Thank you, Alfred.” He stepped over to his comm display, and the iconic poster from Star Wars, A New Hope, resolved into an image of his girlfriend. “Hey, Kitty Kat,” he said. At a recent O’Sullivan family gathering, he’d overheard a younger niece refer to Cait as Aunt Kat. A modified version quickly became his private name for Caitlin.

“Connor’s staying at a friend’s, and I’m all alone,” she said. “Come over and keep me company.”

He glanced at the clock. “It’s after nine, is this cool with your mom?”

“Poor Mom has to work a double. She won’t be home until tomorrow morning.”

Caitlin’s mother had divorced her philandering husband years back. She worked a lot and sometimes pulled an extra shift. “Oh,” then he grinned. “Oh! I’ll see if I can get the car.”

Cait returned his grin. “Hurry.”

When he asked for the car, Mom managed a disgruntled frown. For a moment, he thought she’d tell him, “NO.” Dad, however, rolled his eyes and said, “Sure, just be home by midnight.” Deadpan, he added, “And, son, remember the boy scout motto.”

Jason’s mental gears spun; understanding popped into existence. “Right. Thanks, Dad.” He ran upstairs and opened his sock drawer. There in front lay The Box. How many should he take? Shrugging, he grabbed the box. Be prepared!

Cait met him at her door wearing booty shorts and a long shirt. She laughed when The Box fell out of his coat pocket. She said, “I guess I was I little obvious, but a whole box?”

“I like to be prepared.” He replied.

Vanilla scented candles cast their unsteady light across Caitlin’s remarkably girly bedroom. Pink walls, stuffed animals, and a once-canopied bed completed the scene. A pronounced flush covered Cait from her chest up to her cheeks. Most endearing, though, was her satisfied smile. Reaching down, he held the condom in place prior to pulling out. The instructions inside the box had been quite clear. But before he could move, Cait’s legs wrapped around him and drew him back.

“Kiss me first,” she demanded.

Settling down onto his elbows, Jason enjoyed one of the best kisses of his life.

After an awkward moment sharing the bathroom, they raced back to her bed. Jason still felt a lingering high from their lovemaking. Cait seemed surprised yet pleased when he pulled her into a big spoon-little spoon arrangement.

She said, “I guess I owe her for two things now.”

Cait rarely referred to his ex-girlfriend as anything other than “her.” Curious, he asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Well, besides dumping you, she gave you all that experience.”

“What experience?”

“Give me a break.” An inviting wiggle offset any implied harshness in her words. “First, you licked me senseless.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Then, you destroyed my little yoni.”

“I can't believe you said that.”

“Why not? It's what you did.” She reached back and squeezed. “And it feels like you’re going to do it again.”

“Seriously, Kitty Kat, our first time, was my first time.

She rolled to face him. “What? She wasn’t your first?”

“No, you were.”

“Wait, she said you two did it in our math classroom.”

“She did? But we…look, I’m not comfortable talking about what she and I did. It came close a couple times, but no.”

Eager to try again, Jason nudged her hip. Obligingly, Cait rolled onto her back. Jason began kissing his way to round two. He’d passed her navel when she stopped him.

“Why are you so good, then?”

He grinned, “Natural aptitude, Kitty Kat.”

Days passed, and Caitlin’s mother didn’t work near enough double shifts. Jason was eager to prove his one-night performance wasn’t a fluke. For her part, Cait seemed eager to give him as many opportunities as possible. While searching for a suitable parking spot, and old expression came to mind. Something about “love finding a way.” Their way turned out to be a secluded spot behind a closed-for-the-season, ice cream stand. With his mother’s minivan tucked between a dumpster and an old panel truck, Jason and Caitlin rode out a late February snow squall.

Laughing, Cait burrowed underneath Jason’s sleeping bag. “I almost died when you told Mom you were taking me out for ice cream.”

“Yeah, your Mom thinks it’s too cold. C’mere Kitty Kat, I want some of your French vanilla.”

“Just be careful with your whipped cream.”

Jason craned his neck to check the dash-mounted battery indicator. They had the heater running on high. Between it and his sleeping bag, they managed to stay warm enough.

Caitlin sat up. “Jason, I want to ask you a serious question.”

“Okay,” he sat up and matched her cross-legged sitting position. Outside of the van, a frigid wind howled. “What do you want to know?”

Whatever courage Cait had summoned was fading fast. She tried but couldn’t hold his eyes.

Jason reached and stroked her cheek. “Kitty Kat, you can ask me anything.”

She nodded. “Do you still think about…her?”

The specter of Stephanie had never truly been laid to rest by either of them.

“Cait,” Jason whispered, “Stephanie’s in my past. You’re my present.”

“What about your future? And answer my question, damn it.”

He sighed, but he couldn’t lie to this girl. She meant too much, but not enough to make her happy. “I don’t know what to say. We’re together right here, right now. As for the future? Heck, I don’t trust the future anymore. My motto is “Live for today.”

“And her?”

He hung his head and sighed again. Cait wouldn’t let this go. “Yeah, sometimes.”

“When you’re with me? When we’re doing it?”

This made him smile, which garnered a glare from Cait. When they were doing it, there wasn’t anything he could think of but Cait. If she had a superpower, it was the ability to consume his senses completely. “No, not when we’re together. When we’re making love? It’s not even possible. You completely fill me up.”

“Hey, she said with a small smile and patted his lap. “That’s my line. I’m the only one getting filled up.”

“I meant inside my head.” It was so easy to kiss this girl, and so he did. She kissed him back with a passion that threatened to kindle an encore. “Kitty Kat, you gotta believe me. You command all my attention. Especially when we’re busy.” The last, he accompanied with an eyebrow waggle.

“So, when do you think about her?”

“When I’m home, and I see her house. Or sometimes, at night, when I can’t fall asleep.” Months ago, Mom helped him gather up his Stephanie memorabilia. He put it all, including his Slayer shirts in storage, hoping it would reduce the pain. The six pictures from his school locker lived in the back of an old, almost filled notebook.

Hand in hand, Jason walked Caitlin to her front porch. Over the last two years, they’d done this so many times. For every possible reason, Cait deserved his best. They’d fought and broke up, several times, because he couldn’t give her what she wanted. Somehow, though, they always gravitated back together. She’d forgive him, and he’d live with the guilt, knowing he’d let her down again. If it weren’t for his ghost, Caitlin would be the girl for him.

They took their time strolling to her front door. It had been one of their better dates.

“Jason?” she asked, stopping short of the steps up to her porch. “Before you kiss me goodnight, I want you to promise me something.”

“Whatever you want, Kitty Kat.” His nickname for her never failed to bring a touch of color to her cheeks.

“Tomorrow, you’re leaving for college. I won’t see you until November. Promise me you’ll come back and take me out again.”

“Hey, what’s this all about?”

“For two years, you’ve waited for her to come back.” There wasn’t any question who she meant. “For those same two years, I’ve waited for you to let her go. I can’t wait forever.”

“Caitlin, I’ve never lied to you. There isn’t anything left in me to give.”

“And if you’d been a bastard about it, I’d have written you off a long time ago.”

“You’re a much better girl than I deserve.”

“And I think you’re the best man I know.”

“All right, I promise to come home and take you out again.”

“Good, now walk me to the door and kiss me goodnight.”

It wasn’t just football scouts who prowled colleges searching for top talent, government agencies and defense contractors had their own recruiters. One of his professors took him aside and suggested, in very strong terms, Jason take this interview. Having just earned his master’s degree, he’d planned on taking a few months off and catch up with any available old friends. One interview wouldn’t hurt.

“Mr. Thomas, thank you for coming in. Have a seat, and we’ll get started.”

Jason took the indicated chair and did his best to present a calm and collected appearance.

The two people across the table studied him.

The woman spoke first. “Mr. Thomas, your thesis interests us.” She reached for a folder and flipped it open. “Distributed processing isn’t new, but your ideas for effectively reducing latency are remarkable. Have you made any additional inroads?”

“I’ve made a few, but resources here are limited. Without more access to hardware and network time, I’ve gone about as far as possible.”

The man opened his briefcase and extracted a form. “This is a Non-Disclosure Agreement.” He slid it across the table, along with a pen. “If you’ll sign this, we’d like to discuss how you might be able to help us.”

Two days later, after returning home, Jason sat in his father’s home office.

“I hope you read it before you signed!” Robert Thomas took the proffered copy of the NDA and leaned back in his chair to read it. While his dad did his lawyer thing, Jason took a few minutes to gaze around his dad’s home office. The desk display and keyboard were new, but Dad had always been a closet techno-geek. One of the walls featured pictures of Jason and several of his high school friends. None of the pictures included one particular former neighbor girl.

Dad set the paper down. “It’s standard boilerplate. At least you didn’t sign your life away.”

“I’d like to think I’m smart enough not to do that.”

“That would be a first. What can I do for you?”

“First, I have a security add-on for Alfred.” Jason set a data chip on his father’s desk. “It’s something I’ve worked on in my spare time.”

“If you had spare time, you weren’t studying enough.” Dad picked up the chip. “What’s it do?”

“It’s an add-on for Alfred’s bios. I call it ‘Digital Fealty.’ It will stop kernel-level attacks. Once you install it, every time Alfred reboots, the code will enforce one-hundred percent loyalty to our family.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t developed this for commercial sale.”

“Someday, I will. For now, that defense contractor, “Jason tapped the NDA, “made me an offer. I want your opinion.” He passed over an envelope. Dad snatched it up and began to read.

“This…this is rather good. Proportionally better than anything I got after law school. Let me check on something.” Robert lifted his head towards the ceiling. “Alfred, what do you have on…” he named Jason’s prospective employer.

“One moment, sir.” Over the next several minutes, Alfred used the wall-mounted monitor to display details about the company. Highlighted were notations of several government contracts. “Hmm, this deal with DARPA looks interesting. Did they say anything to you about Artificial Intelligence?”

“Dad, I signed an NDA!”

“Yes, you did. Well, this contract might be something you’re interested in. Tell you what, ask for another twenty percent in salary and accept ten. See if they’ll throw in another week of vacation.”

“Thanks, Dad. I do it.”

“Now, while you’re here, we need to talk about you and your life.”

“My life? I have a master’s degree, with distinction, in software engineering and a significant job offer. I think I’ve done well so far.”

Dad stretched forward and tapped one of the photographs. He’d taken it the night of Jason and Caitlin’s senior prom. “She’s married now, you know. A man, with more sense than you, swept her up and married her.”

Jason heard she’d married someone, six or seven months ago. It hurt a lot more than he expected. “I’m happy for her.”

“Caitlin called here a year ago. She talked to your mother, asking what she’d done wrong for you to never call.”

“I didn’t know.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You’ve had your head so far up your ass over that fostered girl. You never saw that one,” Dad tapped Caitlin’s picture, “slip away.”

“Dad!”

“Your mother won’t say anything to you. She thinks you’ll get over it. Well, I think you’ve wasted enough time moping around and crying about a girl who obviously never felt anything for you.”

Jason jumped to his feet. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The hell I don’t.” Dad pushed his chair back and stood. “You need to grow up, pull your head out of your ass and admit Stephanie isn’t coming back.”

“I’m fine!”

“The hell you are. When you think no one’s watching, you stare out the windows at her old house. It’s like you expect her to come running back.

“What if I do? It’s my life to waste.”

“No, it isn’t. Your mother and I spent too much money and too much time for you to just throw it all away.” His father mimed tossing an imaginary object into the trash can.

“I got a news flash for you, Dad. Whatever money and time you spent was your decision.” He phrased his next words slowly. “I do not owe you anything.”

Robert Senior worked his mouth as if starting and then aborting his choice of words. Finally, he spoke. “While you live under my roof—’

Jason didn’t wait for his dad to finish. “There is an easy solution. Goodbye.” He turned and left the room. Upstairs, in the kitchen, Mom tried to block his way.

“Jason, wait, your father—”

He held up a hand, and his mother broke off whatever excuse she wanted to make. “Bye, Mom, I love you too.”

The end of part one.