business. He was paid to make sure she was prepared for the assignment, not to check on her emotional state of mind. Not that she had an emotional state of mind. But it kind of seemed…. The keys jingled in his hands. Screw it. He had to know.
In a few long strides, he was in front of her door. He tapped the keys lightly against the metal, thinking to himself how it was more similar to a jail cell than a bedroom.
“Yes.” Kaitlyn’s sweet voice floated out the door.
“Umm, it’s Lucas. Is it okay if I come in for a moment?”
“Yes, you can come in.”
His hands shook as he turned the key and pushed the door open.
Kaitlyn lay on her bed with her long bare legs crossed, her eyes wide and serene. The sight of her smooth, silky skin distracted him, and Lucas had to will his eyes away from her legs and to her face. He no longer noticed the teal parts of her body with the code scrolling. When he looked at Kaitlyn he saw a young woman not a machine. He felt lightheaded and almost forgot why he was there.
To divert his attention, Lucas glanced around the room. It was small, not much bigger than a closet, and everything was white. Even the curtains. Other than a little television, she didn’t have anything else. She was only allowed to watch movies they deemed acceptable. Mostly spy flicks. It was mainly for her to watch humans interact outside of the locked down environment she lived in. The thought was she could pick up on mannerism and dialogue. Did she really spend all her time sitting in her room? She needed books or magazines, too. He should address the issue with the Professor. Not that it really mattered at this point. Soon she would be gone.
Kaitlyn stared blankly at him. “Can I help you?”
“Look,” Lucas said, his stomach suddenly aflutter with nerves. “I’m just going to come out and say it. Can you feel things?”
She tilted her head as if trying to process the question. “Such as pain? No, I cannot.”
“Not pain. Emotions. Feelings.”
Kaitlyn’s eyes darted to the ceiling. The red light of the camera blinked. “I don’t know what you mean. You have to be more specific.”
What in the world was he thinking barging into her bedroom like this? She had no clue what he was even saying.
I’m such an idiot.
Lucas sighed. “Forget it. I’m sorry, Kaitlyn. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
As he turned to leave, her voice stopped him. “Lucas, I would like some fresh air. Professor Adams says it is good for me.”
The request startled him. He turned back around, meeting her blank gaze and scratched his head. “I guess I can take you outside.”
“I would like to be taken outside. The fresh air is good for me.” She untangled her legs and rose to her feet. Lucas watched, mesmerized, as she slid her slender feet into a pair of brown leather flats.
He held open the door, and she brushed past him. When her skin hit his, it nearly dropped him to his knees. A jolt of electricity surged through him with only the barest of touches, and he knew it wasn’t because she was half electronic. A girl had never had this effect on him—and he had known a few girls. He could never seem to relate to them.
Lucas took a deep breath and steadied himself. He asked himself again what he had been thinking coming here; it was bad enough he had to see her for hours in a clinical environment. Seeing her outside of work felt more intimate, and it scared the hell out of him.
“I will show you where I walk with Quess.”
“You walk with Professor Adams’s granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
How did he not know that? He should be talking to Quess instead of Kaitlyn. That would definitely be easier. Lucas shoved his hands deep in his pockets to stop from fidgeting as they walked the empty halls and out towards the courtyard.
It was a cool day. They didn’t pass anyone on the narrow sidewalk that led away from the dormitory towards the woods. Kaitlyn broke the awkward silence. “Did you know that dogwood
In a few long strides, he was in front of her door. He tapped the keys lightly against the metal, thinking to himself how it was more similar to a jail cell than a bedroom.
“Yes.” Kaitlyn’s sweet voice floated out the door.
“Umm, it’s Lucas. Is it okay if I come in for a moment?”
“Yes, you can come in.”
His hands shook as he turned the key and pushed the door open.
Kaitlyn lay on her bed with her long bare legs crossed, her eyes wide and serene. The sight of her smooth, silky skin distracted him, and Lucas had to will his eyes away from her legs and to her face. He no longer noticed the teal parts of her body with the code scrolling. When he looked at Kaitlyn he saw a young woman not a machine. He felt lightheaded and almost forgot why he was there.
To divert his attention, Lucas glanced around the room. It was small, not much bigger than a closet, and everything was white. Even the curtains. Other than a little television, she didn’t have anything else. She was only allowed to watch movies they deemed acceptable. Mostly spy flicks. It was mainly for her to watch humans interact outside of the locked down environment she lived in. The thought was she could pick up on mannerism and dialogue. Did she really spend all her time sitting in her room? She needed books or magazines, too. He should address the issue with the Professor. Not that it really mattered at this point. Soon she would be gone.
Kaitlyn stared blankly at him. “Can I help you?”
“Look,” Lucas said, his stomach suddenly aflutter with nerves. “I’m just going to come out and say it. Can you feel things?”
She tilted her head as if trying to process the question. “Such as pain? No, I cannot.”
“Not pain. Emotions. Feelings.”
Kaitlyn’s eyes darted to the ceiling. The red light of the camera blinked. “I don’t know what you mean. You have to be more specific.”
What in the world was he thinking barging into her bedroom like this? She had no clue what he was even saying.
I’m such an idiot.
Lucas sighed. “Forget it. I’m sorry, Kaitlyn. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
As he turned to leave, her voice stopped him. “Lucas, I would like some fresh air. Professor Adams says it is good for me.”
The request startled him. He turned back around, meeting her blank gaze and scratched his head. “I guess I can take you outside.”
“I would like to be taken outside. The fresh air is good for me.” She untangled her legs and rose to her feet. Lucas watched, mesmerized, as she slid her slender feet into a pair of brown leather flats.
He held open the door, and she brushed past him. When her skin hit his, it nearly dropped him to his knees. A jolt of electricity surged through him with only the barest of touches, and he knew it wasn’t because she was half electronic. A girl had never had this effect on him—and he had known a few girls. He could never seem to relate to them.
Lucas took a deep breath and steadied himself. He asked himself again what he had been thinking coming here; it was bad enough he had to see her for hours in a clinical environment. Seeing her outside of work felt more intimate, and it scared the hell out of him.
“I will show you where I walk with Quess.”
“You walk with Professor Adams’s granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
How did he not know that? He should be talking to Quess instead of Kaitlyn. That would definitely be easier. Lucas shoved his hands deep in his pockets to stop from fidgeting as they walked the empty halls and out towards the courtyard.
It was a cool day. They didn’t pass anyone on the narrow sidewalk that led away from the dormitory towards the woods. Kaitlyn broke the awkward silence. “Did you know that dogwood
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