Page 28 of Operation Iron Heart

The Governor snorted, which Marci took as a sign that he took a dim view of what MacIntyre had just said. He threw his wife a look of warning that strictly forbade her from getting any stupid ideas and volunteering to test out the robot as well.

“Robots don’t carry any infectious diseases, they can’t have children and they won’t fall in love with other women,” said Jill, defending her enthusiasm for Jack to Lorna and her visibly less keen husband. And no doubt dreaming of all the new, wonderful opportunities that came to mind simply by looking at Jack.

“As long as women don’t forget that this romantic façade hides a soulless fucking machine that’s simply responding to its programming, everything should be fine,” added MacIntyre in a less than complimentary tone. “How about it, Lorna?” he asked, ignoring the Governor. “Would you like to test him as well? Maybe when Jill’s finished with him?”

“Absolutely not.” Doug Atkinson aimed a scathing look at Jack, who was currently trying to look as harmless as a lamb, and Lorna flushed with embarrassment. Jill, however, looked unperturbed and licked her lips.

“I can hardly wait for this glorious specimen to rip my clothes off,” she murmured.

The thought of it made Marci’s stomach churn; the idea of Jack with this woman in all kinds of positions went round in her head and was almost too much to bear.

The Governor paused for a moment and let out a scornful sound. “And how will he react if the woman fancies some sadistic games?” he asked hotly. “I mean, he’s seven times stronger than a human. What if he doesn’t know his limits?”

“Don’t worry, Doug.” Marci sipped hastily at her wine, hoping her voice wouldn’t sound too hoarse. “The robot is completely capable of differentiating between fun and serious.”

MacIntyre and the Governor both raised an eyebrow at this and Atkinson looked even more disapproving of the whole proposition; Marci didn’t dare risk looking at Jack. She couldn’t understand how he could sit there looking so calm and emotionless while people treated him like an object. She found Jill Ambush and her alleged special requests particularly distasteful. I hope he gives the shameless cow a really good hiding, she thought grimly.

From the corner of her eye, she thought she could detect a brief twitch at the corner of Jack’s mouth. The rotter! Had he considered the possibility of this happening? Was he enjoying it? In any case, he didn’t seem to have anything against introducing the President’s sister-in-law to the realm of robot eroticism.

Marci, on the other hand, felt the frantic burning in her chest increase. But fine – they weren’t here for Jack to swear his eternal loyalty to her, but to rid the world of Monty MacIntyre and his machines. Despite that, she didn’t know which was worse – MacIntyre’s complete lack of scruples or the thought of Jack sticking his incredible vibrating appendage into that degenerate cow and maybe even taking pleasure in it.

“OK, Jill,” decided MacIntyre suddenly, smiling at the glamorous blonde. “You can move into suite 228 with your prize. I’ll inform the hotel staff immediately so that they can make sure you have everything you need for a night of passion.”

“Perfect.” Jill nodded invitingly at Jack. “Then I can see exactly what this guy can do. I hope he’s suitably endowed?”

Just the question almost made Marci see red. I hope he skewers you like a chicken, she wanted to reply. Unfortunately, she had to restrain herself. “Of course,” she murmured. “As I said, I have personally assured myself of his abilities. I owe it to our clients, after all.”

Marci didn’t need to be a psychologist to recognise the lust in MacIntyre’s eyes, triggered by Jill’s obvious enthusiasm. If she was satisfied with Jack’s performance, she’d write an extremely positive article and word of this robot’s abilities would spread like wildfire among the wealthy women in American society. That would then give MacIntyre’s ailing robot business a huge boost, raking in astronomical profits for him.

Jill was clearly already getting hot under the collar and MacIntyre turned back to Marci.

“Do you need to give your robot instructions, Skyla? Or will he accompany our lucky tester upstairs without needing any specific orders?”

“He may not have joined in our conversation, but he’s capable of independent thought, he’s not a brainless idiot,” she stated unequivocally. “He’s followed what we’ve been saying, of course, and knows what will be expected of him.”

“We’ve been sitting here all evening, but you haven’t told us his name yet?” Jill looked at Marci questioningly and then at Jack, who Marci hoped would keep his mouth shut until she’d thought of an appropriate answer, and she couldn’t take too long to reply. Not Jack, she thought in panic. She couldn’t stand the thought of Jill screaming his name when she had her earth-shattering orgasm. That name was for her only. It was the name that Will had given him and the name that she loved more than any other, she now had to painfully admit to herself.

But she could hardly give Jack’s serial number, even if the idea of it disturbing Jill’s sense of erotic anticipation during sex amused her.

Jack got up to offer Jill a hand up from her chair and was about to bridge the uncomfortable silence by saying something, but Marci got there first.

“Robby,” she cried, loud enough for those beyond their table to hear them. “I decided to call him Robby,” she repeated hastily, “after my grandmother’s first robot vacuum cleaner. A shining example of early robot technology.” She gave a broad smile, while Jack politely kept quiet and Jill wrinkled her surgically created nose.

“Let’s hope that Robby is as reliable as your grandmother’s vacuum cleaner.” Jill smiled sarcastically. “Shouldn’t such a fantastic specimen have been given a different name, like Adonis or Jupiter?”

“Call him what you like,” replied Marci coolly. “You can call him Batman for all I care.”

“So, Robby,” said Jill, turning to Jack with a satisfied gleam in her eyes, “accompany me to suite 228 and show me what you’ve got.”

“Robby will do what Jill commands,” repeated Jack in the style of “Me Tarzan, you Jane”, smiling as if he had a screw loose and making Jill feel disconcerted. She was probably questioning whether it was a good idea to spend the night with a robot that acted like an idiot and had a childish name. Even if he were as attractive as sin and could screw like the devil himself.

Marci, on the other hand, had no choice but to put a good face on it all.

Watching as Jack put his arm around Jill’s slim waist, accidentally on purpose sliding his hand towards her backside, made Marci feel sick, and her heart sank as they walked away without glancing back. Jack hadn’t even said goodbye to her.

It pissed her off; Jack would have known that she didn’t like what he was intending to do with Jill, even if this was the only way to persuade Monty MacIntyre about her business and snag his interest.

Chapter 5 – RoboLOVE