Page 78 of Lennox Lane

or commit a felony.

Sometimes both.

He thinks he’s slick.

He’s not.

He thinks because he can hack a phone,

trace a threat,

find a ghost,

and ruin a perfectly mediocre date

with a pack of Depends,

that he understands access.

But forced access ain’t intimacy.

And baby,

I had to tell him.

Robot,

you don’t get to override a woman

just because your heart

finally learned how to reboot.

The room burst out laughing.”

“But here’s the thing.

He’s learning.

Slow.

Painfully slow.

Dial-up slow.

But he’s learning.

He asks now.

Mostly.

He pauses now.

Sometimes.

He hears me now

even when I’m speaking fluent attitude.