FOUR
"Dinner was really good tonight; thanks," Castle told his companion when he delivered his empty plate to the kitchen sink.
"Glad you enjoyed it," she replied as she rolled up her sleeves and set to work on the dishes.
Having no interest in returning to his office and slogging through the chapter that just simply wasn't working inside his mind, he leaned his hip against the counter and asked her, "Have any fun plans for your day off tomorrow?" As they had agreed upon, Kate had Sundays and Wednesdays "off" from her household duties, and Castle left her alone on those days, unless they'd previously made arrangements to do something, like the prior Wednesday when they'd gone to the movies (as an android, she could not attend alone, but could go as the date of her human companion.)
"Um, no, not really—oops," she commented when the sponge she used to scrub their plates flipped out of her hands and landed onto the floor. She twisted to the side and stooped down to reach the escaped object and, in doing so, allowed Castle to see up the back of her shirt, where her electrical access panel was. Well—the electrical access panel he now knew to be fake.
Depending on the make and model year of the android, their access panels could be in a variety of locations, such as the base of the head or the foot. Most androids, however, had the panel in the low back, where it was easily accessible for repairs and any other needs. Generally, it was also where the charging port was.
As part of her "android costume" as Castle now referred to it, Kate had an access panel, for without it she would have easily been discovered as human. As she had stopped wearing her lenses in the apartment, he was curious as to why she retained the panel—other than it was clearly more difficult to discard of than the lenses. Still, a lack of panel on her low back did not clearly peg her as human, so he didn't believe it would be necessary in any circumstance.
"You don't have to have that panel on your back still, do you? I mean, I doubt anyone on the street is going to check you for one."
Returning the sponge to the sink, she explained, "It's tacked on with medical glue so it doesn't come off."
"Jesus," he commented, subconsciously rubbing his back with discomfort. "But doesn't it eventually come off as your skin cells regenerate?"
She nodded. "I have to put it back on about once a month. I was actually going to deal with it tomorrow."
"Just take it off—it must be uncomfortable to wear that close to your spine."
"It's fine."
"Kate," he grumbled at her the same way he had when she refused to stop waring her android registration bracelet (even after she admitted it to be a fake).
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "It really doesn't bother me anymore."
"Why don't you just leave it off for a few days then?"
She huffed out a breath and shut off the water rather roughly. Reaching for the towel to dry her hands, she said with slight irritation, "Well, I can see you're not going to let this go, so I'll take it off—for now."
Castle resisted the urge to clap his hands, but his excitement immediately dissipated when she pulled out a small knife from his drawer of cutlery. "What are you doing with that?"
"Well some of it is still bonded to my skin—I have to get it off somehow."
"With a knife!?
She shrugged. "What else would I use?"
"Don't you cut yourself?"
"Sometimes."
He huffed at such a ridiculous process. "Hold on—I think I have something better." He jogged to his office and returned with the item typically displayed behind his desk. "Here."
She blinked at the object. "That also looks like a knife."
He shook his head. "It's an antique letter opener, so yes, kind of like a knife, only it's far too dull to cut you."
Her brow wrinkled. "Letter opener?"
He nodded. "Yeah it's about two hundred years old."
"Rick! You cannot use that! It's probably valuable."
"Kind of…? They're not that uncommon. Besides, it'll be fun to give it some use for the first time in over fifty years," he ballparked based on his vague knowledge of when paper post ceased.
"Fine." She held out her hand for the letter opener, but he held it tightly.
"Why don't you let me help you? I mean, you can't see behind you, right?"
She opened her mouth to presumably protest, but then shook her head and clearly gave up. She moved to a spot on the counter beside the sink and leaned over with her forearms resting on the counter. "Just be careful. It's usually best to try and wiggle it loose from beneath the flap.
Indescribably excited for the "surgery" he was about to perform, Castle stood behind Kate and folded up her shirt so half of her back was exposed. The panel was an incredibly good replica, he immediately deduced, having never seen it so up close before. It blended in well with her skin and even had a working flap to make it more authentic. Of course, beneath the flap was merely the actual skin of her back not wires and plugs.
Doing as she instructed, he wiggled the end of the letter opener around the interior edges of the flap until he figured out the best method to loosen it. It took him almost five minutes, mostly due to the fact that he was being extra careful so he didn't hurt her, but he finally pried the fake panel off. He then discovered it was not just a panel, but a panel surrounded with fake android skin, which was why it blended so seamlessly into her back; it was very impressive.
"There," he said, placing the panel on the countertop beside her forearms. "There's just a little bit of glue residue left on your skin."
"Thanks."
Just as he was about to ask whether or not the panel was custom made for her, the thought was stolen from his mind when she turned around to reveal a noticeable scar on her belly just above her left hip. As he had never before seen the skin on her torso, he had not known it existed until that point, but it was clearly a deep gouge perhaps two inches long. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the spot.
She jumped and wrenched her shirt back down. "Nothing." She picked up the access panel and walked with it towards the laundry room in which she still kept the majority of her belongings.
Naturally, Castle could not drop the topic without knowing more. Scurrying after her, he said, "It's not nothing."
"It's just an old scar."
"I can see that, but it actually looks like it was pretty serious."
She tucked the panel into the laundry closet and then turned back to face him. "It doesn't matter."
Unfortunately for her, she had to walk past him in the tight hall to return to the kitchen. When she did, he gently covered her forearm with his hand and held her in place. "Kate. Please. What happened?"
She pulled her arm from his grasp and continued into the kitchen. He thought she might outright ignore him again until she stopped just before the sink, rested both hands on the countertop, and stared down at her fingers with far too much intensity. He walked up beside her quietly and waited for her to speak.
"Before I worked for you, I worked for another man—in Chicago. I was only with him about a year and a half before he figured out I was human."
"How?"
"He made me clean out his storage unit in the basement of the apartment building and he heard me sneeze from the dust."
Castle nodded, finding it somewhat interesting he would have discovered her in a similar way had he not seen her fall first. "Then what happened?"
"He was…very excited. He had never seen a human woman other than his mother. He wanted to show me off to his friends, but I said he couldn't; he had to keep my secret or I would be in danger. He agreed…for a while, but then…."
When she said nothing after several seconds he guessed, "He tried to turn you in?"
"No. He asked me to pay him back for keeping the secret by having sex with him."
Her words hit Castle like a gut-punch and he felt instant furry and nausea pulse through his veins. His mind began to spin terrible scenarios of what happened next, but thankfully she didn't let him wonder for too much longer.
"I refused his request. He became more insistent, and I refused again. That night he—he tried to force me; I had to fight to get away. We both ended up hurt."
His stomach still flipping in his gut, Castle let this new information process in his brain for a moment. Finally, there was some semblance of an explanation for his insistence upon leaving. Kate had been in a similar situation before, only that man had been far from a gentleman. She probably feared the scenario would repeat itself, which was why she'd wanted to leave immediately after he figured out her secret, but such a deal had never even entered his mind and the fact that she thought it might repulsed him.
"I'm so sorry that happened, Kate, but you have to know I would never-"
She gazed at him and didn't blink. "I know."
He held her gaze for a moment and then nodded his head slightly in appreciation of her honestly. Another few seconds went by before he asked, "Was—was he the only other man you worked for?"
"Single man? Yes. Before him I worked for a family in San Francisco."
"Why did you leave them?" he asked, not wanting to stop their conversation now that she was finally revealing bits about her past.
"They had a little boy; he caught me going to the bathroom. He wasn't in school yet, so I'm not sure that he really understood that an android wouldn't be doing that, but I couldn't risk it, so I left."
"Is that the extent of your android career?"
She cracked a small smile. "Ah, no… a few other things here and there, but it's hard to work for any place that insists on plugging you in."
He smiled too. "Yeah. Would be."
They stood silent for a few moments before she said, "Anyway…I should get back to the dishes."
"Kate." He stopped her before she could move.
"Yeah?"
"Will you promise me something?"
She looked hesitant. "What do you want me to promise?"
"That you won't...leave in the middle of the night without saying goodbye," he requested, as that's how he suspected she left the San Franciscan home.
Thankfully, she didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes, I promise not to do that."
"Good." She walked back to the sink and turned the water back on before he added, "You still don't have to leave at all if you don't want to."
In response, she said nothing.
Castle sat at his desk, tongue trapped between his teeth as he re-read the last page he wrote again and again. The story just wasn't clicking—and he couldn't put his finger on why! He'd written half a dozen Derrick Storm novels before this and they'd all gone so well—so why was this one going so very, very wrong. Maybe Dubai wasn't the best setting after all…
"Rick?"
Castle's head popped up when he heard his companion knock on the open door of his office to announce her presence. Perfect! A distraction!
"What can I do for you, Kate?"
She shook her head. "Nothing, sir. I'm just letting you know Kimberly is here."
His brow crinkled as he didn't recall an appointment on his calendar that day. Kimberly? Who the hell was Kimberly? He definitely didn't—
Oh.
Oh shit!
Kimberly was one of his two "regulars" from Passion, the high-end android brothel he was a VIP member of. He had a standing appointment for the second Saturday of every month and he'd completely forgotten about it.
"Rick?"
He jumped when he realized he'd been silent for over a minute as horror washed over him. Kate probably thought he'd had some sort of aneurism and—shit! Kate!
This was so much more awkward now that he knew Kate was…well, Kate.
"I, um, ah…I thought I canceled that…" he stammered out a bit dumbly.
"It's your standard appointment; you didn't tell me to cancel."
He pursed his lips at her android-sounding tone. Speaking softly he said, "I know, but…"
"You shouldn't keep her waiting," Kate said pleasantly. "I'm going to the store; I'll be back in a few hours."
"I…okay." He relented, knowing he would simply need to deal with Kimberly on his own.
A moment later, Kate's presence in the doorframe of his office was replaced by Kimberly, a large-breasted blonde with shimmering blue eyes and pale skin. As he felt it cheapened the experience, Castle had always requested the women never be dressed in a manner that would be considered "slutty" or too overly sexual; he preferred a more elegant and classy sexy. As such, Kimberly wore a red sweater with a deep V-neck, form fitting jeans, and red heels. She was attractive, as all androids were, but in that moment sex was the absolute last thing on Castle's mind.
While reproductive concerns were obviously at the top of scientist's lists when the female population began to decline, the need for male sexual release was not far behind. Androids had been used in brothels for as long as Castle could remember, and as the years went by and the female population lessened, they not only became more prevalent, but moved right into being common; expected.
Nearly every Manhattan street contained a brothel, some far more high-end than others. Some provided in-home services like the one Castle used, but those were generally very expensive. Thankfully, he could afford the best.
Though it was quite normal by the time he reached his formative years, Castle had been too embarrassed to go into a brothel until the age of seventeen. Even then, he hadn't been able to bring himself to order the "first time" package, but thankfully had the wherewithal to choose a beginner rather than intermediate (or heaven forbid—advanced) one. Needless to say: the experience was quite eye-opening.
In his younger days he visited such establishments an average of once a week, which was about all he could afford. When he sold his first book, he had the funds to go twice a week, but quickly found his interest in that level of frequency waned quickly. Despite the availability of dozens of ordering options, he found the entire experience to be…continually underwhelming. Yes, it was enjoyable, but it also began to feel routine, almost boring for while their faces and skin tones varied, what existed beneath an androids clothing always seemed to be identical and thus unexciting.
As he neared his thirties and his wealth expanded, Castle joined Passion and scheduled his monthly visits. He could, of course, order an android at any time he wanted, and did so occasionally, but for the most part found once a month to be sufficient.
"Hey Rick," Kimberly greeted him in her low, sultry voice. "Long time no see." She strolled across the room, walked behind his desk, and stopped directly in front of him. She leaned over and pushed her chest out, giving him a clear view down her top, and then reached out to skim her hands down his chest until they landed on his groin. "Are you glad to see me?"
Though her fingers were dangerously close to touching his genitals, he felt no physical response. Instead, gazing at her face, seeing the crystal blue eyes, and flawlessly smooth skin he felt uncomfortable and a little ashamed for this so-called woman was now just a pale imitation after the two weeks he'd come to know the real thing.
"I would like to cancel my appointment."
Kimberly rubbed her fingers over him once more. "Are you sure, Rick?"
"Yes; please cancel."
She removed her fingers and stood upright. "You will still be charged the full rate since you did not cancel prior to my arrival. Are you sure you want to cancel?" she asked in a tone that sounded eerily automated.
"Yes. Can you please also cancel all future appointments?"
Kimberly was silent for a moment before she blinked twice and relayed a new message. "Are you certain? We can offer a ten percent discount on your next booking to remain a VIP client. Fifteen percent off if you order two or more androids for the same appointment."
Castle winced at the memory of the awkward night he'd been a little drunk and done that. "No, thank you. Please cancel."
Kimberly blinked. "Your monthly appointments have been canceled. Have a good day." With that, she moved away from his desk and walked out of the office.
"Yeah…you too…" he replied as his voice faded, knowing he couldn't hear her.
Resting his elbows on his desk, Castle leaned forward and scrubbed his hands over his face. He shut his eyes and sat with his head resting in his hands for a moment and thought. A face appeared in his mind's eye, but it wasn't Kimberly's; it was Kate. He saw her smile and laugh and tingles flowed down his spine.
Castle's eyes popped open immediately.
Jesus. Did he—did he want to have sex with Kate? No, no—of course not.
Well—maybe.
As every man in his generation did, he had wanted to have sex with a real woman ever since having sex with a fake one (how else would he compare?), so on that basic level, he did want to have sex with her since she was, in fact, a real woman. A beautiful woman. A woman whose smile warmed his heart…
And, okay, if by some miracle another real woman turned up in his apartment that afternoon he would probably still desire sex with Kate over sex with her because he knew Kate and they had shared experiences.
And if Kate were to express a desire to have sex with him he certainly wouldn't tell her no—that would just be rude!
Grumbling, he pushed himself up from his desk and began to pace his office.
Okay, so he was attracted to Kate, but it was more than that. She was more than just a beautiful face, shiny hair, and alluring brown eyes. She was…fascinating. She had lived possibly upwards of a decade of her life as an android; a fake. The level to which she fooled everyone, him included, was beyond impressive. He was fascinated with her for that reason, but also for more. He wanted to know why she'd chosen the life she had and how the hell she'd become so damn good at it. Was she an orphan? Did she have a family? Did she ever see or speak to that family? Did she intend on being an android forever? Did she ever want to live her life as a human woman?
The more Castle paced and thought, he tried to answer the question on his own, but then he realized what was happening: he was using life experiences to form a character—a character for a new story.
He had done this before, several times over his life. Generally, he used his own experiences, but he found himself using hers.
What if there was a woman—Nikki; he'd call her Nikki. She chose to live life as an android to hide from the government, but she kept getting caught and would have to flee and make a new life only to have to repeat the cycle again. The more he thought about it, the more confident he became. This story could be extraordinary, but it needed more—he needed more.
He needed Kate.
Two hours later, Castle sat in his office staring off into space as he tried to think through his latest idea. He sat not at his desk, but on the couch across the room from it, knowing that sometimes good ideas struck when he simply changed positions and looked at things from (literally) a different perspective. He hadn't heard Kate arrive home, but suddenly she walked into his office carrying a bag of trail mix. She walked around to the rear of his desk and opened the bottom drawer to replace his writing snack of choice, but when she stood upright again she jumped, clearly startled.
"Oh—sorry; I thought you'd be in the shower."
He shook his head. "No; I sent Kimberly back."
"Really?"
He gave a little shrug, not wanting to give the real reason as it would clearly make things awkward. Instead, he said, "I'm busy with this story; I wasn't in the mood," which wasn't a total lie.
Kate's brow wrinkled for a moment and he suspected she might not have bought his answer, but she didn't press. "Oh. Okay."
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something—it's story related."
"I'm still putting away the groceries but-"
"That's okay; I'll come with you." He followed her out into the kitchen where the countertop was lined with cloth bags. She opened the refrigerator and began to unload the items while he hovered back a few feet and tried his best not to stumble over his words. "So…you' know I've been struggling with Storm Takes Dubai?"
She shot him a look around the refrigerator door. "As evident by the title."
"It was a working title!" he defended; he would never name his book something so absurd.
"I know."
"Anyway, I got this new idea about a girl—woman. A woman…pretending to be an android."
She shut the refrigerator door and remained a statue in front of it. For fifteen seconds she studied his face and then concluded, "Wow…you're being a little too serious for that punchline to land."
"I'm not joking."
She pulled a container of rice out of the shopping bag and froze with it cradled in her hands. "I don't understand."
"I want to write a book inspired by your life."
Much to his surprise, she let out a light laugh. She carried the rice over to the pantry, placed it inside, and then returned to the counter where the now-empty bag sat. As she folded it back up she said, "Don't take this wrong, Rick, but that's a terrible idea."
His chest constricted as he was slightly hurt by her comment, "Why?"
She gave him an incredulous look. "Because no one would read it."
"I completely disagree. Your story is fascinating and I hope to make the novel similarly."
She shook her head. "I'm not trying to insult your talent at all, Rick, but… I just don't see my life being interesting to men. Women, maybe—but you don't have many of those reading your books."
"I'm a man and I find the story interesting; it's very compelling."
"I…" She paused, shook her head, and then asked him, "Why…why are you telling me this?"
He smiled and stepped up to her. "Because I need your help. I don't know what its like to be a woman; I don't know what its like to be an android."
"So you…want to interview me?"
"Yes, but more than that. I want to know you—the real you. I have for two weeks but…I was afraid that being really annoying might drive you away," he confessed a bit sheepish.
She let out a breathy sound and gave his arm a squeeze. "You're not really annoying."
"You haven't seen my list of questions yet."
"How many are there?"
"Two hundred and twelve," he confessed; she laughed.
She put the two cloth bags away and then returned to the center of the kitchen and simply looked at him without saying a word, so he continued his attempt to convince her. "Please. We can work on this project together and….and it'll be great," he finished awkwardly. He had almost said, "and you can stay with me the whole time," but he thought that might be pushing it (even if he did hope that's what actually happened.)
She sighed audibly and brushed her fingers over her forehead. "I don't know, Rick. I…revealing too much about me could put my father in danger."
He felt himself standing up a bit straighter at this new knowledge. "You have a father? I mean—of course you do, but are you in contact with him?"
"Yes."
"Does he live in New York?"
"Yes."
"Can I meet him?"
"No," she said firmly. "If they could figure out who he was and through that maybe they could find me then—no," she repeated again, shaking her head adamantly.
"You really think that could happen?" he asked, slightly skeptical. Though he understood she would be hesitant to walk into the middle of Times' Square and declare herself to be human, he also believed she was exaggerating the government's militant attention to human women inside her own mind. She refused to entertain his question, though and instead walked towards the laundry room. He scurried after her. "Please, Kate—I really want to hear your story, even if I never end up writing the book."
She turned around with a tentative expression. "May I think about it?"
He bobbed his head. "Of course; take your time." She offered a gracious smile and then continued to the laundry. He didn't follow her, wanting to give her space and time to think, mentally crossing his fingers that she'd agree, but he knew he'd do whatever it took to convince her.
A/N: hope this cleared up some questions for you guys
thanks again for all your reviews!
