Chapter Twenty-Four – Office Gossip
"Good afternoon!" Mai greeted brightly as the android stepped in once more. There were no customers at the moment. It was just past mid-afternoon, so most people had eaten lunch and headed back to work. "There must be a business meeting." She added as the handsome unit strode up to the counter. He tilted his head slightly as he processed her comment. He did that quite a lot and she supposed it was a programmed quirk shared by many androids.
"There is. How did you know?" He asked curiously, his blue eyes following the teen's movements as she started up the coffee machine and heated the latte milk. Her hands were small, he noted, but dextrous and skilled. She worked the precision and practiced ease, able to focus on him completely as she made his order. Her eyes were hazel, with pale flecks that almost seemed to shine in the sunlight.
"You always come back for a second round when there's an afternoon meeting." She replied brightly. The NA200 processed the comment and concluded the human was observant. She had paid attention to his habits, and recognised the pattern of his visits. She also made a point to remember his order, to the point he didn't need to recite it for her. She was efficient. Her service was exemplary. He cross referenced her behaviour and was returned with the word 'kind'. The human was kind. "I hope they're not working you too hard." She added considerately.
"My workload is satisfactory." He replied uniformly, but the human didn't mind. She smiled brightly, barely removing her eyes from him as she finished the first two drinks. He scanned her quietly. She was Mai Taniyama. Seventeen years old. Orphaned at thirteen. She was in high school, and owned the café. "What of yours?" He asked. His social subroutine was running, suggesting it polite to engage.
"Oh…I get by!" Mai replied warmly, though this conflicted somewhat with her schedule. She was always serving in the café, no matter when he came. That led him to the conclusion she was neglecting her studies, or else completing the work at home. He scanned her vitals to find she suffered from fatigue, and was slightly malnourished. It seemed 'get by' was the correct phrase. An alert popped up suggesting it was socially unacceptable to comment. "Thanks for asking." She added sincerely.
The NA200 ran another scan, noting the various rises and falls in her vitals. He cross reference the data. It aligned with happiness. She was pleased. There was something more. There was a slight rise in her heartrate. She was emotionally invested in their conversation. Sexual interest. It would be socially unacceptable to comment on it.
"You are welcome." He settled on instead. She smiled as she handed him the bags, her skin heating a little as their fingers brushed. He reflected that this always happened. Her touch lingered a few milliseconds longer than necessary. He raised his eyes to meet her gentle hazel orbs. Pupils dilated. Sexual interest. She dropped her gaze, her cheeks heating. Embarrassment. She had not anticipated his direct attention in this manner. "Your payment." The unit stated, noting she had forgotten to process it.
"Ah! Yes, of course." Mai said sheepishly as she put through the order. She watched the LED at his temple circle from blue to yellow as the unit made the transaction. She smiled as she watched him nod his satisfaction. He bade her good day and was about to leave when her voice called him. "Oh, wait a minute!" She urged, the taps of her feet telling the unit she had come out into the shop.
"Yes?" He said as he waited. This was odd. He had everything he'd ordered, and he'd paid. He had nothing he could have dropped. This led him to the conclusion the girl required him for something else. He waited as she hurried over, noting the small packet in her hand, wrapped in colourful paper with a small ribbon. She seemed hesitant as she held it out to him. "Is it a delivery?" He asked as he accepted it. She shook her head, her cheeks flushed.
"It's a present…for you." She replied, her voice shaking slightly. The NA200 processed the news, looking up the social etiquette. He was not a personal unit, nor did he belong to her. He was company property, designed to follow business rules. He ran a check through the social protocols of his position. "You've been coming here every day for a few months now…You're one of my regular customers." She added quickly. He hit a file. On various holidays it was not unusual for business owners to show appreciation to patrons with small gestures.
"I understand." The unit replied, noting the happy flush on the human's cheeks as she looked up at him. Sexual interest. He looked at the small packet. It was almost Halloween. It was a Halloween gift. This holiday wasn't known for gift giving, but it would be rude to decline such an offer.
"Open it." She encouraged, and the unit obediently tugged the ribbon and paper free. It was a small orange pumpkin pin. Mai took it and pinned it to the lapel of his jacket. The unit looked down at it before meeting her eyes. "I thought it would cheer your uniform up a bit." She added brightly. The unit looked for a suitable response. He wasn't authorised to wear decorations, however his social subroutine suggested the infraction was small, and easily overlooked.
"Thank you." Is what his program told him was the acceptable response. Mai smiled brightly, clearly happy, and held the door open for him. She waved as he headed down the street, not feeling the cold as he went. He walked calmly into the bank and headed for the elevator. He requested the nineteenth floor and waited silently, his blue eyes dropping to the small brightly coloured pin. When the doors opened he stepped into an open office area with various desks scattered around.
"Kaz! You're back!" A familiar voice called brightly. The NA200 barely had time to reach his desk before the bags were removed and the young Asian man hunted through for his caramel latte. He sighed lovingly as he sipped the hot drink, smiling sheepishly as the NA200 held a napkin out to him. He always ended up with cream on his lips. "Thanks…Oh? What's this?" He asked brightly as he spotted the pin. This was unheard of. The unit followed his gaze before stepping behind his own desk. Two of the young ladies in the office hovered beside them as they spoke, clearly listening.
"It was a gift, from the patron of the coffeeshop." The ebony haired unit replied in his usual disinterested tone. He immediately dropped his head and began typing away, pausing as the human's shadow fell over his desk. A hand landed on his shoulder, easing him back in his chair as he leaned on the android's desk. He looked interested. The NA200 found a new entry. Office gossip. He should engage, but not allow it to interrupt his work.
"Oh no-no, you don't get away with that. Spill it." The human demanded.
"I have no beverage to spill." The unit replied with a tilt of its head.
"Hahaha! Yasuhara, you need to ask the right question! Who's the patron?" One of the women asked, her brunette hair brushing her shoulders as she stood before the NA200's desk. The unit shifted his attention to the lady, whose clothes were standard for the office. A simple suit with a pencil skirt. It hugged her hips and encased her knees.
"Her name is Mai Taniyama." The unit replied obediently, unsure why the humans were so excited by the news. He looked down momentarily to open a spreadsheet to work on. Yasuhara looked thoughtful as he pushed his glasses up his nose. His shirt sleeves were rolled up in the warmth of the office, though the two ladies remained in their blazers.
"Is she hot?" He asked with interest.
"I did not enquire." The unit deflected, bringing up various definitions as he was asked to comment on the girl's attractiveness. He tilted his head as he looked for a suitable word. He compared her image to others. "Plain. Average. Cute." He recited, though he couldn't be sure they were entirely correct. Humans seemed to have a subjective view when it came to human appearances. It was something he was unable to do himself.
"Do you have a picture?" The blonde woman asked, her long hair tied back in a low tail. The NA200 held up his hand, the skin peeling back to show a holographic image of Mai. The two women gushed over her while Yasuhara slapped his shoulder in approval. The android did not understand.
"Nice! You've got yourself an admirer." Yasuhara praised, though the unit failed to see how this was a positive thing. He was simply a machine designed to complete a task. He would have voiced as much if the brunette hadn't chimed in herself.
"Yeah, but he can't do anything…He doesn't have the parts, you know." She added meaningfully as she eyed between the unit's legs. The NA200 tilted its head at it turned its attention to the human.
"I have been fully fitted to fulfil that role Miss Jeanette." He announced, noting the six eyes that turned to him in shock. It seemed this warranted further explanation. "It has been found through research that office workers regularly enjoy the benefits of romantic liaisons at work. In an attempt to combat extramarital affairs units such as myself have been designed to fill that role without the romantic attachments involved…I assumed you were aware. The full range of my abilities are clearly listed in my manual." He added, watching the girls smirk while Yasuhara looked scandalised. The NA200 didn't particularly understand their reactions. Yasuhara seemed particularly upset.
"Wait, so you're a Traci?" He demanded incredulously.
"Negative. I share a few base programs with those models, but I am designed for many higher functions as well." The unit replied, and if Yasuhara didn't know better he'd say the unit was offended at being compared to a Traci. Not that he'd blame it. Traci's were designed with minimal abilities outside of sex. The NA200 sat back and looked up as the blonde woman approached and sat on his lap. He dutifully supported her hip and rested a hand on her knee as she did so.
"What kind of base programs?" She asked teasingly as she played with the hair on the back of the Asian's neck. Yasuhara shot her a glare as she slipped her arms around the Asian model with fresh interest. The android gave her his full attention, seemingly unbothered by the added weight or physical contact.
"I am programmed with the ability to fully satisfy partners of either gender." He stated, hearing Yasuhara choke on his coffee.
"You have both parts?" He cried loudly, turning a few heads their way, people looking over the desk dividers to see better.
"Not in the sense you believe. I am physically male, however my rectal port has been designed with a self-lubrication protocol in the event of a dominant male partner." He replied, watching Yasuhara stammer incoherently. "I would be happy to allow you to test those abilities if you have the desire Mr Yasuhara." The android added, and the human swore he'd said it on purpose. The young man got to his feet with a firm and incredulous no before stalking to his desk.
"What about you Mel? You want a crack at him?" Jeanette teased as she looked down at the blonde, who seemed quite content to remain on the NA200's knee. The blonde giggled as she agreed she wouldn't be averse to the idea.
"Would you like to initiate a sexual encounter now?" The unit asked as it looked at her. Her cheeks flushed red as she felt movement between the android's thighs. She jumped up with a small yelp, the brunette hiding her amusement. She could have sworn the android had done it on purpose.
"Maybe later." Mel replied before hurrying back to her own desk. The unit was about to return to work when a grey jacket sleeve reached cross to tug his lapel, the room going silent in the process. The unit looked up emotionlessly at the middle aged man, who stared intently at the small pin.
"What the hell is this?" He demanded, though his sharp tone didn't bother the android.
"It's a present. The NA200 found himself an admirer." Yasuhara piped up as he reappeared and gently tugged the jacket free from the older man's grasp, his expression bright and friendly. The unit noted he often did this. Yasuhara was quite protective of the android where their boss was concerned. The older man hated the machines.
"Social protocols dictated it would be rude to refuse a gift under such circumstances." The unit added as it returned to work. If Yasuhara didn't know better he'd think the unit was nervous. It wasn't, he was just projecting his own feelings onto it, he knew that. The LED on its temple swirled yellow as the hand reached across and tugged the button. He was almost surprised as the android's hand rose almost protectively.
"I don't care about that, standard issue uniforms only!" The higher man stated, not trusting the way the LED stuttered between blue and yellow. Yasuhara stepped closer and looped his arms over the android's shoulders almost assuringly.
"Oh, come on Sir! It's almost Halloween! And the girl at the coffee shop will be upset if he shows up not wearing her gift, right?" He added as he looked at the android. The NA200 processed the information and nodded his agreement. Mai would likely be a little upset. Yasuhara held up the manager's coffee meaningfully, watching him look at the cup and then the button. He finally sighed and took the coffee. His was one of the Americanos. He sipped the strong black liquid before glaring down at the android.
"Fine! But it comes off after Halloween!" He snapped before turning and stalking off.
"Nice save Yasu." Jeanette murmured from her desk. Yasuhara gave her a thumbs up before checking on the NA200, noticing the way it looked absently at the small smiling pumpkin pin.
"Don't worry about it Kazuya, he'll probably forget by the end of the month…After Halloween you can take it off and keep it in your drawer, he'll never even know." Yasuhara assured, watching the NA200's LED blink yellow as it processed the suggestion. He nodded obediently, filing the suggestion as an order. Timer set – November 1st. Jack-O-lantern pin to be relocated to locked drawer. Authorisation - Yasuhara. He blinked before returning his fingers to the keys, feeling a final clap on his shoulder before the Asian man returned to his own desk.