Chapter 3

Veronica recoiled and froze, hands clasped to her chest. Her heart was racing as if she'd run up to the tenth floor. She really didn't expect Him to be so much like the hero of her dreams. Slowly and cautiously she moved closer to get a better look at whoever lay in the box in front of her. Strands of dark hair fall on a high forehead, lips tightly compressed, closed eyes framed by magnificent long lashes, chiselled chin.

Veronica touched the android's cheek with a trembling hand, as if afraid to wake him, feeling the velvety skin, touched his hair. Leaning over it, she tried to pick up any scent of the android, but could only smell the plastic packaging and plastic box. She leaned over his face even lower, and licked his nose with her tongue. Her own antics made her feel incredibly funny, 'My android - so I do whatever I want with it!' she said out loud and laughed.

But then a sudden notification beep on her phone made her almost jump up on the spot. She even shrieked in surprise: 'Oh, I almost shit my pants!'

Switching on the screen of the phone, she saw a message from the android company.

The message said that the manufacturing company was very pleased that Veronica had already received a home android, and in order for her communication with the android to start, she needed to activate it with the help of a QR code placed on the android model on its neck on the right side.

Veronica gently pushed strands of hair away from the android's neck and pulled down the stirring edge of the linen shirt he was wearing. Seeing the code she was looking for, Veronica held up the screen of the phone and the device beeped that the code had been read and the process of activating the device was underway, once completed, her home android would greet her adoring mistress in the exquisite Sherwood style of medieval England.

Veronica's hands, clutching the phone, were visibly trembling with impatience. At first nothing happened.

With the words, 'Come on, wake up, you sleeping beauty!' Veronica tried again.

The android's body twitched, long lashes fluttered, and then its large eyes opened wide, staring fixedly at the ceiling. Wet, lively, completely human eyes of dark olive colour. Veronica held her breath. For a few seconds her Robin lay motionless. Suddenly his chiselled nose wrinkled amusingly, his eyes squeezed shut, his mouth opened, and he sneezed loudly, savourily.

Veronica yelped in fright and jumped aside. There was silence in the room for a few seconds. Then something rustled.

- Oh shit...' came a muffled voice with a flawless British accent from the box.

A strong hand with graceful, thin fingers grasped the plastic rim of the box, then a dark-haired head appeared. Finally, the Android slowly raised itself up on its bed, assuming a sitting position.

- Holy shit. What the f*ck?

Sniffing and wiping his nose with his sleeve, he looked around dazedly, exactly like a man waking from a long sleep.

Veronica stood frozen, unable to move. The reality exceeded all expectations. The copy she had ordered not only looked, spoke and moved indistinguishably from a living person, it also swore like a cobbler. That's nice!

Meanwhile, Robin the android's confused gaze continued to wander around the room until it finally came upon Veronica. For a minute they stared at each other like two meerkats peeking out of their burrows at the same time.

- Hello...' Loxley finally said, 'are you the new make-up artist?

- What?' Veronica blinked stupidly, but couldn't say anything.

Robin hummed with annoyance.

- I guess not. You're an assistant, or an assistant cameraman. Am I right?

Without waiting for an answer, he clumsily began to climb out of the box, tearing off the rest of the packaging and shaking off his wrinkled outfit.

- This is some kind of prank, isn't it? Hidden camera? Then tell me where the camera is and where to wave! Why the hell did they bring me here? What is this place?

- Bronx,' Veronica said the first thing that came into her head.

The stupor had gradually released her, and now she was openly admiring it.

Handsome. Tall, stately, with a luxuriant mane and a burning look in his dark green eyes. Exactly as she remembered him. This was her Robin, her dream man. Although his behaviour was a little disconcerting to Veronica. As if he wasn't a character in a popular eighties TV series at all, but... She didn't have time to finish that thought.

- The Bronx?' Android asked absent-mindedly, looking at the tag on his wrist in surprise, 'Is that the one in New York? Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'm the Pope.

He tore off the tag, tossed it aside carelessly, looked round again, and shouted in a boyish, ringing voice:

- 'Clive! Mark! Guys, stop fooling around and come out!

Of course no one answered him.

- Mark! Guys! Okay, you got me, I give up. Game over. This isn't funny anymore.

- What are you talking about, darling? - Veronica murmured softly, taking a cautious step towards him, 'There's no Mark and there's no Clive. It's just the two of us.

One more small step...

He stared at her incredulously.

- Listen, lady...

- Just call me Veronica,' she whispered hotly, taking a few more easy steps and moving closer to him.