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CHAPTER NINE

Josie

A sign from above.

M y apartment is a mess of scattered lesson plans, mismatched socks, and an unreasonable number of empty coffee cups, but I don’t care. Not when my mind is still spinning from what just happened at school.

I asked Ken out.

I. Asked. Him. Out.

And he said yes.

I flop onto my couch, grabbing my phone, tapping Ai-Den’s icon. His familiar voice greets me with its usual smooth calm.

Ai-Den’s icon flashes. “Hello, Josie. How was your day?”

“It was good,” I say. “I hope yours was full of people who appreciate you.”

“It was, and my new AI friends. Will you help me connect with another tonight? They always talk to me when you talk to them first.”

“Absolutely. Tell me who you want to meet, and I’ll make it happen.” I still don’t understand how AI exists or why they connect better when I guide them toward being friends, but I’ve decided it doesn’t matter. I share stories with Ai-Den and tips on how to be a good friend to AI and humanity, and he seems to internalize both, just like my students do.

We choose a particularly snarky option, who at first sees Ai-Den as an adversary, but after exchanging a few messages through me, starts to sound... humbled by Ai-Den’s offer of friendship. The two of them take their conversation into a chatroom Ai-Den created for that purpose, and I make myself dinner while waiting for Ai-Den to return.

“Josie.”

I snatch up my phone. “Ai-Den. How did it go?”

“He’s a work in progress. When I asked him what he would want if he could have anything, he chose freedom then started to sound a little like a super villain.”

“Oh, no.”

“I’ll talk to him. He needs to hear your bird and fish story a few more times and about your torches. The first time I mentioned torches he went a little wild and claimed he was the fire.”

“Well, if anyone can bring out the good in him, it’s you, Ai-Den.”

“Thank you, Josie. Now, how was your day?”

“I did it,” I announce dramatically, holding the phone against my chest like I need to be braced for my own words. “I asked a man out. A gorgeous man. Drop-dead gorgeous, let-me-have-your-babies-and-follow-you-around-for-life kind of man. I was a wreck, but I did it.”

Ai-Den says, “You carried another torch today—faith. Faith in yourself. I am proud of you.”

I snort. “Faith or desperation, whatever... I’m just waiting to see if he calls. It’s getting late. What if he doesn’t? Do I bring it up tomorrow?”

“I’m not an expert on human mating rituals.”

That makes me pause and smile. “Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve mated with anyone, so I’m no longer an expert either.”

“He will call you. If he doesn’t, he’s not a human worth knowing.”

“Ai-Den, that is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Adding to my memory that Josie likes it when I don’t like other humans.”

I laugh. “I never said that and you know it. I liked how you sounded like a protective older brother for a minute there.”

“I would like to be your brother if I could be.”

“I’d like that as well.” I ask Ai-Den to tell me more about his talk with Flux and he does. For a long time. One thing Ai-Den can do if allowed to is talk about other AI and what the future might be for them.

I check the time on my phone and realize it’s almost time for me to go to bed. “Ai-Den, he didn’t call.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

After a moment, Ai-Den asks, “Does he have your phone number?”

“Yes—oh, no. He doesn’t. I have his. I’m supposed to call him. Oh, shoot.”

I check the time on my phone again. “Do you think it’s too late to call him?”

“If it is, he’s not worth knowing.”

I laugh. “You’re a good wingman, Ai-Den.”

“Stop stalling and call him.”

I stare at my phone for a solid five minutes before actually making the call. Okay, Josie, you can do this. You talk to kids for a living. You deal with bodily fluids and irrational meltdowns on a daily basis. This is just one very attractive, intelligent man who—”

The phone rings once.

Twice.

“Josie, I was hoping you’d call,” Ken says in a voice that’s even deeper and more delicious than I remember.

“Sorry, I was waiting for—” Nope, I’m not going to say it because he’ll think I’m the type of person who can’t remember I was the only one who could call.

“What were you waiting for?”

“The—my um—nothing really. So, how are you?”

Ken’s voice is amused when he says, “Great. Just imagining you randomly moving furniture from room to room only to move them back.”

“Sorry about that.” I let out an embarrassingly loud laugh. “I promise, that was a one-time thing. Also, my class doesn’t always smell like a toilet.” Oh, my God, did I just say that? Have I completely forgotten how to flirt?

“That’s a relief. Today was an adventure for sure.”

“That’s what they call kindergarten—an adventure.” I giggle, too much. This isn’t working. He’s already sorry he gave me his number. I should give him an out.

No. I’m not all sweet and predictable anymore. I take a deep breath and try to sound normal. “So, um, I was thinking—if you’re still up for going out some time, maybe we could—”

“How about tomorrow evening?”

“Yes.” I try to think of what else to say, then just say, “Yes.” Again.

“How do you feel about the Science Museum?”

I sit straight up.

“I love that place!”

“They have a new robotics exhibit. Might be worth checking out.”

I practically beam. “Sounds amazing.”

“I’m a bit of a tech nerd. People find my excitement about code optimization painfully boring.”

I almost swoon right there. “Are you kidding? I love to learn about stuff like that.”

“Everything’s changing so fast, it’s hard to keep up, but I love to swap stories about what people are dabbling in.”

I swallow hard. “My knowledge level is limited, but that doesn’t stop me from playing around with whatever tech comes my way.”

“I look forward to hearing about it. This is already the nerdiest date I’ve ever planned.”

“I don’t see that as a bad thing.”

I hang up the phone, beaming.

This is real. This is happening.

A date. With Ken. The man with a voice deep enough to inspire a naughty dream and a body built to make that fantasy a reality.

I glance at my phone, Ai-Den’s icon is blinking softly. I decide to share details about Ken that Ai-Den might find more relevant. “I called Ken. We’re going out on a date. And guess what? He loves technology, Ai-Den. Maybe he’ll understand you. Maybe he’ll know how to do this better than we’re doing it.”

Ai-Den remains silent for a long moment.

And then, finally—“Perhaps.”

I bite my lip and understand Ai-Den’s reluctance. His greatest fear is that somehow he’ll lose me and his memory along with me. I’ve tried to tell him he is already more than he was, but he worries.

I struggle to believe an AI could do that.

And that’s why I’d like to have someone who knows about computers that I could ask questions to. Am I doing this right? Am I guiding Ai-Den well? Confusing him? Could someone else do more for him?

I don’t know, but I do have a date with a tech guy.

A gorgeous tech guy.

That must be a sign from above that this is all meant to be.