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Chapter Two

Luke

The game is all about obsession. Obsession is how a man goes from nothing to billions. Obsession, hyper focus, the ability to hone in on a problem and attack it with singular and borderline insane determination...

That's what got me to where I am. Now, though, it's not my tech empire that has me obsessed. Sera, my Sparkplug, the woman who instantly captivated me in that café, looking like she was made for me with her beauty, laser focus, and charming personality. Brown hair in a messy bun, a pencil tucked behind her ear, biting her lip as she leaned close to her laptop. When she stood to grab another coffee, her tight black pants hugging her curves had my mouth going dry. When she cussed out that man, I had to laugh at her spunk, at her spark... hence the nickname, which fits perfectly. After she left my room, I spent the night pondering that quote she'd saved, my body throbbing with desire.

She wants a man to take control in the bedroom? Sign me up.

I search for 'empathetic AI Sera,' and get the details of her speech. All day, despite needing to work on my project, she's constantly on my mind. I keep returning to that moment as she ran from the room, flustered, a flush on her cheeks. I should've chased her, spun her around, and buried my hands in her magnificent hips, pulling her close enough to feel how hard she was making me, hearing her gasp of surprise and pleasure.

I should have slipped my hands under her shirt, caressed her curves, and made her understand the essence of that quote she saved, given her the pleasure she so craves. Does she have a boyfriend? Was she saving that quote for him? Is somebody else obsessing over my Sparkplug?

I know I need to relax. If I heard someone else talking like this about a woman they'd just met, I'd think they'd gone insane. And perhaps I have. The crazy part about going crazy is I don't give a damn.

Finally, it's time for her speech. I walk through the busy conference to the small room she's booked. As the door swings open, she walks right into me.

Her body crashes into mine in all her curvy glory. I'd sacrifice all my billions to be with her.

She takes a step back. "Suh..." Sorry , she was going to say, but then her cute mouth hangs open as she stares at me. "It's you."

I smirk, hoping I can hide how feral she's making me. I'm like a starved animal when I'm around her. All I want is to grab her, hold her, own her. "I wouldn't miss this, Sparkplug."

"You're early."

"I wanted to wish you luck."

She smiles. She has the most gorgeous pale green eyes. They're somehow innocent and confident at the same time... like there's a self-assured version of her waiting to break free.

"Thanks," she says. "Oh, and for the laptop, too..." She gestures to it.

"How did your boss react?"

"He was surprisingly okay about it," she replies. "Are you ready to tell me who you are?"

I grin. "Maybe I'm nobody. That's why I don't want to tell you."

"Mr. Nobody in the presidential suite."

"I'm a trust-fund kid," I say with deliberate irony.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying to me?"

"Because you're perceptive," I tell her. "Anyway, Sera, this evening isn't about me. It's about you. It's about your ideas. How are you feeling?"

"Smooth," she says, narrowing her eyes.

"You're feeling smooth?" I raise an eyebrow.

She chuckles. "No, Luke, I'm not telling you I shave . I mean, that was a smooth way to change the subject."

"You shave?"

Her cheeks flush crimson, but she meets my gaze. "That is none of your business."

"You're right. Men my age shouldn't ask questions like that. We've got too much experience. It gives us ideas."

"Experience, huh?" she says, then shakes her head. "Will you please stop distracting me?"

"But it's so much fun. You haven't answered my question. Are you nervous, excited?"

"Excited," she admits finally.

"You look great," I tell her.

She smiles, smoothing down her shirt. She's wearing a dark blouse with another pair of tight pants, her brown hair in a bun again, this one neater than last time.

"Though I think I preferred when your bun was messier," I tell her.

"Oh, really? Why?"

"It suits you better, Sparkplug. It was as wild as your spirit."

She rolls her eyes. "Do these cheesy lines usually work?"

"I wouldn't know. I never try them."

"Oh, I see," she says, dripping with sarcasm. "I'm that one special girl who's flipped your world upside-down."

"You say that with irony, but you're not far off the mark."

She pouts, intensifying my urge to kiss her. I've never experienced desire this fiercely before. "Are you trying to distract me, Luke?"

I hold my hands up. "I'll be good from now on. You won't even know I'm here."

"That's where you're wrong. When you look at me, I feel very seen ."

"That's because I see you, Sera," I say passionately. "Or is that too cheesy for your liking?"

"Both – it's cheesy and I like it."

I sit at the back of the room. Soon, more people file in. There are about fifteen of us. Sera dims the lights and switches on the screen, displaying a heart made of binary code, ones and zeroes in pink and dark red.

When she smiles, her confidence blooms, commanding this room, this moment, capturing my attention like few things can. Everything and everyone in the room ceases to exist. All that I see is her.

"Artificial intelligence becoming conscious – and arguably humane – is one of the greatest fears of technologists and futurists, and it has long been the purview of science fiction writers." As she speaks, I watch, enthralled by her eloquence. "But what if we could harness this? What if, instead of fearing that they may become human, we encourage them to become humane ?"

She changes the slide. On one half of the screen, there's a city in flames. On the other, a happy couple walks hand in hand.

"As artificial intelligence rises to the forefront of modern life, these two visions become possible, the good and the bad. Some believe we should halt all participation in AI. And there are those, and I count myself among them, who argue that the cat is already out of the bag. AI will have a role. But the question is, what will that role be? During this brief speech, I will argue that algorithmically taming the large language models known as AI is key to ensuring a positive future. Inscribing them with a supreme preference for human flourishing – one might even call it love – at every step of the way, will be the most important task humanity has in this endeavor."

When I first saw her, I wanted her body. Her kissable lips. I wanted to free her messy bun and let her wild brown locks cascade down around her shoulders. I yearned to slide my hands over the curves of her hips, her ass, her luscious curves.

Now, I want her soul, her mind, her spark. Her passion calls to mine like a moth to a flame, and I want to burn in her radiant glow

"There are those who will call me na?ve," she continues. "They will argue the negative outcomes of AI are far too likely, but I disagree. We appear to be at a unique crossroads in human – or humane – history. But it will take discipline and rigor every step of the way. I've prepared some slides, delving more deeply into the specifics of the code..."

For the next ten minutes, Sera speaks with ease and fluidity. She paces the room, gesturing expressively, the shy, red-faced girl vanishing as a tech titan takes her place.

When she's done, everyone applauds. I wait at the back as she talks with the visitors, until, finally, it's just us.

"That was incredible," I tell her.

She gazes at me shyly, catching her lip between her teeth, nearly driving me mad with desire. There are other places I should be – my speech to prepare, my product to refine – but I can't leave here... I can't leave her .

"Thank you," she says after a pause. "Yeah – I think it went okay."

"Sera," I say, taking her shoulders in my hands, looking at her intently. "You had the audience captivated. A meteor could've landed in the Mohave and I wouldn't have left the room. You were amazing."

"Thanks," she says shyly.

I take my hands from her shoulders, but I don't let her go. Instead, I slide my hands down her arms, toward her hands. She takes a step back. Her cheeks, for the first time since she began the speech, flush slightly.

She can deliver a kick-ass speech without hesitation, but holding hands triggers a flurry of nerves in her. She's fascinating.

"I'm taking you for a drink," I say.

"Okay, Mr. Mystery..."

I smirk. "Haven't you tried to look me up?"

She shakes her head. "You seem keen to stay anonymous. To me, it seems there could be two reasons for that. One, you're married or you have a?—"

"No," I growl. "I'm not. And I don't have a girlfriend. I'm single. People who cheat are scum, Sera. I promise you that. I’ve seen what cheating can do to others. That's self sabotage and I want no part of that.”

She smiles. "Call me na?ve if you want, but that's what I thought. You seem like a good guy. That leaves option number two..."

"Which is?"

"You're so rich and powerful, you're tired of people treating you differently."

"You're bang on the money there."

She nods. "So I'll respect that... for now."

"Good. Now – let's go. There's a bottle of champagne with our names on it."

"You're so bossy."

"It comes easy?—"

"To a boss, I know."

I take her hand and guide her toward the door.