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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

After all the dazzling highs that I’d experienced with Kim since reconnecting with her, it was that much more painful to see her depressed at all, but to see her this depressed was straight up dire. Hell, even seeing wearing jeans and a hoodie when she usually made me jealous with how amazing her fashion choices were was dispiriting.

“I don’t even feel like I can complain or be sad about it…” Kim said, toying with a piece of takeout sushi on its plastic tray, limply knocking it around with her chopsticks. “It feels fucked up to act like I lost everything when it’s not the truth.”

“They stole your company from you, Kim. You’re allowed to be pissed off about it.” I reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Things had happened quickly since that bizarre day. One moment we were all working under the cheerful and watchful eye of Kim, and the next we were all working for…well, that was part of the problem. It was really unclear just who the fuck was in charge.

Emma had lasted about a week before calling it quits. The last straw was when they started cracking down on the dress code, something that was unpopular with all the developers, but particularly egregious for Emma. She didn’t want to go through the whole BS of explaining her sensory issues to HR, or how she had a strong preference for certain types of clothing that worked well for her. And there was no way in hell anybody would get my girlfriend in a polo shirt.

I decided to stay, because I didn’t want to explain in my next job interview how I was fired from one place, then two months later quit the next job that hired me. But even as bad as that could be to lay out to a potential employer, I was still considering getting out of there, too.

“I just…every time my life gets fucked up, it’s because men stepped into a situation and thought that they could do what I do better than me. Every time.” Kim pursed her lips, seeming to reflect on even more pain than I knew about.

“I know this is an awkward time to bring this up, but my unit tests just stopped running on one of my toys, and I’d like to go work on it.” Emma said, wanting to remove herself from the fraught conversation Kim and I were probably going to launch into.

“Em, you don’t need permission to leave the table…you’re free to do what you want, baby.” I said.

Emma smiled and gathered her stuff to throw in the trash. She looked in the fridge for a drink when Kim looked over at her, eyes narrowing. “Did you say toy, Emma?”

“Yes…” Emma said, holding a bottle of water, a skeptical look on her face.

“What kind of toy?”

“Like the ones I gave to Vi for our little test…” Emma didn’t stand up well to interrogation when she was heading off to one of her routines, so I knew this was probably wrecking her and all she wanted to do was to disappear into her sex gadget cave for the rest of the night.

“You made that!?!” Kim slammed her palm on the table enthusiastically, her strength feeling like it shook the foundation of the building.

“All the other ones are shit…nobody would think of the magnet thing, and most of the biometric sensors other companies use are cheap so they fake their data. So I had to make it.” Emma said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world to her, because it was, I was sure. “I mean, I’ve had to make like thirty different devices because everyone else’s are garbage.”

“And they are the same…astonishing quality as the toy you tortured Vi with?” Kim smiled, watching Kim with rapt attention. It was nice to see her so enthusiastic after having to endure the punishing depression of the past few weeks.

“I don’t make shitty things, so…I mean, I guess they are?” Emma said, taking another step toward her workshop.

“Emma, I think Kim wants to see them, and since our friend is depressed, could you show her?” I said, looking between Kim and Emma with a grin.

“Umm…yeah, sure…”

We walked into Emma’s workshop, and despite the sometimes scattered nature of Emma’s own personality, this place was immaculately kept. Two 3D printers whirred away in one corner on a table that was strewn with various slabs and ovals of silicone and metal hooked up to wires and USB connectors. I usually didn’t bother Emma too much when she was tinkering in here, so a lot of the stuff she had in here was brand new to me…although quite a few were familiar, as it was really, really fun to be a mad sex scientist’s primary beta tester.

“Emma, these are…so, so good.” Kim looked at a small pill-shaped vibrator that had twisting ridged rings in the middle of it. “Wait, are they…used?”

“You’ve lite rally had your tongue inside of me, Kim…are you that worried about it?” Emma smirked. “But, yes, I’m not gross, these things get put in an autoclave with ethylene oxide after they’re tested.” Emma watched Kim study the toy intently.

“I usually just use soap…” Kim put down one toy and picked up another, this one a vibrator with multiple zones of vibration that could be customized to an astonishing level. “Emma, these are…fucking incredible.”

“Thanks, umm…it’s a hobby…” Emma understated massively. My girlfriend had no hobbies, she only had obsessions, and within those obsessions, she never stopped short of completely mastering them.

“Could they go to mass production?” Kim said, leaning against the workbench, perilously close to a soldering iron that I really hoped wasn’t on.

She had that look in her eye that I’d seen before, but hadn’t for a while. She was going to make something of this, and we weren’t going to have a choice but to follow along.

“I mean…probably?” Emma said.

“Well, then, ladies, let’s get to work…” Kim grinned.

…To Be Continued in: The Comeback