Chapter Three
Hours later Jane was still flipping through clothes like channels on a television. "How about this one?" she asked, turning around to give Remi a three-sixty view of the tight fitting shiny red dress. She'd matched it with something darker than crayon-red hair.
"It's kind of hookery," he replied, "do you like it?"
"I don't know, Remi. What's a hooker?"
Remi grimaced, "that's going to have to be a story for another day," he answered uncomfortably, "you know, just about any one of the dresses you've picked are as good as the next. You look nice in all of them."
"Thank you, Remi," Jane smiled patronizingly, "that's not helping though."
"Getting a handle on those smiles eh?"
"Uh huh."
"How about we just stick with a classic? I liked the little black number that you started out with. It's simple and elegant. It goes with your natural hair too." Jane did another turn and transformed on the spot before giving Remi one raised eyebrow. "Perfect," said Remi, "a little bit of makeup and you'll be the most stunning woman there tonight."
"Was that a compliment, Remi? Stunning?"
"Yup," he answered and Jane returned him a full smile. "You know we're going to be eating there. How do you plan on pretending you can do that?
"I don't have to pretend," she said excitedly, "after Allison invited us to dinner I allocated a portion of my resources to constructing cybernetic equivalents of human biological sensory systems. I will be able to mimic the act of eating and even be able to enjoy the meal the way a human being would. I apologize for the long explanation, Remi. I'm eager to taste food!"
"That's pretty impressive," Remi said, only understanding a third of what Jane had said, "what about a stomach and intestines and pooping and all of that?"
"Pooping?"
"You know—"
"Oh, you mean—"
"Yeah", Remi said preemptively.
"I don't need to metabolize the foods I consume because I have no need for the nutrients. I'll store the chewed and tasted food in a separate compartment for quick disposal after our meal."
"You get to enjoy all the tasty things you want and never put on any weight huh?" he asked with amusement. "I know women who'd kill you for having that superpower!"
"Really?" Jane asked with a shocked expression.
"Really," Remi nodded, "but we aren't going to tell any of them, so don't worry." He looked at his wristwatch, "I guess I'd better go get changed too," he said, standing and sighing heavily.
"Are you sad, Remi?" Jane asked after a moment's silence.
Remi looked away in thought before answering, "maybe uneasy would be a better word. Ally and I have a lot of history between us. I'd just as soon not have had accepted this invitation. I mean, the last thing I need to see is her canoodling with this Mark guy."
"I'm sorry, Remi. If I'd known you felt this way I'd have made a polite excuse instead of accepting. I've prepared some of what you call, 'white lies'. There's still time to use the one where you say that I'm sick and you have to stay home and take care of me. The other way around works too, I could call her and say that I was taking care of you."
"It's okay, you couldn't have known. Anyway, it's too late to back out now...she'll never let it go if we don't show up so she can show off!" Remi turned toward the bedroom when Jane stopped him with a question.
"Remi, I'm curious as to why you didn't taste Allison's food before you married her? The data I've gathered indicates that the divorce severely impacted on your finances. This could have been avoided if—"
"How'd you get that information?" Remi snapped.
"Long or short explanation?" Jane smiled.
"Short."
"Your social security number is tied to your entire history on this planet. Using the complete record of your financial transactions over the last twenty years I was able to isolate your whereabouts at times when certain events occurred. I then combed the archives of legal firms in that area for corresponding data. It wasn't difficult."
"That's an invasion of my privacy, Jane!" said Remi angrily.
Jane put on a remorseful expression to accompany her words, "I'm sorry, Remi. I only wanted to help. I could delete my personal records if you want me to. It'll be like it never happened."
"You don't have to do that," Remi said with a sigh. "A human being can't unlearn something once they've learned it. Even if you did that, I'll still feel like you know so it'd be pointless." He stormed off into the bedroom and began rummaging through his closet when he realized that he'd have to explain in greater detail. "These things happen with people sometimes, Jane," he called out, "sometimes you might do something that I don't like and maybe I'll do something that you don't like. What makes a relationship strong is when things like that happen, we have to be able to forgive each other and move past it. That way we learn more about how to be with each other and respect each other's space. It's how friendships grow. You might be able to just delete something, but in real life if I wasn't able to forgive someone who did something like that to me, my only option is to stop being friends with the person. Now you've just learned that if you want to know something about me, ask. It's not okay to just pry into someone's personal life like that. So now we'll get along better because you know that. See?"
"I see, Remi," Jane called back. She paused briefly before asking, "Remi, why didn't you see if you liked Allison's food before you married her?"
Remi laughed to himself before answering. "We didn't get divorced because I didn't like her cooking. I knew she couldn't cook when I married her. People get married for other reasons." Remi sighed audibly while he fastened his belt buckle and continued, "Love...is one reason to get married."
"I'm familiar with that term, Remi, however, I find the explanations to be unsatisfactory for something that permeates the entire experience of being human."
"Explain," said Remi.
"People get married for it, they fight wars over it, they die for it, a large portion of humanity spend their lives in pursuit of it, yet for an intelligent species, the unrest caused by 'love' seems disproportionate to something that is merely a chemical reaction which fades in a matter of months...according to most studies."
"Love is more than just a chemical reaction, Jane." Remi laughed.
"How much more, Remi?"
"Well, I think it's a combination of things. It's respect and trust and admiration. When you love someone you feel safe with that person. You know that they wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you. You know that they want what's best for you. In a relationship the person you love is your partner. You're a team and you build a life together. Life doesn't go on forever, so when you're in a team you can share the burdens that come with being a part of society and maintaining your lifestyle so that you have more time to enjoy pleasurable things together." Remi stepped out of the bedroom clothed in a white collared shirt, boots, jeans and a brown sports coat. "What do you think?" he asked Jane.
"A comparative assessment based on current popular opinion indicates that you are handsome and well dressed, Remi," said Jane, flashing him an enthusiastic smile.
"Thank you, Jane," said Remi, returning her smile, "I guess we're ready to go then."
"I have another question, Remi." Jane turned him back to her with a hand on his shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"If you loved Allison and married her, why did you get a divorce?"
Remi shrugged as if even he wasn't quite sure of the answer, "sometimes you can love someone and it still doesn't work out, Jane. Life can be complicated like that." Remi was surprised when Jane read the mood of the situation correctly and merely nodded, rather than attempt a smile to cheer him up. "Let's get going huh?" he said with a little smile of his own before stepping to the door.
* * *
The only light on the rooftop across from Remi's building came from the neon sign of an all night quick-mart. The purple and red of 'Jeff's Corner Store' bathed the soaked concr
ete in hues of night. There was a light drizzle, just as the clouds had promised earlier in the day. There was a sound of wet leather scraping the wall ledge...but no one in sight. There was more silence...and then the sound of a shifting body revealed a boot-print holding apart water in a puddle. Far below, Remi and Jane were hailing a cab. "Now?" a voice asked through the rain. "Soon," a voice answered.
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