Science Fiction Romance: The Heiress and Her Cybernetic Lover (Robot Android Love Novella) (New Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy) Read online

  Something inside Quinn stirred as she listened to her mom. She hadn’t thought of it that way. “You know what, Mom? You’re right. I’m going to plan my activities and projects right now. Next weekend, I’ll send a private plane to fly you and Tom and Elise here. Tell Jessica she can come, too, and to bring her boyfriend along. What the heck, tell her to bring her whole family!”

  Julia laughed. “Now you’re talking!”

  After Quinn put the phone down, she half-skipped, half-ran toward her “office” to start researching her first charity project. Her mouth hurt from smiling so wide—finally she had a purpose.

  As she wandered the halls, she figured since she wasn’t going to worry about getting a job anymore, she might as well give away some of her money to causes she believed in. However, she did not want to just hand over a check. She had to get involved in a full-blown event or series of activities. That way, she wouldn’t have time left to be bored.

  After a few minutes, she looked around and realized she was nowhere near her office. She knew the office was located on the east wing of the ground floor, beside an enormous library. But at the moment, she found herself standing on a long, carpeted hallway with wooden doors on either side of her.

  Lost in her own home. This was embarrassing.

  “Where are my supposed assistants when I need them?” she muttered. A wave of irritation came over her, but she forced it away immediately. She wasn’t going to let anything ruin her mood. Besides, she had all the time in the world to explore the rest of the house that she had never seen before.

  She slowly walked forward, listening in at the doors before trying to open them. Most of them were locked. Those that were open appeared to be bedrooms. Maybe they were for guests. She could imagine her family and friends growing excited over these spacious, deluxe rooms.

  Suddenly, as she passed a door that was ajar, something caught her attention and made her stop. She backtracked and peeked into the open gap. A half-naked man, his back toward her, was stretching. She gasped as her bright blue eyes swept across his very broad shoulders and bulging muscles. His arms had the shape of well-built human arms, but were made of shining metal.

  He seemed to detect her presence because he abruptly stopped stretching and turned around. She was even more taken aback by his bare chest, the tanned skin smooth like real human skin, and yet bearing some scars that had already lightened.

  His suspicious expression suddenly mellowed when he recognized her. “Miss Morgan, what can I do for you?”

  “Uh, I’m, um, lost,” Quinn stammered. Her face felt like it was burning, and she was sure she was blushing.

  Thankfully, he didn’t give any indication that he noticed.

  “Where did you want to go?” he asked.

  She forced her eyes to stay on his face and not drop down to his bulky chest and metal arms. “I was looking for the office.”

  “I see,” he said evenly. “Let me put on my shirt and I will bring you there.”

  “Thanks,” Quinn breathed. “I’ll, um, wait here.”

  She stepped away from the door and leaned on the wall beside it, her heart racing. She could not understand why she was so affected. This was her butler, after all. My hunky butler.

  In a few seconds, he was standing beside wearing the same black slacks and now with a matching pinstriped long-sleeved shirt and tie.

  “Wow, that was fast,” Quinn couldn’t help saying.

  “I’ve been trained to act quickly in all situations,” Ivan told her.

  “Really,” Quinn murmured, her imagination running again as she pictured the other things he could be fast at.

  “This way, please,” Ivan said, interrupting her thoughts as he led the way down the hall.

  She followed him in silence.

  “Did you not bring your phone with you?” he asked.

  “Uh, I think I forgot it in the living room.”

  “If you access the Morgan Estate app, you can click on the map icon and it will show you where you are. You can then type in the search box where you would like to go and it can give you directions and show you the way.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing,” Quinn commented, nodding. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He stopped in front of a sliding glass door with the embossed words OFFICE. “Here we are now,” he said, opening the door for her. “I will fetch your phone for you. Do you need anything else, Miss Morgan?”

  “Uh, just call me Quinn, please.”

  “Okay, Miss Quinn.”

  “No, just Quinn,” Quinn said with a smile. “We look about the same age, and I’m not used to people calling me Miss Morgan. It’s so formal. We can be friends, right?”

  He gave her an odd look. But then he said, “Of course, Quinn.”

  “Great!” she exclaimed. Then she recalled her conversation with her mother. “Oh, and can you have my family and friends picked up on Friday from the city? They’re going to stay here during the weekend.”

  “I will call your pilot and have him use your private plane.”

  “Amazing,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief and awe. “Okay, do your thing then. I’ll just be here.”

  He gave her a slight bow before walking away. She had a private plane and her very own pilot now! She’d only been joking about it with her mother over the phone.

  ***

  Glancing at the computer screen again after gobbling up her gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, which had been prepared by a world-class chef who lived in the mansion, she almost choked when she saw the tons of friend requests and messages on Friendbook.

  “Oh, my God,” she whispered as she went through them. So many people were asking her how she was. There was even a guy she hadn’t spoken to in a long time who asked her straight out for money!

  Word must have gotten out about her being heir to a wealthy grandfather. She had no other suspect but her best friend. “Jessica and her big mouth.”

  She chose to ignore most of the messages, except for one. It was someone whom she had worked with before who was now asking for help because her dad had been hospitalized. Her heart went out to the person.

  I’m sorry to hear that. What happened to him? she typed.

  Heart attack. He needs to undergo a bypass surgery. I’m sorry to be asking for help, knowing that we were never close. But I’m desperate.

  Quinn paused as she read the message. She remembered Erica as the shy receptionist in the building where she’d first worked after college graduation.

  The tiny girl had always been nice to her and everyone else. She seemed sincere enough. She even sent pictures of her father and his hospital records.

  Quinn’s heart broke when she saw them. She knew how hard it was to see your father in critical condition.

  How much do you need? Quinn typed.

  There was no answer at first. And then Erica replied, Whatever amount you can give is fine. I’d appreciate it.

  But how much would the surgery cost? She waited for the figure, knowing it was very costly.

  We were able to gather some money. But we still need about $70,000 more.

  Quinn gasped. If she was in Erica’s face, she knew she’d do the same thing—approach anyone she could to raise the money.

  “That’s so expensive,” she said out loud. Of course she wasn’t used to big money yet.

  “Is there a problem, Miss Morgan? Ah, I mean, Quinn?” Ivan asked.

  She had almost forgotten that he’d been standing by the door the whole time. She quickly told him the situation.

  “Quinn, you have about a hundred million dollars of cash in different banks,” he reminded her. “Would you like me to send her the amount she needs?”

  “Yes, please do,” Quinn said without hesitation. She asked for Erica’s bank account details, but only typed, I will help with what I can.

  Thank you so much, Quinn.

  Ivan logged on to one of her bank accounts through his own electronic tablet and asked to have her thumb scanned. T
he scan was not saved, of course, for security purposes.

  She looked over his shoulder as he tapped on the tablet’s screen to do the transaction. That was when she caught a whiff of his musky cologne. He smelled like the outdoors, and sunshine, and crisp woods. She wondered what it would be like to get closer to him, to be able to smell those things on his skin all the time….

  “It’s done,” he said, straightening up.

  She looked up awkwardly at him. “Thanks, Ivan.”

  Suddenly, she heard ringing from the computer. Erica was calling through Friendbook.

  Quinn clicked on the Answer button.

  “Oh, my gosh, Quinn! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Erica gushed between her sobs. “You don’t know how much this means to me and my family. You’re a real angel and I know you’re going to be blessed more!”

  Quinn felt her heart soaring. So this was how it was to be filthy rich. She could help anyone whenever she wanted. It felt so, so good. “You’re welcome, Erica. I’ll be praying for your dad’s successful surgery.”

  “Thank you, thank you. But how come you sent a hundred thousand dollars?”

  “You’re going to need it for his meds after surgery. And I don’t know, just extra money since I know you’re going to be missing out on many work days.”

  “You are amazing,” Erica said, still crying. “You deserve this fortune, definitely. I know you’re going to help more people.”

  “Okay, Erica,” Quinn said, smiling. “But I have a favor to ask. Can you please not tell anyone about this? If somebody asks, just say you raised the money from different people or something. I don’t know. Just make it up.”

  “Sure, I understand. Thanks so much again.”

  “All right. Go back to your dad’s side now. He needs your presence.”

  When Quinn faced Ivan again, she was surprised to find him smiling.

  “That was very kind of you,” he said in a soft, gentle voice. “I think your grandfather would have liked that.”

  Quinn nodded, her throat too full for speech.

  That afternoon, she called Carmela Rodriguez to ask for help in gathering all the kids from different orphanages in the area and throwing a party for them. She also wanted to hire teachers to give them proper education within their institutions.

  “No media please,” she specifically said before they said their goodbyes.

  When she was done with all the planning, she decided it was time to pursue one of her true passions. For several years, she’d worked different office jobs, but never had the chance to concentrate on one field yet. The main reason she’d never settled down to one thing was that what she’d really wanted to do was become an artist.

  “Ivan, is there any store in town that sells painting supplies?” she asked.

  “There is a crafts store downtown. Maybe they have some,” he answered. “I will call the driver so he can bring you there. I can also go with you, if you wish.”

  “Hmm,” Quinn said thoughtfully. Then a thought occurred to her. “You know what? Just tell him to prepare the car. I want to drive.”

  “You know how?”

  “Yes, of course. I have a license. And yes, I used to own a second-hand car. I had to sell it last year.”

  “May I ask why you sold it?”

  “Of course. I’d run out of money. So…I’d like to drive to town.”

  “Okay,” Ivan said dubiously. “But if you want, I can also drive for you.”

  “No,” Quinn said firmly. “You can come with me, but I want to drive.”

  “Okay. Would you want to use the Ferrari?”

  Quinn’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes bulged. “Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed in astonishment, her heart pounding wildly in anticipation. Then taking a deep breath, she gave him an excited smile and said, “Let’s do it!”

  ***

  Quinn had never felt so free in her entire life.

  She never before had the chance to know how liberating it was to drive her very own Ferrari on an almost empty highway. Even better was the experience of buying all the painting materials she wanted and being able to waste her time checking out the other nearby shops.

  “You seem to be happy, Quinn,” Ivan said as they strolled on the sidewalk.

  “I feel like a queen!” she said, laughing. “Get it? Queen Quinn!”

  Ivan smiled. She didn’t think he was capable of laughing. But at least he seemed to be loosening up and not acting so much like an assistant. He’d seemed uncomfortable with the idea of being her “friend” at first, but as they spent more time together, he looked as if he was actually getting the hang of it.

  They stopped in front of a sophisticated-looking Italian restaurant. Quinn was in the mood to splurge and enjoy her newfound wealth, so she decided to have dinner there.

  “Mmmm,” she said, closing her eyes after taking her first bite of a dish she’d never seen before. “This is so delicious.”

  “Yes, it is,” Ivan said as he ate his food too.

  She opened her eyes again and was taken aback by his intense gaze. He quickly looked away.

  “You know, I’m beginning to enjoy this whole heiress thing,” Quinn told him. “I mean, it’s Tuesday evening and I’m not in a hurry to get home because I’m so freakin’ tired and I have to cook and get up early again the next day. I don’t even have any laundry to worry about. What a life!”

  Ivan smiled. “It’s a good life.”

  “So anyway, tell me about you, Ivan,” Quinn was in such a good mood that she was becoming chatty. Besides, she felt as if Ivan was her first real friend in town. Since they would be spending more time together, she wanted to get to know him better.

  “My name is Ivan. I don’t have a last name. I came from Robotics Unlimited and I was sent to serve my master Mr. James Morgan. But now, I am to serve you, Miss Quinn Morgan.”

  Quinn just stared at him unbelievingly. He didn’t actually sound like a robot, but it was all so “programmed.” There were times when he showed slight portions of his human side, but they were fleeting.

  “Do you even know you’re human?” Quinn asked bluntly.

  “I’m not really sure,” Ivan said.

  Perhaps that was one good thing about him—he wasn’t programmed to lie or make up any stories. She could count on him to always be trusted with the truth.

  “You are human, Ivan,” Quinn said. “You may be cybernetic and most of your brain functions have probably been clouded with some sort of programming. But I believe that you are still the same as me or any other person deep inside. You could be fully human again if you wanted to.”

  “Why would I want to?” he asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

  Quinn sighed, feeling sorry for him. “You need to want it because you are human. It’s better to be human than to be a machine.”

  “Okay,” was all he said. But he didn’t seem to agree with her.

  On instinct, she reached out and touched his hand across the table. She was shocked by the unexpected electricity that shot through her arm. Her heart beat faster. She flushed a bit, and she was glad it was dark in there.

  “I…I want you to try, Ivan,” Quinn said, trying to regain her focus. “I don’t want you to act as my butler, assistant, or servant. I need you to be a real friend to me.”

  “I can do that, I think.”

  “Good,” Quinn said, looking into his powerful, dark brown eyes. They were intensely burning with something he was holding back. “From now on, you will no longer serve me in any way but will treat me as just a friend.”

  “But…”

  “No buts,” Quinn insisted.

  She was about to say more when she heard a beautiful melody being played on strings right beside them. A string quartet made up of three musicians was playing romantic music in their little corner.

  They listened for a while in silence. She felt self-conscious as she noticed him gazing at her. It was difficult not to be affected when they were seemingly having a “d
ate” in a lovely restaurant with a romantic ambiance.

  As the song came to an end, Quinn felt a lot more relaxed. She saw Ivan closing his eyes, seemingly relishing the music. That was when she realized that maybe he had liked music when he had been more human than robot. She wondered what kind of life he’d led and why he’d been turned into a cybernetic human. From what she understood, only people who had signed pre-death agreements could be used in cybernetic research. Whatever human life he’d had, was over at the time of his transition, and she wondered if he missed it.

  The string quartet musicians thanked them and moved on to another table.

  “Do you think they’re good, Ivan?” Quinn inquired, prodding on purpose. She had a sudden urge to make it her mission to help him recover his human side.

  “Definitely,” he said with a smile.

  “Did you use to play music?”

  He frowned a bit then, understanding where she was going with the conversation. “I don’t remember my human past, Miss Morgan, I mean, Quinn. I’ve long forgotten everything.”

  Quinn wasn’t convinced. She vowed to make him remember his past life in the coming days. She also vowed to help him live independently as a real human being.

  Later on, as they were walking back to the parked Ferrari, Quinn was surprised to hear somebody calling her. She turned around and couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her high school fling sauntering toward her.

  “Hi, Quinn,” Jason Miller greeted with his same to-die-for grin that had made the girls swoon over him back then. “Small world, huh?”

  “Hey, Jason,” Quinn smiled back. “How have you been? Do you live around here?”

  “Actually, I’m just passing through.”

  As they chatted easily, Ivan hung back respectfully. Nevertheless, Quinn could see him eyeing Jason with caution, probably making sure that he could be trusted.

  “So who’s the guy? Your boyfriend?” Jason asked.