MOAB

Chapter 8: Galene @ 0.7x nhs

Chapter 8: Galene @ 0.7x nhs

“Can’t talk right now, I’m in the dude’s place,” Galene mumblewhispered on her phone.

“The penthouse? How is it? Tell me details,” Nat demanded over the phone.

“It’s… expensive. Very stylish, modern. Lots of nerd stuff, gadgets. Old electronics, expensive ones. He also has a Muse, you know, the ones they give only to the most important people with creativity problems. She’s behind me right now, dusting the place.”

“Are you fixing his computer?” Nat said with innuendo dripping all over the words.

“Yes,” Galene mumbled. “Just waiting on an update. So, what about the other thing I told you about this morn-”

Galene stopped talking and covered the phone for silence. She tilted her head and heard noises from another room.

“Hey! Can you hear me?” Nat complained.

“I think someone is already fixing his computer.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Are we talking about that guy George or Greg?”

“Greg. Someone is…” Galene stopped. There was moaning coming from another room. Clear sounds of lovemaking. The girl was overacting. Galene pointed her phone towards the room.

“God yes, oh, you’re so big, godyesgodyesgodyes. Ah, ah, AH!” the girl screamed in delight.

Galene couldn’t help but smile. She glanced at the Muse, who was pretending not to pay attention to her. Lady, you’re not that human yet.

“Are you guys getting it on right now?” Nat asked incredulous.

“No, don’t be silly. I’m working,” Gal whispered.

“So’s she!” Nat burst into laughter.

Gal smiled and bit her lips. “Okay, good one.” She leaned forward, “Hey, gotta go.”

She carried on the update the Muse told her about and fixed Greg’s workstation.

A girl with bed-hair showed up and waived goodbye as she left. Mel escorted her (snort) to the door. Galene froze. She could have sworn the call girl was pretty much a body-double for her. Rather short, brunette, average curves, ordinary clothes, nothing too revealing, nice face but nothing that would make a photographer reach for his camera. A solid 200 likes or so in selfies, with cleavage. Nothing more.

Gal scratched her face with the corner of her laptop.

Greg showed up at the door, with casual grey clothes. He was heading blindly to his workstation, so he stopped abruptly when he saw Gal. “Hey! I… didn’t know you were here.”

Mel interrupted, “I thought we should use the time to get that issue updated, the one with the AI data parsing?”

Greg rubbed his neck, “Yes. Good call. Right.” He didn’t make eye contact with Gal after that. “Can I offer you something? Coffee? Tea? Cocktail?” he chuckled. “I won’t tell your boss if you won’t tell mine.”

Gal squinted. “Aren’t they one and the same?”

“Yes,” he admitted, making coffee in the kitchen next door.

“And isn’t the android recording everything we say and do around here?” Gal added.

“Who, Mel? Nah. The Muses work on top-secret stuff all the time, their memories are quadruptly encrypted and never touched by humans. But I guess you know these things better than me,” Greg said from the kitchen.

“I’m still new,” Gal explained.

Greg showed up with a tray of steaming Greek coffee and sugar cubes and milk. He placed it next to her on his workstation. “How new is that?”

“One year,” Gal said and made her coffee. “Thanks,” she sipped.

“One year,” Greg echoed. Was he nervous? Embarrassed about what she might have heard? Galene wasn’t sure, but he was certainly delaying, looking for time to think.

“Doesn’t she get coffee?” Galene prodded, nodding to the side.

“Who? Mel?”

“No,” Gal said with patience. “The other girl. The one who just walked out of here.”

“Oh,” Greg said, looking around nervously. “Well, she didn’t want any,” he shrugged.

“Did you ask her?” Gal said, her lips trembling in an effort not to smile.

He clicked his tongue. “Well… I did not, to be honest,” Greg mumbled. He looked everywhere except her face.

“Maybe if you had, she’d join us. She was after all worshipping you only minutes ago,” Gal taunted flatly.

Greg couldn’t sit still. He fumbled for words and Gal enjoyed it. “Okay, listen,” he finally blurted out, “it’s efficient. I get a call girl, she shows up, I… relieve tension, and she leaves. It’s a clean, honest transaction. None of that flirting around, wasting time, getting blue balls, or getting frustrated.”

Gal bit her lip. She wasn’t irritated at all. After all, calmness was her name. But she enjoyed teasing him, so she stayed silent for a while. She could see his face shifting from one expression to the next, struggling with excuses and handwaives.

“Look, I can explain,” he started talking.

“Why would you need to explain yourself to me?” she interrupted flatly. “I’m just here for the workstation.”

“Yes, but…”

“You’ve got no time for flirting around, wasting time, all that crap,” she waved away. “You’re all for efficient, clean fornication.”

Greg stared at her, his expression that of physical pain.

She couldn’t help it. She laughed so hard. “Oh my gods! Oh. I shouldn’t have said those things, what is wrong with me?” she laughed, drinking some water.

Greg sagged down on one of his couches. “You’re making fun of me,” he nodded.

“I’m sorry. It was so funny, seeing you squirm!” She mocked his voice, “I relieve tension.”

“Shuddup…”

“Oh, my gods. Is it always this funny up here? Or am I getting oxygen deprivation and stuff?” Gal looked around.

Greg got into the kitchen. “I’m getting you a cookie, perhaps that will make you shut up.”

He brought back an enormous chocolate cookie with a napkin and she bit it instantly, throwing crumbs all over his workstation.

“Get the- Nevermind,” he said and threw himself in his couch again. “How’s my computer?”

“It’s sooo big,” she said with cookie in her mouth, laughing. She chocked for a second. Crumbs fell all over herself and she covered her mouth, still chuckling.

Greg covered his face and sank low.