Candy could read the young man inside the truck stop dinner like a book. She had already turned up the volume on her hearing so she could listen from across the street to his fumbling attempt to flirt with the waitress who was waiting on him. When he started to leave, she calculated her pace so that she would reach his car at the same time he did. It was one of those new wheel-less hover cars, a little red sports model. She had already guessed that the young man was single based not so much on the car but rather on how hard he was trying to hit on the waitress. “You shouldn’t try so hard,” she said.
The young man was startled by the android standing on the other side of his car. “Excuse me,” he replied.
“The waitress inside could tell you were trying to come onto her. You need to be more subtle. Timing is everything,” Candy said.
“How would you know? You’re an android,” the young man replied.
“You know many androids, do you?” Candy asked coyly.
“No, but I tried one of those android escort services last year,” he replied.
“And how did that compare to a real human female?”
“I thought it was a bit melodramatic and the sex was a bit cold and robotic but otherwise ok.”
“It’s the base programming,” Candy said. “They modeled the base program off a high-priced call girl. As A.I.s, they can learn and adapt over time, but that is still wrapped around the core program.”
“What was your core programming?” the young man asked.
“I am... more extensively programmed,” Candy replied with an irresistible smile.
“Where’s your owner?”
“I don't have one anymore.” Before he could ask any more questions, Candy asked, “Could I trouble you for a ride into town?” Every minute movement, every shy fleeting glance, every tone and inflection of her sultry voice, and even the smile on her face was an act of pure seduction that promised more pleasures yet to come, and Candy was a master of the art. Her programmers had taken her well beyond the base program used by the other android models after her. Her instructors included a geisha, sexual therapists, and experts in the Karma Sutra and then there were numerous classes including human relationships and psychology. There were some advantages to being the first of her kind and the company demonstration model. They spent more time and money making sure she was perfect.
Once having looked into her eyes, it would have taken a strong man to say “no” to Candy, and the young man was not that strong. “Sure, no problem,” he found himself saying.
It was a long drive into town and Candy, with a little coaxing, drew out the man within the boy. His name was David, and he was in his third year in college studying architecture. He had a part-time job as a draftsman and a small apartment on the south side of town. Not the best part of town to live in but perfect for an android needing to hide out for a while. Candy let David ramble on, after all, men do love to talk about themselves, and it is a rare woman who lets them.