“You did what?” asked Kix. He was so astonished at what he had just heard that he looked away from the road they were driving down, and stared at Arron.
“Watch where you’re driving!” said Arron pointing to the several self-driving hover cars that were trying to move out of the way of the APC that was traveling at a high speed down the road.
“Why is it such a shock to you that I met a beautiful woman last night at the new and improved [Red light] bar?” asked Arron.
“Who is she? What does she do? Describe her,” said Kix as he returned his attention to the road.
“Uhhh, my mind is kinda hazy. I can’t remember much since I drank quite a lot of the high-end drinks in between dancing. Last night is just all a blur other than the fact that I remember meeting her.”
“I thought you were tight on money? Wait… did you make her pay for your drinks?”
“…”
“Do you at least remember her name?”
“…”
“I’m surprised that you of all people managed to get up the nerve to do something like this,” said Kix, sending glances of suspicion at Arron.
“I know what you’re thinking! It was not a dream. I am sure of it! As to how it happened … I can’t remember.”
“Then are you going back to the bar tonight? If you do, you might be able to meet her again and I can see if the person is real and not one of your drunken dreams. As your partner, I also don’t want you ending up like Toothbrush and his last relationship that he still hasn’t gotten over.”
Arron thought about it for a short time then said, “Why not! How bout we ask everyone else from the team and see if they want to come?”
“Not gonna happen. They already have plans for tonight. Do you know of anyone else that might want to join us? It doesn’t matter if you can’t find anyone else, it can just be the two of us.”
“Yeah, I know a few. I’ll send them a message right now.”
Arron quickly typed out two messages using a holographic keyboard and sent the messages. He did not want to call them right now as they were probably busy with work.
“Kix, about that serial killer case we were on the other day before the raid. Did they ever find out what was going on?”
Kix’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and his face was hard without letting anyone see any emotion as he said in a low calm voice, “The case was closed since the dead were all separatist and troubled non-believers.”
“Oh…” said Arron, taking the hint and not talking about it any further. He did not want to get himself or Kix into any more heat than they already were with the Office of Reason who would love to catch them violating the speech code so they could dock some more points from their SCS.
Arron quietly watched the KNN news broadcast playing above the dashboard ignoring the awkward silence.
“… various false allegations were flying around yesterday that we, the office of reason, rounded up and disappeared several people. That is false! It was the M1 and police officers that arrested the troubled suspects and sent them to us for interrogation. That is all,” said Rando Poyson, a White suited agent from the Office of Reason that had been sent to do an interview for the news.
“We will be right back after a word from this news segment’s sponsor!” said Fella with a smile.
“Hello, I am Dr. Kerboinken from one of the many exceptional Mother and Father first-level hospitals. We have just recently received a large influx of donated organs, so those in need of a transplant should drop on by your local hospital. No installment payments are allowed, the full cost must be paid upfront. First come first serve. The usual regulations and restrictions apply. D rank SCS disqualifies you from this service.”
***
The waitress led Arron, Kix, Iboi, and Temid to the same table that Arron had sat at the night before.
Arron looked at the occupants of the surrounding tables and saw they were all filled with sullen men that had come to the bar right after work to drink their sorrows and worries away with cheap synth-beer.
The corner platform booth was occupied by two muscular men in silk suits who scowled at anyone who came near their table. Their table was already filled with empty glasses.
“This is… quite the atmosphere,” said Iboi as he looked at the depressing first-floor atmosphere with his cybernetic eyes zooming in and out to inspect everything while he listened to the sad music being sung by an actual human female.
“Uh… are you sure this is a good place to go for a drink? Is this place even legal?” asked a nervous Temid, sitting down next to Iboi on the cramped seat.
“Quit your griping and loosen up you two. You’re cramping my style,” said Kix as he sat down next to Arron.
Each of the four quickly ordered two glasses of the cheapest synth-beer allowing the waitress to leave with the new orders. But before she did she went to the platform table and gathered the many empty glasses.
Arron continued to scan the entire floor looking for the woman that he had met the night before.
Their drinks came without Arron being able to find the woman.
“This is the place you met her?” asked Kix with a raised eyebrow.
“It was not a dream!” said Arron.
With a straight face and an even tone, Kix said, “I believe you… I wonder if these drinks have any hallucinogens in them.”
Spuffffff!
Both Iboi and Temid spat out their drink and began coughing at the awkward exchange.
They quickly moved their gaze away from Arron’s accusing look.
The four of them silently drank their synth-beer as they looked around the first floor searching for the mysterious beauty.
After 40 minutes had passed and they had finished their drinks the others were ready to leave as there was no sign of the woman.
Arron stood up and said, “Wait a few more minutes, I’ll go check the other floor. If she’s not there we can leave.”
Out of secondhand embarrassment, Iboi and Temid continued to not look at the slightly desperate Arron who was still trying to prove he was not dreaming.
Kix did not say anything and only raised an eyebrow.
“Looking for me?” asked a flirtatious voice behind Arron.
Arron turned around and saw the woman from the night before and pointed, “It’s you!”
“It is me, and you are Mr. Troubled Handsome man from the night before,” said the woman. She was wearing a fluttering silky blue dress that matched the other colorful silk dresses of several other girls standing next to her.
“See! I told you I wasn’t dreaming!” said Arron.
“My my my. Have I been on your mind all this time? It’s true that we danced all last night. You were quite the dancer even with all that you drank and you’re such a smooth talker. The things you said and did while dancing… it makes me want to blush remembering it all…”
Arron and the other three all froze at the bold statements that kept flooding out of her mouth. Arron’s mind was a complete blank on what he might have said and was starting to fear what he had said. His face was growing beet red while Kix and the others glanced between the two.
“Don’t worry, I quite like you, and I’m glad I was able to meet you again. Why don’t you and your friends join my group? We were just getting ready to go to the new VIP section of the bar and use one of their private rooms for some drinking and other fun activities.”
“You? Me?” asked Arron pointing at her and then himself.
The woman nodded.
Kix stood up and elbowed Arron in the side and said in a whisper, “Her name. Ask for her name.”
“I’m Arron! May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”
“Yumi. So are you up to join us for some fun?”
Arron looked at the others and they each nodded.
“Great! Then let’s go!” said Yumi grabbed Arron’s hand and dragged him towards a slightly hidden door.
Before Kix, Iboi, and Temid could join Arron and the girls, the two large muscular men with big scowls made sure to cut in front of them and walk between the group as they eyed the three men behind them.
“What the?” mumbled the trio.
Arron was led to a private room and closed the door leaving only the two of them inside.
Arron nervously looked around and found two floating microphones above the small table next to plush hover couches.
On the wall was a holo-tv with a flowing large menu of songs.
“Sit down! I’ll go first and choose one of the newest top hits to thaw your nervousness with my amazing voice!” said Yumi, lightly pushing Arron onto one of the hover couches.
As Arron watched her sing his nervousness did lessen slightly.
When the song was finished she silently looked to Arron for his opinion.
“You did good, but I like the older music better,” said Arron.
“You just like complaining too much. You need to get with the times. Ai singers are where it’s at! Everyone else likes it! In my opinion, you are the weird one for not liking the Ai generated music pumped out by Mother and Father.”
As she said this she sat down next to Arron and looked deep into his eyes.
“Hmm, your right eye looks a little different.”
“I had an accident which caused me to lose my eye. Just so you know I’m not one of those upgrade junkies that are always looking to replace body parts with the newest cybernetics.”
Yumi was still too close to Arron for comfort but he did not want to be rude and move away.
Without warning her head darted forward and pecked his lips with a kiss before Arron even knew what happened.
With a slap on his back, the bemused Yumi said, “Your turn to sing.”
Arron stumbled through the song that he had picked.
The two continued to switch back and forth. It seemed each time it was Arron’s turn Yumi would do something to try and fluster Arron.
Their night out ended with the two of them singing a duo before it was time to leave.
“I had fun!” said Yumi, giving a quick peck on Arron’s cheek when they exited the bar.
She quickly tapped on several menus of her expensive-looking wrist-datapad and swiped something over to Arron.
“Let’s meet up again tomorrow!” said Yumi as she waved goodbye and joined her waiting friends and the two rough-looking grumpy guards.
