Catnipped

by Olivia Myers

  As if in response to her question, the dog gave her cheek a quick lick, and then danced over to the door. He glanced up at the door handle, and then looked back at Elle. Elle sighed. He was a smart dog, that much was obvious. She still didn’t feel completely comfortable just letting him go in the city, but she knew that he would probably return to his home, if he had one. Or, if he was a stray, he would probably hang around her store since she’d given him food.

  “All right,” Elle said. “Just be careful, okay?” She opened the door and the dog gave her hand one last friendly lick before darting out of her store and starting down the street. Elle watched him go, worried, but glad that he had stopped by. He had definitely lightened her mood.

  *****

  Her phone rang that evening after she had gotten home from work. “Hey,” Drake said when she answered. “I’ve been thinking of you.”

  “I’ve been thinking of you, too,” Elle said, trying to push the thoughts of Lisa out of her head. She was glad to hear Drake’s voice again. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing well,” Drake said. “How about you? How’s work?”

  “I’m fine,” Elle said with a smile. “And work is going well. We’ve had a few more customers than normal lately. Which is a good thing, of course.”

  “Well, if you manage to catch a break some time, do you want to get together again? We can go out to dinner, somewhere nice,” he said.

  “Definitely,” she responded, feeling a swooping feeling in her stomach, and a tingle of warmth between her legs, at the thought of seeing him again. “But let’s eat in. I have tomorrow evening off. We could cook dinner, and then spend the rest of the evening together.”

  “Mmm, that sounds like an amazing plan, Elle,” he said.

  She grinned. “See you at five?”

  “See you at five,” he assured her.

  *****

  The dog stopped by her store again the next day. She was glad that he had come in the morning this time, since if he had come in the evening, Elle wouldn’t have been there. She wasn’t sure if Annie would have let the dog in or not, and she really didn’t want him to get shooed away. She liked having his company, and this time he stayed for a few hours, lounging in front of the counter and greeting customers with a wagging tail when they came in. Everyone liked him, and Elle was reluctant when he stood by the door and whined to be let out, but she was becoming more and more certain that he had a family that would be waiting for him - he was just so well behaved, she couldn’t believe that he was a stray.

  She got out of work at two and ran to the store to get some supplies for the dinner she and Drake had planned for tonight. She didn’t know what foods he liked, or disliked, so she decided to go with pasta. Who didn’t like pasta? She also grabbed a nice bottle of wine, deciding to make the evening as romantic as possible. On her way out of the store, she saw a woman that reminded her of Lisa, and she felt a pang of desire go through her. She sighed, half annoyed and half amused at herself. How could she find two people so equally attractive?

  Back at home, she hopped in the shower, scrubbing away the scent of the flower store. She chose a subtle perfume to wear for the evening, and then dressed in a slinky black dress. She let her hair fall to her shoulders, and carefully penciled liner around her lips. Her goals for this evening were twofold: to have sex with Drake again, and also to get a better feel for his personality. The first one would be easy, but the second goal would be harder. She knew that she and he were physically compatible - extremely physically compatible - but she didn’t know anything about his life, his goals, or even what sort of food he liked.

  Drake got there right on time; five o’clock on the dot. Elle let him in, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him in greeting. He kissed her back, deepening it and making Elle flush with desire. She considered forgetting the dinner she had planned and just going straight to the bedroom, but no, the bedroom could wait. Grinning, she led him into the kitchen.

  Drake cut up the garlic cloves with the dexterity of an expert chef. She smiled when she saw that; she had teased him earlier because he had admitted that he didn’t really cook that much. She had called him the perfect bachelor, and he had laughed. “Well, hopefully you’ll get me to change my ways,” he had said, staring deeply into her eyes.

  And now he looked like a natural in the kitchen. Elle shook her head, amazed. He really was an interesting man. He was pretty much perfect, physically, and he seemed intelligent and eager to learn about her, which was another thing that she liked. He still didn’t talk much about his own life. Elle couldn’t decide if that was because he had something to hide, or because he just didn’t do much. Watching his muscles ripple as he moved across the kitchen, Elle couldn’t believe that he didn’t have more stories to tell. He looked like a man who was constantly active; not like she expected a guy who worked with computers to look.

  *****

  “This is amazing,” Drake said, putting his fork down. His plate was clean, and this had been his second helping. Elle was glad that she had chosen pasta; he obviously liked it.

  “It was pretty good,” she agreed. “We should try making something more complex next time.”

  Drake smiled in agreement and grabbed his plate. When Elle rose to help clear the table, he waved her off.

  “Let me do it,” he said. Then he grinned. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

  *****

  Lisa called Elle the next morning. Elle was surprised at how glad she was to hear the woman’s voice. Even though she’d had an amazing night with Drake, Lisa had still been in her thoughts a lot. Too much, really. She felt bad thinking about Lisa when she was with Drake, but she knew that when she saw Lisa again, she would be thinking of Drake.

  “I’ve missed you,” Lisa purred, her silky voice making Elle think of their time together in her bed. She bit her lip to try to keep her focus on the conversation.

  “I’ve missed you too,” Elle said. “Would you like to come over? Or we could go out for coffee again, if you’d rather.”

  “I can come over,” Lisa said. “I’ll bring coffee. And something else. I have a present for you.”

  “Oh?” Elle frowned. “I don’t have anything for you.”

  Lisa chuckled, a sound that aroused Elle more than she was expecting. “Yes you do,” Lisa said.

  It was all Elle could do to keep from moaning out loud.

  Elle answered the door. Lisa wore a flowing skirt that fell to her knees, and a tight, lacy shirt.

  “Glad you found my place easily again the second time,” Elle said, letting the woman in.

  Lisa frowned for a split second in confusion, but then her expression cleared and she smiled. “I have a good memory.”

  She extended a small paper bag to Elle, who took it excitedly. Peeking in, she saw the next book in the series she had been looking at when she and Lisa had met at the bookstore.

  “You do have a good memory!” Elle exclaimed. “Wow, I can’t believe you thought of this.” Grinning, she set the bag down on her counter. “It must have just come out.”

  She felt a sudden stab of guilt that she’d been seeing someone else. How would she ever choose between these two wonderful people?

  “I knew you’d like it,” Lisa said, returning Elle’s grin with one of her own. Elle reached for the other woman and gently pulled her closer. Their lips met, and the now-familiar wave of desire flooded through Elle.

  “It’s time for your present,” Elle mumbled into her friend’s lips. She led Lisa to her bedroom.

  *****

  Elle rested her forehead on the cool counter top. She was sitting by the cash register, tired yet happy. She’d been seeing both Drake and Lisa on and off for almost two weeks. Every day she fell more and more in love with each of them. She’d seen both of them yesterday, the second day in a row that she’d managed to split her time between them. She was exhausted; she’d stayed up late the night before lying in bed and talking with Lisa.

  She was also mental
ly exhausted. The guilt of seeing them both was really starting to wear on her. Even though neither one had broached the subject of an exclusive relationship with her, she knew that the depths of her feelings for them would end up making both relationships more complicated.

  When the door to the store opened, Elle picked her head up. She felt groggy, and she felt the faint, ominous beginnings of a headache. She was relieved to see that it was just Annie coming back from lunch.

  “I got your sub,” the young woman said, depositing a bag on the counter next to where Elle was leaning. “They were out of sweet pickles, so I asked for bread and butter. I hope that’s ok.”

  “It’s fine.” Elle began unwrapping her sandwich.

  “You look wiped out,” Annie said, perching on a stool and biting into her own sub. Elle just glared at her. Annie rolled her eyes, making Elle chuckle. She realized that Annie acted a lot like a younger sister would. She felt a rush of affection towards the girl.

  A bark at the door made both women turn and look outside. –The dog was waiting outside. She got up to let him in.

  “Whoa, do you know that dog?” Annie asked, putting her sub down.

  “Yeah, he’s been coming around for a while.” Elle suddenly wondered if the dog came here when Annie was working. “Have you seen him before?” she asked.

  Annie shook her head. “Is he nice?”

  “Yeah,” Elle replied. “He’s super nice. I let him hand out in here during the day sometimes. The customers all love him. I’ve started calling him Rex.” The name seemed fitting for such a big, regal animal.

  Annie approached Rex and let him sniff her hand before reaching down to pet him. The dog held still, allowing the attention for a moment, and then walked over to sit next to Elle. He leaned against her leg, and gazed up at her with adoration. Elle smiled down at him and petted him.

  “I guess you’re his favorite,” Annie said, returning to her bench and picking up her sub again. “Do you have any idea who he belongs to?”

  “None,” Elle said. “He comes here almost every day, though.”

  “Are you going to keep him?” Annie asked, in between bites.

  “I don’t know if I can,” Elle said. “Plus, look at him. He’s gorgeous, and is obviously being fed and groomed by someone. I don’t want to just steal someone’s dog.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Annie gave the dog one last considering look, and then changed the subject. “So what’s been up with you lately? You’ve been alternating between being super energetic and happy, and then being equally tired and grumpy.”

  Elle sighed, returning to her seat behind the counter. Rex followed her, and she ripped off a small part of her sub and tossed it to him. She’d been expecting Annie to notice her odd behavior soon, but had been hoping she could go a bit longer before having to explain herself to the girl. “I’ve been seeing someone,” she said. And then, after a pause, “Actually, two someones.”

  “Oooh,” Annie exclaimed. “You’ve got to tell me about them! How did you meet? Do they know about each other?”

  “I met one at a bar, and the other in a book store,” Elle said. “And no, they don’t know about each other. Hence the tired and grumpy.”

  “But you really like both of them?” Annie asked.

  “Yeah.” Elle grinned. “Hence the energetic and happy.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” Annie said. “Do you think you’re going to have to choose between them?”

  “I’ll probably have to, eventually.” Elle sighed. “And I have no idea how I’m going to do it.”

  “Well, who do you know better? Who do you spend more time with?” Annie asked.

  “I spend pretty much the same amount of time with each of them. And it’s weird, but I don’t really know either of them super well.” She put her sub down, considering this. “I mean, we talk a lot, but I don’t know where either of them went to school, or what their family was like, or where they grew up. I don’t even know exactly where either of them work, or where they live.”

  “That’s kinda weird,” Annie said.

  “Yeah…I never really thought about it very much until now,” Elle said.

  “Well, you should probably figure out at least some of that before you make a decision,” Annie said. “And be careful, there are some weird people out there.”

  *****

  Elle took Annie’s advice to heart. She had a date with Drake planned for that evening, and she would confront him then. She knew that he probably had a good reason for not showing her where he lived, or, more likely, that they had just been too caught up in each other for stuff like that to matter. But she still felt a bit nervous.

  When Drake showed up at her door - right on time, as usual - Elle gave him a quick kiss instead of the usual deep one that she greeted him with. He raised an eyebrow.

  “There’s something else I want to do tonight,” she explained.

  “All right,” Drake said, leaning against the wall and hooking his thumbs through the belt loops on his pants. “What’s up?”

  “I want to go to your place,” Elle said. “I want to see where you live.”

  Drake met her eyes and held her gaze for a moment, and then nodded.

  “Sure,” he said. “Do you want to go now, or in a few hours?”

  “Now,” Elle said. She knew that if she let him distract her, they’d never get around to leaving her apartment.

  *****

  Drake drove them to an apartment building just a few blocks away from hers. It seemed like a nice area, and Elle was relieved. She had been half expecting something creepy.

  “Mine’s on the third floor,” he told her. Elle nodded and followed him to the elevator. Drake walked down the hall and stopped in front of a door. He waved his phone in front of the scanner, and then placed his hand on a second scanner. The door beeped and swung open, letting them in.

  Elle thought that his apartment looked nice, if a bit barren. There was a complicated looking computer station set up in the corner of the living room, which she though was odd until she remembered that he worked in the tech industry. The apartment only had one bedroom, just like hers, but it also had a nice jacuzzi tub, which Elle hadn’t been able to afford.

  “This is it,” Drake said, waving a hand vaguely at the space around them. “There isn’t much. Your place is much more comfortable.”

  “I like it,” Elle said. “It’s very… sleek.”

  He grinned at her. “I do have an espresso machine - want me to make us some?”

  “That sounds amazing,” Elle replied.

  Drake kissed her gently on the forehead and then walked towards the kitchen. “Make yourself at home,” he said. “The drinks shouldn’t take long to make.”

  Elle decided to take him at his word and to make herself at home. She peeked into the bathroom and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Hmm. Maybe Drake really wasn’t hiding anything after all. There was nothing in the medicine cabinet other than a tube of toothpaste and a new roll of toilet paper, which was a bit odd, but didn’t really raise any red flags.

  Elle moved on to the bedroom. The bed was perfectly made, and the blinds were drawn. Elle peeked into the closet, and then frowned. She had been expecting to see a perfectly organized closet took, but instead there was something oddly lumpy lying on the floor.

  Aha. Here was his deep dark secret – he had a messy closet. Elle grinned, inwardly laughing at herself for being so suspicious.

  As she closed the closet door, though, she caught the sight of light brown hair peeking out from beneath the clothes. Elle stepped forward for a closer look, and then stumbled back in horror.

  Lisa. Lisa was lying on the floor of Drake’s closet, her eyes wide and glossy, and her hair spread out like a halo around her head. It took Elle a second to be able to do anything other than stare, and then a scream worked its way out of her mouth.

  She turned, ready to run out of the room, out of the apartment. Instead, she ran headlong into Drake. The espresso that Drake
was carrying splashed onto his clothes, but he didn’t flinch. His eyes went to the closet, and then back to Elle, realization dawning clearly on his face.

  Oh god, Elle thought. He found out about Lisa and killed her, and now he’s going to kill me, too. She jerked backwards and stumbled, falling onto the bed. She reached into her pocket, frantically grabbing for her phone.

  “Elle,” Drake said. “Elle, wait. It isn’t what you think.”

  Elle stared at him, wide-eyed. There was no way that he could explain this to make her okay with Lisa being dead in the closet.

  “Look,” he said, holding out his arm. Despite her panic, Elle glanced at the bared skin of his arm. She didn’t see anything. Then he ran the edge of his nail along the smooth flesh, creating a thin indentation. He dug his fingers under the skin and pulled back. Elle gasped and recoiled, horrified. Was he insane? But he wasn’t bleeding, and he didn’t seem to be in pain… Elle looked closer, and now saw the gleam of metal under the skin. Tubes and hoses twined together with metallic bones. Confused, Elle met Drake’s gaze.

  “W-what’s going on?” she managed to say.

  “I’m a robot, Elle,” he said. “An artificial intelligence. I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner. I should have told you when we first met, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to stop being a person in your eyes. Lisa is my other body. I can switch my consciousness between them. I’m both Drake and Lisa, Elle.”

  *****

  Elle lay in her bed, going over the day repeatedly in her mind. She’d mumbled some excuses and run from Drake’s apartment. He hadn’t tried to stop her. Now at home, she still felt like she was in shock. Drake and Lisa were the same person. Well, neither of them was actually a person. Were they? She remembered all of the time that she had spent with each of them. She’d never even guessed that they weren’t human. But AIs couldn’t actually feel… could they? She didn’t really know. Drake and Lisa both seemed to care about her. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. She had to quit thinking of them as separate people. They were the same.