Takashi produced a white and red novelty rose, and handed it to Mercedes before placing a hand on her lower back. “But enough about them. I promised you lunch.”
She smiled and let him usher her to the door of the diner. In doing so, she noticed his attire. While a casual business look, he looked good. He looks good in a tie. Really good. The untucked white shirt he wore fit his frame well. Mercedes had the urge to tell Tasha to take them for a drive and find out just what that shirt was hiding. Whoa, that thought escalated quickly. “You look nice.”
Takashi grinned. “You look nicer.”
“I’m just in casual attire.”
His brow rose, a grin still on his lips. “And? You could wear a burlap sack and make it look fashionable.”
She elbowed him. “Stop it.”
He chuckled and then spoke to the hostess, getting them a table for two. Mercedes slipped into one side of the booth while Takashi faced her on the other side, and the hostess left them with ordering devices.
Mercedes perused the digital menu. “How’s the seminar going?”
“It’s about as exciting as watching paint dry.”
She laughed. “Are you sure you want to go back, then?”
Takashi eyed her. “As tempting as that is, the information they’re giving is solid, so I should return when the break is over.” He looked at her artificial arm as it rested on the table. “How’s the testing going?”
Mercedes dramatically rested herself on the table. “Exhausting!” He laughed and she sat back up. “But it’s going to be worth it.”
“Can you tell me more about the project?” Takashi flipped the digital page of his menu. “Or are you sworn to secrecy?”
A smirk spread across Mercedes’ lips. “Well, I’m not supposed to talk about it with most people, but the clause excludes Shira, Ajax, and you.”
“Me? I can see why the other two, but why me?”
“Because Narissa knew I’d tell you anyway.” Takashi chuckled, and then waited to hear more. Mercedes filled him in on the details he didn’t have yet, only pausing when they needed to order their meals and appetizer so they wouldn’t be accused of loitering.
Takashi nodded after she completed her overview. “The testing you’ve been doing, what kind of information have you gathered?”
“Well, today is the first day of the actual physical testing. I had to do all sorts of other tests to make sure we had the right data to work with. Because of that preliminary data collection, Narissa realized she couldn’t use the old neuro-mods, so she had to redesign the upgrades. She also decided that a three-stage process would be best.”
Their drinks and appetizer were delivered, forcing Mercedes to pause for a moment.
“She installed the new chip, and at the same time installed the first-stage sensors. Stage one is heavy-pressure sensors; stage two is light; and stage three is temperature. Based on what happened in the last five hours, she’s predicting it’ll be best for people to get the sensors in quick succession, but may be okay to get them installed over the course of one year. More testing will have to happen around that before it goes to market.”
Takashi looked her over. “You said you had a new neuro-mod installed. Doesn’t that involve surgery?”
Mercedes pulled back some of her hair to reveal the small patch of shaved head. “Narissa has been doing this a long time. The chip is so tiny, only a small area of my head needs to be cut into, and she knows how to position the incision area where I can hide it with my hair.”
Takashi leaned back in his seat and sighed. “So much involved; it’s exhausting just to listen about. I can only imagine the stress that’s on you.”
“It’s worth it. Not only am I going to get a complete system after this is all over and the product is perfected, but this testing is going to help so many people.”
He smiled at her. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Mercedes’ face warmed and she looked down at her drink. “Thanks…”
Takashi reached out and touched her false hand. “So you can’t feel this right now, right?”
She shook her head. “No, we turned it off to give my poor brain a break. Even if it were on, I wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a hand touching me without looking, because this mod would just be going nuts with unidentifiable signals. We’re not sure if this is because of the new sensation to my brain, or if it’s a fault in the prototype. The more I test, the more we’ll know.”
“You’ll figure it out.” Takashi smiled at her. “I’m confident of that.”
The waitstaff returned with their meals, and the two dug in. Or that was the plan for Mercedes, until she saw Takashi staring at her as she went to take a bite of her hash browns. She paused and then put her fork down. “Something the matter, Takashi?”
He pursed his lips. “I thought you were right dominant.”
“Uh, I am.”
“How come you’re using your left to eat? Today, I’d think it was because you were tired, even with the nerve system shut off, but I noticed this as well the other times we’ve eaten together. You rarely use your right, unless you need to cut something.
Mercedes looked down the breakfast meal she’d ordered. “Yeah… about that…”
Takashi tilted his head. “What’s wrong?”
Mercedes stared at her food, struggling about how to answer him. This wasn’t something she talked about with others freely. It’s—
Mercedes’ eyes widened when he reached out across the table and grabbed her hand—but her prosthetic one. She looked at him, to find him gazing right at her, unflinching. Very few had ever done that to her. They always avoid…
She sighed. “Cybernetics have been around for decades, though only in the last decade or so have they advanced by these leaps and bounds. Even still, you’d think people would be used to them, but they’re not. When I use my arm, people stare. Sometimes, it’s curiosity, others…”
She sighed again. “I’ve learned, if I don’t bring any attention to it, those looks go away. I don’t feel like some weird freak.”
“Freak isn’t what I’d call you.”
Her brow rose at him.
“I think it’s pretty badass-looking.” He smirked. “And badass is sexy.”
He… does? Heat rose in her face, and she looked down at her lunch. A shy smile spread across her lips. “Thanks.”
“Ah, there’s the beautiful smile I love.” He pulled away. “Let’s get to better topics, so it stays.”
She nodded and started eating her meal. He’s quite the charmer. Or I’m that pathetic to fall for just a few words.
The next hour and a half passed by quickly. The two joked and laughed. They shared stories and discussed plans for the next few days. Throughout this time, Mercedes found her energy draining, and did her best to hide it, but Takashi noticed. She was able to keep the lunch date from ending for a while, but to her disappointment, Takashi wasn’t having it.
“Mercedes, you really need to rest.”
She sighed. “I know… I just want to hang out with you, ya know?”
Takashi reached out and placed his hand on her artificial one again. “We have tomorrow, and even tonight, if you’re feeling up to hopping on the game. Pushing yourself like this isn’t good for you.”
She nodded, understanding his point. She pulled up her tab, but before she could pay, Takashi reached over and added it to his bill.
“Takashi, what—”
“Today is my treat. No arguing.”
She tried to find the words to argue, but before they could form, he paid for the meals and smiled at her. She huffed, making him laugh, but it was short-lived when she pulled some cash from her pocket and put it on the table for the tip.
“I got that too, Mercy.”
Her heart flutt
ered at the sound of the nickname again. “Nope. I’m covering that, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
His lips spread into a thin line and she smiled triumphantly.
The two of them slipped out of the booth, and just as she was stepping away, she caught him trying to tuck some cash into her back pocket. She slapped his hand away and wagged her finger at him. “Oh, no you don’t.”
He held up his hands, the money disappearing before her very eyes. “Can’t blame me for trying.”
“More like trying to disguise your attempt to cop a feel.”
He grinned. “Maybe.”
She pursed her lips and then walked off. Takashi insisted on walking with her to her car. The building hosting the seminar wasn’t too far from the diner, so he wasn’t worried about a late return. Mercedes remote-started the vehicle when it came into view, to cool it down a bit before she got in.
Takashi opened the door for her and she slipped in. He rested his arms on the door and the frame, leaning in. “Thank you for having lunch with me.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks for the invite. I enjoyed the time spent with you.”
Takashi leaned closer, pecking her on the cheek. “Me too.”
Mercedes’ face heated as Takashi pulled away.
“Get some rest. I’ll talk to you later.”
Takashi shut the door and walked away. Mercedes reached up and touched her cheek.
“Miss Mercedes,” Tasha’s voice came from her dash. “My sensors indicate a chemical change in you. Are you okay?”
He hadn’t flinched away when he touched her cybernetic. And he’d said it made her sexy. And that small peck… A smile spread across her lips. “Yeah, I am.”
She then instructed Tasha to take her back to the hotel, calling Narissa to let her know she needed some more rest before testing again today.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The woman presenting droned on and on. Takashi found himself struggling to stay awake. It wasn’t her fault, this topic on currency exchange just didn’t interest him. He’d much rather be plugging numbers or swapping marketing strategies with the others here. Or spending time with Mercedes.
After yesterday’s seminar ended, he’d checked in with her. She’d gotten a few hours of sleep and then went right back into testing, making progress. Her excitement made him happy. He didn’t like the stress she put herself under for this project, but he understood why she did it.
This morning was no different, though she sounded rather tired. He worried she was pushing herself too much in such a short time. She did that with work too, and he wished she’d just take things easy for once.
The woman at the front of the room concluded her presentation and dismissed them for lunch. Takashi immediately took his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages. Mercedes had left him one fifteen minutes ago. Tapping the icon, he opened it.
I’m taking a break from testing. This is exhausting.
His brow furrowed and he left the room to find a quiet place to call her. The call rang twice before Tasha’s voice picked up. “Hello, Takashi. If you don’t mind holding, Mercedes is just finishing up a conversation with Narissa.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
“You will be placed on speakerphone again.”
He suspected that may happen. “I’m fine with that.”
About two minutes passed before he was patched through to Mercedes. “Hey, Takashi.”
She sounded like she should be asleep. “Hey, Mercy. How are you holding up?”
“This is hard,” she said. “I’m so tired. I can’t do lunch with you, I’m sorry.”
Disappointment fell over him, but he kept it hidden from her in his voice; he didn’t want her feeling guilty when she shouldn’t. “Don’t be. You’re putting yourself under a lot of stress.”
“We’re making progress, though. So that’s something.”
He smiled. “I’m glad it’s working.”
“Convince her to take a nap!” Narissa shouted in the background. “She won’t listen to me.”
“I don’t want to sleep,” Mercedes grumbled.
The two bickered for a moment before Takashi interjected. “Mercy, you really should rest. You won’t be able to keep this pace up unless you do.”
“I know, but—”
“No, don’t do that.” He thought for a moment. “Okay, how about this? You get some rest and don’t push yourself too hard today, and I’ll stop by your hotel room tonight with dinner and a movie.”
“Oh, maybe I’ll send her home so she gets plenty of rest before you show up,” Narissa teased.
“Narissa!” Mercedes shouted.
Takashi chuckled. He definitely liked the idea of getting intimate with Mercedes. Even if she’d acted strange to the flowers at the airport, how she acted around him yesterday gave him a bit of hope for there to be something between them. He just had to figure out how to approach the situation that wasn’t going to get her to run. “Do we have a deal, Mercy?”
“Yeah, we do.” Her sleepy voice gave her away. “I think I should go take my nap now.”
“Sleep well.”
“Have fun at your seminar. Sorry this was all about me.”
Her thoughtfulness made him smile. “Stop it. I’ll text you later.”
“‘Kay, bye.”
“Bye.” He disconnected and stored away his phone. He had to admit, he was disappointed they wouldn’t be meeting for lunch, but as long as she took it easy—doubtful—he’d get to spend an even longer time with her tonight.
“Hey, Takashi!”
Takashi spun around to find an older gentleman around his father’s age standing in a small group of other seminar attendees, waving him over. Takashi complied, thoughts running through his head. That’s… Allen… right? He’d met so many people that he was struggling to keep names straight.
Allen smirked at him when Takashi approached. “You done talking to your girlfriend?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.” As much as he wished that weren’t true, it was his reality.
“Yeah, all right, then that girl you talk to all the time. Are you going out to see her again today?”
Takashi shook his head. “No, she’s busy until tonight.”
One of the women with Allen, Emily, smiled at him. “How about having lunch with us, then? We’re going to eat here at the café on the first floor, so nothing fancy, but we were going to swap auction house strategies.”
He nodded. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”
Takashi followed the group, talk immediately swapping to strategies, giving him a renewed vigor he’d use to get him through the day.
The late evening sun shone through the sunroof of the rental as Takashi pulled up to the hotel Mercedes was staying at. A valet approached Takashi as he hopped out of the car. While self-driving cars were allowed to park themselves without their owners present as long as they were in parking lots, hotels preferred to reduce any liabilities. The young woman took his keys, and Takashi made his way inside the hotel, dinner in hand.
He’d talked to Mercedes after the seminar ended for the day. She sounded far better than when they’d last spoke, but still exhausted. The two discussed what they wanted for a meal, and she insisted on providing the movie since she couldn’t convince him to split the dinner bill. An old-fashioned way of handling dates, maybe, but he wanted it that way. Though Miss Stubborn and Independent didn’t make it easy on him.
Takashi looked around the ritzy hotel lobby. It was definitely a place Narissa would hook Mercedes up with. Hopping into the elevator, he sent it to the fifth and top floor. When the box came to a halt and the doors opened, a familiar blue-eyed, golden-haired smiling face greeted him, throwing him.
Mercedes’ smile grew wider. �
�Surprise.”
Takashi left the elevator and couldn’t hide his confusion. “How did you know I was here?”
She giggled. “Ochi told me.”
Takashi’s lips spread into a thin line. “That traitor. I was supposed to surprise you.”
“Too bad.” Mercedes took one of the bags he carried and then headed for her room.
Takashi noticed she’d taken the bag with her real hand and her false limb hung loosely at her side. “How did the rest of your testing go?”
“Interesting,” she said as they reached the hotel room. He watched her lift up her cybernetic arm, her face twitching, and swipe her key card before opening the door. “We’re still unable to determine if the prototype isn’t working right, or if I need more time for adjusting. Personally, I feel like it’s a bit of both.”
The two entered the hotel room, for him to discover it was a beautiful suite. There was a full kitchen to their right, a small gathering area, and a bedroom off to the side. The gathering area resided in front of a large sliding glass door, leading out to a balcony overlooking the ocean.
“Narissa knows how to treat a guest,” Takashi mumbled as he looked around.
Mercedes snickered. “Trust me, no matter how many times I’ve tried to tell her I don’t need a room like this, she doesn’t listen.”
He wandered in and noticed the king size bed in the bedroom. “Not even I need a bed that big.” He looked back at her. “For two people that’d be nice, but for one person… that’s a bit overkill, don’t you think?”
She laughed and put the food down on a counter. “I’m a major bed hog. It won’t matter what size bed you give me, I’m taking it all.” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “And really, I’m going to need the space. With this stupid thing, I’ll need to sprawl out to help me sleep. Of course I doubt I’ll get much.”
She glanced over at him, a playful smile on her lips. “Though, not the reason Narissa hoped I’d have sleep issues.”
“The disappointment is going to all be on her. I’m here to hang out and spend time with you. Not for just a Netflix and chill.” Takashi held up his hands as he spoke, trying to keep himself from entertaining the idea of throwing her on that bed and seeing how little sleep either of them would get.
Spellbinding His Ranger Page 15