When I pull my head back, I see her. Her eyes are closed and she’s enjoying it.
I wrap my arms around her.
“Hey,” I tell her. “It’s okay. Really. Listen to me…” I say, but she doesn’t let me finish.
“No, Ethan, it’s not okay, okay?” Brittney says with a ferocity I didn’t expect. “I played you, and it’s not okay.”
“You did?” I ask, with a raised eyebrow.
Despite everything that's going on, she sticks her tongue out at me.
“Well, fine,” she says to me. “I tried to play you. But sure, I failed, but in the end you still let me. I can’t believe you just handed over the software code for the I.E. to me,” she says to me, her words rushing out like water out of a damn.
“Listen babe,” I start again, trying to get in a word edgewise. “I think that it’s going to be okay…” Again though Brittney cuts me off.
“How?” she asks me, pressing herself against me. “I had to give Simon the code and he had enough time to build the prototype you spent so much time on. And how the fuck can you not be freaking out at me right now?” Brittney asks.
I pause. She’s starting to get hysterical.
I guess I could start fucking talking.
But instead, I take the remote near the side table and turn on the television.
“Let’s sit down,” I tell her. “The product match-up should be starting soon.”
Brittney sighs heavily, but she follows me to the sofa where we both sit. It takes her a moment of hesitation before she’s able to curl up into me as we both watch TV. I don’t mind. She’s probably more confused than anything right now.
I mean, she fucking betrayed me and saw how I angry I was when we were fucking ten days ago, right?
And now, I’m holding her close and telling her everything is okay?
“Just watch,” I tell her.
You should listen to that advice too.
I mean, it's the perfect day in Times Square for the launch. No, I have no need to be there. Cheryl’s planned it well enough that our spokespeople can do the heavy lifting while I watch with the woman I love.
Besides, it’s going to be awesome.
Within moments, Today USA is broadcasting both Illicit Entertainment and Conners Media representatives as they stand side-by-side on a raised platform at the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street. There’s an emcee from the network. Behind him is a giant 40-foot projection screen. The whole point of this demo is to have an user put on the respective glasses and have it transmit what the user is seeing on the projection screen.
If you’re scratching your head and wondering if it’s a bit over the fucking top, let me just stop you right there and remind you of one th
ing.
Just remember who’s telling the fucking story here, okay?
Does it say Bonnie Believable on the cover?
Or does it have my girl, Alexis Angel’s name?
I’m thinking it’s the latter. Which means in this version of reality, our society has gotten to the point where it’s not just okay to do a demonstration of a gadget that is intended for explicit sexual use, but it’s celebrated enough that one of the largest broadcast networks is holding a product competition that they’ll air over public fucking airwaves.
Over the top? You fucking bet, babe.
“I can’t believe they’re going to actually do this demo,” Brittney says quietly. “It’s so insane to watch porn in a group.”
Jesus, it’s like I can’t get a fucking break here.