CHAPTER40
Shock stopped Calista where she stood. The robot looked like her, but it was also not the same. From the jersey cut off under its huge double H breasts to the low-cut jeans fitted to the mannequin’s narrower hips and bigger butt, she was a sexed-up version of Calista. Her wig was the same color as Calista’s hair, and she had a fake sucker between her scarlet red lips that made her look as if she were puffing on a cigarette.
“Holy smokes,” Vivien said.
The robot grabbed Calista’s wrist in her rubber fingered grip.
Artie, sitting on the floor, held two remote controls. The one he manned with his left hand was spinning an arm around him on the floor holding a ruler.
When had he moved past the arm to a whole wheeled person? There were a million body parts in between. Confusion and so many questions swarmed through her.
Olivia thumped her pen against her yellow legal pad. “You do not have permission to use Calista’s likeness.”
“Kah-lees-tah is different,” Artie said.
Olivia looked at Calista, comparing her to the robot. “Not that different,” Olivia argued. She turned to Calista. “You didn’t give him permission, did you?”
Calista gave Olivia a big-eyed look and shook her head. She pulled away from the robot, but the robot didn’t let go. Calista found her words. “Release me, Artie.”
“I’m working on it,” Artie said in his voice that they all knew meant he was not working on anything of the sort.
Vivien confidently hunched over her laptop. “I’ll hack it.”
“Stay out of my code,” Artie said.
How long would this take? “Hurry, Vivien.” Calista pulled against the restraint. “I mean it, Artie. Release me. I have places to be.”
Artie put the controllers down and lifted his phone. He hit a button on the screen. “Say it again, just like that.”
Calista growled. Who knew how long this would last? Frustrated urgency pushed through her, and Calista got out her own phone and typed a one-handed text to Ronan. “I, Calista Amvehl, release Ronan Stromkin from his contract.” She hit send. Her heart lightened. This was either the most selfish thing she’d ever done or the least, she couldn’t tell. Her breath whooshed out. She’d made a painful decision, now she needed to see Ronan in person to say the words to his face, and to apologize for not saying them at the arbitration.
Vivien typed hard on her keyboard. “The robo-woman is resistant to hacking.”
“Her name’s Kah-lees-tah,” Artie corrected.
Now, he just wanted a slap. Calista turned a death glare on him. Artie had no idea how much he should not mess with her this week.
The robot tugged her two steps further back into the room.
Was the robot’s receiver in her brain? Calista felt along the robot’s neck underneath the rough strands of her wig. Maybe she could pop her head off.
The robot jerked Calista forward another foot.
Olivia scratched her pen across her notepad while reciting the date and time. Then she opened her phone to dictate the scene. “Attorney Olivia Hammond serving as witness.” She shined the camera at each of them. “I’m making it clear, Artie, we will sue.”
Sue, destroy his bandwidth, turn his creation to ash, Calista was on board. She shoved the robot’s chin, but the head remained steady.
“I got it,” Vivien yelled. The robot fingers loosened and then re-tightened. “Nope.”
This went on four more times. Calista’s impatience intensified with each attempt.
“Did you hear me? I will sue.” Olivia pointed the phone at Artie. “Arthur Jenkins. Acknowledge that you hear my declaration.”
Footsteps sounded outside and the door opened.
Ronan stood there framed in the threshold. His intent blue gaze searched for her. “Calista.” His voice held relief as if he hadn’t thought he’d find her.
His handsomeness, his sheer presence, was everything. Ronan was here. Calista’s heart lifted, and she headed toward him. “Ronan.”