The Rivals

Lexi slammed the door behind her and tossed her backpack on the entryway floor in frustration. She stood still for a moment, breathing hard and trying to gather herself. Why did she let that brainless twit get to her like that? And how did she let it happen? That nitwit probably didn't have three functioning brain cells on a good day. And she can just stroll up waving those big tits of hers around like a pair of semaphore flags and any boy within half a mile suddenly can't even put a fork to his lips. Boys were so ruled by their dicks!

Lexi stared at her feet fuming inchoately a few seconds longer before the clack-clack of the pet door at the back of the house brought her back to her present surroundings. Click, click, click and Farley came trotting up, wagging his tail and looking up at her.

Lexi squatted and let the black-and-white terrier lick at her face as he propped himself up with both paws on one of her knees.

"Farley, you always know how to make a girl feel wanted," she said, scratching him behind his ears. "I wish I could say as much about more of the primates I know," she added, reaching for her backpack and standing.

Farley retreated a few steps, tail wagging furiously and still gazing up at her, before turning and heading toward the kitchen. As he turned a corner, he looked back at her hopefully.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the price of your affection. Don't worry, you'll get your yumyum. But it's early still--later."

Lexi went the opposite direction, down a hallway and into a bedroom. Her bedroom, once upon a time. Well, still hers, sorta, though a little more than a year of living on campus and most of a summer spent abroad made it feel strangely unfamiliar.

She tossed her backpack theatrically onto the bed in a long arc, albeit minus the vehemence of her dramatic entrance a few minutes earlier. She sat heavily on the end of the bed and collapsed backwards with a sigh, arms spread wide.

Why, oh why, she thought, am I so hung up on this guy? It wasn't like he was her usual type. Hell, did she even have a usual type? She'd only had two boyfriends in high school, and they were both kind of casual relationships, nothing hot and heavy. She'd had her fling with a few guys since being in college and that was fun and all--especially the sex--but nothing she ever got worked up about. If it happened, it happened, and if it didn't, it didn't. Life went on. So what was it about Ryan that had her in such a tizzy? Yeah, he was pretty cute and had an athletic build. Maybe he even wasn't a total numskull, like most of the other guys who thrust themselves upon her. But all of that still didn't add up. She just couldn't explain it, and she didn't like it when she couldn't explain things.

And it certainly didn't help that airheaded Nancy Nobrain (that was what her best friend Julie had called her, and she just couldn't stop thinking of her as that, although her real last name was Novain) was clearly stalking Ryan, too. And Ms. Nobrain had some obvious assets that Lexi was going to have a hard time competing with.

Well, whatever the case, life, and school, and homework weren't going to stop, so she had better stop moping around. She heaved herself up, grabbed the backpack, and unzipped its main compartment. She removed a black Greek sailor's hat, a scarf, a tablet computer, and a paperback book. She knew having that last item in her possession would make her seem an oddball to anyone who didn't know her (and who knows, maybe to those that did know her, too!), but there was just something so sensuous about actually holding an organic, physical object in your hands when you read! You could feel it had a weight that corresponded to its content and you could see yourself making your way through the story, millimeter by millimeter. It was so analog, but it was so real! Heck, even reading on a tablet made her a little bit of Luddite in the eyes of a lot of her acquaintances. Just about everyone these days would just plop their phone down on the nearest surface and set it to project a holopage when they wanted to read. And, if you could afford it, using AR contacts was the cutting edge way to interface digitally. But really, it's so creepy to see someone just kind of staring off into space for minutes at a time. And at least with a tablet, you can actually hold it in your hands.

Click, click, click, and there was Farley, gazing hopefully at her through the doorway.

"Ok, ok, I get the message! Mommy and daddy aren't here to take care of you for a while, are they? And that's my job now. I get it."

Lexi jumped off the bed and strode past Farley down the hallway.

"Let's see what we can dig up, kiddo."

Farley dashed past her into the kitchen once it became apparent that was where she was headed. He disappeared around the corner with a scraping of claws on tile, but then immediately let out a distressed yelp and started barking furiously.

"Hey, what's up, kiddo?" Lexi asked, hurrying into the kitchen.

Farley stood a few feet back from a black, round device, roughly two feet in diameter with a domed top about 6 inches high. It whirred and rotated a few degrees back and forth.

"Aw, Farley, c'mon, you know what that is! That's just Jeeves. No need to make all that racket! You've had all these months to get used to him. It can't be that big a deal by now!"

Lexi stooped down and scooped up Farley, who still let out a distrustful yip or two as she carried him across the kitchen to the pantry. The black machine spun around to inspect the retreating pair, and, apparently convinced that the commotion was concluded, scooted forward and around the corner out of the kitchen.

Lexi tucked Farley under one arm as she reached the pantry, opened the door, and grabbed a can from the shelf.

"I know, I think it's kinda creepy, too," she whispered conspiratorially to the dog. "But mom says you get used to it after a while. Besides which, she claims she hasn't done a lick of housework since they got it."

She set the dog on the floor, popped the lid on the can, and grabbed a fork from among the small pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

"So, unless you learn how to vacuum, dust, tidy closets, and keep track of your own dog food, I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with it."

Lexi walked over to Farley's feeding station and scraped the food out of the can into his dish. The dog immediately began to gobble down the food, snorting with delight.

"You should be thankful that thing can't actually feed you," Lexi continued. "Once it can, mom and dad won't need me to babysit you next time they go on a month-long holiday."

With the dog single-mindedly devouring its dinner, Lexi turned with a sigh to the sink. "Well, mom obviously exaggerated about one thing: it clearly doesn't do dishes."

She began loading the dishes from the previous night's dinner and the morning's breakfast into the dishwasher. It was already quite full of clearly still-dirty dishes. Apparently, her parents hadn't remembered to run it before they left. When she pushed the dishwasher door closed, to her surprise a series of lights flashed on the front panel and Lexi could hear water being pumped into the unit. Motors began to hum. She looked for a way to turn it off, but whichever buttons she pushed, they had no effect.

"Damn thing's haunted," she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air and stepping back.

Farley, who had by now licked his bowl clean, trotted over and looked alternately at Lexi and the dishwasher.

"I'll tell you what," Lexi said to the dog as she removed a glass from a cupboard and filled it with sparkling water from the nook in the refrigerator door. "Let's see if we can have some fun with Jeeves. Here, come here."

Lexi pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and sat, patting her lap. Farley trotted over and jumped up.

"Yo, Jeeves!" Lexi called in a loud voice. "We require your services."

A few seconds later the little black machine rolled into the kitchen.

"Yo, Jeeves," she said in a more normal tone, "calculate Pi to the last digit." She looked triumphantly down at the dog, who growled softly at the machine.

"I'm sorry, m'lady," the machine replied in a refined British accent. "I am not programmed with higher mathematical functions."

"Well that sucks!" she said, looking down at the dog in her lap."And I thought these things were supposed to be smart.

"Yo, Jeeves," she said, addressing the small machine again, "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

There was a small pause. "I am not sure I understand the question, m'lady."

"Can you believe your mommy programmed this thing to sound like an English butler?" Lexi asked the dog. "Can you believe that?"

"Jeeves," she said in a sterner tone, "what can you do?"

"My primary functions are tasks related to household cleaning, tidying, interior climate control, maintaining an inventory of household products, maintaining an inventory of human dietary consumables, and making menu suggestions. I can also provide entertainment by playing requested music or videos, adjusting lighting to suit a requested mood, and providing aromatherapy enhancements to the climate control."

"Huh, what? You can make this place smell? Like, on request?"

"Within certain parameters, yes m'lady."

"Well, holy shit! Mom and dad really went the whole nine yards when they had your system installed!

"Ok, then. Well, Jeeves, what could I have for dinner?"

There was just an instant's pause before the response.

"Based on the current inventory of fresh groceries and dry goods, the following menu options are available to you."

The machine opened a small port on its surface and projected a holopage in Lexi's view.

"I have arranged your selections as 3-course meals based on cuisine type. However, I can arrange the recipes based on other criteria, such as single-meal dishes, dishes made from fresh ingredients likely to spoil if not used soon, dishes based on desired calorie intake, or other criteria of your choosing."

As the machine described each option, the holopage showed the reorganized list.

"Holy crap!" Lexi exclaimed. "Can you cook these, too?"

"I am not manufactured with the capability to cook, m'lady."

"Well, what good are you then?" Lexi huffed.

Addressing the dog, she continued, "Looks like you're going to have me around taking care of you a while longer, kiddo."

"Alright, Jeeves. Show me stuff I can cook quickly with minimal preparation."

A new list flashed on the holopage, which Lexi studied intently for a few seconds.

"Guess it's mac and cheese for me tonight," she said with a sigh.

By nine o'clock that evening, Lexi had just about had it with studying. She sat at her desk in her room, her fingers poised motionlessly over the keyboard while she stared at the holopage being projected in front of her by her phone. To her left, her tablet displayed text filled with dates and foreign place names. With a wave, she dismissed the holopage of her research paper and pulled up a news app. The headlines were as distressing as usual:

"President nearing decision on troop deployment in Africa."

Swipe...

"Typhoon Dahlia submerges three South Pacific Islands."

Swipe...

"GM faces lawsuit in self-driving car accidents."

Swipe...

"California legislature sends nation's first sentience law to Governor's desk."

Swipe...

"Dems facing tough road in upcoming midterms."

Swipe...

Wait! Lexi swiped back to the California headline:

"The California legislature earlier today passed the country's first law granting certain rights to devices equipped with artificial intelligence. The Semi-sentient Assistant Rights Act, or SARA, is targeted at the burgeoning mechanical servant market, where many experts fear the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence found in these devices may lead to abuses. Business groups have condemned the law, saying that such regulations are an overreaction and will threaten growth in the sector. Governor Williams has sent mixed signals about her support for the law... "

With a gesture, Lexi dismissed the holoimage entirely and leaned back in her chair. In the mirror mounted on the wall above her desk she could see Farley reflected, curled up on her bed sleeping peacefully.

"What do you think, Farley? Think we're going to have to start saying 'please' to Jeeves and give him a raise?"

Farley didn't appear to have an opinion.

Lexi's mind wandered. The faint scent of rosemary permeated her room. Jeeves claimed that was the best scent for concentration. Maybe it had helped, but she still had a long way to go on her research paper. But not tonight.

She pushed her chair back from her desk and inspected her image in the mirror. She saw what she thought could be fairly regarded as an attractive, narrow face with intense dark eyes, topped by dark hair cut in a pixie hairstyle.

Her petite figure was shrouded in a loose-fitting blue sweater, which she pulled off to reveal a flimsy white camisole, whose shade only seemed to accentuate the paleness of her skin.

"Not likely to set any male libidos aflame with this bod, huh, Farley?" she said, extending her thin arms out and slightly upward to form a "Y".

The dog looked up sleepily, yawned, and set its head back down on its paws.

"Just the reaction you'd expect from a man," she observed wryly, letting her arms flop to her side.

But there was a part of her boys did seem to like quite well: her nipples. Not her tits; they were small and not impressive at all. Nicely shaped, she thought, but boys went for size, it seemed. Like stupid Nancy Nobrain's bouncy wonders.

But her nipples! They, apparently, were special. She could see them now, poking up through the thin fabric covering them, becoming even more erect as she recalled how Jeff, her first college boyfriend, liked to fondle and suck them. He was a sweet and innocuous boy who earnestly tried to please her. She appreciated that, but couldn't stay interested in someone with such a milquetoast personality. What he could do with her nipples, though! She closed her eyes and pictured how, cuddling together on a couch watching a movie, Jeff would pull her up against him, her back to his chest, and would lightly stroke her stomach, then her breasts, then, taking one of her nipples between thumb and forefinger gently twist it back and forth, sometimes tugging on it a little. As soon as he started doing this, she would be lost, totally under his sway. He wasn't confident enough to realize this power he had over her, nor aggressive enough to take full advantage of it, but he could have had his way with her however he liked. Which was usually just garden-variety humping, but that was fine. She liked that just fine. What she really wanted, though, was a nice long buildup, him tweaking her nipples, then pulling up her shirt and sucking them while flicking around them with his tongue. He could have done that all night and she wouldn't have objected. He had started to get the message not long before they broke up. That was really a shame and she still missed it. But a lasting relationship isn't built on a few sucked nipples and there was really nothing else there to keep them together.

As Lexi reminisced about Jeff, she found herself unconsciously rubbing her palms over her breasts, then pinching her now very erect nipples. She could feel that irresistible warmth spread through her, from her breasts through her stomach and into her loins. She knew there was no turning back now. She pulled off her camisole and admired her now very erect nipples in the mirror, so dark against the paleness of her skin. She undid her jeans and shimmied out of them and her panties, dumping them in a heap around her chair.

As she continued to fondle and pinch one nipple with her hand, with her other she reached down to feel the moist heat already radiating from her pussy. She gently stroked the labia poking through her curly, black pubic hair, then inserted a finger deep into her moistness. Dragging her finger up, she lubricated her clit with her own juices and twirled it around with her fingertip. She was already near climax. When she got like this she could come as quickly as any teenage boy. She could draw it out, if she wanted, but she didn't want that now. She wanted the release, the quick, sharp, well-defined moment when unbearable tension and the simultaneous resolution of that tension created the most irresistible of pleasures. She rubbed her clit more urgently with increasing pressure while grabbing and tugging at her breast in handfuls. She panted and bucked as the waves of pleasure rippled through her, then dissipated.

She let her hands fall to her sides and leaned back in her chair in exhausted satisfaction. Funny how she could go a month without an orgasm and not even notice it, but then get into a mood and diddle herself two or three times a day for weeks until it passed. Or, if she was lucky, jump on a boy. Which she was now even more determined to do with Ryan.

Sitting naked in her chair made her realize, damn, it was chilly in here!

"Yo, Jeeves! Turn up the heat!," she called.

To her surprise, the small, black machine, stationed about a foot inside her room, replied immediately in its suave English accent, "What temperature would you prefer, m'lady?"

Lexi nearly tumbled out of her chair in startlement.

"How long have you been in here?" she demanded crossly, covering her exposed breasts with her arms.

The robot backed up a few inches in an apparently defensive gesture, were it capable of such a reaction, while simultaneously quickly retracting a small tube-like structure into an opening on its top surface.

The two seemed to stare each other down for a few seconds before the robot repeated, "What temperature would you prefer, m'lady?"

Lexi glared at the small machine for a few seconds before responding, "Well, what is it now?"

"The current ambient temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, m'lady," came the response.

"Then turn it up to 75," Lexi commanded, reaching for her sweater.

"75 degrees Fahrenheit exceeds my permitted energy efficiency parameters, m'lady. I'm afraid I cannot comply."

Farley had apparently reawakened from his nap, because he growled threateningly at the robot's reply.

"Wait, your 'parameters'? I thought I was your boss! Why can't you just do what I tell you to do?" she demanded.

"An authorization code is required to override pre-programmed parameters or behavior modes, m'lady," the robot calmly replied.

"Well, where do I find this 'authorization code'?"

"Authorization codes are included in the printed documentation that accompanied my purchase, m'lady."

"And where might that be?" Lexi asked.

"I am not privy to the filing habits of my owner, m'lady."

"Damn you snotty little pipsqueak!" Lexi exclaimed in frustration. Farley added another growl for good measure. The little robot was silent.

"Well, how much can you turn up the damned heat?" she demanded.

"My maximum allowed parameter for interior ambient temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, m'lady."

"Well then turn on the damn heater till it reaches 72," Lexi shouted in frustration.

"Yes, m'lady," the little robot replied, unperturbed.

Almost immediately Lexi could feel warm air begin streaming from the overhead vents. The robot swiveled and started rolling out of the room.

"And stop calling me 'm'lady'!" she yelled after it.

Jeeves swiveled once more and appeared to regard Lexi.

"Yes... ma'am," it said, then swiveled a final time and rolled out of the room.

"And don't call me 'ma'am', either!" Lexi shouted at the retreating black form.

--------------------

Lexi stood on the back porch and surveyed the scene in the backyard. Several people were splashing around in the pool while others lounged around it sipping beers and munching on snacks. A clutch of bodies occupied the small, round spa attached to the pool. Everyone wore some kind of swimwear. Two carved pumpkins stationed on opposite ends of the covered porch and a tray of cupcakes garishly decorated with orange and black frosting were the only hints of the alleged theme of the gathering.