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“Is something wrong, Milo?” Troy asked. There wasn’t much left of the work day, and Milo was once again hooked up to Ray on the opposing table in Troy’s lab.

“I continue to be vexed by the progress of my relationship with Rowan,” Milo admitted. He had admitted many things to Troy during their week together.

“Oh? I thought things were going smoothly,” Troy said, while taking notes on today’s findings to send to Andrew.

Those messages were secured with extra encryption, since Andrew was the CEO, so Milo couldn’t easily access them or see how Andrew responded, but Troy’s eyes were honest, so when he told Milo that Andrew was pleased with their progress, Milo believed him.

“You split the household chores now, right? You’re both supportive of each other’s work here between these tests and Rowan perfecting his surge protector, and you’re still alsotesting filling and crust options for the best apple pie tailored tohistastes.” Troy snorted and added in a low murmur, “I should be so lucky.”

“True…” After testing crust options on Monday, Milo had tested the filling again the next day, but he hadn’t gotten either quite perfect yet. They couldn’t test every day because even a baked goods aficionado like Rowan could overdo it on sweets and lose his taste for them. “I guess I am anxious becauseRowanstill seems anxious at times. I am anxious about him, about us, about… other things.” Milo glanced at Ray, who was awake, as he usually was during these tests, but he continued to stare blankly forward, waiting for his next command.

Milo might be more than a sentient toaster, but Ray wasn’t yet.

Their week had culminated in them being at the stage where they thought they had all the data they should need and conditions seemed optimal, but they were testing first with smaller bursts of energy to see what happened—which so far had not been much. Small bursts weren’t the same as a lightning strike, and all Ray had reported was that a surge occurred. Nothing more.

It was the smart approach, Milo knew, to record each fluctuation and response, or risk Ray’s, well,health. Milo didn’t want to hurt Ray, even if he wasn’t alive just yet. That he could be alive someday made him so real to Milo already, the potential for someone to be a true peer. He couldn’t help feeling impatient to get to that point, to at least know for certain if it was possible.

“We’ll get there, Milo,” Troy comforted. He was a very calming presence the more Milo got to know him, which made these long days easier. “Despite being happy with our progress, Andrew is anxious and impatient for the next stage too.” He looked up from his tablet with a sudden start. “Don’t tell him I call him that when he’s not here.”

“You do not think Andrew would approve of you calling him by his given name? He lets me.”

“You’re different. He wants you to like him. I’m his employee.”

“Bosses do not want their employees to like them?”

“Most usually don’t care. Some do, I guess.” Troy didn’t sound convinced of that, or at least like he hadn’t experienced it firsthand.

“Well, I do not like Andrew very much,” Milo said plainly, “so I will not tell him you use his given name in private if you do not tell him his efforts for me to like him have failed.”

Troy laughed. “Deal. Anyway, he wants this done, like, yesterday, but it’s not only about preserving a bot with the potential to be alive like you. It would also be poor science. If we rush ahead and fry Ray beyond repair, we’d have to start over from scratch. At least Andrew is logical enough to understand that. We’re going to take our time, and you’ll have your first real friend before you know it.”

Milo titled his head at Troy. “I already do. Don’t I?”

When Troy caught Milo’s gaze, both of them smiled. “Yeah, Milo. You do.” He set his tablet aside and moved back behind the nearby workstation. With Troy’s notes recorded, it was time to power Ray down and slowly disconnect them in a sequence that ensured no data between them would be corrupted.

Milo’s research determined that the closest human experience he could relate this to was that it tickled.

“You have not mentioned Raina lately,” Milo said.

Troy somehow tripped while standing stationary.

“ItisFriday night,” Milo continued, making his tone light but also suggestive. “Date night, as they call it, yes?”

“Y-yeah…” Troy returned to the disconnection sequence without looking at Milo.

“I thought your drinks with her on Monday went well.”

“They… did.” Troy sighed heavily and finally paused in his work to peer around the console at Milo. “I was still pretty awkward. She is so incredible, I kept tripping over my words. The alcohol helped, but we left things too open for me to know how to ask her out again. Does she want me to? Am I supposed to wait forherto ask this time? Is she waiting on me? Do I have to have a more elaborate plan this time for what we do? For example, would dinner be the right next step or stick to drinks again? It’s… um… well…”

“Maddening?” Milo suggested one of the M words he had come to relate to most.

“Exactly!” Now that Troy had divulged the truth, he seemed to have an easier time multitasking and returned again to the disconnection sequence. “Dating is always difficult—at least it has been for me—but in my thirties now? It feels impossible. I don’t think Raina dislikes me. I thought we had a good time. But attraction is one thing; moving past the early stages of a courtship is where things fall apart. Of course, psyching myself out of even attempting a second date isn’t getting me anywhere either.”

Moving past the early stages of a courtship was where things fell apart? Milo hadn’t considered things between him and Rowanfalling apart.

But then, statistically, most relationships did. And most didn’t have his and Rowan’s pitfalls.

They had been having semi-regular sex, at various stages and positions for helping each other “relax,” but Milo could tell that part of Rowan still felt guilty, like he was taking advantage somehow, when Milo didn’t feel that way at all.