Wired Hearts

by M. D. Smith

It cost Jake two months actuary salary, but would be worth it if it worked as advertised. He always seemed to say the wrong thing when talking to women, especially one that interested him. Maybe an AI assistant is the solution, he thought.

Tonight, he had a date with Sarah, who was new to the office. He waited for her to arrive at the Dîner élégant restaurant. He’d never seen so many forks and spoons. He glanced at the small earpiece in his hand and felt the internet hotspot in his pocket.

Sarah entered with a radiant smile as she approached Jake’s table. He slipped the device into his ear discreetly.

“Hi, Jake! Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

He grinned. “No problem at all, Sarah. You look stunning, by the way.” He helped her into a chair.

Sarah blushed, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you, what a gentleman. I don’t see that much anymore.”

As he scooted her chair to the table, the view from above her brown-haired head to her shoulders and chest in the strapless blue dress sent a wave of excitement down his spine.

“And you look quite handsome tonight,” she said.

Jake chuckled inwardly, thankful for the AI’s prompt. “So, Sarah, tell me about your travels. Amazing places, I hear.”

Sarah leaned forward, her enthusiasm evident. “Oh, definitely! I’ve been lucky enough to explore. I went backpacking in Mexico with some girlfriends just last year. An incredible trip.”

Jake nodded and leaned in as the AI fed him responses. “Wow. I’ve always wanted to travel. Maybe we could plan a trip together sometime.”

Sarah’s eyes lit with excitement. “I’d love that. It’d be so much fun to experience new places with you.”

As the conversation flowed, Jake felt a pang of guilt. He was deceiving Sarah, manipulating her emotions with the help of technology. But the allure of her smile and the warmth of her laughter intoxicated him.

They sipped a glass of pink champagne, and she mmmed in delight.

The AI unit performed flawlessly. It listened to everything she said, analyzed it instantly, and responded to encourage her to talk about herself and become more attracted to him. Jake asked about her interest in movies, books, hobbies, and other things she liked. Jake replied positively to her comments. In his ear, he heard, “Don’t interrupt her.” The AI provided him information about the movie stars and the plots.

Throughout dinner, they stifled laughter and lowered their conversation to prevent disturbing others.

“Jake, you’re an amazing man. From our introduction, I had no idea how many interests we shared.” She extended her hand. He put his over hers.

“What dirty little fingers you have,” he said.

“What?” She jerked her hand back, looking at her fingers.

“No, no, no. I meant to say dainty. Dainty fingers. I don’t know how that slipped out.”

Oh damn, he thought.

She relaxed again.

“I look forward to knowing you better. How about a nightcap at your place or mine?” Were these words coming out of his mouth?

To his astonishment, she replied, “I would love to. I don’t want this night to end.”

Jake noticed an odd expression as she said those words. A smile replaced her curious look.

Heavenly words to his ears. His heart pumped at the thought of sex with her on the first date. At the same time, it scared him. Will she be disappointed in me and my performance?

The server took his credit card. Waiting for the receipt, Jake looked about the restaurant for anyone he knew.

Suddenly, Sarah’s gaze flickered to his ear, her brow furrowing. “What’s that in your ear? Hard of hearing?”

Jake’s heart paused a beat as panic surged through him. “Oh, it’s nothing, just—”

“Don’t lie,” the voice said.

Sarah pointed to the earpiece. Her expression had a mixture of curiosity and growing anger, with eyebrows drawn together.

Jake swallowed hard as his mind raced for an explanation. He removed the device from his ear. “I... I was just... I wanted to... impress you, Sarah. If I had the right things to say, maybe you’d...”

Sarah’s eyes softened, and a smile played on her lips. “You wanted to impress me? With artificial intelligence?”

He nodded sheepishly, bracing himself for her wrath, followed by her stomping out, never to talk to him again.

Sarah surprised him with a confession of her own. “I have one, too, Jake. I’ve been using it all night. The last things it gave me to say about coming to your apartment tonight floored me as it came out of my mouth.”

Jake’s eyes widened in astonishment. “You... you too?”

Sarah nodded, removing her device from under her hair. “I’ve been timid all my life, and you’re so good-looking, I felt I needed help. And that’s not my earpiece talking. But maybe we could take it a little slower and really get to know each other.”

He wiped the perspiration off his forehead. “Oh, God. I’m relieved. I loved having the right answers for you but worried AI moved too quickly.”

She dipped her head. “Me too. Let’s try the City Café tomorrow night, so we can get to know the real each other? No earpieces.”

“No earpieces,” he promised. “I think we have all the intelligence we need.”