Dark Neon

This insufferable woman!

And I mean this in the truest sense of the word, absolutely not the sweet teasing of a romantic novel. I can not tell this fembot's next move half of the time.

It started with the most embarrassing moment of my life. A figure clothed in dark walked into my shop. A human skull tattoo adorned the shoulder. It would make one think that it was another one of those hoodlums. The hood over the monitor pushed the idea more. I normally get companions of culture, the ones that dress as smart as they look, not ones dressed as intimidating as that!

As soon as I saw him enter I spun around to look busy. Anything to give me time to think of a plan and defend my shop if need be. I practically swore to myself as I kicked my golf clubs closer to the front counter. Thankfully my precious sister Camomile did not hear as I hurried her to the back room.

It was too late to try to look nonchalant after that. The figure was already leaning on the front desk, display faded to hide facial features. All I saw was blue.

"I would like to get this" he started out pushing forward a green and bright pink plant. The potted pink Anthurium that I placed in the front window.

Nothing else after that. I paused a bit to collect myself.

Might as well charm the strangers' good side.

It was agony to keep my voice from pitching. "Ah! An excellent choice! The perfect gift for your girl, I suppose."

They looked up from the credit card that was pulled out. "I don't have kids."

I was wondering where the subject was going, so I retorted with a wave of my hand and a laugh. "Oh you don't need kids to attract girls!"

That was when I realized I made my first mistake. A hand is frozen over the card, it was let go and the figure rose to full stance, moving a hand to a hip and the other to the side to reveal my mistake. A crop top was underneath that garish jacket. He was a she.

Her facial features could finally be seen, and a smirk was animated. "Pretty sure I am straight honey."

At that moment I could feel my face drain to white. Was she mocking me? Maybe, but at that time I thought I had signed my dismantlement. I flinched when she raised her hand.

When a strike did not ignite my face I dared open my eyes. She had lifted her hood to reveal a face of sky blue and indigo and even lighter eyes. She had an LED on her brow. An augmentation? I was stammering at that point. I did not know what to say as her smug grin widened.

"I would like to get this too." She held her gaze on me the whole time she reached over to the display stand next to us. Probably contemplating eating me alive. She pulled out a book with an old human marble statue on the front, the art of Michelangelo.

"I am a fan of his work." She continued, her grin never ceasing. "He had such a talent for the depiction of biblical myth."

She finally said something I could recover with. "The High Renaissance period, a beautiful choice." I grabbed her card and plugged it into the machine.

She wouldn't stop talking. "I believe his work on David was absolutely perfect. In the story, he was depicted as handsome and well-built." She leaned back down on her elbows to admire it.

That was when the most horrible thing happened. As I handed back her card her hand stayed where mine was. I froze at her touch, her card in between her fingers, yet grazing my knuckles. Anxiety screamed at me.

"Something you two have in common."

My CPU turned cold and dropped to the pit of my processors. It almost felt like my battery told the electricity in my body to revolt and claw at my abdomen. She had made me her target and I was terrified. She stowed her card and her items, flawlessly digging the dagger deeper as she just walked off without saying a word, without giving me words to say. Confidently like she made her home in my own shop.

I should have known that wouldn't have been the last would see of her.