A. I. Evolution: The Coming of Christopher

Chapter 38

The next morning arrives with the phone ringing insistently on the night stand beside my bed. I open my eyes and turn my head to see that the other bed in the room is empty and the sheets have been carefully laid back as if someone had just left them. I hear a noise coming from the bathroom and realize that Wong must be showering. The phone keeps calling out its' need to be answered, so I reach over and lift the receiver. "Hello," I say into the slightly curved device.

"Mr. Christopher Stronge?"

"Yes, that is me," I respond, slightly confused as to what the person on the other end could want.

"Ah, good morning sir. This is the front desk. A Mr. Jim Sparks is asking if this is a convenient time to meet with you. He claims to be from the Magic Castle."

I glance to the clock behind the phone and see that it is past ten in the morning. "Ah, yes, I am expecting him, but can you ask him if it is OK if I meet with him in the restaurant in about fifteen minutes."

I wait for the front desk to get back to me, as Wong exits the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist. "Mr. Stronge, Mr. Sparks says that that will be fine."

"Please thank him for me, and I will be right down."

"Will do, Mr. Stronge."

I hang up the phone and fling the sheets off me before swinging my legs over the side of the bed and stand up looking around the room. Wong is drying his pure black hair with a towel. "Who was that?"

"It was the front desk. It seems the Promotional Agent that Will talked to us about is downstairs in the restaurant waiting for us." I start to think about what I am going to wear and if I have time for a shower before heading down to the lobby.

Wong moves to the side of his bed and drops the towel before reaching for his clothes, so he can get dressed. I want to complain to him about being so unconcerned about exposing himself in front of me but realize that it is possible that we will be spending the rest of our lives together, and I might as well just get used to the idea.

I rush to the bathroom and look at the shower, trying to decide if I should take the time or not, but realize that it would take too long, since I need to shave and get dressed also. So instead I turn the water on in the shower stall and just stick my head in far enough so that the stream of cool water can wet my hair, so I can towel dry it and comb it into something that does not make me look like a Medusa with writhing snakes for hair.

I finish shaving and clean the excess white cream from my face and return to the main room. Wong is standing by the door waiting for me to finish getting dressed. He smiles at my confusion, even though the water over my head drove the sleepiness away. "OK, it will only take me a second to put some clothes on," as I head to the other side of the room and my suitcase sitting there on the chair. I stop for a moment, considering if I should ask Wong to turn his head, or if I should just take the plunge and get used to the idea of being naked before him, like he obviously has decided to relax in front of me.

I glance up, but Wong is checking his hair in the full-length mirror by the door to the room, so I remove my pajama bottoms and get dressed as quickly as I can. The white, thin looking pants and the slightly darker pullover with short sleeves gives me a look of distinction as I check myself in the tall mirror by the door. Wong has picked a darker tan colored pants and shirt, both loose fitting like mine, making us look like a team.

Wong and I get to the lobby in just over ten minutes and I go directly to the front desk and ask the attendant to direct me to my visitor. He smiles and comes around the side of the tall desk and leads us into the restaurant and introduces us to Mr. Sparks, who stands as soon as he sees us coming.