First And Last

Chapter 23

Back to Jessica's POV

Kaycee surprised me last night and she seemed perfectly normal this morning. She even made all of us breakfast, then cleaned up and gave me the sweetest kiss, before going home. I almost wanted to cancel the plans with my other friends, in favour of spending time with her instead. If it weren't for Aime's constant hounding me over the house intercom that I regret installing about when the crew will get here, I probably would have done it.

Stephanie hung around and even helped with a few things, since we split up in two teams to work on separate projects. We worked diligently all day, only stopping to eat or take a small break. The skeleton was done by evening and Kim's dad said the nervous system will be ready in a week, so we should start working on the "brain" part of the robot. At this rate, Aime's body will be ready well before summer.

Kim's dad, Mr. Xiong, approached me on our last break of the day and asked to speak to me privately, so I agreed and sat with him on a bench outside.

Mr. Xiong cleared his throat, then said, "I wanted to thank you for letting me assist on this project. I don't know if my daughter told you, but I've been begging my boss for years to let me show him what I could do and one of those things is exactly what you've allowed me the opportunity to do, by funding my work and welcoming my knowledge. Now, I know that this is your baby and you hold the patent for everything, except for what I've provided, but..would you consider sharing what we're doing here with the world? Imagine how great it would be to have an Aime in every home."

I considered his words, then said, "You're welcome, but I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, Aime and I would be at the mercy of a stranger, that would probably betray our trust, so I really appreciate you using your spare time to make my sassy computers dream come true. As for your question, what exactly do you mean?"

Mr. Xiong fiddled with his fingers and replied, "Kim didn't fully explain your situation to me, but from what I've gathered, you're emancipated and well off, but from what I've seen from personal experience; you're also brilliant and have a better head on your shoulders than most people twice your age. I think what you're doing..well, everything you've already done, could change the world. I would love more than anything to be a part of that, so what I'm proposing.. is a business deal."

I nodded my head, so he knew I was listening and gestured for him to continue.

"I have a little money saved up and I was planning on using it to start up a small company that could provide an alternative for those that need organs and prosthetics. I have already secured a few donors, that have expressed high interest in what I want to do. However, with your financial help and knowledge, I think we could do this and much more on our own and together, we would bring the world into a new era. What do you think?" He asked, nervously.

I scratched my eyebrow, then answered honestly, "Mr. Xiong, you have no idea how much I appreciate your belief in me. I happen to think you're pretty brilliant yourself and getting validation from someone of your stature really boosts my ego. However, there's a couple of things I should probably tell you. I'm sure you're aware, but I recently turned 17 and haven't even graduated highschool yet, so, I don't exactly have the same level of confidence as you to start up a new company. Also, I had my future all planned out, right down to the year I would start the security company of my dreams, but I failed to factor in the possibility of falling in love, so those plans have changed. I am no longer a single entity, so every decision I make concerning my future, will not only affect me, but also my partner. I will need to speak to her first, if that's ok, then I will get back to you."

"Please call me Peter, and take all the time you want. I don't expect an answer right away and I apologize for throwing all of this on you so suddenly. I think it's commendable that you don't make hasty decisions and respect your partner enough to include her first. Thank you for considering my proposal and I look forward to giving your Aime her dream." He said with a bright smile.