SAD ROBOT: an autobiography of my unfortunate existence

82. DINNER INTERRUPTION

82. DINNER INTERRUPTION 

Natalie looks at me and then over to Ava, seemingly surprised to notice that the two of us seem to have been having just the most delightful of conversations before she'd come barging in.

Ava sets her wine glass down, waiting on some kind of clarification as to why a woman had just come calling my name.

"I'm so sorry for interrupting like that," Natalie says, clearly embarrassed. She bashfully glances around her to notice a few staring faces and becomes suddenly painfully aware of her attracting of unwanted attention. She bends down to one knee so as to be no longer the only person in the dining area standing save for the roving servers.

"I'm sorry for not responding to your text, Natalie. I felt it might be rude dinner table etiquette. I'd hoped you'd think my lack of response to be a good sign."

Ava smiles at that; my guess as towards the reference for my concern for proper manners. Hopefully she thinks my worry is at least endearing. I would never hope to appear rude and inconsiderate.

Natalie, on one knee and squeezing next to me to not block the path between tables, tells me to relax, that it's okay.

"Well, to be fair," she says, "it did cross my mind that maybe someone mistook you for a rebellious bot who'd come to commit violence in a rage against wealthy, upper-class humans and had gotten yourself incapacitated before getting to explain yourself. Or something like that. You know?"

"I understand your cause for concern," I pat her on the head and she rolls her eyes.

"You see what I have to deal with?" she says to Ava, sitting on the other side of the table watching our odd interaction.

"I'm sorry," Natalie stands up again and reaches out a hand to Ava. "I should've introduced myself first. I'm Natalie."

"Hi, Natalie; I'm Ava. Pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!"

"You're one of Hiram's friends?"

"Yes, he's staying with me and my friend Beth -"

"Beth is my former owner's sister."

"Thanks for the clarification, bud. And yeah, he's staying with us. For the time being."

She looks down at me. "At least until I kick him out for not responding to texts and staying out past his curfew."

Ava blinks and I do not make a gesture of emotion which perhaps at least an attempt at laughter would've been appropriate right then but instead our non-reactions make it awkward.

"I'm joking."

Ava catches the cue to laugh and I follow right behind.

"Natalie has a good sense of humor. I think the two of you would get along great," I point out.

"Anyway," she sighs and, self-consciously again, kneels back down beside me to escape any looks from fellow patrons.

"I'm glad the two of you have been having fun getting to know one another." She looks to Ava. "He ain't that bad once you get to know 'im. He's really just like a very smart yet adorably innocent child."

"Child?" I tilt my head.

"Reason I came in here so fast, Hiram, is 'cause Beth had just gave me a call."

"What did Beth call about? Did you tell her where I am? Is she mad?"

"No no no, I didn't even tell her where we are. She's not mad, don't worry. You can tell her everything yourself if you like. But she called to tell me something. She had just gotten a call from her sister at the hospital."

"Bridget? Why would Bridget be in the hospital? What happened?"

"No, Bridget is at the hospital, not in it, like a patient or anything. It's Milo. Milo is the one in the hospital."

"Like a patient."

"Yeah."