After they got back to the kitchen, Sarah collected plates and set them down on the table. She tried not to stare at Jay’s crumpled metal body bent over sideways in the barstool chair. “Let’s eat!” Bent said. He dropped into the seat across Sarah’s seat and opened all three boxes. As she took her place she saw that two of the extra-large pizzas had everything on them, and one pizza was only cheese. “Figured you liked plain, right?” he asked. He slid two slices onto her plate. Sarah nodded. “Yeah, usually. Definitely not every single topping like um, what you have.” She looked around. “Where are your dogs?” He rubbed his head. “They’re here. Wanted to keep them out of the kitchen since they’d attack you if they saw you,” he said, chuckling. He must have been starving. It didn’t take him long to polish off an entire box of pizza while Sarah was still only on her first slice. “So, why did you give Erna and Jay their names?” Sarah asked. She figured now was a good opportunity to get some answers out of him. Bent shrugged. “They’re my parents’ names.” He took another bite of his pizza.That wasn’t the answer she expected. It was kind of sweet. But she recalled Erna mentioning that the androids were named after his family members. Still, she hadn’t expected him to name them after his parents.”Why don’t you live with your parents?” she asked. She was a bit worried that would be a touchy subject, but Bent didn’t seem to mind. “I’m independent. I can fly out and see them whenever I want anyway,” he said.”Yeah, but your parents are still back in South Fortland, right?” she asked. Erna had told her that. Bent put down his slice of pizza, studying her. “Yes they are. Why so curious?” he teased. He rubbed his nose, which she noticed had stopped bleeding. Though it looked slightly bruised. Sarah wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Just am.” She was glad she wasn’t as nervous as she’d felt earlier. But she figured it had something to do with how nice he’d been to that delivery boy. “Any siblings?” His eyes seemed to brighten. “Hoping I have an even sexier older brother, huh?”Sarah smiled. “When do I get to poke you with questions I have?”She decided to change the subject. “What’s Krav Maga?”Bent’s eyes flashed. He’d known she’d overheard him in his sports car. “Martial Arts,” he said, biting into another slice of pizza. “It trains fighters for real world scenarios. You wouldn’t kick a dude in the groin for sport unless you were being threatened. Same idea. It’s all the illegal stuff.” “Oh,” she said. She remembered hearing who she guessed was his trainer, Akio, mentioning that. “Is there a reason you’d need those moves?” she asked. Bent sighed. He pushed his curls away from his face again. “Everyone has enemies, Sarah. Even you. It’s best to always be prepared.” He shot out his hand to swat her in the face. She instinctively shielded herself with her arm, blocking him. “Excellent!” Bent said, biting into another slice. “Like I told you, protect your face first, always.” Sarah sipped her water. She glanced at Jay in the chair. “Why can’t you tell anyone about your androids?” He didn’t look like he wanted to answer that question. “It’s just better that way,” he said mysteriously. Sarah pushed her plate away. “Why do I get to see them then?” she asked. She held her breath. Maybe that question was going too far? Bent crumpled up his napkin. “I trust you. And it’s rare that I trust anyone.” Sarah felt her soft places grow warmer at those words. “I’m glad you do,” she said. His super sophisticated watch glowed brightly on his wrist. Various colors started to shoot out of it. Sarah tried to squint at it without being too obvious, but he pulled his arm under the table. She figured he’d dodge that question for sure. Lightning again lit up the sky. The thunder that came after it was nearly deafening. She could only imagine how LOUD the thunder would have been had they been outside. “So,” Sarah said, trying not to stare as Bent tore through her practically untouched box of pizza. It was his third box! “Do you ever cook?” Her question caught him by surprise. He gave her a very cheesy grin, his eyes sparkling. “Aside from pancakes, I don’t really need to.””Why’s that?” Sarah asked, crossing her arms. Bent fidgeted his hand on the table. He seemed to be trying to make up his mind about something. “Uh, okay. But I’m warning you right now. Do not move. You tend to go crazy around my…uh…mechanical friends.” Sarah made a face. “Oh, please. Just because your sports car can’t handle me? And how was I supposed to know Jay would react that way after I innocently hugged him?” Bent leaned over and put his fingers over her lips. She stilled. “Just…watch,” he said, his eyes burning. He cleared his throat. “Hello, Cooking Robot,” he said. It dawned on Sarah that his words were actually a code. She heard a scraping noise. Her eyes darted over towards the kitchen island. The marble counter slowly shifted sideways and revealed a dark opening. “Good evening, Mr. Prince,” a robotic voice called.