Chapter 104: The Cat Claiming the Passenger Seat
"Alright, send the bike to this location."
"Yeah, we all moved to Watson. With your network, you should already know that, right?"
"Cool. Thanks, Captain."
Rhys was driving carefully back onto the main road in Arroyo.
He was on the phone with Captain Muamar, arranging the delivery of Sasha's motorcycle.
Rhys had been so excited about his new car that he'd completely forgotten about the bike he rode in on. Luckily, it had Sasha's custom tracking software and an auto-return feature.
It wasn't foolproof, but retrieving it wouldn't be hard. Usually, Sasha was the one stealing things, not getting her stuff stolen.
Hanging up, Rhys drove like a grandma, terrified of scratching his new "baby."
It was the first time in years he'd driven a car. The feeling of freedom... yeah, men really did love their toys.
His cautious driving was causing a bit of a traffic jam. Doing under 40 mph on a main artery meant a chorus of honking horns behind him.
But Rhys didn't care.
Fuck off. Is driving slow illegal? No? Then go around.
Ignoring the rage behind him, Rhys headed towards Heywood, planning to take the highway back to Watson. The direct route from Santo Domingo to City Center was gridlocked, and Rhys didn't trust his skills in heavy traffic yet.
But soon, he realized he was worrying for nothing.
Maybe it was his high Technical Ability stat, but his clumsiness vanished quickly. His enhanced reflexes and coordination let him master the vehicle's handling almost instantly.
If he jacked in and drove via neural link... with his stats, he might just become the next drift king of Night City.
Nah. Too much effort.
Reaching the edge of Heywood, he realized going back to the highway would be a huge detour. He had a better idea.
Might as well stop by and see what Lucy's up to.
Heywood. Megabuilding.
In a dimly lit apartment, the walls marked where posters had been ripped down, boxes of various sizes were stacked neatly in the corner.
Lucy, barefoot, stood on a crate, checking the contents of a top box.
Three days until she moved to Watson.
She'd packed early. Not because she cared about the rent, but because she had a lot of stuff.
Little trinkets and souvenirs she'd collected from cities all over the world. None of them were valuable, but they held memories of her journey.
Thinking about it, a dreamy look crossed her beautiful face.
She never thought someone like her would end up living with people she called "friends" or "family."
It felt surreal.
Lonely people aren't lonely because they hate company. They're lonely because that's all they know. They learn to enjoy the solitude, to build walls against the chaos of the world.
Kindness from others feels like a threat, an invasion of the sanctuary they've built.
Lucy had those walls. But someone had smashed right through them.
Actually... all it took was one step. Take one step out, and you realize you were the one making it complicated.
Lucy picked up a braindance shard from the box.
"I'll keep this one on me," she murmured, slipping the shard into her pocket. She stepped down and walked towards the bed.
Her agent rang.
Seeing the caller ID, she answered immediately, her voice cool. "Hello?"
"I'm heading to your place now," Rhys said. "Get the stuff you want to move ready. I can take a load over. You have a lot, right?"
"You got the car?" Lucy asked.
Everyone knew Rhys was picking up his ride today. He'd been talking about it for two days straight.
Sometimes Rhys seemed mature, older than his years. But when it came to cars... yeah, he was definitely a kid who'd just become an adult.
Wait. He was just barely an adult, wasn't he?
Thinking about that made Lucy grind her teeth.
A fresh, organic apple, just ripe for picking... and that cat Sasha snatched him up first!
And she wanted him all to herself?
Like hell.
"How long?" Lucy asked.
"Ten, fifteen minutes. I'm getting off the highway now."
"Okay. I'll wait."
She hung up and started changing. She shed her fuzzy, somewhat dorky pajamas and slipped into her preferred gear: a black tank top, black hot pants, and a white translucent jacket.
It was her signature look. She hated skirts; they restricted movement.
Checking herself in the mirror, she nodded.
Her makeup was permanent tech-tattoos, so no smudging, but her eyeshadow needed a touch-up.
Ready, she leaned against the wall by the door, smoking a cigarette, waiting for Rhys's message.
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. She checked the peephole and opened the door.
"What needs to go?" Rhys asked with a grin, standing in the hallway.
Lucy stepped aside. "Come in."
Inside, she pointed out several boxes.
Rhys lifted them easily, stacking two large ones and balancing them effortlessly.
"Let's take these for now. Jackie can come by with his truck later for the rest."
"You can't make another trip?" Lucy asked.
Rhys paused. "I could, but... my car is kinda small. It's a coupe."
Downstairs, Lucy saw the car parked on the curb outside the megabuilding.
"Sixteen K from the Captain. Nice, right? For that price and those specs, it's a steal!"
Lucy didn't say anything. She just opened the passenger door and got in.
The car had back seats, but they were cramped, barely enough for two people.
Settling into the passenger seat, Lucy looked around the empty space. She pursed her lips, eyes darting around.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the braindance shard, placing it conspicuously on the dashboard. Then she opened the glove compartment and stashed some personal items—including her eyeliner kit.
Rhys watched, bemused, but didn't stop her. Seeing the shard, he asked, "Isn't that the moon BD you bought? Haven't you watched it yet?"
"Some things... you can watch a thousand times and never get bored," Lucy said softly.
Looking at the passenger seat she had just "decorated" and claimed, Lucy leaned back, satisfied.
Under her white bangs, her eyes held a look of feline arrogance. Like a cat patrolling its territory.
Wait...
Since when did my passenger seat become her territory?
Rhys finally realized what was happening.