"James Patrick Kelly - Chemistry" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

years old and still looking for love at the mall.
"We also have fifty-three private encounter rooms," Ju
pointed to the map, "on the sixth floor. We're the
biggest neuromance palace in the city."
Lily watched a little man in a navy blue jacket and gray
slacks approach the other cashier. Her age but not her
type; he looked as if he had just finished eating a memo
salad at the Office Restaurant. "So how do you make
someone fall in love?" she asked.
"Oh, we don't make you fall. We enhance the attraction
response. There's a big difference. See, we trick this
part of your brain called the hypothalamus into ordering
up these special hormones. It's all natural."
"Hormones like LHRH and testosterone?" said Lily.
"Testosterone, right." Ju nodded. "That surprised me
when I first heard it. I mean, you'd think you'd grow a
mustache -- or worse. But it's okay; I've tried it." She
gave them a blissful smile. "Don't know about the one
with letters, they all sound the same. To tell the
truth, they explained this to me once, but it didn't
take. All I know is that whatever we do to you is
approved by the FDA and licensed by the Board of Health.
This card explains ... "
"Give me that." Marja snatched it from Lily. "Believe
me, the procedure is straight out of Wessinger's
neurobiology lab. The less you think about it, the
better you'll feel."
"Whatever." Ju dimpled. "But really, one of the best
parts is that they tickle something called your
vomeronasal organ -- don't ask me how. You'll smell
stuff you've never noticed before. Unbelievable, how
great the food tastes. Try the brownies with brandy
sauce." She kissed her fingers to the air and the man
waiting at the next booth glanced over at them. Lily
thought he might actually be shorter than she was.
"So what if we pay you our forty bucks," she said, "and
go upstairs and find there're no human beings left? I
don't want to fall for an insurance salesman."
"Oh, that's not a problem, believe me. We offer a money
back guarantee, but only a few people ask. See, when
those elevator doors open onto the welcome garden,
you're ... I don't know ... ripe. I can't explain it
exactly, but enhancement makes me realize how cute men
look, how sweet they can be. At least while they're
here. And it's really a grade crowd tonight. Some real
hammers, if you know what I mean. I kind of wish I
wasn't working myself."
An older man who shouldn't have been wearing red
skintights got in line behind them, so they gave Ju
their cash cards. While she debited them, she had them