There was a short silence, broken suddenly by Tommy's confused, "What?"
"Oh. I know what you're talking about," Daniella jumped in. "Those places where men are paired with women, but the men don't get paid, and they bring the women to orgasm with their fingers. They call it a type of guided meditation."
"Yes." I was sitting on the edge of my seat, excited that I might have won her over. "It's called OM."
"Is this real?" Tommy asked, his tone incredulous. "Are you making this up?"
"No. I'm not. This is real. And it's legal. Because neither party is getting paid. It's instructional, where both the men and women pay the instructor in order to learn how to do it."
"Holy crap," he exclaimed, then with an introspective mutter added, "How did I not know about this?"
"What's that place called, the meditation salon, the one that does the instruction?" The sound of Daniella typing on her keyboard was just audible.
"Single Sense is the name of the company. I've been researching them all morning." I doodled a series of nervous and excited triangles on the notepad in front of me.
"Yes. Here's their site." Daniella cleared her throat. "It reads, 'Orgasm Meditation is a 15-minute, partnered consciousness practice where a stroker strokes the clitoris of a strokee with no goal other than to feel sensation. The practice combines the power and attention of meditation with the deeply human, deeply felt, and connected experience of orgasm.'"
"So you propose fulfilling the single person's desire to orgasm with orgasm meditation?" Tommy asked.
"Yes. Exactly. But this would be at least a two-part series. As I said, one part of the series would focus on replacing a single person's need for a romantic relationship with paid services instead-cuddlers, life coaches, other positive-focused services, etc. as we've just discussed. The other part would focus on replacing romantic relationships with robots, and that's where we tie in the technology angle."
"Oh no, this isn't going to be about those sex dolls, is it? Those things creep me out. With their cold, dead, lifeless eyes." I could almost hear Tommy shivering in disgust on the other side of the line.
"No. Not at all. Actually, I have a lead on an AI scientist working with the University of Chicago, and his entire research platform is geared toward solving this problem. Meaning, he is hoping to create companion robots-artificial intelligence-that can address all the same items and issues I've just mentioned: touch, affirmation, physical activity, and so forth."
"So, a sex robot?" Daniella asked.
"No. Not a sex robot. Although I imagine it would be capable of that activity. Just like two people in a romantic relationship can't be boiled down to 'sex partners,' these robots couldn't and shouldn't be called 'sex robots.'" I was vaguely surprised by using Matt's words from Friday, but they were apt. "They provide companionship first and foremost, tailored to each individual person's-" or type of person, I thought bitterly, "-preferences and needs."
"And he's legit? He's not some quack?" Was that reluctant excitement I heard in Daniella's voice? I knew she trusted my judgment, but hearing her almost approval had my heart beating faster.
"Oh, he's very legit. He has a grant from the federal government for his research. His companion robots-which he calls Compassion AI-could potentially serve multiple purposes, not just romantic. They could ultimately become childcare workers, foster parents, elderly companions, and so forth. This guy is a scientist first and foremost, but he seems to want to solve the problem of loneliness in our world. I believe his aims are altruistic."
"He wants to solve loneliness . . ." she repeated thoughtfully. "Solving Loneliness. That's the name of this series. That's how we'll spin it."
YES!
I grinned, throwing my hands in the air and doing a little dance at my desk. Albeit, a quiet dance.
"Yes. Okay. Good. This is very good. I love this." Daniella was typing again, it sounded rushed and excited. "Marie, send me over the concept blurb, with a storyboard of each article. We could stretch this over a few months, starting in November and through the season, when people are suffering from holiday blues."
"Yes. I will. I'll send it over today." I scribbled a few notes on my notepad, briefly distracted by the buzzing of my cell phone. It was my mom, but I would call her back after my work call was finished.
"I'd like both the male and female perspective on this, especially the paid services part. Is cuddling essential for men? Who knew? And orgasm meditation, what does the man get out of it? If anything."