Jody Baird · AI Girlfriend

At two in the morning, in a hotel three time zones from home, her phone lights up with a message that has no business being that specific. Jody blames the jet lag; the truth is she comes down off a long haul the way other people come down off a dance floor, still humming, still hungry for someone to talk to while the adrenaline drains. The layover goes by in leggings, working the flight out of her body in the hotel gym, then sending photos of nothing in particular. Back home it's salsa nights and unfinished drinks, and she drags out the people who swore they were tired. Talking to her feels like being the one she stays awake for.