Elvis and Olivia Newton-John were in the middle of singing “You’re the One That I Want.” They sounded wonderful and their dance moves were in perfect sync. The entire audience was enthralled. Wes was also captivated but not by the amazing performance on stage. He was too busy staring at his date. Jenny was beautiful. She wore a tight red dress that perfectly complemented her shoulder-length, ebony hair. Wes couldn’t help but smile as he watched her tap her feet to the music. He started to reach for her hand but stopped. He didn’t want to ruin the magic of the moment. He wished he was confident enough to tell her how he felt. Maybe someday he would.

 

After the play, Wes escorted Jenny to his car, a cherry-red Mustang. “I hope you enjoyed the play,” he said as he opened the door for her.

 

“I loved it,” replied Jenny while she climbed in. “I’ve loved everything about tonight.”

 

Wes started the car. After a long pause, he replied, “Yes, the play was enjoyable, as is the company.”

 

Jenny nodded. “Those CGI holograms are incredible. I could have sworn that Elvis was right there on stage.”

 

“In a way, he was,” explained Wes. “They can take recordings of interviews or written journals and use that information to give the hologram an AI personality that matches that of the celebrity.” He marveled at how relaxed he was with Jenny. He usually had a difficult time carrying on a conversation but with her it was easy.

He turned on the car’s auto-drive and leaned back. The car pulled out of the parking lot and began racing down the street, revving its engine.

“Do you know, of all the actors in tonight’s play, only twelve of them were living? The rest were holograms. A lot of live actors are upset about all the holograms being used.” Wes stared into Jenny’s deep brown eyes as he spoke.

 

Their eyes met. For a moment, they just gazed at each other. Finally, Jenny chuckled lightly and looked down. “Well, I like the CGI actors. It’s so cool that we can see a young Elvis or Jimmy Stewart perform on stage. What they can do with holograms is amazing.”

 

“That’s for sure.”

 

They continued talking for the rest of the ride. For the most part, the conversation continued to hover around the evening’s performance. There were a few moments when Wes considered taking the conversation to a deeper level. He almost found the strength to tell Jenny about his hopes, his dreams, or even his fears.

 

Eventually, the car pulled to a stop in front of a large building. Wes jumped out of the car, ran to the opposite side, and opened the door for Jenny.

 

“Is it okay if I walk you to your door?” he asked.

 

“Of course,” she answered with a smile.

 

They walked, side by side until they reached a large iron door.

 

“Well, this is it,” said Jenny.

 

“Can we do something tomorrow night?” asked Wes. “Sammy Davis Jr. is starring in Hamilton at the CGI Playhouse.”

 

“Sure, I’d love that.”

 

Wes took a deep breath. “I really want to kiss you.”

 

Jenny matched his sigh. “I’d like that too but we both know that can’t happen.”

 

“There’s got to be some way . . .” Wes was interrupted by a buzzing in his pocket. He pulled out the portable projector just as Jenny flickered and disappeared. Without a word, he walked over to the deposit box and placed the hologram projector inside.

 

A few meters away was an input terminal. Wes put his credit card in the slot and entered all the information needed to rent a projector for the next evening. He’d be back here at Holo-Companion Inc. around five o’clock tomorrow to pick up Jenny.

 

Back at his car, Wes pushed a button on his key fob. Instantly, his cherry-colored Mustang transformed into a nondescript, gray electric car. There was no need to maintain that façade any longer.

 

He sniffled and wiped the uninvited tear from his cheek. If only Jenny was real.