“So is everyone nude all the time here?” Paul asked.

“Huh, some places yeah, oh,” she giggled. “There are clothes in the dresser overthere.”

Paul found jeans and a polo in the dresser and a pair of shoes in the closet. Meg slipped on shorts, sandals and a halter.

“Do I need to check out?” he asked her.

“Tell Alexander you’re checking out.”

“Alexander, I’d like to check out,” Paul said.

“Of course, Paul. Please allow me to welcome you to Afterlife. I look forward to getting to know you. Would you like me to apply the balance to your account or to your debt?”

“Tell him 75/25 debt and account. That’ll leave enough for you to have some spending cash, you may need it.”

“Alexander, please apply it as Meg just indicated.”

“Certainly, Paul” the well modulated voice replied. “75% applied to outstanding debt, 25% to your account.”

“Thank you, Alexander,” Paul said.

“It was my pleasure, Paul,” the AI replied.

“I’m glad you did that,” Meg squeezed his hand.

“What, allocate my funds? You’re the guide here, I’d be an idiot not to listen to you.”

“No, thank the AI,” she said. “I’ve seen way too many people treat the AI like shit. I think that just leads to, I don’t know, bad behavior overall.”

Paul shrugged and nodded.

“Alexander, please bring my car around out front,” Meg asked.

“Certainly, Meg.”

“C’mon, let’s go home,” she said, taking his hand.

Stepping outside the door, Paul found they were on the upper floor of a Mediterranean style building, with an external hallway and a few units. Meg led him to a set of stairs and then down to street level. A metallic blue McLaren was parked out front with the engine running.

“That’s your car?” Paul asked.

“Yes, that’s how we drive when we’re ruined,” Meg paraphrased Hardy.

“Sex sells apparently. I always wanted to be a pimp,” Paul laughed.

“You beat me and I’m outta hear,” Meg joked.

“You always liked it when I beat you,” he replied.

“That’s different, those kinds don’t count.”

She slid into the drivers seat and he climbed down into the passenger seat.

“Niiiice,” Paul purred.

“You like this, just wait,” Meg smirked.

The car was at least as obnoxiously loud as he remembered them being from life. She pulled away at speed. Her driving was at least as bad as he remembered from life but she stayed on the road and he figured he was dead anyway so what was the worst that could happen?

They sped through the streets and he looked around.

“Greece?” he asked her.

“More a mélange of Greece, Amalfi and parts of Turkey, but yeah, more Greek than anything else,” she replied. “There are several different worlds around here. I’ve tried a few, I find this the most relaxing so I live here. We call it The Island. There’s a space station world that you’re going to love. It was a little too confining for me, but I can’t wait to introduce you to zero gee sex,” she grinned at him.

There were a few people out, but not many.

“Not very crowded,” he observed.

“No, nights and weekends are busier, most of the Meats are working and the AIs don’t manifest until they’re needed. There aren’t many of us Echoes and there are a lot of choices where to live. Speaking of, I want to introduce you to a good friend, Tom, who I think can help get you set up with work you’ll actually enjoy.”

“Tom a good friend?” Paul asked, neutrally.

“Do you mean am I fucking him?” she replied directly. “Sometimes, yes. He’s a decent man and it’s been 12 years. Is that going to be a problem?”

“I don’t think so,” Paul replied honestly. “I guess it depends on Tom.”

She nodded, “OK, good then. I will be shocked if you don’t immediately take to him. Seriously.”

Paul nodded, non-committally.

The ocean came into view as they moved through the town.

“I see why you picked The Island,” he grinned.

“I need to be near water,” she grinned back. “And I am.”

They turned a corner onto an access road to the pier. A large yacht was the only vessel there.

“You live on a boat?” he asked.

“Lyle Lovatte,” she replied.

Paul laughed and they both sang, “But Tonto he was smarter, and one day said Kemo Sabe, kiss my ass, I bought a boat, I’m going out to sea!”

She parked next to the gang-plank and got out.

“Wanna come aboard, sailor?”