Free SexedUp by Sally Painter Page A

gnawed on her lower lip,
sucking it in and out of her mouth.
    She heard him moving about in the bedroom.
Trembling, she brushed the tears from her cheeks and lowered her legs, clicking
on the holograph magazine so that when he entered the den, she appeared to be
reading.
    “What’s wrong?” He raked his hand through
his hair, looking down at her through sleepy eyes.
    Her heart throbbed at the way he squinted
against the lamplight, appearing so human. She glanced away, realizing she’d
not programmed him to wear clothes, and made a mental note to add it to the
next download.
    “Are you sick?” he asked with concern
shining in his eyes.
    “Too much sex.” She forced a smile. “Great
sex, but I’m not used to any of this—”
    He planted his hands on his hips. Even his
six-pack was like the pictures in the museum. Well, of course it was, she’d
patterned him after those photos and programmed the nanites, yet she wondered
how much was the result of DNA.
    “What’s worrying you? That I work too well?
Do you still think of me as nothing more than a robot? Is that it?”
    “William…” She reached out and clasped his
hand. “You’re so much more than a sex replacement to me.”
    “Yeah, baby, I am.” He sat down beside her
and she moved to sit on his lap. “Why is that a problem?” He pressed a kiss
onto her forehead and she bowed her head.
    “Even though you’re all those things, you
still aren’t…human,” she murmured.
    “Randi, why do you think I have to be human
to be more than a machine?”
    She shook her head.
    “Maybe I’m more human than you know,” he
whispered in her ear.
    * * * * *
    Randi called in sick that morning. A heavy
weight seemed to churn in the pit of her stomach. She needed more time with
William to sort out her feelings before the demonstration with Ellen. Somehow
she must regain her perspective as a scientist first.
    It was late morning when William knocked on
the office door and entered with a tray of coffee and hot pastries.
    “Break time,” he announced and set the tray
on the desk in front of her. The aroma of freshly ground coffee quickened her
hunger pangs.
    “How thoughtful.”
    “What exactly are you working on?” He
handed her the coffee mug and set the plate in front of her. “Danish with
melted butter, just the way you like.”
    “You’re the perfect companion, William.”
    “And so I should be, my love. We couldn’t
be better matched had you programmed me,” he smiled at his joke, standing in
front of her dressed in lounge pants and no shirt.
    Her pulse quickened. Every cell in her body
seemed to zing alert whenever near him. She started to comment that she had in
fact programmed him to be her perfect match when the house computer interrupted
them.
    “You have a call from Ellen.”
    “I’ll receive it.” She motioned for William
to leave the room. Reluctantly, he turned and closed the door behind him.
    “I’ll take the call in my lab,” she said
and grabbed the lab coat, pulling it over her as she hurried from the room and
down the hall to the lab.
    “Computer, answer the call,” she said,
slamming the heavy door behind her, but it jarred open. The lights flickered on
and she sat down on the stool.
    “Randi?” Ellen’s image flashed in front of
her. Ellen was wearing a blue business tunic.
    Randi clicked the transmit button allowing
Ellen to see her. Her boss’s tense expression relaxed.
    “Hi, Ellen, sorry to worry you. I worked
later last night that I anticipated, so I’m off to a slow start this morning.”
    “As long as you’re okay. I knew the sick
call was for your department’s benefit. Look, the Board has moved up the
meeting. We need to reveal the prototype to them tomorrow night.”
    “Tomorrow? Ellen, that’s too soon,” Randi
said. “I thought you said next week with your private demonstration tomorrow—”
    “Randi?” William’s voice sounded from the
hall and she jerked around. “Where did you put the fresh towels?