JOEL WAS CLUMSY. He felt awkward showing Honey into his room. Like his hands and feet were too big. Her being in a body that was so like Aisha’s didn’t help. Was it Aisha’s?

He ached to know what happened, how she came to actually be here. Into this body. But he still couldn’t bring himself to ask her. More than anything he wanted to know about her. Her own body.

They would have to talk about it. Probably not in the open, though. Not actually face to face. She was keen to get to her nest of weirdos and he figured that would be as safe a place to talk as they were ever going to find.

He closed the door. She stood close and whispered. "Has he told you what he wants you for yet, Joel?"

"No."

"Or dropped any hints?"

"Nothing I can make any sense of, no."

"He has something huge in mind for you, I know that.” Her eyes were the same color as Honey’s. He was annoyed with himself for not knowing or not noticing, but he thought that Aisha’s were brown. And he was irritated with himself getting distracted while Honey was here with him.

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She tugged on his arm. “And I don't mean ‘something huge’ in a good way." Her eyes were full of fear.

He sucked his lips between his teeth. Trying to distract himself from the nearness of her. "How do you know that? You're just guessing."

"No, Joel. Look at the time and the effort that he's put into all of this." She took his hand. He looked into her eye as he stroked her cheek.

“I can feel it when I hold your hand, Joel. When you touch me. It’s intense.”

“I’m sorry.” he let go. “I don’t want to upset you.”

She pulled him close and brushed her fingers over his lips. “I can feel your face, too.” her eyelids lowered slowly, but her eyes gleamed and shone. She traced his mouth with her fingers. “It’s strange but in a way I can feel you better than I ever could before.”

She took his hand. Put it on her waist. Then moved her body closer. “I can feel you, Joel.” she bit her lip. “Can you feel me?”

He could. Even if the body was the same fleshbot that Aisha inhabited, the motivation was all Honey. He wondered how much she knew about what had been happening to him while he was here. Did it matter? He felt like he ought to tell her.

Before he could speak, she reached to pull him by the back of his neck. Pulled his face down to hers. Her lips were waiting for his. She tasted like Honey. She felt like her, too.

Gasping, he said, “Don’t we have to,” he nodded toward the screen on the desk. She pulled him toward the bed.

“Sure we do,” she said. Her soft warmth pressed against him, her curves molding to his body. “Soon.” she breathed, stretching a hand down to his hips.

“Really soon.”