After the bath, I rinsed off in the shower, dressed in comfy pajamas, and headed downstairs. I found Rick sprawled out on my couch watching an evening news program.

It’s startling. I have to keep reminding myself, This is not a strange man in your house. It's an android. He's harmless.

Making my way into the kitchen, I try to decide what I ought to make for dinner. Borg starts harassing me for food, so I hit the button on her dispenser. I wonder, do I need to feed Rick? He's made up of mostly biological components, so I would think the answer is yes. But this cat is mostly biological too, and she doesn't require food. She certainly wants food though.

I lean over the breakfast bar–the one Rick pounded me on top of while my husband watched–and ask Rick, "Do you want some dinner? Do androids eat?"

"I could eat," he gets up from the couch and stretches showing off his perfectly designed arms and back. I notice that the tattoo on his back has changed. Earlier it was just some vaguely tribal pattern, but now it is a detailed rendering of a phoenix covering both shoulders and down to the waistband of his pants. "I don't necessarily require food, but I can enjoy it," he informs me as he comes into the kitchen. "Why don't you let me put something together for us and you go find a movie to watch after dinner?"

Well, that's nice. I didn't know what to make anyway–if it was just me, I might heat up a frozen intsta-meal or skip it altogether.

"I've already got an idea for what movie to watch. We can make dinner together," I suggest. We set to it–he ends up making curried chicken with rice and roasted carrots with me cleaning, chopping, and slicing stuff up for him to season and cook.

It is absolutely delicious, and I had no idea I had all the ingredients for it.

"Thanks, Rick; this is great," I tell him in between mouthfuls.

With a small smile he says, "I'm glad you like it."

Stolen novel; please report.

Making small talk is a challenge because Rick doesn't have a job or family or any hobbies–he was basically born today, so it's hard to think up topics.

"So, um," I flounder a bit and then a question pops into my head, "Why are you an android, but the cat is a cyborg? You both have mostly biological components, so what's the difference?"

"The cat has a biological brain. There is no AI. Her enhancements have to do with her digestion and metabolism," he explains. "I have those same enhancements, but also, I'm not governed by a biological brain. While my automatic responses are governed by a brain stem and cerebellum, my higher functions, such as speech, movement, and perception are governed by an AI. Technically this does make me a cyborg. The android label is a marketing ploy. Consumers are more comfortable with the word ‘android’ as opposed to ‘cyborg.’”

"Oh, well, I'm shocked. Shocked that a corporation would use misleading labels to reel in unsuspecting consumers. For shame," I joke. It is well known how the information and technology industries are rife with corruption and their research and development practices have skewed to the unethical. There has been scandal after scandal to the point that nobody pays attention anymore. The laws governing these corporations are mostly just for show because they are never charged with anything.

Rick loads the dishwasher as I pull up the movie–a horror flick. I haven't watched any really scary movies since Shane left, since I don't want to get myself all creeped out when I'm here alone. Now I have someone to watch with, though, so it should be alright. I sit right next to Rick, and he wraps an arm around my shoulder throughout the movie. He is warm as I’m snuggled in next to him, breathing in his scent. When that movie is over, Rick picks out a sci-fi action movie about an alien invasion.

I must doze off because the next thing I'm aware of is being carried upstairs again and tucked into bed. Not in the sleep pod, but in the big, king-sized bed in the master bedroom. I'm so tired, I don't object to it at all. As I fall right back to sleep I feel the bed move as Rick gets in from the other side and pulls me close, tucking me into him as he spoons me.

*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*

Waking up an hour before my alarm the next morning, I'm disoriented. A big guy is snuggling me, holding me close to his hard body and his equally hard cock.

"Shane," I sleepily mutter, rubbing myself against him. I love sleepy morning action, it's one of my very favorite things.

"Not quite," says a deep voice that definitely is not my husband.

I startle and turn over to see who is behind me and I'm suddenly pinned down on the bed, the android's big body settling over mine.

"Morning, honey," he greets me as he nibbles and licks my neck, inserting his knee to spread my legs. It feels the same–the excitement and warmth is still there even though this isn’t Shane.