Companion 3000

“What?” Leita tore her eyes from the sleeping face of the Companion to look at her best friend’s twitching whiskers and wide gold eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’ll have to send him back. He’s the wrong model,” Schneider pointed out. “You said yourself you couldn’t afford to spend this much. Leita—you have to be practical.”

“To hell with practical.” Leita resumed her visual tour of the extra-large, caramel-colored, medium-hairy bonbon lying in the box just waiting for her to take a bite. “This is what they sent me. I say, finders keepers.”

“But how are you going to feed something this big?” Schneider protested. “Look at him—he’s a giant. We don’t have enough supplies on hand.”

“That’s all taken care of—look.” Leita lifted a five-pound sack of fine-grained purple powder from its resting place at the Companion’s booted feet. “See?” she said. “This is nutrient powder—you just mix it with water to make a paste. It’s very concentrated and it says in the manual that he’s going to love it. A small bowl in the morning is all he needs to keep going all day—this is a whole year’s supply.”

“Well…where is he going to sleep? Have you thought of that?” Schneider asked. “He’s too big to go in the bed with us and I’m not giving up my pillow.”

Leita consulted the vid-clip again. “Says in the manual that he will happily sleep in the containment system—I think that’s the box he came in.” She indicated the long silver coffin-like box where the Companion was currently lying peacefully. He was even snoring a little bit, she noted. Such lifelike details—she was really getting her credits’ worth—at least so far. “Although I will need a little time alone with him in the bedroom from time to time, Schneider,” she added gently. “For when I…you know, use him.”

“Well, this is just too much.” Schneider dropped back down to a seated position, his arms crossed over his furry, slender chest. “You’re reading that owner’s manual like you bought a new pet. How to feed it, how to train it to sleep in its box, how to make it service you sexually.”

“Schneider,” she began in a warning tone, but her friend refused to be stopped.

“Just look at the way you’re dressed,” he continued, pointing at her. “Why that dress is see-through, Leita. I can see your…your…those pink, nubbly things you humans have, right through the top of it.”

“They’re called nipples and they’re none of your business!” Leita flared. She crossed her arms over her chest angrily, hiding the body parts in question. It was true that she had dressed for the occasion. Most of the time she ran around the pod in grease-stained overalls and T-shirts from fixing droid ships all day. But she’d ordered a few slinky clothes from For Her Pleasure almost two years ago, back when she’d thought she was in love with Eddie. Her plan had been to make him so happy he’d never want to leave. Unfortunately, the plan had backfired when he left with her valuables and credit before she could even wear one of the outfits.

Leita didn’t think there was any harm in wearing the pale pink babydoll nightie and matching panties, garter belt and hose for her own pleasure, even though the Companion probably wouldn’t know the difference. And she hadn’t expected Schneider to comment on them either.

“I like this outfit,” she told her friend defensively, even though the high heels she was wearing made her wobble uncertainly. “It makes my hair look blonder and it brings out my eyes.”

“Well, I still don’t think—” Schneider began. Then he jumped backward in a move that looked almost comical, his tail fluffing into an offended bush and his golden eyes narrowing to slits. “Watch out!” he hissed, staring at the containment unit. “He’s waking up!”

Pierce opened his eyes groggily to see an angel and some kind of a rat- or cat-type thing bending over him. What the hell? Had he died in the shootout with Shie-lu and gone to heaven? But Pierce was pretty sure he hadn’t been nearly good enough to go there. And besides, if this was heaven, how did you explain the cat-looking thing that was staring at him with obvious distrust? Still, the angel was plenty pretty enough to make up for a dozen such creatures.

She had dark blonde hair and wide brown eyes and a sprinkling of freckles over her pert nose. Full red lips just made for kissing and the outfit… Pierce nearly groaned when his eyes traveled down the naughty little pale pink number she had on. He could see her nipples and the slit of her pussy right through it. Damn if it didn’t make his mouth water!

“You an angel?” he asked groggily, trying to sit up.

The angel smiled and bent down to help him. “No, I’m Leita and, well…I guess I’m your new mistress.” She laughed self-consciously, a low, pleasant sound that Pierce liked at once.