Lonely (Extended Ending)

Sam walked around for a week with new Steven sitting on the couch. She tried to acclimate herself to having a “man” in her home. She hasn’t had a man in her home in years and the first night she wrestled to sleep knowing he was just sitting there, eyes closed, not moving. She knew he would do her no harm, but her instincts struggled to relax. Sam is supposed to test him as a “companion”, but companions rarely just show up at your doorstep, wrapped in a gift box, expecting attraction.

Is there such thing as love at first sight? Sam didn’t think so, but perhaps it’s because she’d never experienced it herself. Instantaneous passion is for horny teenagers. She didn’t know if Richard assumed that there would be an instant attraction to an inanimate object. Well, inanimate until she had the courage to animate him. The ‘on’ button pulsed at her every time she walked through the front room like a heartbeat. His heartbeat begging to be brought to life.

Richard had called at least three times since new Steven had been delivered. Steven. Why had his name popped out of her mouth in front of James now there was no taking it back? James told Richard and now he refers to him as Steven when he calls for progress reports.

“Why haven’t you initiated Steven’s startup protocol?” Richard asked. “You can’t form a connection with him if you don’t turn him on. We need your results ASAP.” By the third call Sam refused to answer the phone. She didn’t need any more pressure to decide. He should’ve waited till she consented to come back before he assumed she was on board.

Sam walked through the door from work. She’d had a long day of running errands around London to help Steven get ready for an important conference. She still hadn’t told him about being contacted by her former boss. As she shut her door, she immediately kicked off her shoes nearly knocking over her the floor lamp. Walking through the front room she refused to look at new Steven. Going straight into the kitchen she wiggled out of her skirt laying it to a rest on the floor. With one hand she grabbed the base of her blouse and pulled it over her head tossing it behind her floating down on the kitchen table. Removing her bra with the opposite hand and using it to trade the fridge for a bottle of wine. She needed to escape. Escape people. Escape work. Escape questions about man dolls. She had some decisions to make, and she couldn’t put it off any longer.

Plopping on her green tufted velvet couch with her Pinot Noir wearing nothing but her pink lace panties, she glanced over at new Steven, “What do you want?” Tilting her head back finishing the last drop of wine, she instantly teared up. Blindly grabbing at the back of the couch she feels the flannel quilt her mother made her, wrapped it around her bare shoulders, laid her head on new Steven’s lap and cried till she fell asleep.

Morning raise breeched the barrier of the drapes and poked Sam in the eye. Growling she rolled over and fell on the floor face planting it on new Steven’s foot. “Sugar.” Rolling off his foot she shifted onto her back staring up at him. Recognizing she’s the exact demographic she would be marketing this companion to she decides maybe this won’t be so bad. She is a middle age woman who hasn’t had companionship in…years. She busy and doesn’t have the time nor the energy to build a relationship, but still has needs. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to diagnose her as lonely. “That’s right,” she said to herself. “I’m just lonely that’s all it was.” Remembering how nice it felt to lay her head on real Steven’s chest. Breathing a sigh of relief realizing she has a legitimate excuse for thinking she was developing feelings for her boss. No feelings, just lonely. Right?

Sam stood up and grabbed new Steven off the couch and dragged him into her room. Working up a sweat just lugging around 150 pounds of dead weight she told herself it would be a lot easier if she activated him. Then he'd walk where she wanted him to go. "I'm not quite ready for that," she thought.

She laid him on her bed and got him situated so he wouldn't fall off. New Steve looked a bit awkward and stiff laying on his back. Sam crawled into bed next to him and laid her head on his chest. The skin was soft but it wasn't quite right. His chest wasn't rising and falling with each breath. He didn't have a heart beat. She laid there for a few more minutes then hit the activation button. Thump thump. Thump thump.