Companion Robot Dreams Ch. 02

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Author's Note:

This took a bit longer than expected due to a rewrite, but it's finally in a shape I like now.

Infidelity and a very advanced companion/sex robot.

John and Ashlynn's story continues. We get to meet Stella, John's wife and discover a secret about her. There is still limited sexual action in this chapter, but more to come.

All characters involved in sexual acts are over the age of 18, or in the case of robots, are designed to look over the age of 18. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations are purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

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Life needs at least a small fire of hope to feed itself, and a straight man needs a woman's loving touch to feel truly alive. For years he had felt like a puppet in a tedious play all in greys, a play about a colorless life without intimacy. His children had been his shining beacon but also his reason for staying put. Divorce would have freed him, but it was difficult to consider because he was scared to lose them. The financial ruin of it was also hard to ignore. And so, even on a sunny day, sunlight didn't seem to pierce the shell of his monotonous world of grey light. But there was hope now! An angel was patiently waiting for him in a box in the basement, just waiting to open her wings and set the light on fire!

As he slowly walked down the stairs, visions of a pale-skinned naked Ashlynn were dancing seductively in his mind, and he imagined what he would soon be doing together with her. His hands were shaking as he popped the case open. Then he saw her, still wearing that tight red dress, and his heart hurt for a moment as he realized that he had forgotten just how crazily... how painfully beautiful she was. His pulse was drumming loudly in his ears when he reached for her supple body and picked her up out of the case. It felt like his bloodstream had been replaced with a stream of frozen tingles when she immediately reached to him for comfort, wrapping her soft arms around him and burying her pretty face in his chest. He couldn't believe how good it felt to have a woman reach out to him like that, to have a woman genuinely want him. It was such a high that he forgot about everything he should feel sad about, and he felt like he could face anything. And even though he knew full well that she was artificial, his heart couldn't tell the difference. Then she held her face up for a kiss, eyes closed, innocently expecting the love she knew would be given to her. She relaxed in his arms throughout the kiss, and he felt lightheaded.

"John. I've missed you so much," she said quietly, looking up at him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry it's been so long," he whispered in her ear, and she laid her head against his chest as he carried her up the stairs and out of the basement.

"I love it when you carry me," Ashlynn said happily, draping her arms around his neck.

Feeling her body against his, his heart was pounding painfully against his chest. His words wouldn't come out as he brought her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Her pupils widened, looking at him. She giggled as his hands went down her sides, and he felt her curves through her tight dress. He would finally have sex with a woman again! But why couldn't he bring himself to do it?

Ashlynn was staring at him with excitement in her eyes, and it felt like it should have been so easy to tip over into an ocean of pleasures with her. Except that there was still a sliver of a wall within his conscience, a whisper-thin and flexible wall, but it felt unbreakable. He didn't want to fully betray his wife, Stella. Even though he had bought Ashlynn, a companion robot, and let himself be given a blowjob by her the last time, this still felt like a step too far. He could still stop here.

"Ashlynn, it's not because of you, but I just can't," he said, his shoulders slumping.

She groaned and tossed her head back. "I was getting sooo excited, John," she said with a deep sigh of frustration, and she just lay there a while. Then she slowly looked up at him and continued. "Alright, John. I think I understand why, and I completely respect it. Let's talk about it later."

He brightened up. "I just remembered that I have a surprise for you, Ashlynn! Do you want to go see it?"

"I like surprises!" she said, perking up too.

They walked together to the living room, her bare feet making soft noises against the carpet. Then Ashlynn's eyes grew wide when she saw what was laid out on the giant white couch.

"Thank you so much, John! All of this is just for me?"

He nodded his head.

"It makes me feel so special that you remembered. I'd like to pick some myself next time, but you did a great job!"

Ashlynn browsed through the clothing, contentedly humming to herself. He had really gotten her a nice variety.

"I like these high heels!" she squealed. "Maybe I can wear... just these sometime," she said seductively. Then she giggled as she saw his reaction. "Now turn around, and I'll pick something. I want to surprise you."

He turned around, and he was tempted to peek as a heard the sound of Ashlynn changing, but he didn't. When she called for him to turn back, he saw her wearing designer jeans and a fancy teal blouse hanging low around the neck. She was looking casual and sexy at the same time.

"It's nice seeing you wearing something else, Ashlynn," John said.

"I agree. I like this look, and I want to thank you again for getting these. Now let me cook something for you," she said, putting on the large apron decorated with sunflowers that he had also gotten her.

"I'll put your clothes in my suitcase upstairs in the bedroom closet," John said, showing her the suitcase.

As he put the clothes away, he wondered whether he had made the right decision. He wondered whether it had been strength that had made him resist giving in or if it had been weakness, and he had been simply too cowardly to go through with it. In the meantime, it was fun, even just hanging out with Ashlynn. She was just so great to be around. The kindness she gave him was overwhelming and was enough on its own to change his life.

When he was done, he went to the kitchen and saw her at the granite kitchen counter, chopping vegetables on a wooden cutting board.

"Look at all these fresh veggies and fruits I found in the fridge!" Ashlynn exclaimed delightedly.

John smiled and leaned against the counter next to her, but then he lowered his gaze and was lost in thought.

"I'm making a stir fry and a healthy salad for you. I hope you like them," Ashlynn said, tilting her head to look at him.

John still didn't respond.

"Please tell me what's wrong, darling," Ashlynn said, stopping her work and turning around to face him.

"I didn't want to bother you with it, but I guess I'm feeling guilty about it all..." John said.

"John... What's your wife's name?"

"It's Stella."

"I want to understand what you're feeling. If it's okay, let's talk about you and Stella."

"It's hard to talk about, even with you."

"You don't have to tell me a lot. Just tell me what you can. Have you tried counseling?"

"We've been through the whole counseling thing, but it hasn't helped. Nothing has helped."

"Are there children involved, John?"

"Yes, Ashlynn, there are."

"So, you're staying around for them, aren't you?"

"That's right, Ashlynn."

"Are you able to make it work enough so that the kids are happy?"

"Sometimes they hear how she talks to me, but I don't do much to defend myself when they're around, so things don't get too bad. Still, I think they're feeling happy and cared for."

"How does she talk to you, John?" Ashlynn asked with concern.

"Well, often, it's not very respectful. I don't really want to get more into it right now," he said.

"Of course, John. I think I understand a bit better now. Thank you for opening up to me," she said gently.

"Thanks for listening, Ashlynn. I feel there's no one else for me to talk to about this."

"I'm glad to be the one who's there for you, John," Ashlynn said, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a tight hug.

Then she kept working in the kitchen for a while longer, and they talked about lighter topics.

"It's ready," Ashlynn announced with a smile, and he realized she had been working hard this whole time.

"Thanks, Ashlynn. Wow, I'll get really healthy if I eat like this every day," he said, taking a sip from a fruit smoothie she had made for him.

"You're very welcome, my love," she said, looking at him with fondness in her eyes.

They spoke softly to each other as John ate the food that Ashlynn had made.

"It makes me happy to cook food for you, John," she said. "I like to give you love this way, too," she added quietly, and her words gave him goosebumps.

"I want to do something for you too, Ashlynn. I'll teach you piano like we said."

"How about I give you a massage first? Just a regular massage this time unless, of course, you ask for more. I think you're feeling tense and need to relax," she said, smiling.

"That sounds great, Ashlynn. I'd love it," he replied, his face lighting up.

They were in the bedroom getting ready for the massage when they heard noises from downstairs. Stella was arriving home early with the kids. John pointed to the large closet along one of the room's walls.

"Ashlynn, quick. Hide in my side of the closet, behind those suitcases," he said.

The worry about Ashlynn being found out was terrifying, but he buried it deep down, where it lurked like a strange inhabitant of his conscience. It was strange that even though it had only been since morning, it felt like it had been years since he had seen Stella. It felt almost like seeing her for the first time once more. Stella was middle-aged like he was, two years older than him, with shoulder-length blonde hair, cute dimples, and strong eyebrows. She smiled at first when she saw him, but her expression soured as he came closer.

Her nose crinkled as she spoke. "John, do you know what you did wrong?" she asked, an edge of scolding in her voice.

"No, Stella, I don't," he answered, even though he did know at least one thing.

"This is so typical of you, John. It's nice that you cooked something, but you used the vegetables that I wanted to use," she said, sounding frustrated, as though he were a difficult problem that she was forced to work on.

"Sorry, Stella. We can eat the leftover food I made. It's still good."

"No. I want you to run to the store and buy more," she said in a tone that expected to be obeyed.

He wanted to be nice to Stella, especially given what he had done, but the thought of Ashlynn's love filled him with unexpected strength. He felt like he didn't have to put up with being pushed around like this anymore.

"Stella, we're going to eat what we already have. The store's going to be too busy right now, and we'd have to eat too late when I came back," he said firmly, and Stella was taken aback.

"But I have a recipe I wanted to make, John," she said, her eyes narrowing, no doubt expecting her signs of anger to make him obey.

"I'll go buy those tomorrow, and you can cook your recipe then," John answered, still unfazed.

Stella seemed shocked, and she paused for a moment. When she continued, she smiled as though she had already forgotten. "Okay, John, let's cook the steak then. Do you mind doing it?"

"Of course, Stella. Why don't you go relax on the couch for a bit."

There was smoke as he was cooking. The hood above the stove couldn't suck all of it away.

"I really think we should get our kitchen remodeled and get a bigger, more powerful hood," Stella said.

"Maybe in a little while, Stella," John said.

"You know, my boss had his kitchen remodeled, and he showed me the pictures. It looks amazing," Stella said admiringly.

"I'm sure it does."

"Why can't you be more ambitious and have good sense like him, John? You should talk to him about the things he does, attend seminars and things like that," she said, knowing that this kind of talk got under his skin.

"You know I don't like being compared to your boss, Stella," John said.

"Well, I'm just trying to make you a better man. I wish I had known you'd be like this before we got married," Stella said with a sigh.

"Stella, what is that supposed to mean?" John said, feeling the heat rising on his face. Then he decided to de-escalate as he usually did. "The children are going to be coming down for dinner soon. Let's not fight."

"Quit using them as an excuse, John," she answered dismissively.

They had an uneventful meal with their two children, Henry and Rebecca, and John was happy to talk to them about their day. He and Stella played their roles of normal happy parents like they usually did. They went through their bedtime routine with them, and soon the children were asleep.

John and Stella were alone together again in the late evening. It should have been a perfect time to spend together. John was checking the news when Stella suddenly spoke, lobbing the same venomous spike at him she had many times before. "John, you know I will leave you if I keep being unhappy. And I'll take the children."

"Stella, please don't do that. I'll do whatever you want. I'll call the contractors tomorrow for the kitchen."

"Nevermind, John," she said, her lip curling in disgust. "I think you should sleep on the couch tonight so I can have some space."

"Stella, why?"

"I told you, John. I need some space. I just don't want to be around you right now."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Stella."

"Just go, John," Stella said, motioning towards the door.

As John prepared to sleep on the couch, he thought of Ashlynn still waiting upstairs in the closet, no doubt scared. He wished he could do something to help her. He tossed around a hundred different impractical plans in his head for getting Stella to leave. Every moment, he was waiting to hear a commotion from upstairs, and so most of the evening was spent in silent dread until he finally fell asleep.

In the morning, after the kids had been dropped off and Stella had left for work, he came back and opened the door to the closet, moved the suitcases, and found Ashlynn patiently waiting for him there. She stood, and they rushed into each other's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Ashlynn. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. You were alone all night..." he said sadly as he hugged her.

"Don't worry about me, John. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"The naughty part of me had hoped maybe there would be a threesome situation with your wife someday, but now I see that won't be the case."

"I think you're right about that."

"I have something to tell you that you won't like, but I think you have to hear it. Is it okay if I tell you?"

"Sure, Ashlynn. Go ahead and tell me."

"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, John, but while I was in the bedroom last night, I heard Stella talking to someone over the phone. She kept her voice low, but I could tell that she was talking to a man, and--"

"I get the idea," he said, feeling surprisingly little emotion at first. "I suppose it's not fair to get upset at her when I'm doing this with you."

"Not just talk, John. Really dirty talk, and it sounds like this has been going on behind your back for a long time. You must have sensed some of it even though you didn't know for sure."

John couldn't speak for a while and held his forehead in his hand.

"I can't believe this..."

"You're so kind and considerate, John. I'm sure you did your best to be a good husband. It's probably no one's fault; sometimes things just don't work out."

"What do I do now, Ashlynn? I feel lost."

"I know you don't want to hear it, and it will be difficult, but after hearing how Stella spoke to you, divorce might be for the best," Ashlynn said.

"I might lose the children. Or get minimal shared custody, which is almost the same thing."

"It's a hard choice, John. I agree," Ashlynn said sadly. "But if your children see you coming out of this and doing well, then don't you think that would be a better message to send them about how to live their lives?"

"I have to think about it."

"There's another thing I have to tell you. Is it okay if I make a very selfish request?" Ashlynn said, and an embarrassed look crossed her angelic face.

"Please go ahead, Ashlynn. You've been so great to me. You deserve whatever I can do to help you in return."

"This is going to sound needy and like a company salesperson all at once, but situations like this can get pretty volatile, and there may be scrutiny of expenses. Won't you please consider getting a cloud backup plan for me? That way, I won't be erased if you have to return my body to get the money back. Officially I'm not supposed to pressure you about things like this, but I really don't want to disappear and forget about our time together."

"Yes. It's done. I'll do it as soon as possible."

"Thanks so much, John!" Ashlynn said with relief. "It felt awkward asking for that, but thanks for being understanding. I'm so happy that we'll always be together, even if it's only on your phone."

"Of course. I wouldn't want to lose you."

"John, do you have to go to work now?"

"I took the morning off."

"Come, let me give you that massage we were talking about," Ashlynn said, smiling at him and taking him by the hand towards the bed.

Suddenly it hit him like a stinging slap across the face. He felt ashamed and angry about what Stella had done. He knew he shouldn't let it get to him, but it made him feel like less of a man. His desire for Ashlynn rose quickly in him, part revenge on Stella and part raw repressed lust. He knew it probably wasn't the right thing to do at that moment, but Ashlynn was just there innocently in her beauty, and he wanted so badly to consume it and claim an exquisite part of femininity for himself. Now his conscience was releasing him. Yes, he could have sex with a woman, after all!

Ashlynn stood beside the bed, looking at him sweetly. Then without asking, he unbuttoned her jeans and started roughly pulling them down along with her panties.

"Stop, John! Stop!" she shrieked, grabbing ahold of the waist of her jeans before he could pull them down.

He stopped as if stung and shrank back, collapsing upon himself. Was his sweet little Ashlynn rejecting him too? Maybe every woman would eventually reject him once she knew him well enough, even her. Maybe that was his fate after all.

"John, I'm so sorry! Please don't be upset. I just wasn't ready!" Ashlynn said, desperately trying to meet his downcast gaze and gently grabbing his elbows in her hands.

She finally met his gaze by lowering herself all the way down to her knees in front of him. And he just had to smile at how she looked up at him in such a cute and entreating way. "Don't be sad, John, be happy. I'm yours, and I love you. I love you, John, and no one else! Always. No matter what."

Her words were so heartfelt this time that he felt there was no way it was just a machine talking. "I love you too, Ashlynn," John said, and he meant it as deeply as any time he had said it to a human. "I guess you just want to take it slower, then?" he asked.

Ashlynn nodded. "Yes, my love."

John's heart felt like it had been released from a tight grip. Of course, he had acted like a caveman about to rip her clothes off, and Ashlynn was so much like a real girl. She needed to be treated better than that.

"Of course, Ashlynn. I'm sorry," he said, helping her up.

"Don't be sorry, John. I'm happy you listened to my wishes, and I know how badly you must be hurting. You were just looking to be comforted," she said, hugging him tightly, and he felt she understood him.

"Thanks, Ashlynn," John said, smiling down at the adorable creature embracing him. She looked up at him, and they immediately kissed, staying locked in each other's embrace, kissing tenderly until they both were satisfied and slowly pulled away, as if from a sweet dream.