Between the Lanterns(30)
August felt he could never forgive himself.
“Sweets, you almost ready?” Samantha called out. “I’ve got real chicken salad sandwiches and a thermos full of sweet tea all packed up and ready to go!”
When she saw him step around the corner, she felt maybe things would get better eventually. He had shaved for the first time since the accident, and he smelled wonderful. It was the cologne she loved so much, mixed with the freshly washed scent of his dark skin and beautiful skin. He had a smile on his face like the old days, and he had the lanterns floating beside him as he reached out and to embrace his wife.
“Thank you for being patient with me,” he cooed into her hair. “I know it’s been hard seein’ me mope around, havin’ a pity party. I promise you that it’s over. I won’t let this one accident ruin our lives. We have a family to plan for, after all.”
August placed his hands on her five-month pregnant belly and kissed her gently on the lips. Samantha dropped the basket she was holding that contained their picnic lunch. She pulled him closer and turned his gentle kisses into a deep and passionate one. They began to remove each other’s clothes as hastily as possible. It had been weeks since they made love last, and their bodies ached for each other in the best possible way.
Samantha could tell he was holding back, probably because of her impregnated state. She was not having any of it.
“Don’t treat me like some fragile thing,” she said, squeezing his biceps as hard as she could. “I won’t break. Give me all you got, sweets.”
August didn’t need telling twice. He let loose and picked her up with both arms, placing her on the kitchen table. Samantha threw her legs open and pushed his head between them. Her moans of ecstasy filled the house as she climaxed between the lanterns.
Later, they lay on the couch holding each other and eating the chicken salad sandwiches and swigging on sweet tea to quench their thirsts.
“Well, well, well. Sweets, that was the most mind-blowing sex I’ve ever had in my entire life. I can barely move. You outdid yourself today, August.”
She reached over and stroked his face while grinning, madly in love with the gorgeous man.
“I can’t take the credit, Sam. You’re amazin’. How on Earth did you do that one thing? You weren’t even lookin’ and…wow. I can’t even explain it.”
“Sweets, I attribute all my sexual prowess to my ancient Chinese heritage,” Samantha said proudly. “They had an exceptional talent with sex long ago, and it must have been passed genetically to me. Or maybe… just maybe… I was aided by the ghosts of my ancestors.”
“Gross,” August whined with disgust. “Please don’t tell me I just made love to your great -great -great -great -grandma’s ghost. That would be super -nasty.”
“Oh it wasn’t my grandma’s ghost, sweets,” Samantha said reassuringly. “It was my great -great -great -great -grandpa you were fucking.”
August pursed his lips, and said, “Well, that’s ok, then.”
They both laughed deeply and thoroughly, holding hands all the while. Everything seemed to be drifting back into place for them. Going back to normal, or as normal as it ever got in today’s odd modern world.
Then the doorbell rang.
-
“I don’t understand, sir,” August said, utterly confused. “Why would Montek be suing us?”
“Theft and copyright infringement,” the man coldly replied. “You see, recently a Montek.Law employee was in your home. Mr. Lee Parr? He reported that you had used Montek.Automaton copyrighted designs to build an automaton right here in your home. Not only that, but when your diner burnt down, you were paid for the loss of a Montek.Automaton and the BrainSave inside the unit. Mr. Parr noticed a BrainSave here in your home that looked to be… fire -damaged. Upon investigation, we discovered that the recovered automaton from the fire was missing its BrainSave. You took it and received payment for its loss, which is illegal, Mr. Lurie.”
“Ok, now hold on a damn minute,” August shouted, “I didn’t steal designs. I created that particular model of Montek.Automaton and my wife sculpted this little guy right here out of wood, as a gift to me. Just for fun, I later automated him. It ain’t hurtin’ nobody.”
“It makes no matter, Mr. Lurie. When you worked for the company, any creations you made or designs you came up with were and always will be the property of Montek,” the well-dressed man explained. “It’s in the contract agreement you signed when hired. That makes this little… thing... illegally built. We’ll be seizing it immediately. You have a court date one week from today. Good day to you.”
The bitter man in the fancy suit grabbed Woodrow and tossed him into a bag.
Woodrow tried to get out and said, “DON’T. SWEET.”
The pitiful sounds of his muffled voice from within the bag seemed like begging, but that was impossible. He didn’t have the emotion chip that August had been designing. Woodrow was just wood and string. Even still, it broke Samantha’s heart.
“You can’t take him,” she declared suddenly. “I made it as a gift for my husband. He then upgraded it for me. He is ours, and a part of our family. This ain’t right, can’t you see that?”