Love.exe

By S.C. Wynne

Love isn't any easier to find in the year 2069
Not that Eric is looking for love. After breaking up with his boyfriend a year ago, he's been apathetic about getting back into the dating scene. What's the point? Relationships always crash and burn anyway.

When Eric's best friend, Sabrina, sends him an XP30 android named Sloot to help him get back in the saddle, so to speak, Eric is mortified. The plan is to send Sloot back to the factory, but when the android begs him to keep him as his housekeeper, Eric feels sorry for Sloot and gives him a trial run.

Sloot is the perfect companion, and Eric decides he's found a way to avoid the messiness of emotional intimacy. But things get complicated because Sloot is no ordinary android. Unbeknownst to Eric, Sloot's creator tinkered with him and gave him the ability to love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.C. Wynne
• Release date: Nov 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223630685

S.C. Wynne

S.C. Wynne has been writing MM romance and mystery since 2013. She’s a Lambda winner, and lives in California with her wonderful husband, two quirky kids, and a loony rescue pup named Ditto. www.scwynne.com

Book preview

Love.exe

Dear Reader,

I originally wrote this story in 2015.

With all the controversy concerning AI recently, I wanted to say this story is in no way my attempt to sway anyone toward using AI.

This is simply a sweet little romantic novella dreamed up many years ago.

I loved writing Sloot and Eric’s love story, and hope you’ll enjoy reading it too,

S.C.

Love can only be found through the act of loving.

Paulo Coelho

Chapter One

I’d held out opening my gift as long as I could. But, after all, I’m only human.

Even if he isn’t.

My best friend Sabrina had a wicked sense of humor. She’d decided what I needed was an XP30 sex bot for my birthday. The XP30 was an anatomically exact replica of the human male. Science had come a long way in the year 2069 and androids were becoming more and more popular among single adults who craved a sexual partner and companionship, but had no prospects on the horizon. Apparently, Sabrina had come to the conclusion I’d been celibate long enough.

I circled the tall crate with the company name Arousing Androids stamped on, for the hundredth time. The container had been sitting in the middle of my living room for over a week. I’d been trying to ignore it, and it might have even worked too, except for the little bell that sounded every few days reminding me my new pal needed to be activated.

The reason an android was in my living room was because Sabrina felt sorry for me. I’d ended things with my boyfriend Trae. A while ago, actually. We’d been fighting non-stop, and we’d finally decided being together was more painful than splitting up. Trae had always been more of a party animal while I was a Netflix and chill sort of guy. The differences between us had become more obvious as time passed until it was either part ways or start resenting each other. He’d packed his skinny jeans, and moved out, leaving me with a big empty loft to myself. That was twelve months ago, and I’d made no move to get back out on the social scene.

Loneliness, I could deal with. Or at least I thought so. It was the lack of sex that was getting to me. Sabrina knew I had zero interest in trolling bars for one-night stands, and I didn’t have the stomach for a relationship again. I was nowhere near ready for that.

When the crate had arrived, I’d been mortified. Whether it was the new cool thing or not, I didn’t really see myself as the sort of man who’d stoop to fucking robots. But eventually my curiosity got the best of me, and I pulled the card off the big box and read the message from Sabrina: Eric, my dude. It’s been a year. You need to get laid. You’re welcome, Sabrina.

I tapped my chin, staring at the wooden box. It was eerily silent inside that monstrosity of a crate. I tapped on the box and listened, but I heard nothing. I tried peeking through the tiny cracks in the crate, but it was too dark to see inside. I wondered if the thing could hear me snooping around outside its crate. Was it listening and peering at me too? I shivered and gave up trying to look into the box.

Oh, what the hell. Just open the damn thing.

I tugged at the big red bow that said Pull Here. When I yanked, the side of the crate snapped open, still attached to the bow. There was a bunch of bubble wrap that I assumed was there to protect my new friend. The packing materials tumbled to the floor, and one arm was exposed.

It was a nice looking arm. Muscular, tanned with a light smattering of fine dark hairs. If I hadn’t known better I’d have thought it was a human appendage. But of course it wasn’t. The box contained an anatomically correct android, made for the sole purpose of being a sexual companion to humans. I continued to uncover him—it—whatever it was, and eventually had the thing more or less visible.

He was taller than me, dark hair and faint stubble on his angular jaw. That was a nice humanizing touch, giving him a five o clock shadow. His mouth was full, sexy, and his body was perfect. Not an ounce of fake fat anywhere. To be honest; my cock stirred just looking at him. Fuck. It really had been too long when a manufactured piece of plastic could give me a woodie. I read the instructions and found a tiny flat pink circle under his arm. That was where I was supposed to attach the small charging disk that would activate him.

I stood for a good ten minutes, marveling at modern science, and sweating under my armpits while weighing whether or not this was a good idea. If I juiced the guy up I’d probably be stuck with him forever. It might be too hard to reject the poor thing once it started talking. Taking in his narrow hips and rippled abs, I couldn’t help but wonder what was under the smooth jean material that covered his crotch.

I swallowed hard, thinking about all the stories I’d heard about what exceptional lovers the XP30s were. I wiped my forehead and took a deep breath. Then I pressed the charging disk to the spot under his arm and stepped back. Nothing happened at first, and then I heard a faint buzzing sound and his eyes opened.

They were a brilliant green, sort of like that iridescent moss you sometimes find at night in swamps. He blinked a few times, and then met my gaze, which sent an odd thrill down my spine.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been in there a while and I really need to pee. His voice was husky, and the sound of it startled me.

Oh, yes. Of course. I moved aside hurriedly. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that.

He grinned and it was beautiful, and warm. He even had dimples. That engaging flash of perfection was not at all what I’d been expecting from a non-human smile. I’m just teasing. I don’t actually urinate.

My cheeks heated. You don’t?

He shook his head. Nope. It was just a bit of humor to break the ice.

Oh, you’re one of those funny robots.

He laughed but then frowned. We prefer the term android. Robot seems so cold and unfriendly. A little smile played around his mouth. "XP30s are very friendly."

Hmmm. I crossed my arms defensively. I hadn’t expected the thing to flirt with me. I’d assumed if I wanted any… action… I’d be the one making overtures.

Cocking his head, he held out his hand. I’m Sloot.

Sloot?

It’s a weird name, I know. It’s made up of a combination of the letters from the compounds used to build me. They give us names because they think it makes us seem more humanlike.

But you aren’t human. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to say that. He felt human. His flesh was heated and firm as it gripped mine. I guess a small part of me wanted to distinguish myself from him. Was that because I felt superior? I wasn’t really sure.

We have most of the good qualities human’s possess.

Although I wasn’t positive I agreed with him, I didn’t really want to argue with a robot. Can I get you anything? Probably an odd thing to ask an android, but I wasn’t sure how to act around him. Did he have feelings I could hurt if I wasn’t polite enough?

I wouldn’t mind if you showed me where your bedroom is. He winked.

Oh. I flushed. I don’t think…

He tilted his head again, and his unusual green gaze was pinned intently on my face. Aren’t you familiar with XP30s skills? He arched one smooth eyebrow. Surely you must be since I’m here in your home.

I’m vaguely aware of what you XP30s do. I know you’re a sex bot. But I didn’t purchase you.

No? That seemed to surprise him.

"My friend Sabrina got you for me for