Chapter 3

"Maybe the hidden switch is under her clothes?" I muttered, reaching right down her neckline.

The moment I grasped that warm softness, I distinctly felt "her" suddenly tremble.

"Holy crap!" I jumped, yanking my hand back as if I'd been shocked.

But as I watched nervously, the doll just lay there, perfectly still.

Was it my imagination? Or... do these high-end models come with a haptic vibration feedback system? Did I accidentally touch the sensor?

Yeah, that had to be it! Technology has really come that far!

"This is way too advanced. It actually shivers..."

I let out a sigh of amazement, now utterly convinced this was an astronomically expensive adult toy. All my remaining hesitation vanished.

Even if it was just a pile of premium silicone, the body heat, the texture... it made my blood surge!

I couldn't hold back; I ripped her collar down, instantly exposing an expanse of snow-white skin to the air.

My eyes locked onto it. I felt so hot it was like a fire had been lit directly in my veins.

"Perfect. This is an absolute masterpiece," I swallowed hard, my voice raspy. "It's exactly like a living person."

Just as I leaned down to kiss that skin, loud pounding suddenly echoed from the apartment's front door.

"Jack! Open the damn door!"

It was Mike's voice!

I nearly jumped off the bed, half my soul leaving my body.

"Coming! I'm coming!" I yelled back, scrambling wildly toward the door.

Running past the living room, I saw the open cardboard shipping box and frantically slapped the flaps shut.

After a quick glance to make sure nothing looked obviously tampered with, I unlocked the front door, sweating profusely.

"Fuck my life, I left the client's quote sheet on the coffee table. Thank God I only got two blocks down before I remembered!"

Mike complained loudly, rushing into the living room like a hurricane.

I was too guilty to even respond, my peripheral vision glued to the box in the corner, terrified he’d go check his package.

Fortunately, his mind was entirely focused on the commission he was about to bag. He didn't even glance at the cardboard box, making a beeline for his bedroom to grab his folder.

My tense nerves finally dialed back a notch.

But as he grabbed the folder and walked quickly back toward the front door, he passed my room, paused, and threw a suspicious look through the crack in the door. "What's that noise coming from your room?"

My brain exploded. I had completely forgotten to close out of my laptop. The Pornhub tab was still playing, and loud, unfiltered moaning was blasting out of my speakers.

"Ah... um, I was just watching a nature documentary about... biological anatomy..."

Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Watching 'anatomy' first thing in the morning? Bro, you've got way too much pent-up energy!"

I was so embarrassed my toes were practically curling a basement into the hardwood floor.

Luckily, Mike was in a rush to meet his client and didn't linger on the topic. He grabbed the quote sheet and hurried out.