Dirty Christmas
Ryan Goodman, the forty-two-year-old CEO of Goodman Dynamics, sipped his whiskey neat, staring at the holographic tree flickering in the corner.
Christmas Eve, and his board had outdone themselves with the gift. A companion. Not just any companion, but the latest model from Apex Synthetics: Kai, a male AI designed for perfection. Ryan had always preferred control, in business and in bed. This would be his ultimate indulgence.
The delivery drone hummed outside the reinforced glass doors, depositing the sleek black crate with a soft thud. Ryan activated the release code on his wrist implant, and the lid hissed open.