Page 25 of Help Wanted: Wife

He had no idea what she meant by that but said, “Her?”

She nodded. “She’s female.”

“Androids don’t have a gender.”

“This one does. She has an hourglass figure. No boobs, but she has a narrow waist, hips wider than her shoulders—and she works harder than any man would.” Teasingly, she bumped his shoulder. “I assume she speaks?”

He nodded. “Don3.5F, come say—”

“Eff?”

“That’s part of the model number.”

“Care to bet the F stands for female?”

“Don3.5Fcome here and say hello to my wife, Prudence McKenna.”

Hips swaying, the android sashayed over. “Hello, Larth’s wife Prudence McKenna,” came the robotic but distinctly feminine voice. “I am ready to serve.”Fizzak!It had spoken to him when he’d uploaded the recipes to its data storage chip. How had he not noticed the voice?

Prudence shot him a smug grin before greeting the android. “Hello. I’m very glad you’re with us. You can call me Prudence.”

“Thank you, Prudence.”

“What would you like us to call you?”

“I do not have a name. I am model Don3.5F, the top-of-the-line, most productive and efficient android ever created by Caradonia Android Company Incorporated.”

“You are that,” he commented dryly. Part of the excessive production wasn’t just a result of working all night but was also due to the android’s ability to compute an optimal work sequence to deliver maximum output in the shortest amount of time.

“You need a name. Not just a model number. Would it be okay if we called you Donna?” Prudence said.

“You may call me whatever you wish. I am here to serve.”

“I look forward to working with you and finding out what you can do.”

“I can perform most domestic and commercial tasks. Would you like a list?”

“No, that’s okay,” Pru said.

“Donna, please finish whatever batter you were making, but don’t bake it,” he instructed. “Store it in the chillerator. Don’t bake the pies you have started. Freeze them, too. And for stars’ sake, don’t start anything else until we give you further instructions.”

“Yes, Larth.” She walked to the mixer with a distinctive feminine wiggle.

He glanced at Prudence. She was shaking her head. “How could you not notice?”

“Now, why would I pay attention to a female android”—he pulled her into his arms—“when I have such a beautiful wife?”

An unreadable expression flitted across her face, but then she smiled. “Good answer. You’re a clever man.”

Shewasbeautiful, and a sharp pang of guilt stung him at the notion he was being unfair to her. Caught between past and present, he couldn’t deal with the emotional turmoil; he had enough to handle. He stepped back and swept out his arm to encompass the overabundance of baked goods. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to flip a negative into a positive. It’s a sunk cost at this point. We may as well use the excess product for marketing.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We have a week before the grand opening. Let’s set aside what we need for the cozi for the next day or two then take the rest of the pies, breads, and cakes to nearby companies to share with their employees. We’llinvite them to the grand opening. Then we’ll go around the cozi and give away whatever we have left.”

“We already have the sample plate.”

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