“Me too. I can’t believe I found you on that transport.”
She kissed his chin before brushing her lips over his. “So let’s hold out hope for Blade somehow being okay. I can’t stand to see you hurting.”
Big rested his forehead against hers as he slowly nodded. “No matter what happens, we’re here for each other. That’s everything.”
“It is.”
Chapter Ten
Gemma woke to find Big already gone two mornings later. She slowly sat up and shoved off the covers, climbing out of bed. No dark robots were lurking anywhere. Her fear of the thing had faded since it hadn’t appeared again.
She’d also survived another hurtle of her new life…
Getting plasma transfers hadn’t turned out to be too bad. She’d had her first one yesterday. Big had taken her to an old wine shop that he’d converted into plasma storage and shown her one of the bags. Plasma cells were red and looked just like blood. She’d make a vampire joke about hoping her clone body wouldn’t suddenly sprout fangs to drink it.
He’d shown her how to twist on a tube of about fourteen inches to the bottom of the bag. A capped needle had been attached to the end of the tube. He’d done himself first, taking a seat after he pulled down his pants just enough to bare his thigh. Then he’d uncapped the needle and inserted it into his skin.
Gemma had flinched for him, but he hadn’t. He’d just smiled as he hung the bag on a freestanding hook next to the chair, situated a little higher than where the needle was located. It was basically like an IV drip.
Then he’d pulled her onto his lap to sit on his other leg, as he’d readied another bag.
The needle hurt going into her skin but the pain faded fast. The area around the needle turned numb, but he swore that was normal. Then they’d sat quietly together, cuddling until both bags were empty. She’d survived it just fine, and didn’t even mind the idea of doing it again in three months.
She pushed those memories away as she entered the bathroom. It was second nature now to tap open the shower and sink from their hidden spots in the walls, but she still thought future bathrooms were strange. She wasn’t certain why they kept everything out sight, as if an empty room with a mirror on the wall was better.
She brushed her teeth with the fancy device that was attached to a tube and that also stored behind a panel most of the time. Then she showered quickly. Big had shown her a neat hot air feature that blew her dry instead of using a towel. He didn’t enjoy using it, but she did. It was like being in front of dozens of hair dryers.
She exited the bathroom and walked to her closet. A robot had mysteriously delivered everything she’d ordered. She picked a pair of cotton pants and a blouse. “No bra,” she snorted. That was something she didn’t miss. Her enhanced boobs were firm, and Big had assured her they wouldn’t start to sag with time.
There were a lot of perks to being a clone. Every day she made a habit of reminding herself of that fact. It helped her deal with all the changes. She focused on the good ones. No armpit hair. Her legs stayed smooth, too. The hair between her legs was just a tiny patch, and it didn’t seem to get any longer. It seemed shaving was another thing she wouldn’t have to do anymore.
Magna waited with her silver hands folded on the island when Gemma left the bedroom. The android turned her head, meeting her gaze. She smiled, flashing a grin that still made Gemma feel a little leery.
“What may I make for you?”
Gemma glanced around. Big wasn’t in sight. She walked closer to Magna. “Where is Big?”
“I’m not aware of his location.”
“Okay. Tracking him isn’t one of your skills. Got it. Did he eat already?”
“No.”
“I’ll wait for him.”
Magna just stared at her with that weird smile, showing off her metal teeth.
“Um, why don’t you go wait out of the kitchen until he returns.”
Magna lifted her hands from the counter, spun around, and went into her closet, the door sealing behind her. Gemma was glad to see her go. She returned to the bedrooms, checking the two empty ones. Big wasn’t in either. She returned to the living room, and Magna didn’t reappear. She must have taken the command to