The X Factor

                                    

                                          
"Am I past my 'use-by' date?" I asked.
Cece lowered her morning paper and looked at me. "No, my love.You are perfect. In your prime. Better than that, you haven't reached your full potential yet."
I smiled at her words and set the milk carton on the kitchen table. "All this stuff," I waved my hand at the breakfast  fixings, "comes with a 'sell-by' or 'best if used by' warning. "What if we do too? Is there a barcode on the back of my neck?"
"No silly, it is on your inner thigh. I saw it there just last night,"
I smiled at the memory of last night. "I'm serious, Cece. At what point are they going to say, 'RJ, your parts are obsolete. We can't give you a new hip, knee, elbow; whatever."
"I thought your last overhaul came with a fifty-year guarantee?" She smiled and reached over to pat my cheek. "RJ, you are fine. Unless there is something you're not telling me...?"
"No, just feeling old, I guess." I got up and picked up the breakfast dishes. In three steps I was at the sink. As I rinsed out the cereal bowls, I casually asked, "Who is on your schedule today?"
She looked up with a slight frown, "RJ, what's this about? You know I can't discuss my clients with you."
"Are you seeing him again?" I couldn't help it. This was degenerating into a familiar pattern.
"We are NOT having this conversation." Cece folded her paper roughly and reached across the table for the section I had been reading. Her face softened as she saw what I had been looking at. "The new models are out."
"Yep." 
"Is that what this is about?"
"Look at the prices."
"How can they sell them so cheaply?" Cece read the details listed under the pictures. "I see they've dropped the 'X' designation. They are just calling them escorts or companions now; and they've scaled back the features. Some of these are very primitive." 
"They can't call them 'X' models if they are not autonomous and proficient in every aspect of the art of love.. One of my clients actually asked my opinion of them yesterday. She was thinking of buying one. I told her I thought it was a one-trick pony. She said it looked like it would do what she needed." 
"RJ, they are not going to replace you. You may lose a few clients, but you have so many skills, you will always be in demand."
"I don't know, Cece. Maybe it's time we think about retiring. We have put away enough to live comfortably."
"RJ..."
"We could always just scale back. Take on the clients that we can truly help and let the pleasure bots serve the rest."
CC6X patted her partner's cheek again. "I have to go. I'll think about it, I promise."
As RJ finished the breakfast dishes, his ear buzzed. Pressing a button on his wrist, he sighed and answered, "RJXL. Yes, I have an opening at two. How many? Three of you? Yes. Text me the address."