I stared up at the gaudily-lit neon sign, emblazoned with the name "Rent-A-Mommy Emporium, established 202X". It was a veritable symbol of the brave new world I lived in, as ugly or beautiful as it might be. As mankind drew further into the comforts of VR worlds, artificial companions, and simulated AI friendships, so too did the "people business" boom—a market for people searching for the now-rare morsels of real human contact, bringing with it establishments like "The Dollar Hug", "Small-Talk Cafe," and "The Friend Depot".
I wasn't a common purveyor of such establishments, but upon the recommendation of a friend (or chatbot, it was hard to tell), I found myself here. Unlike many places which promised the "girlfriend experience" (or boyfriend), this "Mommy Emporium" offered something different—not quite a lovey-dovey girlfriend, and not quite a doting mom, but something in-between. That's what I heard, anyway.
After taking one last look at the sign, I took a deep breath and pushed my way past the doors. Inside, I found row upon row of platforms—too many to count, at least at first glace. Upon each sat a mature-looking woman upon a plush chair, with a placard before them detailing their name and some personality information. 'Marianne - Age 35: Short, sweet, and loves to cook!' 'Silvia - Age 40: Overbearing and Overendowed!' 'Lisa - Age 39: The ice-queen mom you never had!' The list went on! Most of them smiled and waved as I passed by, with some making comments—some saccharine, some salacious, and some mock-chastising for not picking them.
I didn't know what to say, so I continued to roam the aisles. I soon caught the attention of another woman, one that wore an apron emblazoned with the Emporium's logo.
"Welcome!" she beamed. I noticed she wore a nametag which read 'Juno'. "First time here?"
"Yeah," I replied, nodding in response. "Never been to a place like this before."
Placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, Juno said "I'll show you around, then!"
Juno took me on a grand tour of the Emporium, showing me the works. Not only were there your regular run-of-the-mill mommies, but there were also teacher mommies, ditzy mommies, goth mommies, athletic mommies, old-fashioned mommies, foreign mommies, and everything in-between, including some more specialized types like military officer mommies or cosplay mommies. What a world! I had no idea there were so many different types. Could I really choose a rental-mommy with such a variety to pick from?
Pointing out one in particular, Juno confidently proclaimed "You'll like this one, I guarantee it!"
I turned my attention to the rental mommy in question. She