Page 51 of The Devil’s Feather

“I love it! I love you.”

He took a knee and kissed me. “I love you too, and you missed something.”

At my questioning look, he reached over and pulled the chain on a neon sign to my left. I’d been so focused on the desk and the art I hadn’t noticed it.

‘SMUT’ glowed in cursive hot pink and turquoise.

1 “Discipline” – Nine Inch Nails

14

TALL ENOUGH TO SEE INTO YOUR GRIM FUTURE

We met Deandra in Palo Alto for brunch on the mild, sunny Saturday—typical California spring weather. Rafael made reservations at some fancy restaurant. I trusted his taste, if not his driving habits. I white-knuckled that ride to the tune of weird Euro-pop.

“Be prepared for people to stare and ask inappropriate questions.” Rafael helped me out of the SUV. “It happens every time I go out in public.”

“Is this what it feels like to date a celebrity?” I smoothed away the rumples in my blouse left by the seatbelt.

He scoffed. “This is what it feels like to date someone with a visual difference.”

Tension carved deeper lines into his face. He was sacrificing his comfort to make me happy.

I wove my arm through his and squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll fight ‘em for you. I’m scrappier than I look.”

Rafael smiled, eye crinkles and all.

Deandra spotted us from the corner and called out, “Where am I supposed to be going?”

It was nice to see her out of scrubs for once. She’d been working doubles for a while to make some extra cash. I didn’t know how she managed all that and still left the house on her rare days off, but she looked great as always. Only Dee could pull off that much denim on denim in her matching patchwork top and jeans.

I jogged across the parking lot to her and gave her a hug. “Is that a new septum ring?”

She grinned. “Treating myself to get over Bolt.”

“Cute! Follow the big redhead.”

The big redhead nodded toward his right, and I led Dee across the street ahead of him. We rounded the corner and an incubator’s worth of tech bros plowed into us.⁠1

I fell, landing hard on my knee on the pavement. “Ow, fuck!”

“Stupid bitch.” The blonde guy who’d knocked me down tugged angrily on his quarter-zip. Everything about him screamed ‘rich white asshole’.

A black and red blur shot past me. Rafael slammed the man into the side of the building with a forearm across his throat. The other guys swarmed us, yelling at him.

“If she is hurt, I will fucking kill you,” Rafael snarled at the bottom of his register.

The hair on my arms stood up. I hated how much that aroused me. Mostly.

Blonde bro clawed ineffectually at the pinning arm. “Fuck off me, you⁠—”

Rafael pressed his forearm harder into the man’s windpipe, choking off the protests, and looked at me. “Are you ok?”

I blinked rapidly. A meltdown loomed on the horizon. “I’m ok, just a skinned knee. Rafael, let him go.” My voice came from far away. Not good. “Please!”

Deandra snapped in my face. “Hey. Keep it focused. Stay with me.” She squatted and examined my knee, ignoring the commotion. Only person I knew who carried pressure bandages and a bottle of saline in her purse. “Do you have your earbuds?”

“I-in my purse, I think.” Damn, my jeans were ripped.