“No, stay, I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think you understand. I can’t be away from you,” I said.
She smiled shyly. “You’re sweet.”
“No, I literally cannot be away from you, Evey; I’m your guardian angel.”
“Ha…” She looked away curiously. “That’s right. I keep forgetting.”
AFTER THAT NIGHT, we chose to put all of the questions away in the cupboard for a while. We carried on like a couple in love, spending every minute together. However wrong it might have been, we were so lovesick it made our choice to go against the rules feel right. I’d make myself invisible while she was at work, but she knew I was there. I’d knock something over and she’d start giggling, and pretty soon, Tracey thought Evey was losing her mind. But Evey was creating the best designs of her life, and I was the happiest I’d ever been. I didn’t tell Evey that I lost feathers every day and that things that used to be simple for me were getting harder and harder.
I found a weird and crappy way of making money. During magic hours, I’d go into heavy crime areas and steal from thieves. I’d take most of the money back to the rightful owners and keep a small share for myself. I didn’t tell Evey; I wasn’t exactly Robin Hood. I hadn’t seen Zack in a long time. I did wish for a better life for him though. Maybe someday he’d give it all up for love like I had.
I caught Mona coming out of the soda shop one night, but she just held her hand up and said, “I can’t. I’m sorry, Lucian.”
Angels ignored me, God ignored me, I couldn’t even get a retweet on Twitter… but at least I had Evey.
“THEY’RE OYSTERS, AND they’re an aphrodisiac,” I told her, lifting one to her mouth.
“I know what they are. I’m just not a fan. Plus, we don’t need aphrodisiacs.”
“True, but I always wanted you to have a sophisticated palate. You’ve never even tried an oyster. Just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat anymore.”
She laughed. “Sophisticated palate?”
“Yes. Jane and Steve were always feeding you Hamburger Helper and Shake ’n Bake chicken.”
She scowled. “I hate it when you talk about my parents that way. And by the way, you’re the one acting like a dad now.”
“I love your parents, Evey; they made you.” It was true. I owed them everything. “I’m just saying I want to give you life experiences you wouldn’t have normally had. Here, try it.”
She rolled her eyes but opened her mouth anyway. The oyster slid out of the shell onto her tongue. “Just one chomp then swallow it whole” She did. Her face scrunched up like it was the worst thing she had ever eaten. She gagged, her eyes watered, and then she finally gulped it down. “Good girl,” I told her.
She glared at me. “That was disgusting.”
“It’s kind of an acquired taste.”
“I don’t want to acquire that taste.”
I kissed her and tasted the salt water on her lips. “Mm, that’s good,” I murmured against her mouth. She deepened the kiss for a moment but then pulled away and squinted. “What?” I said.
“I didn’t like the oyster at all, but that kiss was strangely erotic.”
“I told you. I’ve been around for a while. I know these things. Plus, you wouldn’t have had that experience with your dad.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.
Her expression fell. “How many women have you been with?”
“You’re the only human I’ve ever been with.” I smiled, satisfied with myself.
“No. You know what I mean.”
“Oh, did you mean angels?”
“Yes, which is even worse, but tell me… how many?” She was getting jealous. I know it’s weird, but I kind of liked it.
We were in the back of the Ferry Building, at an oyster bar that looked out at the bay. I scanned the bay for flying angels but didn’t see any. “I don’t know. It’s been two thousand years. I’ve lost count.”
She looked a bit disturbed but also thoughtful. “Let’s just say for the sake of this argument, you’ve slept with five thousand angels.”
I snorted.
“You jerk. I’m trying to make a point. I’m also trying to get to know you.”
“You know me better than anyone, but five thousand? Come on. That would be less than three a year. Let’s be realistic.”
She squinted. “Give me a number, Lucian.”
“Maybe… a few hundred thousand.” I was being conservative. I shrugged. “There isn’t much to do during magic hours. I’m not proud of it, okay?”
She put her head in her hands and groaned. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
“I bet I’m terrible in bed,” she said, “compared to all the experienced women you’ve been with.”
“Angels, they’re different, and anyway, are you kidding me? It is out of this world, utterly spectacular with you. There’s nothing else like it. We were made for each other, Evey. I believe that.”
She looked up and smiled before lifting an oyster to my mouth. I swallowed it, and we kissed. “We should go home,” she whispered near my ear.
We couldn’t keep our hands off of each other long enough to finish a meal. On our way out of the Ferry Building I asked, “Hey, do you know how holy water is made?”
“Yeah, it’s blessed by a priest, right?”
“Guess again, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know,” she said, “tell me.”
Leading her by the hand, toward the street, I turned back and grinned. “You have to boil the hell out of it.”
She laughed all the way home.
LATER THAT NIGHT, sitting behind Evey in the tub, I washed and rinsed out her hair with water that I most certainly had blessed. She sighed with pleasure, and then said, “So what is it exactly, between you and me?”
In my most definitive and certain voice, I replied, “It’s simple, we’re in love.”
“Right, but what does that mean? Will you just hover around me and have sex with me until I die?”
“Sounds perfect,” I said.
She giggled. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” I kissed the top of her head and then let my hand slide down her back until I reached her butt. She made a satisfied sound, so I pinched it.
“Ouch!” She squirmed away.
Brooklyn banged loudly on the door as she walked by. Her jealousy was off the charts. I picked Evey up out of the tub, grabbed a towel with my teeth, and carried her to the bedroom, both of us completely naked. I knew Brooke would love that.
After we dried off and slid into bed, I rolled over on top of Evey, pinning her between my arms. I kissed her nose. She tried to squirm out from underneath me, but I held her tight until finally, she started tickling me and I had to relent. She managed to roll us over until she was on top.
With one long stroke of her tongue, she licked a streak right up the side of my cheek while holding my hands above my head. “How’s my oyster breath?”
“Divine.” I kissed her on the mouth and rolled her back to my side. “Now go to sleep, my angel; it’s late.”