Schematic Beauty

"It's love, all we're looking for is love, from someone else..."

The antique Bluetooth speaker crackled through the sunset; the orange sky cast long shadows.

The company car pulled up against the edge of the property where the driveway met the road.
Jeni sighed, running her fingertips over the brown manila folder in her hands. The cheerful air freshener on the dashboard bobbed up and down. She nodded back at it, smiling to herself.
"Are You going to be alright?" her driver asked, her hands leaving the steering wheel to sweep her hair up into a ponytail.

"I will be," Jeni said, opening the passenger seat door. She stepped into the cool air, looking at the way the breeze ruffled the trees lining the streets on either side of the road. The bite of the autumn wind, something sweet and slightly sticky, cotton-candy sunlight on the tongue. Jeni squinted against the sun escaping the leaf-maze of the street's trees. She breathed in forget-me-nots and a faint touch of citrus. Out here, free of the heavy musk of students, she felt like she could breathe freely again.

"It's the last day Daedalus Sanjay is under contract."

"I know."

"Just...be careful, alright? Don't do anything stupid."

"I know, Jess. This is a purely professional relationship. Just go home for the night. And thanks for the ride." 

Jeni stepped out of the car, closing the door firmly behind her. Jess rolled down the car window, looking at her from inside the car.

"You total liar. Look, speaking to you, you...you fucking failure of your precious 'Bechdel test'? You've been talking about Sanjay and losing Sanjay and enjoying spending time with Sanjay - endlessly! For weeks! ...I just - I need to know that you're okay, now that your last day with Sanjay is here."

"I'm okay. Go home, Jess."

"...As you wish. Icarus Jeni." Jess pinned her with a stare.

"I understand! I'm one-hundred percent professional, you don't have to job-title me!" Jeni waved her off with a smile. "Love you too!"

Jess kept the unblinking stare on Jeni as she slowly, dramatically, rolled up the window.

The car silently rolled onto the main road, leaving Jeni alone on the driveway.

---

"A look in somebody's eyes, to light up the skies..."

The heavy key-ring jingled as she found the right key to the house with her eyes closed, her fingertips tracing the cold metal bumps and nooks by habit. The Bluetooth speaker cut off, the lack of La La Land leaving a ringing silence where its music was. Jeni could hear the crickets taking over from the crackling speaker. The door slid open before she got to it.

"Jeni."

"Daedalus. Hey." Jeni nodded at the tall, wiry Keralan man in the doorway. She did not reach for him. She did not. "How's it going?"

"I'm just working on the last implant now. What've you got for me?"

"I've got the MRIs of him, the guy who picked you... and the other assorted scans of the other twelve for you."

"Thanks. Please, come in. Make yourself at home."

"You know I always do, San-jay." She watched him laugh, pleased and glowing in herself and trying not to let the accomplished feeling wash over her.

Jeni slid the manila folder to him, watching their hands meet and part as the last thing he needed from her passed from her grasp. She walked into the house behind him, untying her hair from its bun. She unbuttoned her suit jacket and threw it carelessly over the coat stand. The little magnetic strip in it attached itself to the coat stand with a clink.

"How's the job up on the hill?"

"...Tough." Jeni found her way to his couch, and fell into it. She bounced her head off the soft henna-style embroidery of the cushion. She kicked off her work shoes, revelling in the freedom of being able to wriggle her toes.

"Tough? What do you mean by 'tough'?"

"It's hard to describe. But. Are you sure you don't mind me talking about it?"

Even looking up at the ceiling, she could hear the smile in his voice. "I never mind. You know that, Jeni."

"Yeah, Sanjay. I know."

She could hear the quiet noise of the folder being placed next to his workspace, and the clicks of the clips as he pegged the medical scans up next to where the last implant must be. The other implants' bioelectric LEDs, already active, cast little ovals of aqua-blue light up onto the ceiling.

She counted them absently. All fulfilled, as their best Daedalus had promised. She couldn't relax, though. Not tonight. Not tonight, when the pressure mounted and the clock ticked away to when she'd never see Sanjay again.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet," Jeni said. "Are you cooking tonight?"

"I thought we'd get takeaway. It's a celebration, after all."

"I guess. ...I mean," Jeni said, when Sanjay looked at her sharply, "I'm going to go take off my makeup."

"Go on," he said.

"I'll be less than five."

"Go," he said. She could hear the smile in his voice.