“Oh, by all means,” Raphael nodded. “Just go ahead.”
“I meant for you to turn around,” she felt a sudden urge to giggle at their boyish mischievousness but managed to stay serious.
“Turn around,” Renwick instructed Raphael and they immediately did so.
Mina rushed over to the wardrobe and got some clothes out. She quickly put them on, then went back to the bed but she didn’t sit down next to them. She remained standing, like a mother scolding her two boys who were up to no good.
“Okay, you can turn around now,” she told them.
“Not as nice as before but I can work with it,” Raphael winked at her.
“You really are a pig, aren’t you,” she rolled her eyes again and the guys both laughed.
She couldn’t resist joining in.
“I don’t really have anything to offer you, guys,” she told them. “I could rush over to the machine in the hallway and get you some coffee.”
“We were actually hoping you’d agree to go to the Bunker tonight,” Raphael said.
“Oh, the message,” she remembered, biting her lip. “I’m kinda tired.”
“Oh, come on,” Renwick urged her.
“Yeah, come on!” Raphael repeated.
“Seriously guys, it’s been a helluva weekend and I’m beat,” she replied, changing her mind about the offered coffee.
“Well, we could stay here with you,” Raphael grinned. “Keep you safe from all harm?”
“I appreciate the offer but like I said, I just want to hit the hay.”
“The lady has spoken,” Renwick got up, “come on, pig.”
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The guys laughed again. Mina had no idea that the guys were such good friends. It was obvious from the way they treated each other. She had to admit, she was surprised to see two such different guys function so well together. She guessed that was why Renwick was such a good advocate for Raphael when they spoke the last time.
“Are you sure?” Renwick asked again and the twinkle in his eyes sent goosebumps down her back.
For a second, she imagined his fingers leafing through her body like he leafs through one of his favorite books: slowly, passionately, with complete focus and interest. She felt a hotness arising from somewhere deep inside of her.
She looked at Raphael, then back at Renwick. She realized only now that she had a major crush on both of them. A crush on Renwick she could totally understand. He was everything she liked in a guy but Raphael was a complete mystery. She hated guys like that. She couldn’t stand them. She wanted them as far away from her as possible and, yet, his presence made her nervous, it made her palms sweaty, it made her heart beat faster and faster. She wanted him to talk to her dirty, just so she could pretend to be offended and talk back to him. It was so much fun but she’d never admit it, especially not to him.
Then, a scary thought occurred to her. What if he already knew that? What if he knew exactly how he made her feel and that was why he was pushing for this so hard?
She swallowed heavily, and thought about it for a second. One coffee. Could it really hurt?
The two of them there, with her - it felt right. Sure, Raphael was being his cocky self as always but she instantly remembered how they’d clicked last time they had a coffee together and how she thought she’d regret it. No such thing happened. She liked them both, that much was obvious and the guys were here for a reason, too. Maybe that reason was the same?
“Okay then,” she shrugged her shoulders, pretending like she was indifferent to their presence, “I can go and grab us that coffee and you can stay a while.”
She started to the door but Renwick bolted towards her and gently grabbed her shoulder. His closeness and his touch made her feel like she was standing on top of an active volcano. Her blood turned to lava, boiling hot. She could keep her guard up only for so long, until it would come crashing down before them, allowing them to do to her whatever they pleased.
“Wait,” Renwick smiled. “I’ll go. You stay here.”
His voice was kind and gentle, she almost couldn’t believe that a guy’s voice could ever be so soothing. All she wanted to do now was give him an acoustic guitar and make him sing love songs all night long. The thought made her grin uncontrollably.
“Did I say something funny?” he asked.