Renrael

Trouble Comes in Threes

"Where the hell you been?” The door wasn’t even fully open before his cousin’s voice hit him.

Renrael grit his teeth and dropped his camping pack just inside the door. He shrugged out of his his jacket and tossed it onto the waiting chair. If it happened to hit said cousin, Renrael didn’t mind.

“Out. Had a date.”

“Another one? Better not be a fucking guard again. Over night, too. You must really like this one.”

“Different girl. And we didn’t sleep together. I didn’t sleep with either of them.” He turned to face the other man, taking in his slumped posture, the rumpled shirt, and the beer bottle in his hand. “You owe me for all these beers. And the silver you took two weeks ago. I didn’t forget, I noticed.”

His cousin’s lip curled sourly but he simply grunted and went back to staring in front of himself. “Two different women this week, eh? Not back with that guard.”

“No.” Renrael paused and looked up from the arcane icebox he was pulling his own beer from. He slammed the door harder than he meant, rattling the dishes stored on top. “No. Not the guard. Haven’t heard from her. Two different girls asked me out this week.”

“You met some girl last week, too. Ab saw you in the Row with her. Dark haired, fine boned. Noble. Who was that? How’d you get all these women chasing you?” It was the most interested in life he’d seen his cousin since his brother had died. Renrael wasn’t happy to be talking about the subject, but if it helped distract Ian, that was something.

“Yeah, met up with an old friend. She needed an ear.” The first swallow was bitter, but he kept going until he’d pulled half his beer down. “Haven’t heard from her since. But going to meet up with her again, soon. Not a date though, that. And the other two? … Definitely dates, they tell me. Can’t help but wonder if I’m not being the butt of someone’s joke--those women both coincidentally taking interest in me? Feels rigged.” He snorted, peeling at the label.

“Eh, you were always charming. Maybe it’s some kind of competition.”

Renrael smirked and shook his head, “I don’t think so. They’re both nice women. Tried to be upfront with them--not looking for serious dating right now. They’re both chasing something I don’t think I can give them. Not right now anyway. … You know both of them told me they thought I had kids? One even said she thought I was married with a ‘ton’ of kids. Light, I gotta get out more.” He tipped his bottle up.

“So gonna go out again?”

“Maybe. Like I said, they’re both nice. Both are beautiful. One’s dark-haired and sexy as hell, but she’s trying too hard. She’s not seeing me. She’s seeing anyone BUT this other guy she’s stuck on. I’m just a distraction. I don’t want to be that guy; I can be her friend, but I’m not going to be her stand-in boyfriend, or the guy that’s there to make someone else jealous.” He snorted, “Still, she’s fun. I like her. Maybe I’m wrong.”

“What about the other one?”

“Sweet. She’s torn up about things I don’t know anything about right now. She’s a mom. Twin kids. … we went camping. Where I just got back from. Very sweet, pretty. Kind of girl you take home to your mom, you know? Smart. She’s a healer. But she’s raw right now, too. Emotionally. Just … sore. Apparently she’s also got a thing for a ranger I’ve seen around. So I’m probably just a distraction again.” Renrael shrugged and his beer was finished. A long exhale and he ran his hand through his hair as he leaned forward and set the bottle down on the table. “She didn’t want to go on a vacation by herself, but she needed one. I offered to go with her for a night as friends. She then asked it be a date.”

“Gonna keep seeing them?”

“Maybe. I like both of them. But…”

“But?”

Renrael shrugged again and got up, leaving his cousin to watch him as he left to his bedroom to sleep.