Page 109 of Whirlwind

Chapter 3

Angel

Angel forced herself to wait in the stairwell for ten slow, deep breaths. Just long enough for Nina to get upstairs and make herself a little nervous, but not long enough to do anything about it.

She wanted to be calm though, even while her heart was racing.

She hadn’t ever imagined herself here again with Nina, and she wanted desperately to avoid screwing it up.

She probably should have taken her out for coffee. Invited her to dinner. Something normal and mature and responsible. That was how she usually started dating someone these days.

But Nina made her feel young and wild. Desperate like she hadn’t been in years.

Not to mention that they’d always communicated well through this dynamic.

Angel climbed the stairs, letting her shoes echo loudly so that Nina would know she was coming. She took a quick look around as she passed the front door.

Nina had a cute place, small but run down. She must be renting it from the bar owner, which would match the nice things that Angel had heard about Whirlwind.

When Angel stepped inside, she nearly tripped over a pile of shoes by the door. There were clothes draped over the couch and on one chair of the small table in the even smaller kitchen.

It turned out that Nina was a bit messy, something that she hadn’t realized while they were both stuck in the rigid institutionalism of boarding school. She found it kind of endearing. How many other mysteries would there be to discover?

She looked quickly around. To the right was a kitchenette with a rickety table and two chairs. A ceramic vase sat on top of it. The scant handful of carnations inside were drooping, but the vase was bold and passionate, a chaotic collective of deep reds and blues. She wondered if Nina had made it.

The living room held an ugly brown couch with a few blankets tossed on it, but the walls were vibrant with tacked up sketches and canvasses. There was even a fantastical mermaid painted on a reused piece of corrugated cardboard.

The styles were eclectic, so Angel assumed these were from friends, rather than Nina’s work. She remembered Nina’s art as being dark and broody with splashes of a single vibrant color. But she was older now, and perhaps her style had changed.

Angel wanted to see what her work looked like now. She wanted to know everything.

She turned down a narrow hallway on the left. She walked past the bathroom, unsurprised to see a jumble of products strewn over the sink and tub. The position of the next door suggested it was a closet.

Finally, she stood outside Nina’s room. The door was shut, but she could hear movement inside. The rapid tap of feet. Was Nina preparing for her? Nervously pacing? Maybe trying to clear a spot on the bed?

The affectionate thought tangled with the possessive and wild intensity of her teenaged dreams. They were both new people, older and more certain of who they were. But Nina still brought out every ounce of raw need.

And now they had the opportunity for a do-over. It wouldn’t be the same as it might have been at the time. But coming back to it now might heal some of those wounds. She’d definitely learned a few tricks along the way. And she would be much more clear about what she wanted.

She pushed open the door.

Nina let out a startled squeak and froze in place.

Angel’s little mouse. She could almost hear her rapid heartbeat where it pulsed at her throat.

Nina was still wearing her uniform from work, the black t-shirt with the Whirlwind logo and the short black skirt. Her freckles stood out on her porcelain skin, though a blush quickly rose to obscure them under Angel’s devouring gaze.

Angel smiled wickedly. They both knew who had the upper hand. She closed the door behind her, making the point of turning the little dial in the knob. “Where’s your roommate?” she asked, moving right into the scene.

“Gone?” Nina seemed to fumble for words.

Angel took three assertive steps toward her. “And when will she be back?”

Nina shook her head. “Not ‘til, um, tomorrow night. She’s gone for the weekend.”

Whether that was just part of the scene or an invitation to stay longer, it pleased Angel to hear. “You’ll still have to be quiet, slut. Anyone could hear you. The dorm walls are thin.”

Nina visibly shivered. “What are you going to do?” she asked, voice just above a whisper.