"I thought you would be staying in that mansion?" Royce asked as he helped her with her bag.
"Some rules, actually, I did something worst and was expecting something worst. I thought I already lost my job there, but I'm glad I didn't."
"You had done something wrong? That's somewhat hard to believe. I know how my Mina was. You planned things and always prudent." Royce gave her a teasing smile.
"Stop it. You're just trying to be cute. Actually, an accident almost happened. But I'm glad that it didn't. I almost broke something, and I thought I'd get fired. Well, I guess, even though I lost a home and had to find one, it was at least better. Since I still had my job, right?" Mina smiled tried to lighten the issue. She knew that it was something she needed to talk seriously with Royce.
She stayed silent as the car dashed off and for a bit inside the taxi.
"So, where are you planning to stay now? Should I bring you back to your home?" Royce asked Mina while massaging her hands and pressing his lips on her head.
Mina could feel the comfort from that touch. One thing that she liked about Royce the most was his being romantic and sweet. However, at the same time, that was also one of the things that worried her in their relationship.
Their relationship grew faster than she had expected that she even almost thought they were on the verge of getting married even though she knew how Royce wasn't ready for it. Nevertheless, it didn't bother Mina. She knew what she wanted, and she knew her limitations. She was the one in control of her body, and she knew what to do with it.
"That's one thing I want to ask from you, Royce. I didn't have a place to stay right now. I can't go back and be with my family with my dad particularly. As of the moment, I know he probably was already back at the house. The station would only hold him for twenty-four hours, and without a complaint, they will free him." Mina hoped for Royce's sympathy and tried to do the cat's begging eyes without her knowing how much Royce wanted it more than she knew.
"I can help you with that. Although we knew that we can't stay at mom's, our hometown was so far from here. Do you like to stay with me in that boarding house?"
Mina felt like being delighted the moment she heard Royce.
"But, I want you to know that it was actually supposed to be a whole male's dormitory. But, don't worry, the landlady wasn't that strict. Even my roommate's girlfriends stayed there sometimes."
Mina was suddenly out of words with what she heard from Royce's, and she felt a bit worried. However, it didn't bother her. She could stay the entire day inside his room, and she didn't need to deal with Royce's housemates. That was easy for her since she would only stay there during the evening and work in the daytime.
"That's fine, I guess, as long as I got my head under a roof as the night time comes." She smiled, trying to be more optimistic.
"And you will also get a new pillow later, this." On the other hand, Royce showed off his bulging biceps to Mina, and Mina had only managed to smile awkwardly.
She wasn't really planning to sleep beside Royce. She could settle herself even on the floor if she needed to. Nevertheless, she didn't have to mention that to Royce. She simply had to let him feel excited, and she knew she could deal with it the exact moment needed.
Nonetheless, Mina didn't anticipate that she would be facing worst than she thought. She maybe was aware of the fact that the entire house would be like a basketball quarter with men on the sofa of the house of the living room and probably some on the kitchen. What she hadn't anticipated was that the entire house would look like a bar, which she usually saw on television.
Some men were on the sofa, but it wasn't just them watching television. Most of them got girls tucked beside them, if not on them, sitting on their lap. Some are even making out in the middle of the group and some who seemed to be singles were simply cheering them.
Royce greeted his housemates with a big grin on his face and proudly introduced her to them.
"Hey guys, this is Mina, my girlfriend," he announced.
"Oh, the long-haired, the one I saw the other day was the bob-haired one-" One of the guys commented that Mina assumed not to notice. Since Royce cut him off by throwing his face towel on him.
"C'mon, let's just go upstairs." Royce pulled her upstairs, and Mina simply nodded, leaving a smile to his peers.
Nonetheless, there was another unexpected thing she failed to anticipate. The thought and worries of staying in a room with Royce were an understatement. Mina felt like losing her strength as she saw two sets of double-deck inside that room. The cluttered floor with scattered man's stuff on it and on their unkempt bed was simply telling her that all those beds were occupied.
However, there was no harm in asking more, she thought. Maybe it was actually all Royce's stuff being scattered. Even though it was too apparent that each bed got its own covered mattress and was clear as a bell that it was used, she still tried to ask Royce, hoping for some miracles.
"Royce? Aren't you alone in this room?" She blurted with her hesitant voice.
"Of course not, had I mentioned to you before that I was staying in a shared room and just renting a bed space?" Royce chuckled over Mina's reaction. "Hey, don't worry. I am here, so you are safe here." He pulled her close into a comforting hug.
Mina was left in silence. She simply took a deep breath and remembered what she said moments ago.
'As long as I had a roof when I sleep.'
That was all she needed as of the moment. Beggars can't be chooser anyway. She had to deal with it.