Mating with the Lincoln Twins

I had posted the apartment rental ad on Airbnb, and within an hour, I already had an appointment to show it. The booking was under a user named Mr. Lincoln. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the door to greet the potential renters. They were absolutely gorgeous. As I welcomed them into the apartment, I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was standing before two breathtakingly handsome men. And they were twins. Living, breathing Greek statues. “Hello, welcome,” I said, my cheeks burning to their limit. “I’m Selene, and this is the apartment I’m renting.” I noticed that the twins' eyes lingered on me for a few moments. They looked at me with barely concealed mischief, and only when my hands refused to stay still did they finally turn their attention back to the reason they were here. “Shall we start with the kitchen?” I asked, swallowing my nerves. I was starting to feel anxious at the thought that something might not meet their standards, that the place wouldn’t be good enough for them. I kept glancing at their clothes—they had to be designer. Their watches were Rolex, and their shoes probably cost twice as much as what they were paying for the entire fifteen-day stay. “The appliances are a bit old,” I said, feeling the urgent need to be upfront with them. I didn’t want them to file a complaint later. “But they all work perfectly. The dishware is complete, as well as the cutlery and cleaning supplies.” I was a bundle of nerves. At any moment, I expected them to turn around and leave. But when I glanced at their faces, I noticed they looked satisfied. In fact, they barely seemed to be paying attention to what I was showing them. It felt like they were more interested in me. “Shall we check out the bedrooms?” They nodded, and I opened the first room. “The beds are a little old too, but they’re clean, and the linens are brand new. The furniture has seen some years, but it’s still comfortable.” “I think it’s perfect,” one of the twins said. “What do you think, Kael?” “I like it, Lean. We’ll take it.” I didn’t know how to react. They hadn’t even seen the whole place yet. It felt like they had inspected me more than the apartment. “Really? But you haven’t even—” “We like it, Selene. There’s nothing more to discuss,” Lean said, a little curt but not rude. “My brother will send you the payment for the fifteen days right now, and I’ll make an additional deposit for potential damages.” “Oh, but… well. Thank you.” I saw that Kael had already pulled out his phone and was processing the payment. “It’s all set, Selene. No need to worry,” Lean said. “Shall we sign?” I opened my bag and took out my phone. It was an old model—nothing like the latest iPhones they both had. Still, Lean took my phone without hesitation and signed his name on the app. Then he handed it back to me with a smile that made my entire body tremble. I still couldn’t believe how easy it had been to rent out the apartment—or that these two incredibly gorgeous men were my first clients. “The payment is done, including the damage deposit and a little extra, for your time, Selene,” Kael said. I hadn’t even requested a damage deposit in the listing. I thought the rental price was more than fair. But if they wanted to give me extra money—and they clearly had plenty to spare—who was I to refuse? “Thank you so much. That’s very kind of you,” I said. “Well, you have my number. If you need anything, just let me know, okay?” “You’ve been very kind, Selene,” Lean replied. He seemed to be the more formal and polite of the two. “We hope we won’t have to bother you.” Honestly, they could bother me all they wanted. Just imagining the sound of their voices over the phone made me eager for their first call. “All right, then. I hope everything is to your liking. Goodbye.” Lean stepped forward and opened the door for me. As he did, his cologne hit me, and I silently wished the apartment would keep that scent forever. “Goodbye, Selene. It was a pleasure meeting you.” As I left the building, I realized I was still trembling. The sensation stayed with me all the way home, where I planned to have lunch and take a relaxing shower. But everything changed the moment I arrived and saw the huge red notice on my door. "IMMEDIATE EVICTION" What the hell? Beneath the glaring sign, there was another notice in much smaller print, seemingly explaining what was going on. Heart pounding, I leaned in and read the document. The house had been seized by the tax department due to an outstanding debt left by my parents before they passed away. That was impossible. When I had received my inheritance a year ago—shortly after their deaths—the lawyer had assured me that everything was in order. No debts. I had been told I could keep both the house and the apartment I had just rented to the twins. And now this? Where the hell was I supposed to live? Even worse, all my belongings were inside the house. My clothes, my toiletries, my laptop—everything. I considered tearing the notice off the door, just so I could sneak in and grab my things, but then I saw the warning below. Tampering with the sign—even slightly—could land me in jail. What the hell was I going to do? I bent down on the sidewalk, feeling desperation creep up my legs, tighten around my stomach, and push tears to my eyes. But I forced them back. Crying wouldn’t solve this. Right now, I needed to figure out my most immediate problem—where to spend the night. My high school friends had all moved away to study in other cities. Their parents no longer lived here either; most had sold their homes and relocated to smaller houses in quieter towns. I had no one to turn to, and staying in a hotel would deal a massive blow to my monthly budget, which was already going to take a hit when I had to replace all the clothes stuck inside the house. Besides, a hotel would only solve my problem for one night. What about the next day? And the one after that? I was screwed. Only one option remained. I took the bus back to where I had come from. Standing in front of the door, I took a deep breath. After five long minutes of hesitation, I gathered the courage to do what needed to be done. I knocked. The apartment door opened, and standing in front of me was a redhead with one eyebrow raised and her lips twisted in a way that said she’d just seen something unpleasant. "And who are you?" she asked, not even pretending to be polite. I was speechless. I had expected to see one of the twins— Not a woman with a gaze that felt like a medical scan. "I… uh… I was wondering if…" Before I could finish the sentence, another girl appeared. Blonde. Taller. Colder. She didn’t even bother to look me up and down— She’d already judged me. For a moment, I thought about mentioning the twins. Saying I knew Kael. That I’d rented the apartment to them. But these girls carried the kind of attitude that didn’t ask for explanations. They already believed they knew everything worth knowing about me. "Do you have some kind of mental issue, or are you just lost?" The redhead crossed her arms. Her tone wasn’t mocking. It was sharp. Precise. "I’m sorry… I must’ve made a mistake," I murmured, stepping back. It had been a terrible idea. Ridiculous. I turned around, face flushed, heart pounding against my ribs. I was just about to step off the first stair when a male voice called out behind me. "Selene?"