by Giselle Fox
“You don’t have to do that,” Lexi said.
“And neither do you but we both want to help,” Cate said. She placed the boxes on a table inside the kitchen and then stood in Lexi’s way. “Are you going to stop and talk to me?”
“You want to talk?”
“No, I want to do something else,” Cate said and then grinned. “But for whatever reason, I’m not allowed to. So...” She held up her hands and took a step backward to make her point.
Lexi smiled and looked down at her boots. “You’re trouble,” she said softly.
“I’m trouble? Really? Please explain.” She stood with her hand on her hip. “You want to talk about what happened in the tree house?”
Lexi looked into her eyes.
Cate watched the tiny muscles clench around her jaw. “I guess that’s a no. Are we pretending nothing happened?”
“Cate -”
“I mean, I could pretend I guess, but I’d like to know why since I think it sucks in comparison to what could have happened.” She stared back at Lexi. “Am I right?”
“You’re right,” Lexi said and wiped her face with the back of her hand.
Cate turned and walked back outside as Lexi followed close behind her. She grabbed another stack of boxes and hoisted them off the truck. As she turned, she shot Lexi another look.
“Are you coming to the party tonight?”
“I was considering it,” Lexi said after she’d lifted another stack of boxes.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“It’s a maybe, right now.”
“Keeping your options open?” Cate asked. “Maybe there’s some place more interesting you’d rather be.” She placed the stack of boxes inside on the counter beside Lexi’s stack.
Lexi turned to her suddenly and gripped her wrist. She pushed Cate back against the counter.
Cate looked up into her eyes. “If you’re going to kiss me, Lexi, then do it.”
Lexi bent her head down and brushed her lips up the side of Cate’s neck. “You’re killing me, you know that?” she whispered in her ear.
Cate tried to wrap her arm around her but Lexi caught hold of her other wrist. They stared at each other for a long moment.
“Say you’ll come tonight,” Cate whispered.
“Okay,” Lexi whispered back.
Cate couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across her face.
Lexi watched her lips and then grinned back at her.
“Do you promise?” Cate asked.
Lexi shook her head and then leaned a little closer. “I promise.”
Cate looked down at her wrists, at Lexi’s fingers coiled tightly around them. She imagined them pinning her to something softer than the steel table behind her but then realized the table would do just fine.
Lexi relaxed her grip and chuckled, deep and low. “What are you wearing tonight?”
“Why don’t you come and find out?” Cate answered.
“I’ll be there,” Lexi replied. She let go of Cate’s wrists.
Cate turned and pushed herself back against Lexi’s body. Lexi gripped her hips and held her there. Cate felt her breath slide down her neck. For a few delicious moments, they stayed just like that.
“You’re bad,” Lexi whispered.
Cate looked over her shoulder and blew her a kiss. Then she walked into the restaurant.
Ambrose and the Blooms were already there and Sheila was just coming in the door. Cate took her usual seat on the bench beside Alice.
“I am starving! Let’s eat,” she said happily.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The day went by in a flurry of preparations. After breakfast, which was more like lunch by the time they’d all ordered and ate, Cate and Alice headed back to the apartment and began to play with their costumes. Alice helped Cate with her hair die and Cate helped Alice with hers. By the time they were finished, both the bathroom sink and tub looked as if green, pink, and blue easter eggs had exploded inside.
Alice seemed hesitant at first but by the time five o’clock rolled around she pulled the liquor from the cabinet and fixed them both a drink. Cate didn’t know what was more exciting, the idea of showing off her new look to Lexi or seeing what sort of costume Lexi would come up with.
When the make-up and costumes were on, Cate was truly beginning to feel like a bad girl. After her second drink, she stopped caring altogether about the moratorium on physical contact Lexi had imposed on them. She planned to go for it and go for it hard.
At 8 PM, they made their way down the hall and knocked on Ambrose’s door. Cate could hear the music from the hallway and when the door finally opened, Cate caught the whiff of booze on Ambrose already.
“Ladies!” he said and took a step backward.
Cate let Alice mince through the door first.
Ambrose hung onto the door as if it would hold him up “You make a perfect Poison Ivy. I can tell you what that just did to me,” he said.
Alice smiled proudly. “And now for my bestest friend, Harley Quinn,” she announced and held out her hand.
Cate took it in the air and pranced in alongside her, swinging her bat as best as she could without knee-capping Ambrose in the tight hallway.
“I’m going to need defibrillation,” Ambrose groaned.
“You look fabulous, too,” Cate said to him as he kissed her cheek. He was dressed as Clark Kent with his Superman emblem blazing through his open shirt.
“Come in. The Blooms are in the living room. You won’t miss them.”
Alice walked ahead and whooped when she saw them. “Oh my God! I need a picture!”
Cate followed behind. The Blooms were dressed in giant foamy turtle costumes. Stanley held a fake samurai sword and Esme held nun-chucks.
“The Ninja Turtles!” Cate exclaimed.
The Blooms struck a well-choreographed pose and then almost fell over laughing.
“Too good!” Cate said. “Where did you find these costumes?”
“We ordered them online,” Esme said.
There was another knock at the door and then a voice rang down the hall. “Buenas noches!”
Cate turned around and watched Sheila enter dressed as a picture-perfect Frida Kahlo.
“Is she your hero?” Cate asked.
“One of them,” Sheila smiled.
Esme peered around the corner after her. “Oh! Who are you?”
Sheila rolled her eyes as she put her bag down on the counter. “You want the short story or the long one?” she asked sarcastically.
Calvin was next, dressed as Albert Einstein. “I was hoping you’d both be wearing something tight,” he said.
Cate kept watching the time as drinks were poured. There was no sign of Lexi. She checked to make sure the door was unlocked. Then she checked again when the music went up in case they wouldn’t hear her knock.
Alice could tell she was preoccupied. “Relax. She’s probably not going to show,” she said.
Cate glared at her. “She said she was coming.”
Alice tossed her green hair with her hand. “Well, then where is she?”
Cate didn’t have an answer and by 9:30 pm, she began to wonder whether Lexi was going to show it all. She decided that another drink might calm her nerves.
Everybody had congregated in the kitchen. Everybody except for the Blooms who were keeping themselves occupied in the living room playing DJ and dancing.
“Everything alright, my dear?” Ambrose asked Cate. She’d been wandering up and down the hallway looking at the photographs Ambrose had on his walls.
“I’m great,” she said and clinked his glass with hers.
“There’s more in the spare room,” he said gesturing down the hall.
“Did you take them all?” Cate asked.
“I did, whenever I was on assignment.”
“They’re very good, really,” Cate said.
“Thank you. I almost forget that they’re there sometimes. That life seems so far away now.”
�
�You don’t mind if I check out the rest?” Cate asked.
“By all means, be my guest.” He reached around the corner of the spare bedroom and flicked on the light.
The walls were covered in black and white images. Ambrose stood for awhile behind her but eventually headed for the door when he heard his name being called.
“I’ll...” he pointed to the hallway.
“I’ll find my way around,” Cate said. She stepped from image to image, taking them all in. She imagined the life that Ambrose must have led as a correspondent in war-torn places. Some of the images were sad and some were hopeful. Many were of people, other journalists, she assumed and civilians. There were many portraits of a woman with fair hair and bright eyes. Cate wondered whether she had been a lover or a friend.
When she was finished looking at all his history, she reached for the light and flicked it off. Then she heard a familiar noise outside the window, of feet on a gritty surface and weight moving behind the curtain of the balcony. She turned just as she heard the voice.
“Interesting choice of character.”
Lexi stepped from the darkness. She wore a skin-tight black leather jacket, black leather pants that might have been painted on, and black leather boots. Strapped around her waist and thigh was a bright yellow utility belt. But it was the signature mask, cape, and emblem on her chest that gave it away.
“Batgirl...” Cate whispered. “And you actually come in the window.”
Lexi grinned. “The front door just didn’t feel right.”
Cate swung her baseball bat loosely at her side. She knew where Lexi’s eyes were by the prickling sensations she felt all over her body. She didn’t mind since that was part of the reason she’d chosen the costume in the first place. The fact that Lexi was staring at her gave her the mischievous grin that topped off her costume anyway. She blew a section of her bangs away from her eyes and cocked a hip out to one side.
“Very authentic,” Lexi said.
“Well, you look like you walked straight out of a movie. Aren’t you hot?”
“Very,” Lexi said. “But nowhere near as hot as you.”
“You’re cute.” She knew Lexi wasn’t talking about the temperature. She glanced at the door. “Believe it or not, the Blooms stole the show. You should come see.”
“Lead the way.”
Cate went for the door but turned around when she felt Lexi’s body heat behind her.
Lexi grinned at her. “Nice fishnets. All those little holes...”
Cate gave her a look but when she turned back to the door she grinned to herself. She added a little extra bounce to her short shorts as she walked out into the hallway.
“Look who I found,” she announced as they headed into the kitchen. The party hadn’t strayed far from the liquor. Sheila stood at the counter stirring drinks. Ambrose hovered at her shoulder with his cooler cup. The Blooms were the only two in the living room since they couldn’t fit anywhere else.
“Look who’s here!” shouted Ambrose when he saw Lexi standing there. “I didn’t hear the door.”
“No,” Lexi said simply.
“Well here you go,” he said and handed her a drink. “Be careful.”
Lexi lifted the glass to her nose and took a whiff.
“It’s stronger than it looks,” Cate said.
“Didn’t buy enough mix,” added Ambrose. “Silly me.”
Cate didn’t believe for a second that the shortage of mix was an accident.
Lexi took a small sip and swallowed carefully. Her eyes roamed around the kitchen. “Poison Ivy,” she said when she saw Alice’s costume. “This is getting very interesting.”
Alice gave Lexi a fake smile and then went back to her conversation with Calvin.
“I feel like we should be prowling around Gotham City and not standing under these bright lights,” Cate said.
Lexi shifted closer to her. “Want to check out the patio?”
“Alright,” Cate said.
Alice caught her eye as they left. She’d spent the better part of the evening talking to Calvin about some book, but it was clear she was put off by Lexi’s presence. No matter, Cate thought as she continued through the living room. Lexi gave the Blooms a smile and a nod but didn’t stop to talk. They were dancing anyway.
It was as humid as ever outside. Cate walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down onto the street below. Her movements felt exaggerated as if her costume was wearing her instead of the other way around. She didn’t normally move that way, with her hips loose and her chest out, but the stiff drinks and the baseball bat in her hand had given her the fuel to fully embrace her character.
Lexi stood somewhere behind her. From the corner of her eye, Cate saw her toss the contents of her glass over the ledge.
Cate lifted her own glass and took another swallow. The sting of booze had vanished along with half of its contents. She felt warm and relaxed inside and out. She inhaled the breeze but couldn’t smell much beyond the jasmine that Alice had been wearing. It had clung to her as if she’d sprayed it on herself. She waited for Lexi to say something but she didn’t.
“Didn’t like the drink?” Cate asked finally. She turned and was alarmed to find Lexi standing much closer than she’d expected.
Lexi smiled. “Not really.”
Cate squinted her eye at her.”You don’t drink much do you?”
“I just prefer to see things as they are.”
“I like getting a little tipsy every now and then,” Cate sighed. “I’m miserably responsible.” She leaned back against the rail and rested the tip of her bat on the ground. Lexi watched her movements with a smirk on her face.
Cate coiled a finger through a pigtail and gave Lexi a coy smile. “I like the mask,” she said. “It makes you look different.”
Lexi lifted her chin a little. “Like someone else?”
“No. Like you but... dangerous.”
“That costume makes you look dangerous.”
“Maybe I am,” Cate grinned.
“Maybe.” Lexi crossed to the other side of the balcony and looked down onto the street. She gripped onto the rail and leaned out over the edge.
“Planning on making an exit?” Cate asked. She wasn’t serious though it probably wouldn’t have surprised her.
“No, I like it right here,” Lexi said. She turned and leaned her back against the rail then she unzipped her tight leather jacket part way.
Cate watched as the teeth of the zipper slowly gave way to reveal the soft curves of Lexi’s cleavage. She knew she was staring but she didn’t care. Lexi had been staring too. Cate took another sip of her drink and swallowed loudly. She was buzzing with nerves, the kind she got before she did something crazy. That had been happening a lot lately, she realized. She finished her drink with two more swallows and then tossed the remaining bits of ice over the rail.
“Done,” she announced and plunked her glass down on the table beside them.
Lexi watched her with an amused expression. In their silence, everything around them seemed suddenly loud. Cate could hear Ambrose’s voice booming over the grinding of the blender. Someone had cranked up the music. She could see the chubby green forms of the Blooms as they danced in the living room. Lexi just stood quietly watching her.
“You’re usually a lot more talkative,” Cate said. “Got something on your mind?” She turned her body and leaned out over the railing.
Lexi gripped onto her arm and pulled her back. “Careful.”
Cate grinned and dropped her eyes to her hand. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“You’re brooding. Is it the bat suit?”
Lexi smiled at her. “No. It’s got nothing to do with what I’m wearing.”
Cate watched her eyes drift slowly over her body. “You like my costume?”
“You need to ask?”
Cate flashed her cockiest grin. “Okay, confession time,” she announced.
Lexi looked away for a second. Cate could see she
was trying not to smile.
“I’ve really enjoyed spending the last few days with you,” Cate said.
“We’ve had some fun,” Lexi said simply.
“I mean, yesterday? Last night?” Cate shook her head. “I never thought I would ever do those kinds of things.”
“But you did,” Lexi grinned.
Cate felt very pleased with herself. “I did.” She said proudly. She looked at Lexi again. “When we were in the tree house -”
“Cate,” Lexi said.
“I felt so alive, you know? I didn’t feel like me at all. I’m not like that, at least I haven’t been lately. It was so refreshing...”
“It was refreshing alright,” Lexi chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting that kind of rain.”
“I realized something that I’ve never known about myself,” Cate said softly.
Lexi looked at her and clenched her jaw.
“Why did you wear that costume tonight?” Cate asked.
“I had the right things kicking around, that’s all. Why did you wear yours?”
Cate leaned forward. A huge smile spread across her face. “Because I felt like being bad.”
“Interesting answer.”
“I also wanted to show off a little because… well, I knew you’d appreciate it.”
“You were right,” Lexi said softly.
Cate reached for the zipper on Lexi’s leather jacket. She let her eyes drift over Lexi’s chest. “You have nothing on under there, do you?”
Lexi clasped her hand.
“I could just pull this zipper and... ba-boom!” She grinned up into Lexi’s face. “That mask really suits you. It shows off your lips.”
“Cate,” Lexi said.
“I know what’s happening here and so do you,” Cate said quickly before she lost her nerve.
Lexi sighed.
“It’s all I’ve been thinking about.” Cate looked up into her eyes. “I want you to kiss me.”
Their bodies were close enough that it could have happened right then. Cate was sure she felt Lexi lean into her, she’d felt the flutter of her cape and the air move through the holes in her fishnet stockings. But just then, the party decided to come outside. As the Blooms bustled through the door in their turtle suits, Lexi took a quick step sideways to put a friendly distance between them.