They all sat beneath one of the large umbrellas, waiting for the play to begin. The evening breeze brushed past the tables, carrying the low murmur of other theatergoers.
They already had their tickets, so all they had to do was wait.
The silence stretched on for so long that anyone passing by would’ve thought they were complete strangers. Nobody moved a muscle, their bodies locked in stiff, uncomfortable positions around the round table as the air grew thick with tension.
Faye looked at Bambi, then at Beam. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two girls, her chest rising and falling with short, quiet breaths.
Beam had a wolf-cut hairstyle.
So did Bambi, except hers was black and glossy instead of blonde. The layers fell around their faces in the exact same edgy pattern, catching the bright light of the nearby lamps.
Beam wore a watch.
So did Bambi. The bands gleamed on their left wrists as they rested their arms against the table surface.
Beam had on a black leather jacket.
So did Bambi. The dark material crinkled softly every time either of them shifted their weight in their chairs.
Sitting beside her girlfriend, Faye leaned closer to Princess. She slid her chair an inch closer, her fingers gripping the edge of the table to keep her balance.
"I have so many things to say, but this one is actually bothering me," Faye whispered so quietly that only Princess could hear. Her breath tickled the alpha’s ear, her face completely serious.
"What is it?" Princess whispered back. She tilted her head down, her eyes tracking the sudden shift in her girlfriend’s posture.
"Your ex-girlfriend made her new girlfriend look like her ex’s sidechick," Faye murmured. She shot another quick glare across the table, her shoulder bumping against Princess’s arm.
Princess wanted to laugh, but she held it in. Her ribs expanded with a sudden, sharp breath, her large chest shaking as she fought the urge to let out a loud chuckle.
She even covered her mouth with her fingers to stop herself. She pressed her palm firmly against her lips, her eyes crinkling at the corners while she looked down at the concrete floor.
"What is it? Is something funny?" Kiara asked after noticing Princess trying not to laugh. She leaned forward, her eyebrows raising as she tapped her acrylic nails against her phone screen.
"No, nothing’s funny. It’s just that no one told me this was a costume play. I would’ve worn something similar to your girlfriend and Beam," Princess replied, still struggling to keep a straight face. She lowered her hand slowly, a playful smirk dancing all over her lips.
"Oh, that’s right. Babe, you two are wearing almost the same outfit," Tisha said, looking from her girlfriend to Bambi. She let out a small laugh, her shoulders relaxing as she pointed at the matching leather shoulders.
"Oh, Bambi, I never knew you were into my style of dressing," Beam teased. She leaned back, a wide grin spreading across her face as she looked the other girl up and down.
"Me neither. Kiara just picked out some random clothes, and here I am," Bambi replied. She gave a dry shrug, her voice totally flat as she adjusted the heavy collar of the jacket.
That was it.
Princess burst into laughter. The deep, booming sound filled the space under the umbrella, her lungs pumping out massive chunks of air as she completely gave up on trying to hide it.
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She shook her head, her hand slapping against her knee as the sheer ridiculousness of the matching outfits took over.
The others looked at her in confusion. Kiara crossed her arms tightly, her mouth twisting into a sharp pout while she waited for the alpha to finish her loud outburst.
"Seriously?," Kiara said.
"I can’t believe you actually hired someone to play your girlfriend," Princess laughed. She wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, her breathing finally slowing down to a steady rhythm.
"Well, you said it was for couples, so I brought a plus-one. Now it’s a triple date," Kiara replied, not even trying to hide the fact that she had hired Bambi to pretend to be her girlfriend. She raised her chin proudly, totally unbothered by the fact that her secret was out in the open.
"So, Bambi, you’re a girlfriend for hire now, huh?" Faye asked. She leaned her elbows on the table, her eyes locking onto the dark-haired girl with a heavy look of disbelief.
"It’s a hustle, you know. Since you and your bestie made us homeless. You’d think paying Butcher one million dollars would’ve made things easier. Instead, you made it worse. Now he’s on the run from loan sharks," Bambi said to Faye. Her jaw was tight, her fingers twitching against her lap as she delivered the words with a cold, sharp edge.
Princess immediately stopped laughing after hearing the words one million dollars. The massive grin vanished from her face in an instant, her entire body locking up into a rigid, dangerous posture.
"Who paid whom one million dollars?" Princess asked, looking from Bambi to Faye. Her voice dropped into a low, terrifying growl, the heavy alpha pressure building up inside her chest as she waited for someone to speak.
Faye blinked several times before quickly speaking. Her heart gave a violent thud against her ribs, her breathing turning fast and shallow as her face went entirely pale.
"Malo. She was talking about Malo. He bought his freedom with that amount," Faye explained. The words rushed past her lips in a frantic blur, her eyelids fluttering repeatedly as she tried to salvage the massive mess.
"His freedom? More like your freedom," Bambi corrected. She leaned back in her chair with a cruel little smile, completely enjoying the sudden panic taking over the omega.
"Girl, will you shut the fuck up and let me explain things to my girlfriend?" Faye snapped at Bambi before turning back to Princess, whose eyes were still fixed on her.
"See? Instead of worrying about my fake girlfriend, you should be worrying about your real girlfriend," Kiara said. She let out a small, amused hum, shifting her weight as she watched the drama unfold.
"Okay... I’m listening," Princess replied, waiting for Faye to explain herself. She kept her eyes locked onto the omega’s face, her chest rising and falling with long, slow, dangerous breaths that told Faye she was in massive trouble.