Page 73 of Turnabout Is Fair Cosplay
Oh my stars and space time continuums, he’s about to kiss me. I stop him with a raised finger against his lips. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Mike’s lips break into a smile against my finger, but I pull it away before he can do anything else. “Bea, this is Lena. Lena, this is Bea.”
“Pleasure,” I say. “So how do you know Mike? Were you in the same sixth-grade play too?”
“No.” Lena looks about as amused as I usually feel. “Were you?”
“No, I just live at his place.”
Lena’s mouth hangs open.
“Oh gosh, not like that.”
Vlad, who cosplayed as Magnificent Man at the escape room, appears and persuades Lena to join him for a game of darts.
“I know you’re playing with me,” Mike says as I slide onto the recently vacated stool. “But if you could keep it up for the rest of the night, that would be incredibly…”
I drag my nails down one of his sleeves. “Fun?”
He captures my hand and interlaces our fingers. “Helpful. I’m in a less-than-ideal situation.”
My laugh is throaty. “Oh?”
“It’s a bit of a real-lifeTwelfth Night, except the casting is all wrong.”
“Are you about to introduce me to your twin sister?”
Mike laughs. “I’m an only child, Bea.”
“Must have been so lonely for you.” I bring Mike’s hand, still tangled with my own, to my cheek. “So if you’re not Sebastian in this impromptu production, who are you?”
Mike brushes a strand of my still auburn locks behind my ear with his free hand. “I was unwittingly cast as Lady Olivia. Meanwhile, Vlad is playing the part of Viola, and Lena over there is his Count Cesario.”
“Are you telling me that you have a crush on Vlad?”
“Not at all. Vlad is into Lena. Lena thinks she’s into me. I am into neither of them.”
“So what part do you want me to play in this little drama?”
“My girlfriend.”
I let our hands fall from my cheek.
“Please, Bea? Just for tonight. Just long enough for Lena to get the picture and Vlad to shoot his shot.”
I like hearing Mike beg. I also like the weight of his hand against mine. I shift back just enough to create a little tug on our entwined fingers. “It’s going to cost you.”
“Don’t I know it.” His gaze falls from my face to our hands. “You want to talk terms?”
“Oh, Mike. You could at least buy me a drink first.”
Mike taps the bar. “Pellegrino and a ginger ale for the lady.” He turns to me. “Unless you want something stronger.”
“No, I’m driving home after this.”
The bartender opens our bottles, and Mike hands him a twenty.
“This is strictly to help out Vlad.” He takes a pull of his sparkling water.
