Standing outside the main villa, Lena smiled at me. "Let's get this over with." Taking a deep breath, the humid air making even outside feel small. With a smile from Cat, the older woman opened the door, leading the way with the two of us pulling up the rear.
Immediately, we could hear laughter coming from further inside, or outside as it turns out. The patio doors were wide open, a group of about twenty women split between the table, loungers and pool edge, Beth laughing with two women we couldn't see. It wasn't hard to guess who, if the lack of others with them was anything to go by; Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.
"Ah, the final three have arrived. It is wonderful to see you, we missed you at breakfast this morning." Beth stood up and offered us a champaign flute each.
Cat smiled. "That is my fault. I wanted to catch up with these two since Kara used to be my assistant before I sold the company to Lena." That had Beth glancing at me. "It would seem you can't leave a city for a year and a half and know everything that happens in it."
Laughing, Beth sipped her drink. "That is very true." She stepped back for us to follow. "Now I know you will get to meet everyone today, but I have to introduce you to a dear friend of mine - Lena, you know her - Pamela Isley and her wife Harleen Quinzel."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "You are lucky you are my friend. The only time I hear my name anymore is Harls and and Arkham."
Harley grinned. "I only call you Pammy when I really mess up. I haven't done that in a while." Her sunglasses stopped us from seeing her eyes, but I could feel her looking between us all.
Ivy turned to her wife. "I can think of several times you haven't been in trouble, but let's not start something we can't finish." I looked down at her words, the implication in no way subtle. Turning back to us, Ivy smiled. "It's nice to see you again Lena, Cat Grant I have heard much about," She looked me up and down. "but you I don't know."
Lena sneaked an arm around my waist. "This is Kara Danvers, my girlfriend."
I smiled. "It's nice to meet you. How do you two know each other?" Lena's hand tightened on my waist ever so slightly, her heartbeat picking up a fraction too.
The red haired woman was now looking at Lena, a shine in them that I didn't want to think about. "Lena and I met on one of her old projects not long after college - which degree was that again?"
Lena hummed. "Business degree."
Ivy grinned, hand reaching to tough Lena's other arm lightly. "That's right." Her eyes roamed Lena in a way that made my blood boil. "You are a lucky woman Miss Danvers."
I hadn't even see Harley move, but suddenly she was wrapping her arms around Ivy from behind. "Stop flirting with her before you make me jealous." She kissed her neck. "I would hate to break my promise of no destruction, and Sunshine here is too cute to hit."
Breathing deep, I tried to control the anger building before I did something I'd regret, like burn a hole in Ivy's forehead. Thankfully, Cat pulled their attention to Beth and the plans for the afternoon.
"So you have been vague about the plans for this afternoon, what exactly do you have planned?"
Beth grinned, leaving us to ourselves to get everyone's attention. "Yes. Today we are going to playing some games, relaxing and just having some fun."
Even Harley and Ivy turned to Beth, leaving the two of us alone. Without thinking, I pulled Lena closer and leaned in as thought I was going to whisper in her ear, burying my head in her neck instead. To anyone that looked our way, it would appear I was kissing Lena's neck, which at this point wasn't far off.
Lena turned her head to whisper. "Not that I mind, but what are you doing?"
Breathing in the scent of Lena's purfume, I muttered. "Calming down before I burn a hole in Ivy's head and give away my identity." The heat in my eyes started fading, letting me breathe easier.
"Okay then." I felt her head move, but didn't dare look at what was happening around us, Beth still talking about the afternoon ahead. Calm again, I lifted my head from Lena's neck, giving her a small smile when my eyes met hers.
"Get a room or join in you two. It's time for a swim." I pulled back at Harley's words, looking to find some of the group in the pool, including the two villainess' themselves and Beth.
"Let's go." Lena stepped forward out of my grasp to the pool, pulling her dress over her head to reveal her black swim suit. I moved to follow, joining Cat sitting on the edge as Lena used the steps into the pool.
"Not feeling like a swim?" Cat tipped her glass back to get the final sip.
I leaned back and kicked my legs gently. "Not really. I didn't bring contacts and swimming with my glasses on sounds like a disaster." With about half the group in the pool, they started playing a game that seemed to involve shots, lose and you had to drink. "What are they doing?"
Cat was also watching the game in front of us. "I'm not sure, Beth made the game up and it doens't make sense to me." Sure enough, as we were talking Lena swam to the edge and took a shot before swimming back to the others. "She'll be fine. Lena has a tolerance for alcohol I haven't seen before and she ate a big breakfast for this exact reason."
I looked up at the sky. "I know, I'm just worried since we're in a pool."
Harley seperated from the others, swimming up to me and Cat. "That's why we're in the pool to start with. Start in the pool before we're all too drunk to swim."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Still sounds dangerous."
Harley perched her arms on the edge by my side. "Only if we aren't smart and most of the women here have at least one degree. I think we're okay."
I couldn't help but breathe out a laugh, making her smile in return. "I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right." She frowned at me. "So in that respect, either you aren't wearing a swim suit - which I doubt given Beth's explicit requirements for this afternoon - or you are a fan of t-shirt tans?"
I sipped what remained in my flute, wishing it could get me drunk. "Neither. Why?"
Harley smiled at me. "Well... it's just, while I love you're style the off the shoulder top is going to leave you with a very odd tan if you aren't careful."
I glanced down at my t-shirt. "Y-You want me to take my top off?"
Harley was about to answer when Lena started swimming over. "Sorry to disappoint Harley, but the only person that gets Kara out of her clothes is me." Butterflies erupted in my stomache at her words, even if it was just for show I wanted them to be real.
Harley pushed herself away from by my side, floating next to Lena. "I'm only messing with her. I just wanted to see how nervous she'd get, she looks so sweet and innocent I couldn't help myself." She pouted, one that would have no doubt had several people wrapped around her finger if not for her current company.
When it was clear none of us were falling for her little pout, Harley smiled. "Wow... tough crowd. That pout would normally have everyone wrapped around my little finger."
Lena grinned. "You haven't seen this one pout. She could have even you wrapped around her little finger when she pairs it with the puppy dog eyes."
Harley looked up at me, impressed. "Interesting." Without another word, Harley swam back to the others, immediately taking a shot.
We stayed like that for another hour, the others playing games, even Cat joined in at some point while I stayed sat at the edge enjoying the sun and focusing on my hearing and everything around me with my eyes closed. I could hear them all leaving the pool before a shadow blocked the sun from me.
"Ready to play a game or two Kara?" Opening my eyes I found Beth standing over me smiling.
"Why not?" Getting up, I spotted Lena putting her dress back on after drying off if the towel on the lounger is anything to go by. With Beth leading the way, we head over to the rest of the girls, Lena being joined by Harley and Ivy just as we approached.
"Ready to play a game or two ladies?" She got a mixed response.
"You bet cha'"
"If we have to."
The four of us followed her inside where there were two sets of chairs back to back, it wasn't hard what games she had in mind. Gesturing for the four of us to take our seats, we sat back to back in our pairs, Lena's head leaning back to rest against mine for a moment letting me know she was still there.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do." Beth walked over to the coffee table, picking up four table tennis paddles with our names written in thick white marker. "I'm going to give you each a paddle, one side has your name, the other has your partners. With each question I want you to show which of you it applies to best. Whoever matches up the most answers will get two bottles of the most expensive Champaign sent to their villa tomorrow morning. Sound good?" She looked at the four of us, holding the paddles out for us to take.
Ivy smiled. "For the chance at free Champaign, absolutely."
Holding the paddle in my hand I saw my name written on the red side, while Lena's was written on the green. She shouldn't have bothered with writing the names on.
"Okay, first question." Beth cleared her throat. "We'll start easy... who's the better cook?" Immediately I hold up Lena's side with a grin and looking across I could see Harley showing Ivy's name. "Both couples are correct." The rest of the group were drinking and waiting for us to give different answers, or for the questions to get harder. I wasn't sure.
"Two, who takes longer to get ready?" Again, I showed Lena's name but Harley showed her own name. "Correct again... I think we need to make these more interesting." I heard her hum as she thougt of a question. "Three, who makes the first move?"
Thinking I paused before showing Lena's name. "Correct again." I glanced at Harley to see her showing her own name with a smile. "I think given question three we know what the answer is going to be, but I'm going to ask anyway... Who's on top?" Listening to Lena's heartbeat, it jumped a few beats at the question, my mind slowly realising what she meant and turning red before showing my own name.
"One couple hasn't matched." I saw Harley turn around to see Ivy holding up her own name, meaning Lena held up my name too. Something Harley couldn't quite believe.
She pointed at Lena. "Hold on, are you two seriously saying that she starts it but little Miss Sunshine here ends up on top?"
"Yes." I echoed Lena's answer, confusing Harley more and some of those watching. I guess to anyone that didn't know us, it would confuse them since Lena's whole image is being a badass CEO.
Beth put a hand on Harley's arm, smiling. "Let's carry on. The fifth and final question to this game, which of you still talks to their ex?" The smile on my face faultered, Mon-El instantly coming to the forefront of my mind, blockinig out most of what was happening around me even as I held up Lena's name. The image of the ship leaving replaying in my mind until a hand reaching from behind brushed my arm. I lay the paddle in my lap and rested a hand over Lena's, focusing on the steady drum of her heartbeat to keep me in the room.
"Congradulations, Lena and Kara you win part one. Now as I'm sure you have all figured out we are basically playing Mr and Mrs, or in this case Mrs and Mrs and there is a part two. If we move the chairs so you are facing each other, I am going to give you a whiteboard each." Doing as Beth asked, the four of us turned our chairs to face each other, my smile automatically widening when I saw Lena smiling at me.
Replacing the paddle with a whiteboard, Beth also placed a row of shots on teh coffee table. "Okay, this time the answers still have to match but they are going to be more than just a fifty-fifty. Get it wrong and whichever of the pair gets it wrong takes a shot, so let's hope you know each other pretty well."
Catching Lena's eye, I knew I had this in the bag but she didn't look too sure. Smiling to try and reassure her, I pushed my glasses up my nose and got serious, making her laugh. I could listen to her laugh all day.
"Question one, Lena what is Kara's favourite food and Ivy what is Harley's favourite food?" Beth was laughing, taking a shot as seh finished the question. I wrote the obvious answer as quickly as humanly possible, Lena finishing at the same time. "Time's up. Kara and Lena, you first."
Turning our boards around we both had 'potstickers and pizza' scribbled down. "Potstickers and pizza? I don't think I have ever heard of someone combining the two." Many in the room looked confused but I just grinned. Lena laughed as Beth turned to Harley and Ivy, who turned their boards around to show 'pizza' scrawled with Harley having drawn a slice too.
"No shots for either couple. Now let's reverse it. Kara what is Lena's favourite and Harley what is Ivy's?" It took me a second longer, but I scribbled my answer down, not looking at Lena when Beth called "Time."
This time she had Harley and Ivy go first, Harley getting the answer wrong and having to do a shot, much to the enjoyment of Ivy and everyone. Now it was my turn. As I turned my board around, Lena didn't and tried to hide her smile at my answers.
"Kara, you do realise you've written three seperate meals, right?" Beth pointed at my board. "Which means you get a shot."
I laughed looking down at the three answers I gave. "Publicly, Lena would say her favourite meal is vegetable lasagne, to friends she would say it is anything involving kale especially an ommelette - which is discusting - when really, her favourite is a Big Belly Burger." By the end I was smug, I knew Lena like the back of my hand when it came to food.
Beth raised her eyebrows, lookig at Lena who had yet to turn her board around. "You know what, if Lena has the same answers then I will reverse the shot and have the three of us take one." She gestured to herself, Harley and Ivy, who seemed confident I was wrong. "Lena, care to settle this?"
Slowly, Lena turned her board around, shocking everyone as she read out her answers. "Vegetable lasange, kale ommlette, and Big Belly Burger." Grinning, she looked at the jaw-dropped trio next to us. "Drink up." Reluctantly, the three of them went over to the table and took a shot each, the rest of the girls cheering as they did.
Coming back, the pair took their seat as Beth stood between us again. "I'm going to admit, I am a little scared to continue after that answer from these two, but I have one more I have to ask... what was the first thing to be said by either of you after you had sex for the first time?"
Not sure what to do, I look at Lena who mumbled something so quietly, if I hadn't been listening to her heartbeat so intently I would have missed it. Following her lead, I thought of something that would make her want to laugh and not. Harley and Ivy took a moment longer, both grinning and trying not to laugh.
"Time's up. I know I should be asking Kara and Lena but I need to know what has these two grinning like the Cheshire Cat." Beth looked at the couple next to us and I know I was intrigued to know to. Together, they turned their boards around with a lot of writing on them.
Harley couldn't stop grinning, looking at Ivy as she read the words written by them both. "Oh shit, piss cakes of a dick." The whole room broke out in laughter at the words, not expecting the random string of swearing to be the answer.
Managing to calm down, Beth fixed the two of them with a look. "I won't ask for it now, but I want the obvious story behind that before the week is up." Harley saluted her at the same time Ivy shook her head.
"Not happening."
This just made the rest of us start laughing again as the two women seemed to have a battle of wills silently before Harley turned to Beth with a smile. "What she said."
The woman of the week turned to her friend with a frown. "You used to be fun." Ignoring the smile Ivy sent her way, Beth turned to us. "You're turn girls."
Catching Lena's eye we both turned ours around at the same time, sparking another round of laughter from everyone as we read them aloud, starting with Lena. "I don't know, I fell asleep."
"Oh shit...and you're asleep, so don't care." I couldn't help but laugh at Lena trying to figure out whether to laugh or glare at me.
"This I have to hear the story behind right now." Beth's eyes moved between us expectantly.
Lena gestured for me to talk. "After, I heard my apartment door open and my sister call for me, I was trying to warn Lena when I realised she was asleep." This sparked some laughter, escpecially when Beth walked over to the coffee table, returning with a shot each.
"While that is a funny story, you're answers didn't match meaning you have a shot each." Without complaint, I did the shot of vodka easily despite the rancid taste of the alcohol or it's lack of effecting me. "I do believe that left our game in a draw, but given Kara and Lena's answer earlier I am crowning them winners of the Champaign."
Giving Beth the whiteboards, she put them next to the shot glasses on the table and started pouring more. "Now, lets drink."