Bikini Time - Leena & Karin

Story by Leena

“You’ve been getting ready for hours.” Leena sprawled across the living room couch, already clad in a barely-there bikini, sandals dangling from her toes, sunglasses perched atop her forehead. The midday sun filtered through the blinds, painting stripes of gold over her impatient scowl. “It’s the beach, Karin. Slap on some sunscreen and go.”

“Hold on, hold on—” Karin’s voice floated from the depths of the bedroom, muffled by what sounded like a closet avalanche. “I need the right shoes.”

Leena rolled all five eyes. “Flip-flops. Barefoot. Who cares? It’s sand and saltwater, not a runway.”

“Barefoot? Absolutely not.” Karin emerged, clutching three different pairs of wedges like a fashion-conscious survivalist. “You want me to step on a crab? Wake up one morning with pincers for toes? Oh—crap—that reminds me—” She ducked back in, rummaging through drawers. “Gotta take my anti-mutation serum.”

“Karin.” Leena pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s a mutant beach. Half the people there have tentacles. Nobody’s gonna blink if you sprout a few extra limbs.”

“I will!” Karin reappeared, now accessorized with enough jewelry to sink a small boat. “What if I burst out of this bikini? Lose my pearls in the ocean? Ruin a six-hundred-dollar pair of shoes—”

“THEN DON’T WEAR SHOES!” Leena launched upright, arms flung skyward.

“Fair, but—” Karin tapped her chin. “Maybe just a backup pair—”

Leena moved faster than a striking cobra. She seized Karin by her designer bikini straps, yanking her close until their noses almost touched. “Listen,” she hissed, “you’re lucky you’re pretty, because you are not ruining this for me. I haven’t seen the ocean since the pandemic, and I am a sand spider, Karin. I need this. Saltwater. Sunburn. Overpriced boardwalk fries. Skee-ball until my arms fall off. And if we hit traffic because of your prep-time, you will whine until we turn around. So move. Your. Ass.” She punctuated each word with a shake. “Or I. Am. Leaving. Without you.”

Karin meeped, hurling sundries into a tote bag. “Eep! Ready! So ready!”

“Good.” Leena released her, planting a lightning-fast kiss on her cheek. “Now call the rideshare. Love you.”

As Leena strutted toward the door, Karin muttered under her breath, “Terrifying when she’s pissed.” A pause. “Kinda into it.”