Faye had nowhere to run.
Backed into a corner, for a brief moment she considered following Malo to the hotel instead of staying for the so-called triple date. Running away to face a scary warlock sounded way better than dealing with the tall, terrifying alpha girlfriend sitting right next to her.
Lying wasn’t an option for Faye, and knowing she was about to embarrass herself right in front of everyone, she used the same thing Princess had introduced to her months ago. It was a desperate move, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird as she scrambled for a way out.
It was the only way to stop the questions.
She dragged her chair a fraction of an inch nearer, her shoulder trembling slightly as she pressed her arm against Princess’s side.
"Can we pause this? I’m hitting the pause button," Faye muttered quietly to Princess.
Princess looked at her girlfriend, studying her for a moment before replying.
"Until when, babe?"
"One year," Faye answered without thinking. The words jumped right out of her mouth before she could stop them, her lungs gasping for air.
"That is a very long time. It needs to be resolved within a week. That’s the rule." Princess replied, her voice dropping into a flat, absolute tone that left zero room for bargaining.
"That is a lie. Who even created that shit?" Faye snapped back in a fierce murmur, her eyebrows knitting together as she glared at the alpha.
"Faye..." Princess warned, her voice low and rumbling.
"Fine. When we get home, we’ll talk about it." Faye huffed, her shoulders dropping in total defeat.
"Everything. No beating around the bush."
"Yes, everything. I’ll tell you whatever you ask." Faye promised, her fingers twisting the fabric of her pants as she gave up the fight.
"Good... because I do not date a liar. Pause." Princess finished. She gave a single, firm nod, her posture relaxing just a fraction of an inch as she officially called a temporary halt to the interrogation.
And just like that, the questions about how and why Faye had paid a human trafficker one million dollars, or how she had even gotten that amount of money in the first place, were finally paused.
Faye forced herself to smile, but inside she was already planning her own funeral.
Inside her head, Faye was screaming and crying for her bestie to come save her.
She was also praying that night would never end.
"So... is she going to tell us how she had that much money, or are we just never going to know?" Kiara asked. She leaned back in her chair, a smug little grin playing on her lips as she looked between the two girls.
"It is a matter between me and my girlfriend. We’ll discuss it later in private," Princess replied. Her voice was sharp and cold, shutting down the nosey girl with one swift look.
Faye glared at Kiara. Her eyes narrowed into thin, dangerous slits, her jaw locking tight.
It was a look of war.
She hadn’t just brought trouble to the date...
She had brought trouble into Faye’s life.
Faye quickly tried to change the subject.
"So, Tisha, you and Beam have been dating for four months now. She must be a very wonderful... loyal mate," Faye said, her eyes still fixed on Kiara, who didn’t seem to care.
Tisha smiled and wrapped her arm around Beam’s.
Beam almost fell off her chair but managed to steady herself.
"Yes, Faye. Beam is amazing, and surprisingly cute at the same time. Every day I’m with her, I’m so happy," Tisha said. She gave a little squeeze to Beam’s arm, her voice full of genuine warmth.
"That’s great to hear. Beam, are you happy with Tisha?" Princess asked. She adjusted her posture, turning her attention fully toward the second couple to keep the conversation moving.
"Of course I am. Tisha makes me the happiest girl ever. I’ve never been happier," Beam replied before kissing Tisha.
"Obviously she’s happy. Before Tisha, she was a bitter person... a villain," Faye said.
Beam and Tisha looked at her in confusion. They both froze, their mouths dropping open slightly as they tried to process the weird choice of words.
"Babe, stop," Princess muttered, not wanting Faye to ruin the mood. She reached over, her fingers catching Faye’s wrist under the table to give it a gentle, warning squeeze.
"I mean... she also helped you out at the store. That was really nice of Beam," Faye quickly corrected herself. She let out a nervous chuckle, clearing her throat as she tried to smooth over the slip of the tongue.
"If you’re here, then who’s at the store? You’re always at the store," Kiara asked. She turned her eyes toward Tisha, her tone sharp with a sudden curiosity.
"My sister, Jack, is off today, so she’s helping me out," Tisha replied.
"Oh... Jackie. What a coincidence," Kiara said with a dramatic eye roll.
"So, anything new in your relationship?" Princess asked, trying to steer the group away from another awkward moment.
"Oh, we’re adopting a cat next month." Tisha announced happily, her eyes lighting up.
"Adopting...? You two are living together?" Kiara asked, her tone noticeably changing as she sat up straighter.
"Yeah. I moved in with Tisha last month. I can’t wait for us to have a cat," Beam said. She smiled widely, her shoulders rising with a proud, happy breath.
"You hate cats. You sneeze whenever they’re around," Kiara pointed out. She spat the reminder out quickly, her face twisting into a bitter scowl.
Faye grinned at the scene unfolding before her.
This was far more entertaining than whatever play they had come to watch.
She wasn’t even trying to hide how amused she was.
Princess looked at her girlfriend and simply shook her head, seeing how much she was enjoying the drama. A soft smile broke through the alpha’s serious expression, her chest rising with a quiet, amused sigh at the girl’s shifting mood.
"Baby... you hate cats?" Tisha asked. She turned her head slowly to face Beam, her eyebrows drawing together in a hurt look.
"Yeah.... I’m allergic to cat fur," Beam admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, her face flushing red as her breathing turned shallow.
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"Because you love cats, and I didn’t want you to feel sad about not getting one because of me." Beam explained quickly, her hands reaching out to catch Tisha’s fingers.
"I may love cats, but I’m not that self-centered. If you don’t like something, you need to tell me... so we can choose something we both love. What animal do you like then?" Tisha said. Her voice dropped into a softer, gentler register, her shoulders relaxing as she squeezed Beam’s hands back.
"Hamsters. They look kinda cute." Beam muttered, a small, sheepish grin breaking across her face.
"Fine. Then let’s get a hamster instead. I love a hamster." Tisha decided with a bright smile.
Beam smiled, and the two girls kissed, making some people around them feel jealous, confused, or excited.
"Oh, you two should get a room before you blind some jealous vixens," Faye said, staring directly at the vixen in question. She let out a loud laugh, her eyes locked straight onto Kiara’s furious face.
"I love cats," Bambi suddenly said. Her voice broke the silence out of nowhere, her expression completely blank as she tried to insert herself into the moment.
Out of nowhere, Kiara leaned over and clicked her tongue, then kissed her too. She grabbed Bambi’s jaw roughly, pulling the hired girl into a sharp, dramatic kiss just to prove a point to the rest of the table.
"Well, since this has turned into a kissing scene..." Princess said before kissing her own girlfriend, trying to even things out.