Awkward Dinner with the Lions

-Three Weeks Ago-

Izumi’s secret came out. It started with a phone call. She mumbled to herself as she awoke to the ringing beside her bed.

“Go away,” she grumbled. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. The angel groaned as she reached over for her phone.

“What?!” Izumi snapped.

“Is this Izumi?” a woman’s voice asked on the other line. A confused look came over the angel’s face.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“I’m Hanako,” the woman said. “Tomie’s girlfriend.” Izumi froze with big eyes. She sat up with a jolt.

“What?!” she asked.

“I am the girlfriend,” Hanako said.

“Oh…” the angel said in a low voice. The girlfriend chuckled over the phone.

“Now, now. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk,” the other woman said. Izumi had a confused look on her face.

“Talk?” she asked.

“Yes. Are you free this evening?”

“Why?”

“I’m inviting you over for dinner tonight.”

“Why?”

Hanako laughs over the phone. “Relax, I’m not going to try and poison you. I just want you to come over and have dinner with us. How does that sound?”

Awful! “Great!” Izumi said. “I would love to come.”

“Good,” Hanako said. “We will see you at six.” Izumi stared at her phone. What just happened? Something told her that she was nothing going to like where this was headed.

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6:00 p.m.

Izumi put on her best dress and headed out to her secret girlfriend’s house. Already, she could see how this was going to play out in her head. So many questions followed behind. How did Hanako find out about us? What was she going to do with us? Who was she mad at more—Tomie or me? Hanako may have been polite over the phone, but I could tell by the hidden rage in her tone that she was not taking it well. Izumi said yes to this dinner. Too late to back out of it now.

Izumi took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. How long before the shitstorm unfolded. One… Two… Three… Four…

She looked up when she heard the door open. Hanako greeted her with a big, fake smile.

“Good evening,” she said. “So nice to see the famous Izumi.” The angel nervously laughed as she forced herself to smile back.

“Hi…” she said. Izumi tired to look into the house. Tomie sat at the table with eyes lowered. She too looked like she wanted to flee the house. Meanwhile, Hanako bowed.

“Come right in,” she said. “Dinner’s just about ready.” Hanako moved aside. Izumi stood for a few seconds as she tried to picture how this night would go.

“Thank you,” she said. The women bowed and the angel walked inside. Hanako closed the door behind her.

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No one really spoke at dinner. Hanako did all of the talking. She acted like everything was fine. Meanwhile, Tomie and Izumi couldn’t even look at each other. Tomie’s face look so red as she tried to look around anywhere else. She so desperately wanted to scream. Izumi played out what would possibly come after dinner once she and Hanako were alone. Would the main woman yell at her? Slap her in the face? Threaten her? It took her all not to get up and run out of the house.

“Oh, could you help me with the dishes, Izumi-san?” Hanako finally asked. The angel gave her a strange look.

“Me?” she asked.

“Yes,” the main woman said. “I would like to speak with you in private.” The sharpness in her tone told Izumi that she had no choice but to obey. The angel lowered her head.

“Fine,” she said.

“Thank you,” Hanako said. Both women walked into the kitchen, leaving Tomie to bury her head in her hands.