𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 (Velvet x Fem Reader)

Lunch Date

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Well, this is...uncomfortable.

I sat at the small table in the corner of the trendy cafe, picking at my salad as Velvet and Veneer exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other. We've been here for about twenty minutes, and I was hating this. I honestly didn't know why they invited me out if this is how they were going to act.

After receiving Velvet's message about grabbing lunch, I didn't respond for a while, considering the potential consequences. Hazel practically begged me not to go, emphasizing all of the risks. She shot different scenarios at me, telling me how the paparazzi could see and would have a hay day with the opportunity. Hazel described how Velvet and Veneer could be using this as a way to publicize me in a negative light.

In an attempt to really scare me, Hazel even threw out unrealistic scenarios. "Y/N, what if, I don't know...they had a guy! And...he was...hidden under the table with, uh, a knife! Yeah, they could totally do that!"

I turned to her, a half-smile on my face, "Hazel. I can guarantee that Velvet and Veneer will not have a knife-guy hired to kill me, in public, from under the table."

Hazel took my hands in hers. "I'm serious Y/N! Please, don't go. It's just not the right way to handle this. You can't just walk in there and expect everything to be okay with the 'magic of friendship'."

"Hazel, it's just lunch. Stop trying to make this so scandalous."

My phone dinged again, and I pulled my hands away from hers to check it. Apparently seeing that I had read the message but hadn't responded, Velvet sent another text.

Velvet: Helloooo? Yes or no?

I put down my phone and looked back up at Hazel, who was giving me puppy dog eyes. She did have a point. Being in public with Velvet right now is probably just going to fuel the rumors, and who knows what Velvet and Veneer actually want to talk about. This could be some sort of trap, or maybe they're really angry with me about the rumors. I weighed the pros and cons

I sighed, leaning my head back against the seat. "Okay, Haze. I won't go. Only because I don't need anymore friends when I have you."

Hazel did a mock cheer and went back to her tablet, tapping away on it. I know Hazel has my best interest at heart, so it makes sense to just listen to her. By this point, we were home, so we unloaded ourselves and went inside. Brindle had dinner ready on the table for us, so we sat down.

Normally for dinner, Brindle joins us, so that's what we did. This was my nightly routine – my time to unwind. Brindle had cooked another one of my favorites: rosemary chicken and roasted brussel sprouts. As we dug in, Hazel and I started telling Brindle about our day.

Brindle listened with a sympathetic ear, nodding at the right moments. As I reached the part about the lunch invitation from Velvet and Veneer, Brindle set his fork down and looked at me thoughtfully.

"You should go," he stated calmly, surprising both Hazel and me.

Hazel snorted. "Oh, come on, Brindle. You're not even experienced with publicity, you don't know the pressure and scrutiny she's under right now."

Brindle raised an eyebrow. "I may not be in the spotlight like her, but I've been around long enough to know a thing or two about people. Sometimes, facing things head-on is the best way to deal with them. That's how we do it in the restaurant business."

Hazel chuckled. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one with a potential scandal hanging over your head."

Brindle leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "And that's exactly why she should go. Show them that there's nothing to hide, nothing to be afraid of. Besides, avoiding those two might make things worse in the long run."