Chapter 3: Playing with Fire

“And... do you often bring women home to sleep over?”

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The question made Janevee freeze for a moment. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Naphat in surprise.

“Isn’t that a bit too direct? Do you really need to check on me that thoroughly?”

“Of course,” Naphat replied in a calm tone, though her serious eyes made it clear she wasn’t joking. “If I’m going to live with you, I don’t want to share a house with a revolving door of women.”

Janevee let out a long sigh, her voice softening slightly.

“Don’t worry. I’ve never brought anyone home.”

Naphat narrowed her eyes, clearly not convinced. Janevee quickly added for clarity,

“Usually, I take them to my condo. But I never take anyone to the same place twice. And I definitely don’t bring them home. I don’t want anyone knowing my address in case they try to stalk me after we stop talking.”

Naphat smirked, the corner of her lips lifting slightly in amusement.

“Hmm… just as they say, you’re an expert at playing the field. That’s impressively scummy.”

Janevee raised an eyebrow, staring at Naphat.

“Was that an insult disguised as a compliment? Isn’t that a bit much? I just don’t want anyone invading my personal space.”

Naphat chuckled lightly, her gaze challenging as it locked with Janevee’s.

“Think whatever you want. But anyway, from now on, your women—any of them—don’t have the right to set foot in this house or any of your condos. Got it?”

“Hey, what the hell? You’re crossing the line here, trying to control my life,” Janevee protested, unwilling to give in to the restrictions.

Naphat’s lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Well, we’re supposed to convince everyone that we’re a couple, aren’t we? If you’re still bringing women to your condo and word gets back to my parents, do you think they’ll be impressed with you?” Her tone was teasing and infuriatingly smug, but the reasoning behind her words left Janevee momentarily speechless.

Still, Janevee wasn’t one to back down easily. She decided to turn the tables with a question of her own.

"And what about you, Preme? Got anyone you're hiding? If I have to clean up my act, so do you," Janevee asked, raising an eyebrow in mock suspicion.

Naphat shrugged nonchalantly, a small, indifferent smile tugging at her lips. "That’s easy," she replied evenly. "Ever since I broke up with my ex, I haven’t been with anyone. The number of people I’m talking to? Zero."

Janevee narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Naphat as if trying to uncover a lie. "No one? Not even one of those ‘just a really close sister or brother’ or ‘just a friend’ situations that Thai celebrities always mention in interviews? You know, the kind where they say it’s just friendship, but they’re actually dating on the sly?"

Naphat chuckled softly, shrugging again as if it was the most inconsequential thing in the world. "Nothing like that. But if someone tries to hit on me, what can I do? As long as I don’t give them hope or play along, they’ll eventually get the message and move on."

Janevee eyed her skeptically, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sure thing, Miss Beautiful."

Naphat rolled her eyes and shot back without missing a beat, "At least I’m not someone who juggles people and switches partners like it’s a sport, unlike you, Janevee."

"I’m not that bad," Janevee defended herself. "Everyone I talk to knows it’s casual and noncommittal. Anyway, what about you, Preme? It’s been ages since you broke up with your ex. Why haven’t you started dating someone new?"

The question lingered in the air for a moment. Janevee hesitated briefly before lowering her voice.

"Or... are you still in love with your ex?"

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That question hit a nerve. Naphat froze, the faint smile on her face disappearing for a brief moment. Her eyes darted away from Janevee’s, and her breath seemed to catch, as if the words had tugged at something deep inside her.

After a pause, she replied in a calm, measured voice, "I think you’re asking too many questions, Janevee. Let’s just leave it at this: I don’t have anyone. And you... stop bringing women to your condo or casually dating whoever you like. Agreed? Done."

The atmosphere between them turned still, the silence heavy with unspoken thoughts. Janevee could sense something buried in Naphat’s words, something left unsaid—something about that ex. But instead of pressing further, she simply nodded, letting the conversation end while the unresolved feelings lingered between them.

…

The next morning, soft footsteps echoed through Naphat’s condo. The two women sat together on the pristine white sofa, with Naphat gazing seriously at Janevee. Today, she’d invited Janevee over specifically to get to know her better. Naphat’s condo was close to her office, chosen for its convenience, as she disliked wasting time in unpredictable traffic.

“I’ve gone through your personal file. Have you read mine?” Naphat initiated the conversation in a firm tone.

“Yes, I’ve finished reading it... I was actually about to ask. Have you really only ever had one girlfriend?” Janevee replied, looking directly into Naphat’s eyes.

The question made Naphat raise an eyebrow, and she replied with a teasing tone laced with irony. “You’ve got the nerve to ask me that, huh? You’ve never had a serious girlfriend yourself. Unless we’re counting all those casual flings of yours.”

“I was just curious. In the profile you sent me, there’s no mention of anyone else, just that one racer girlfriend,” Janevee responded, her interest visibly piqued.

“When I choose to be with someone, I take it seriously. I prioritize quality over quantity. I’m not the type to date around like you,” Naphat replied calmly, her tone devoid of any emotion.

Yet, Janevee found herself somewhat bothered by Naphat’s answer. Learning how serious Naphat had been with that woman left her feeling unsettled.

“Wow...”

Janevee stood up and mockingly applauded.

“Talking about yourself, and somehow you still managed to throw shade at me. Impressive, Miss Preme,” she remarked with a smirk before staring at Naphat and asking pointedly, “So, you were really serious about that racer girlfriend? Were you together for a long time?”

Naphat glanced at her, her voice still steady. “I didn’t think time was that important.”

The response left Janevee silent for a moment. She nodded slowly, as if she understood, though she couldn’t help wondering if the relationship hadn’t been very long. The silence lingered between them for a while until Naphat decided to steer the conversation in a new direction.

“Alright, let’s talk about you now, Janevee.”

Naphat spoke as she picked up her iPad and began to review the information she’d gathered.

“From the profile you sent me last night, I saw you’re currently dating three women. One is Patty, a doctor; another is Bai-Fern, a flight attendant; and lastly, Fah-Sai, a new actress.”

Naphat listed their names casually, deliberately laying out printed photos of each woman in front of Janevee, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"Did you seriously print these pictures out?" Janevee asked, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief.

"My assistant took care of it," Naphat replied simply, then looked at Janevee with a serious gaze.

"Rank them now. Who’s the easiest to break up with?"

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The modern restaurant Janevee had chosen for today was quiet, with only a handful of patrons. She’d specifically picked a place with minimal crowds to avoid drawing too much attention, but it wasn’t so secluded as to seem suspicious. Janevee knew well that breaking up in a public setting could make everything easier when there were watchful eyes around.

She sat at a corner table, doing her best to hide her discomfort. Deep down, she hadn’t wanted to come here, but ending things with Dr. Patty had become a necessity. Naphat had asked her to settle these loose ends.

This was Janevee’s breakup mission with the women she was currently seeing, and the first name on the list was Dr. Patty.

Janevee had known Dr. Patty for six months. Patty was intelligent, charming, and had a career Janevee admired—being a doctor kept Patty busy enough that she rarely had time to pry into Janevee’s whereabouts or ask if she really had that many meetings. The spaciousness of their relationship, with room for distance, made Janevee feel at ease.

But now that she was supposed to pretend to be Naphat’s girlfriend, Janevee had to make the tough choice of breaking things off with Dr. Patty, even if she still felt a pang of regret.

Suddenly, Dr. Patty walked into the restaurant, dressed in a short, daringly cut dress that showcased her confident style. Janevee couldn’t help but smile; she’d always been attracted to bold fashion choices like this. But then she noticed Naphat watching from a distance, and Janevee had to stifle a laugh. Patty’s outfit was surprisingly similar to Naphat’s usual style—a strange coincidence. It made her realize how much she genuinely liked Naphat’s type.

“Did I keep you waiting, Jane?” Patty greeted her with a bright smile.

“Not at all,” Janevee replied, standing to pull out a chair for Patty with a polite gesture.

Patty smiled in thanks before sitting down and opening the menu.

“The flowers you sent the other day were beautiful. The nurses at the hospital wouldn’t stop teasing me about it,” Patty said with a warm smile.

Janevee offered a small smile back. That compliment should have made her feel happy, but instead, her chest felt heavy. Though their conversation had barely started, she could already feel the weight of the ending she didn’t want to bring up. Janevee had never broken up with someone in person, always preferring to slowly drift away and let the other person initiate the end. But this time, there was no way out—Naphat had asked her to make everything clear.

Deep down, Janevee knew that if it weren’t for Naphat’s orders, she wouldn’t be doing this. But the fact that she was going this far, even without being in a relationship with Naphat, made her wonder—if they were to become a couple, would she end up letting Naphat control her life without even realizing it?

“Patty, I asked you here today because I need to talk to you about something,” Janevee began, her voice steady but distant.

“What is it?” Patty asked, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes.

“It’s just… I think we need a little space for a while.”

Patty’s expression shifted, confusion clouding her face. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Janevee took a deep breath. “I think... our lifestyles just don’t really match. You’re a doctor with a demanding job, and I have my own work. Our schedules just never seem to align...” she said gently, even though she knew the excuse was unfair. She was simply pushing the blame onto Patty.

“Not a match? No time?” Patty repeated, her tone rising with frustration. “I’ve always been this way. And now you’re just realizing we don’t match?”

Janevee hesitated, unsure how to respond, and then quietly muttered, “Yes…”

The short answer only seemed to fuel Patty’s anger. “Then why don’t you just say you want to break up?”

Patty slammed the menu shut with a loud thud, her eyes fixed on Janevee with a mix of disappointment and anger. Janevee, on the other hand, sat silently, avoiding the intense gaze directed her way.

“It’s not about being incompatible or not having time,” Patty said, her voice shaking with restrained fury. “I think you’re just bored of me, Jane. I know you’ve been talking to other women. My friends warned me, but I was stupid not to listen.”

“But we agreed it would be casual… no strings attached,” Janevee replied, grasping at an excuse.

“No strings attached doesn’t mean you get to date multiple people at the same time! A doctor, a flight attendant, an actress… What are you, a collector of careers?”

Patty shot back, her voice sharp and unrelenting.

Janevee’s face fell. She hadn’t expected Patty to know about the others. As the tension between them grew unbearable, Janevee finally decided to speak.

“You knew you were playing with fire. Why did you let me into your life?” she said, her tone defensive.

The moment those words left Janevee’s mouth, Patty grabbed the glass of water that had just been served and threw it directly into Janevee’s face. The sound of water splashing echoed through the restaurant, drawing everyone’s attention. Heads turned as Patty stormed out, leaving Janevee sitting there, drenched and stunned, shame burning through her.

From a corner of the restaurant, Naphat had been watching the entire scene unfold. She couldn’t suppress the small, satisfied smirk forming at the corner of her lips. It wasn’t the breakup itself that amused her—it was the sight of Janevee getting a well-deserved dousing from Patty.

Naphat stood up and walked over to Janevee, who was still frozen in place. Her smile was filled with mockery as she leaned slightly forward, looking down at Janevee with an air of superiority.

“Well, well. Thought you were fire, didn’t you? Turns out you just got doused, soaking wet like a stray dog,” Naphat taunted, letting out a laugh that rang with amusement.

Janevee could only sit in silence, the weight of humiliation keeping her glued to her seat.

…

Hojicha Studio Writer

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Lies Between Us by Hojicha Studio