Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Summary: Jane/Lisbon implied. Patrick is asked to assist in an investigation and attends a ball hosted by California's richest businessmen and women. As his handler, Teresa is forced to go with him but will the evening be as awful as she thinks it will or will it provide a turning point in her and Patrick's relationship?

This was actually the first Mentalist fic I started writing, but I lost interest part way through and wrote my other 2 Jisbon stories. I rediscovered this fic the other day and decided to finish it, it didn't turn out anything like I hadn't expected to the first time. Originally it was a oneshot but I got so out of control I had to split it up.

I really hope you like this fic, reviews are appreciated and part 2 is on its way soon! Xx

Part One

In the sanctuary of her office, Teresa Lisbon sunk into her chair and leaned her head back against it. She had received a call minutes ago, informing her that Patrick was required to work on a high profile case, to give insights that investigating officers may have missed. The detective had just rang to ask for her permission to 'borrow' Patrick for the evening. Lisbon had no problem with this, even if a case came in she knew the team would be able to cope without him for the time being. Unfortunately for Teresa it hadn't been as simple as that, as Jane's handler she was required to accompany him.

"But I know nothing about the case!" Teresa had protested, knowing that she shouldn't pass up the opportunity to be involved with a investigation of this magnitude.

"Patrick Jane is being briefed at the moment, he'll fill you in on all the necessary details." Detective Hoffman, the head of the investigation had told her. "All we really need is for you to be there to supervise him so that anything we find out tonight can be verified and will stand up in court."

Lisbon had reluctantly agreed, knowing deep down that she had really had no choice in the matter. She wasn't looking forward to spending the evening with Patrick, especially at a high profile affair with California's movers and shakers. It certainly wasn't her scene.

A knock on her office door brought her out of her cycle of thoughts and she called for the visitor to come in. She wasn't particularly surprised to see Patrick Jane standing in the doorway, all cobalt blue eyes and cheeky grin. She hated the effect he had on her and the way he got under her skin in a way she had never let a man control her emotions before.

"Jane," She said, forcibly keeping her voice cool and even. "It seems that we'll be working together tonight."

"It does." He replied, closing the door behind him and slouching into the chair that sat opposite Lisbon's desk. "I've just met with Detective Hoffman's men, it doesn't sound like it should be too much hard work. It might even be fun." He smiled wickedly at her, and Teresa immediately chastised herself for the way her heartbeat increased its rhythm.

"Fun?" She asked incredulously. "I could not think of a worse way to spend my evening." It was an exaggeration yes, but not too much of one."

"Ouch Lisbon, that hurts."

She smiled wryly at him. "An evening with the California's best and brightest does not appeal to me."

"Not even if you get to wear a dress?" His grin was still in place but his blue eyes had darkened a shade, unless that was just Teresa's imagination.

She groaned, hating any occasion that meant she had to dress something other than her usual shirt and jeans combination.

"I'll pick you up at seven." Patrick told her, climbing out of the chair and walking to the door. The smile was still evident on his face and Teresa was stuck somewhere between finding it insufferably annoying and overwhelmingly charming.

"Fine, I'll see you then." Teresa acknowledged, realising that she had no choice but to lay her personal feelings aside for the case of this case.

Teresa left work earlier than usual that afternoon, needing to make sure she actually had a suitable dress in her closet, or a dress at all for that matter. For the life of her she couldn't remember the last time she had needed to wear a dress. She raided the contents of her closet, pushing aside an array of shirts, tank tops and jeans to the very edge until she found the dress. It was still wrapped in its cover from the dry cleaner who had actually managed to get the red wine stain out of the fabric. She removed the plastic cover and looked at it, deciding that it would have to do. There was no way she would actually shell out her own money on a new dress for the event.

The last time she had worn this dress was to the wedding of one of her college friends about five years ago, and Teresa hoped it would still fit her. She showered and dried herself quickly, stepping into the dress and sliding up the zipper. Uninvited, the image of Patrick unzipping the dress and letting it fall away from her skin entered her mind, and she banished it back to the recesses of her brain. Thinking of him this way wasn't going to help anybody and she still believed, perhaps foolishly, that the more she denied that she had some personal feelings for Patrick, the more likely they were to just disappear. It confused her because she didn't even really like him, he was irritating, annoying and barely ever took any notice of her orders and authority as his boss. Teresa knew that if any of her other colleagues behaved the way he did, she wouldn't stand for it.

She applied a light amount of makeup, something she rarely did for work unless she was testifying for court, and she ran a brush through her shoulder-length dark hair. She looked in the mirror and assessed her reflection, deciding that she looked okay. She knew she wouldn't raise any eyebrows at the event but also that Patrick wouldn't think she had dressed up for his benefit.

Patrick arrived at her house shortly before seven, finding himself shifting his weight from foot to food in a nervous fashion as he waited on her doorstep. It had been a long time since had made him feel like this, in fact he hadn't felt like this since long before his wife had died, and tonight wasn't even a date, it was work. She came to door and Patrick followed her inside, taking in her dress not at all surreptitiously.

"You look nice, Lisbon." Patrick smiled his usual trademark grin, his blue eyes sparkling dangerously.

Teresa muttered something in reply, not used to compliments on the way she looked, especially not from Patrick. She pulled a light wrap from the hall closet and picked up her purse, following Patrick back out of her house. As they walked to the car, Teresa noticed that Patrick looked particularly good tonight, not that he didn't usually. Teresa chided herself again for letting him turn her into a hormonal teenager. In fact he made her feel and act more like a lovesick teen than she had when she actually was a teenage girl.

Patrick had traded in his usual three piece grey suit for formal black tie dress. His black jacket and pants contrasted sharply with the crisp white shirt he was wearing, and the black bow tie. Whatever happened Patrick was certainly going to be popular with the rich women of California tonight.

Teresa climbed into the passenger side, making sure she didn't shut the long skirt of her lilac coloured dress in the car door. She was missing the practicality of her jeans already. The atmosphere in the car was a little awkward so Teresa chose to stick to conversation topics that were relatively safe.

"So, tell me about this case." She began, organising the folds of her skirt.