Thank you all for showing interest in this story! Took me by surprise and made me absolutely giddy :)
Many thanks for your follows, favorites and lovely reviews! They really are appreciated!
AU with Lauren, Bo, Tamsin and Kenzi (plus some other familiar faces along the way).
PS. I don't know anything about painting or art classes... But here we go.
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"I could have waited in the car. Why the hell are we even here Kenzi? An art class, really? You do know that I can't draw, right? Like at all. I can barely manage to doodle an anatomically correct stick figure." Bo had been yapping on and on ever since they left the crack shack and she found out that their stake out would now include participating in an art class.
"Anatomically correct stick figure?" Kenzi snorted. "I so need you to draw me one." She laughed heartily.
"Oh, just shut up." Bo huffed. "You are going to enjoy all this being artistic and shit, but I'm gonna die of boredom before the night is over. And to add to this suck fest, I left my phone in the car, so I can't entertain myself by playing Angry Birds!"
"Stop griping already. We are here, because I am an awesome PI's assistant and I've gotten us a case. A case equals dough. In this case dough equals Big Bucks!" Kenzi declared confidently. "We are staking out that creepy looking dude in the second row. You know all this Bo! I did give you a case file!"
Kenzi heard Bo snicker and narrowed her eyes.
"Really Kenzi, 'a case file'?" Bo made a show of gesturing the quotation marks with her hands.
"It was a black folder with a pink post-it slapped in the middle! It read 'creepy dude – client wants us to deliver. Big bucks!' and that was it" She scoffed. "Vague much?"
Kenzi trained her blazing eyes at her sarcastic friend. "Regardless. I am the big cheese here tonight and will do as I please. We have a case and we are going to get paid for once! So, get in the zone and start stalking that dudes every move. And the dudes picture and this address and time were also included in my case file! Easy money and we need it to pay the bills! And the creeper's right there!" She hissed in disbelief pointing her finger at a man in the second row.
How the hell did this happen? When did I become the mom in our relationship! Responsibilities and all that. I don't like it, Kenzi moaned silently. She also felt a little bit guilty as she had indeed told Bo the stripped version concerning their newest assignment. But she did have her reasons. Good reasons. Might not be good enough for Bo not to rip her a new one, when she found out about it though.
"Why are you being such a pain tonight? Are you hungry for, um, something?" Kenzi asked in a hushed voice after a while.
"Sorry. I know I have been irritable and moody lately. I've been thinking about my life. I wish I had something more, you know… I want more out of life. Not just this same old, same old. Something to look forward to. I have dreams you know..." She trailed off. To find someone special, someone to build a future with, someone to love, but was that even remotely plausible for a raging succubus, she brooded lost in her thoughts for a moment.
"And no I'm not hungry. Not for food or… other things. I don't need to feed." Bo continued sighing. "I'm just tired and cranky. Haven't been sleeping well lately. Sorry Kenz, I'll try behave." She promised.
"It's okay, we're cool Bobo. You do look a bit worn out. Let's schedule some girl talk, okay? We must. Yes, really dig into this meaning of life business! Is this why you've had trouble sleep.." Kenzi didn't finish her sentence as she started squealing excitedly seeing the commotion by the podium ahead.
"It's starting! It's starting!" She cheered happily.
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"Oh Bobo, don't look now!" Kenzi said in a singsong voice and then continued whispering with a mischievous smile on her face "but there's a hunky male specimen climbing onto the stage. Naked male. Well, mostly naked anyway. He does have that pesky rag with him. Bummer."
She glansed at Bo. "Just don't start flashing those baby blues, causing mayhem and blowing our case."
"No snacking on the beefcake!" She admonished, but then added with a look of concern "Unless that'll cheer you up?"
"There's no problem. Yeah, he's hot for sure, but like I said I'm neither hungry or horny. I'm just bored." Bo yawned as to prove her point. "And just so you know, I have self control now. I can control my inner succ.."
"Shh. Don't out yourself! Walls have ears and so on." Kenzi snapped pointing discreetly to the people in the room. Mostly human people she reckoned. No need to disturb them with this fae beeswax unnecessarily.
"And you really think you can control your inner, hmm, urges? Just keep telling yourself that, suckster. I've seen you in action." She scoffed before starting to gather her equipment and getting ready to do some serious painting.
Even when Kenzi kept bantering with Bo, trying to maintain normalcy in her own way, she was worried about her friend. Bo had been under the weather lately and Kenzi hadn't yet figured out how to pull the succubus out of her funk. She didn't remember, when the succubus last went out on the town. Bo mostly moped around the house nowadays.. Maybe she had some sort of early, really early midlife crisis? They really needed to have that girl talk soon, so she could get a handle on what was bothering Bo. So tequila and rum and.. And maybe have a party too while we're at it. Yes. Yes to a girls night... Her inner monologue was cut short when she spotted a familiar face.
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"Shit! That's Detective Dyson up there isn't it? What the hell is he doing here? In all his manliness?" Kenzi croaked. "Well, there goes our case! Do you think he's after our guy?"
"Why would he be after him? I thought this was about an unhappy wife keeping tabs on his hubby or something?" Bo said baffled.
"I might have given you that idea yes. And I may have, you know, forgotten to tell you, that this dude has a criminal record. A rap sheet a mile long.. Our client wants a word with him on his past misdeeds or other deeds and is willing to pay quite handsomely for it. But if Dyson grabs him first, we can say adios to our paycheck!" Kenzi practically bawled.
She had wanted to tell Bo the uncensored version originally, but the succubus would never have allowed her to tag along if she knew the guy was a career criminal. Not really dangerous, but Bo still would have grounded her. And then Kenzi would have missed this nude modelling art class! And that would have sucked!
"Nice work, Miss Awesome assistant. Why didn't you put this little nugget of information on your post-it? Oh, sorry – case file." Bo sneered.
Kenzi's mood started to get morose too. If Dyson was after their guy or if he spotted the two of them, everything would be ruined. What a mess! All this stressing, lying and withholding information from her best friend, would have been for nothing! Nothing! And on top of that the client was going to have a major hissy fit, if they didn't deliver this creeper. Kenzi had also kept the clients identity from Bo. Well, cross that bridge when you come to it. Would not be pretty, she knew. Her thoughts turned back to Dyson. Maybe Dyson just enjoyed parading around half naked and wasn't here undercover on official business, she thought hopefully. And they were situated in the back row, so that was good also. Oh, who am I kidding! This evening is gonna end up in a total craptastic disaster, Kenzi realized.
"Let's just stick to our plan. I'll sit here. You'll paint. We keep an eye on that creepy guy and hope that Dyson won't be a problem." Bo suggested looking at Kenzi who looked almost crestfallen and was rubbing her temples vigorously.
"Calm down girl and start painting. We're here to paint and nothing more, okay? Well, actually I'm here for moral support only, if anyone asks. I won't be touching those." Bo said as she moved the various brushes and instruments aside and moved into a better position to observe the man sitting on the second row. He seemed harmless enough. She would have to squeeze Kenzi for more details later.
A little over an hour later, Dyson was ending his session and Bo was rejoicing internally thinking the night was over. Finally. She was bored to tears. The alleged career criminal they were tracking seemed to be really into this painting thing and Dyson certainly wasn't here in any official capacity. So Bo had fiddled her thumbs all evening, checking the time every two minutes. But now freedom!
When Bo saw Kenzi's painting, she was appropriately in awe. "Wow, Kenz! This is great! I didn't know you were such an amazing painter! Wow…" She faded out, before snapping her eyes from the painting and back to Kenzi who was arranging her brushes and canvases.
"Thanks. It still needs some more work, but I can finish it at home."
"Why are you putting up a fresh canvas? I thought we were leaving." Bo asked fearing what the answer would be.
"That's a negative. There's another model up next! So, that's a big 'no no' to leaving yet." Kenzi revealed making Bo groan loudly.
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"I don't think there's going to be any trouble, so I'll wait in the car. Just keep your phone handy and call if anything happens. Anything, okay?" Bo underlined.
Kenzi nodded and Bo started to quickly gather her things and put on her coat, but then her eyes locked onto a blond woman standing next to the door. Very enchanting blond woman. She froze on the spot a small gasp escaping her lips. Bo was brought out of her daze by a forceful smack on her arm and then Kenzi hissing.
"I thought you were leaving. You're blocking my light. I'm trying to get my colors organized here!"
Bo didn't stop eyeing the blond even for a second. She was obviously talking to someone, but Bo couldn't see who, because the person was sitting down. The blond looked pissed, but still so, so beautiful.
"Bo! What the hell are you doing?" Kenzi snarled, when she didn't get any reaction.
Bo's eyes found hers, but only for a moment before returning to the blond. She had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Kind of a tingling sensation. Weird.
"Do you think she's our next model?" The succubus asked motioning toward the blond with a nod of her head.
Kenzi poked her head behind the canvas holder to see who Bo was ogling.
"Yeah, I guess. Could be." Kenzi eyed her friend suspiciously as Bo took off her coat and tossed it back on the chair. "Oh, you're staying now? What happened to waiting in the car?"
Bo didn't supply an answer instead she stood still and kept her eyes glued on the gorgeous woman, who was now talking to Dyson. A strange feeling of jealousy coursed through her, when she saw the woman smiling at him. She was never jealous. Why now? Why this woman? Luckily Dyson soon moved to the back room. She watched him leave, heaved a sigh of relief and then continued to admire the woman thoroughly once more. Her slender frame and her perfect ass. Bo heard a sharp gasp beside her and then was brought back to reality with a swift hard punch on her bicep.
"Bo! Bo, snap out of it! Your eyes are shining brighter than a led flashlight! Sit down!" Kenzi huffed sounding uneasy.
"What the hell's wrong with you? Oh, my god! You have the hots for that blond, don't you? What happened to 'not hungry not horny'? What the hell happened to your self control?! She's still got her clothes on! Fully clothed, Bo! She's not even nake.." She stopped herself in the middle of her escalating rant. "Oh, 'kay, let's not go there now… Bo, you got to think of something else! Anything else. Something unsexy, um, gym socks, hairy armpits, um, bad breath.. Shit, I'm drowning here. Just stop it Bo! Look away!" Kenzi rambled in a low voice desperately trying to get through to Bo, who was contentedly undressing the unsuspecting model with her eyes.
Kenzi sighed elatedly when she noticed Bo closing her eyes, sitting down and taking a few deep cleansing breaths.
"Um, Bo? Maybe you should go and wait in the car after all?" She tried carefully.
"What?! I'm not going anywhere! I'm staying! And that's final!" Bo all but roared.
"Jeez, don't blow casket!" Kenzi squeaked. "Stay by all means. Stay. Just please, please, don't jump the pretty blond yet. Just try to keep it in your pants until after the class is over! Please!" Kenzi begged as she began to rummage through her purse and then exclaiming a victorious "Aha!" tossing her sunglasses to Bo, who looked at her curiously.
"If you won't stop gawking at the eye candy, at least put those on to cover your eyes."
"I can't stop myself! She's.. Something! I have to meet her Kenz. I need to meet her." Bo stressed as she started to get up, when she noticed the object of her affections making her way to the changing room."
"Later Bo, later!" Kenzi said grabbing her arm forcefully pulling her back down.
A few minutes passed, but Bo was like a live wire moving about in her chair. Her eyes peeled to the door waiting for the blond to make an appearance. It was safe to say, that Kenzi was concerned. Concerned and stumped by Bo's behavior. She had never seen her friend have such an epic reaction to anyone. Let alone someone who was a complete stranger! Complete stranger, standing a room away and still managing to make Bo a wired mess. Well, at least Bo seemed to have been ripped from the claws of gloominess. She was very lively now. Stunned, Kenzi struggled how to diffuse the horn dog situation, before it blew up all over their faces.
"Bo, wait until the session has ended. I bet she's a professional, you know, a working girl, who wants to do a good job and .." Kenzi suddenly fell silent. "Sorry, I just realized how that may or may not have sounded, um, I meant a professional model, not you know.."
Bo growled at Kenzi as her concealed eyes watched closely the sheet covered blond make her way to the podium with the class instructor close in tow.
"Shut it Kenz! And start painting, I want her on my wall!"
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Thank you for reading :)
A/N So, this is a one-shot no more. I've decided to give this story a go. Let's see how it works out :)
I'll try to update once a week, but no promises in case real life messes my plans. I don't know how many chapters this will be. (I'm thinking maybe 10 chapters or so and the chapter length probably will be approx 2000 words.)
And I do have a specific ending already in mind (if I don't change my mind), but I just need to get there!
