Chapter 4

Laxus downed the drink and called for another from the bartender. He was not used to missions like this. Just because he understood the benefit of not rushing into anything here, did not mean it was his first choice. Without any leads, physical force would only spook the models and probably get Freed, Bickslow, and himself kicked out. He did not have to think long to know how his grandfather would take that news. He walked back to the table with his new mug, arriving to laughter.

"This guy's great! It's too bad you guys already work for your guild, we'd love to have you around for all the shoots!" One of the other men said in response to Bickslow's story. Laxus accidentally rocked the table as he sat down.

After the shoots ended that day and the Fairy Tail team finished dinner, the girls elected to turn in for the night. Bickslow let Laxus and Freed know the house security guys working that day invited them down to the local bar that evening. They were happy enough to go. What Laxus really wanted was to head out and get some training in, but for now, several rounds of drinks would suffice.

The three security guys seemed welcoming enough. They were not wizards but seemed to take it in stride when they figured out the boys were. All it took was two hours of drinks and a dumb joke for one of the men to spot Bickslow's guild mark and comment on it. After the truth was out, Freed stopped pulling at his sleeve cuff and let his own mark eventually show as well. It wasn't as if they could deny it now, so they played it off as best they could so as not to let the drunk security guards connect too many dots. If they knew anything in regards to their mission, maybe they would let it slip.

The door to the bar opened and one of the guys waved. He was feeling his drinks already, so his motion nearly smacked his coworker in the face. The boys quickly recognized the two men as another of the model's teams. Freed remembered talking to the shorter man yesterday. He was one of the other managers, Geo. They joined the table, pulling up chairs and ordering another round for everyone.

"So how about that scare today guys?" Geo laughed. "My girls were pretty freaked out about it at first."

"She ended up OK right?" The body guard turned to Freed. "You were on top of that even though your girl was in front of the camera- and definitely on her game." He nodded appreciatively, and Laxus' brows furrowed. Freed waved the comment off and finished his next sip.

"She's fine. As it turned out, she hadn't been eating because she was nervous about the swimsuit shots. She had a fainting spell. Luckily, she didn't get hurt when she fell and seemed to be fine once the local physician arrived to check her over." The men nodded around the table.

"Good to hear. After all the craziness during the last couple of issues, it's a relief that this wasn't related."

"I'm glad she'll be back, she's sweet. Single too," one of the men stated. His partners whistled and elbowed him in jest. Just like that, the conversation came and went too quickly for the FairyTail team to get a question in edgewise without sounding like they were prying. The new round of drinks arrived, and talk continued regarding the availability of the models.

"Your girls are something else, Freed," Geo smiled. "Obviously we all knew what to expect from Mirajane, but your other girl too-"

"Yeah, Evergreen is-"

"She's got that whole sexy secretary look down with those glasses, and someone is ALWAYS looking for that type," Geo continued. He took another swig of his drink. "I tried to get some of my girls to go for that, since the work is pretty steady once they get it down, but they all weren't into it. Makes my job more fun I guess, getting them all gigs for the stuff they want while convincing them that some lesser shoots are still worth it."

"I'm sure you don't have that issue with Mirajane," the security guy besides him added. He smiled to himself, making an appreciative noise in his throat. The rest of the security team nodded in agreement.

"I love the swim shoot," one of them stated. "It definitely brings out the best in the models. It's great how most of them like to show off." That much had been plainly obvious at the group shot, even after the loss of momentum from the fainting spell, the girls were more than happy to get back into posing. The photo was designed to be the centerfold piece, so the set they built was ginormous. Laxus commented on how overkill it seemed, but one of the assistants heard him and was happy to set him straight on the marketability of a massive group of swimsuit clad models.

It took longer then they expected to get everyone in place and posed though. The set piece was a stone pool patio overlooking a backdrop of the ocean. The center contained a shallow wadding pool with lounge chairs on one side and a garden patio on the other. Once they were all staggered properly, each girl ran through several poses with the photographer and director until they all were ready. The final image was enough to make anyone excited. This was for purely sex appeal and everyone knew it.

At the center, posed on the pool steps, was Nessa. Her black mono-kini showed almost as much skin as the girls with regular two-pieces. Just like most of the other girls, her lips were pursed in a coy 'you know you want me' look. The two girls beside her mirrored each other. Mira posed next at the edge of the pool. The photographer urged her into a sexier pose, slightly bent forward with her fingers touching her hair while her left elbow pressed against her chest, emphasizing her cleavage. Her other hand ran seductively along her thigh, tracing just above her white guild mark. When the flashes began, she bit her lip and looked up through her false lashes.

Evergreen and Vivian had been placed on the other side of the pool. Evergreen lounged on one of the chairs in a deceptively natural pose that showed off her curves even more then her swimsuit could alone. With everyone posed, the cameraman worked quickly to capture the final photo; an excited cheer rose up when he got it and declared it a success.

"They should do more swimsuit features," one of the security guys sighed happily. "I'd love to see a few of these girls in something more modern."

"You just want them in less," his buddy elbowed him. The two clinked glasses knowingly.

"So which girl are you gonna ask out this time, Len? Or have you stopped doing that yet?" asked Geo. He leaned over to Bickslow who sat next to him and explained, "This guy always made a habit of asking out the single models after the shoots. He's not very successful, but that never stopped him before!"

The man in question, Len, set his drink down and looked Freed dead in the eye. He was feeling his drinks for sure.

"What do you think my chances are with Mirajane?" He asked. The table roared with laughter. Freed, Bicklsow and Laxus displayed various looks of 'are you kidding me'.

"Cut your losses now man," Bickslow stated. He recovered most quickly, but the playfulness of the conversation was lost.

"You saw her today," Len smiled drunkenly. "She was on fire! Can you just imagine her-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you," Laxus growled. The grip threatened to break the glass in his hand. Freed saw the first crack and was silently impressed that it hadn't shattered yet.

"We can all agree Mira is an excellent model," Freed placated. "You should probably set your sights elsewhere though. Both Mira and Ever would be too much for you to handle, trust me." The other men guffawed and raised their voices in drunken laughter and teasing. Len frowned, coming up with a retort.

"That's not a challenge," Laxus reiterated. The deadly calm he exuded drove his point home, even through the other's drunkenness. "We've got enough to watch out for without keeping an eye on you too." The man threw his hands up in defeat.

"Kill the mood man," he muttered. "She's hot. I was just thinking out loud." Finishing the rest of his drink, he checked the clock. "Looks like it's time to head back." The other security guys agreed and payed the tab after they finished their drinks. The Fairy Tail group left soon after.

"Well, we know none of them are wizards," Freed sighed.

"Guess that leaves one of the models or the assistants," Bickslow offered.

"There's another manager, but I only saw him yesterday for a bit," Freed added. "I'm inclined to think its one of the runners or the set design staff, just because the models are hired on for each issue and change out so often." The two other wizards nodded. Freed stumbled over the next curb into Laxus, muttering an apology.

It was easily past midnight when they made it back to the suite. As they expected, Mirajane and Evergreen were already asleep. The three men settled in. None of them bothered to ask about the girl's schedules the next day, so they'd let the girls' wake them when they needed to be up.

Laxus tossed and turned on the couch in the main room. The conversation and his reaction at the bar replied in his mind. He wondered if the games made him feel more defensive towards his guildmates. Of course, he had known Mira longer then his actual teammates, considering they both practically grew up in the guild hall, but he never assumed he'd jump so strongly- or quickly- to her defense. Maybe she would like the attention from the security guys, how was he to know?

He groaned, blaming the mission and his grandfather for sending him. The last thing he needed was to think too hard. He could feel the headache already. Hoping the next day would bring a tamer selection of outfits, the blond forced his mind clear and eventually dozed off.

Shortest chapter so far (and i'm hoping to keep it that way!) The pacing is kinda fast, but there's really not too much going on.

I just really like writing bar scenes ok?