Chloe wakes up gradually, feeling well-rested and content in a way she hasn't in a long while. She snuggles deeper into her pillow, only to realize that her pillow is strangely solid, and also breathing.
She opens her eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings. She's still in their living room, by the looks of things, which means she fell asleep on the couch last night. Which means her pillow is…
Normally, this would be the part where she runs away. A small part of her is still really tempted to. But the larger part of her is quite happy right where she is, and last night sort of feels like a may have been turning point for both of them. Lucifer has finally stopped trying to prove that he was into her, which she was obviously aware of, and is instead trying to prove he can commit to her - as a partner, as a friend, even as something more - and in turn she's finally willing to let herself be convinced of his sincerity.
Plus his chest is surprisingly comfortable, and she finds herself reluctant to move away.
She wonders if Lucifer is still asleep, and wonders what she'll even say to him when he does wake up. She curls her arm more securely around his chest and listens carefully to the sound of his breathing.
It almost sounds like he's chuckling at her now, and she can actually feel the rumbling of his chest beneath her cheek. So definitely awake then. But when she listens more carefully she realizes he's not laughing, but humming. It takes her a second to catch on to the tune, but she she does she nearly groans.
"Are you seriously humming Mrs. Jones right now?" She look up towards where his eyes still remain closed above her.
"It seemed rather fitting." He actually does laugh this time, before singing the words out loud in the same rumbling baritone. "Me and Mrs. Jones, we've got a thing going on…"
"You know the guy in the song isn't Mr. Jones, right? He's not her husband." She jokes, hoping that he doesn't notice the way his words and his voice are starting to affect her.
"Neither am I, as you so love to remind me." He mocks back, drawing her more tightly against him.
"So, exactly how long have you been waiting to pull that out?"
"Oh ages." He breathes out. "Since I saw the names the Lieutenant picked for us."
"Well aren't you just the picture of restraint all the sudden?"
"Some things are worth waiting for." And it's obvious that he doesn't just mean the song.
"You did not really just say that." She pushes herself up to look down at him. "That was almost romantic." She teases, despite feeling practically giddy at his easy response.
Lucifer simply closes his eyes and relaxes back into the cushions below. "Fine, then I take it back. Pretend I said something appropriately filthy instead."
"Nope, no take backs!" And because she's still feeling a little overwhelmed by the sentiment, and more than a little giddy at this point, she bends down to kiss him again. Lucifer responds just as readily as he had the night before, only now it's even better because her entire body is pressed against his warmth. And there are few things better than lazy, early morning kisses.
Slowly, their kiss becomes a little less lazy. His hands begin to run teasingly up her back, occasionally gripping at her sides whenever she does something especially nice. Like nibble on his bottom lip, or curl her tongue against his own. She even manages a pleased moan when she moves to nip along his jawline, and he arches his neck back in offering. Not one to ignore an obvious request, and secretly reveling in the power she holds over this man, she sets to work kissing and nipping down the side of his throat. One of his hands reaches up to thread through her hair, half holding her in place, half simply seeking something to hold onto. But when she finally bites down at the juncture where his neck and shoulder meet, he practically growls beneath her and before she knows it their positions are reversed.
Lucifer looks down at her briefly, eyes entirely black but almost flashing red in the morning light, before offering her neck the same treatment. Both her hands shift to his hair, delighting in the opportunity to make a mess of it, as his teeth scrape deliciously down the sensitive skin of her throat. She gasps when he bites down on the same spot she did, the sting of it just this side of pleasurable. But Lucifer soothes the bite with his tongue before continues down across the exposed skin of her chest and shoulders a little more gently.
Meanwhile, his hands have made their way up towards the underside of her breasts, and Chloe arches beneath him in encouragement. But Lucifer draws it out, carefully tracing along her ribs just below, and then up the sides so lightly it almost tickles but also it really, really doesn't. And just when she's about to grab his hands and move them herself he slides his palms over her, gently cupping her breasts and running his thumbs along where her nipples are already straining against the fabric of her dress. She didn't even need to wear a bra with this and so she can easily feel the warmth of his palm against her skin and the brush of his fingers against the tight peaks. He drags down the straps of her dress with his teeth, sending heat to pool low in her belly, but the zipper is still trapped beneath her back, unreachable unless they move.
And he does move, but only to get more comfortable, and so her dress stays firmly in place. Except now his thigh is pressed tantalizingly between her legs, where she can already feel herself growing warm and slick and straining for more friction. She can tell the precise moment he notices this, feeling his slow smile against her shoulder, but she's long past caring. Especially when one of his hands is trailing down her side, reaching to stroke against the bit of skin revealed by the shifting edge of her skirt. She shivers as his thumb strokes just above her knee.
He makes no move to slide beneath the fabric, however, just as he hasn't gone for her zipper. She realizes he's waiting on her, and the thought makes her bold. She spreads her legs further, without a trace of shame. This time she can actually see his grin as he moves back up to kiss her again. His lips muffle the soft sounds she makes as his fingers trail up her bare thigh with excruciating slowness, the leisureliness of the pace in direct contrast with the intensity of his kiss. But still she can hear herself moaning when Lucifer allows his nails to drag lightly across the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh, nearing the apex. Her own nails are currently digging into his shoulders, but he doesn't seem to mind at all.
Finally, finally, he cups a broad palm against her center, hot even through the material of her underwear, and she unconsciously grinds up against the heel of his hand, seeking more. And he gives it to her, pressing against her more firmly, drawing a ragged gasp from her. He shifts his hand to drag his middle finger slowly along the seam of her, briefly circling her clit before reaching up to the lacey edge of her panties. His fingers dip in teasingly, and she shivers at the feel of his long fingers so close to where she needs them right now. His hand is nearly there when they hear the front door slam open.
"Lucifer, your fucking phone is turned off, what the hell is that about?" Mazikeen's voice echoes through the foyer, startling Chloe and making her bolt off the couch. By the time the other woman reaches the living room, she finds Lucifer sprawled on the floor rubbing his head and Chloe trying to look as upright possible in a rumpled sundress.
"Oh I can't believe this, am I interrupting something here?" She smirks, obviously realizing that she has and just trying to make them admit to it. Lucifer, surprisingly, demurs.
"Only my being knocked to the floor by a very jumpy detective." He finally rights himself, brushing off the imaginary dust from the floor, pretending not to be smoothing other things down.
"Uh huh.." Mazikeen quirks an eyebrow at the pair, clearly unconvinced.
Chloe decides to avoid the question altogether to try and retain whatever is left of her dignity. "Every hear of knocking? For all we know you could have been the murderer."
"How do you know I'm not?" Mazikeen's grin exposes her sharp teeth, making her look every inch the villain, but Chloe just rolls her eyes.
"Because there's nothing in it for you." She shrugs.
"This is true." Mazikeen agrees. "Speaking of this murder interfering with my life, I need Lucifer to get his ass down to Lux. When I said I'd watch the place for a few days I didn't mean I was going to be taking business meetings."
"But you would look so lovely in a suit." Lucifer taunts, looking pointedly at Maze's ripped leather get up.
"And you better put one on. I'm not about to be seen in public with you looking like some IT dork coming to fix our computers." Mazikeen looks over his current outfit, torn between disgust and laughter.
"You should have seen his Hawaiian shirt." Chloe adds, purposely keeping the conversation focused on Lucifer's wardrobe and not what was happening here only a few moments earlier. Lucifer glances over with a look of utter betrayal but Maze's face lights up like it's Christmas.
"Oh please tell me you have photos of that!" She demands. But before Chloe can break the bad news to her, Lucifer is already insisting it was "all Detective Douche's fault."
"This actually makes me like Dan a little more." Mazikeen laughs, and Chloe quite nearly agrees. She doesn't love the constant petty squabbling between her ex and her current partner, but even she had to admit that was pretty funny.
"See if I save you from those meetings now!" Lucifer retorts petulantly.
"Don't think of it as saving me from your meetings, think of it as saving your meetings from me." Mazikeen's grin grows even wider, if that's possible, the threat clear from her bared teeth. A brief standoff follows, before Lucifer finally relents.
"I suppose I should go into the office today, be a nine to five working sod like all the rest of them." He gestures outward, which she takes to mean he's referring to the other men in the neighborhood, as if he's just trying to maintain his cover and Mazikeen hasn't won this round.
"It's fine, I need to get ready for this sales party thing anyway. Bunny's expecting me at 10:30."
Mazikeen nearly insists on coming with her instead, demanding she prove there's an actual grown woman named Bunny, but Lucifer thankfully drags her off to Lux. She finally starts getting ready for her own 'job', doing her best to ignore the fact that she's still a little keyed up from Lucifer's expert touch, as well as how empty the house feels now that he's no longer in it.
Over at the Isaacsons, Chloe belatedly realizes that she shouldn't have wasted her time learning everything about Marlana's products - the sales party was clearly just an excuse to start drinking at 11 am and exchange gossip. Outside of Sharon and Maxine, and of course poor Vidya, none of the women in the neighborhood seem to hold down a real job or do much of anything, which severely limits the topics of conversation. Chloe is already bored after the first half hour of discussing Rachel Warren's macrobiotic diet (Chloe recognized her as the woman who brought them kale muffins), the best pre-preschools (a concept Chloe never even knew existed but is apparently essential to a child's future success), and of course the other women in the neighborhood.
"You know I adore Sharon and Maxine, but they let those boys run wild! I would never let my kids just roam around unsupervised like that. And I never see them at any of the booster club meetings." Rachel says in a way that makes Chloe think she doesn't actually adore Sharon and Maxine.
"Don't kids need a little independence?" Chloe suggests, partly in defense of the two women but also in hopes of taking down the righteous indignance a notch or two. It's beginning to grate on her.
"Well of course, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be monitored. And they're still so young! I wouldn't let them out of my sight."
"You'll understand when you're a mother." Phyllis from across the street offers up reassuringly, though it has the opposite effect on Chloe. She barely avoids correcting the other woman, trying her hardest not to think how her own daughter is nearly the same age, and whether it make her a bad mother that she's only had a few hours with her in the past 5 days.
"But I mean, what can you expect with them both working full time? I would never be able to abandon my kids all day like that." Ok, that stings a little, but Trixie understands how important her job is, and it's not like Maxine and Sharon's kids seem unhappy either with their moms working. It's not like with her Mom, who was barely ever home even when she wasn't working. Chloe will always put Trixie first, even if she doesn't hover over her every second of the day. But it seems she's alone in thinking this way about parenting.
"Perhaps they need the money, or just don't feel any maternal instincts. I mean, you never know with those people." Betty Lewis adds unnecessarily, taking a long drink.
"Betty!" Rachel turns to Chloe, "We have absolutely no problem with Maxine and Sharon embracing their alternative lifestyle, I don't want you thinking we're bigoted here or anything. It's just we as mothers can't really understand rushing back to work when there are kids who need us."
None of this is very reassuring to Chloe, on either account. But Betty continues on as if her age and successful family of five makes her fit to judge every other parent in the neighborhood.
"You know who I really don't get? That environmental lawyer woman, trying to have a kid on her own."
"I thought it was brave. Motherhood is tough enough already, I can't imagine going into it alone. But she was such a sweet girl." Tanya has two young twins, with matching full time nannies. She's certainly not doing this alone. Still, she's pleasant enough.
"And rich," Rachel adds, though with a surprising lack of cattiness. "She didn't even need to work. She must have really loved that job though. I imagine her hours were what kept her from finding a husband, she was certainly pretty enough."
"Maybe she was too busy with other women's' husbands." Peggy Davis scoffs, and Chloe perks up. This is the first negative thing anyone has had to say about their victim, and it definitely fits with the affair theory. And she already knows her husband Cliff is a slimeball from when he made a pass at her at the luau.
Bunny, who has been ignoring most of the childcare conversation in favor of enjoying her mimosa, turns to whisper conspiratorially to Chloe, "Peggy's had it out for her ever since one of the neighbors saw that girl and Cliff coming up from the house at the end of the street together. I mean, we all know what he's really up to down there!" She giggles.
Chloe tries to maintain a look of casual interest, but her mind is racing - this might finally be the connection they were looking for. But without any solid proof she can't afford to blow her cover just yet. Instead she shoots off a quick text back to the station, and tries to endure another few hours of feeling like the worst mom in the room until this ends. Then another officer can quietly pick up Cliff and Peggy for questioning.
And she does manage to sell a few skincare sets for Diaz's wife, at least.
Down at the station. Peggy is quick to offer up the details of her husband's alleged affair, though the only thing that points to Vidya's involvement is another neighbor who claims to have seen the two of them hanging around the end of the street. Peggy knows about #47, of course, and can list every late night "meeting" he's taken with the impressive recall of a woman who's probably anticipating a divorce hearing in the near future, but it's not enough.
In the opposite room, Cliff still maintains his innocence, slippery as ever when Dan tries to question him. Chloe and Lucifer (now back in his trademark suit) are forced to watch this ridiculous display impatiently through the two way mirror. She wishes she could go in there and do the asking herself, but at least she's not stuck out here alone. She's actually a little amazed that Lucifer left Lux just to witness the interrogation - normally he leaves the 'boring' parts to her. But it seems he really is committed to being a better partner. Chloe smiles at the thought.
Then of course he has to go and blow their cover by storming into the interrogation room, apparently pissed that Cliff continues to deny ever having an affair, or even having propositioned Chloe as Barbara.
"How about we cease with the lies, and you tell everyone exactly what you did to that poor girl."
"What the hell, man? What's he doing here?" Cliff yells towards Dan, who looks very much like he wants to ask Lucifer the same exact questions.
"It doesn't matter what I'm doing here, what matters is what you've done to the girl."
"Done what to what girl? Are you a cop or something?"
"No, but I am." Chloe announces as she enters the room. She figures with Lucifer's outburst the jig is up anyway, and they might as well get answers. "And you will answer our questions. Now first, what was your involvement with Vidya Patel? Were you two having an affair?"
"No way. She's cute and all, but I really prefer blondes." He manages a leer in her direction, despite now knowing that she's a cop (and armed), as well as the fact that both her fake and ex-husband look equally prepared to shoot him at the slightest provocation. "I just wanted to talk to her because she's a lawyer and I needed some legal advice, but all she wanted to talk about was real estate development."
"Don't bother denying it, you wife already told us everything. Apparently you really screwed up when you went screwing around." Lucifer insists, and Chloe is surprised to see their suspect suddenly turn pale. And then go red with anger.
"Well then did she tell you it was all her idea?" He fumes.
Chloe is about to ask why his wife would tell him to have an affair but Cliff continues his rant. "She even insisted we move into that stupid neighborhood with all those new money idiots looking to invest."
Cliff finally stops himself at the look of confusion he's met with, but Lucifer is quick to encourage him to keep going. "Tell me, Cliff, what is it that you desire more than anything?"
Chloe still doesn't understand how Lucifer does it, but as usual his weird superpower seems to work. Cliff pours out his confession - the whole investment firm was a scam, none of the properties were even real. Peggy was the the real brains behind the scheme though, and the one that picked their marks. They'd been doing this for years, and rather successfully. But Cliff's affairs had driven a wedge between them, and Peggy is quick to turn on him even without her partner's persuasive skills. By the end of the day Chloe has enough to put both of the Davises away on fraud and embezzlement.
Unfortunately, their confessions also give them both an alibi for the night of the murder. And since Cliff maintains he had no involvement with Vidya other than a single conversation about business, they still know of nothing that might have given someone motive to kill her. Chloe tries to remind herself that at least they had narrowed down the suspect list, if only by two people. And they had managed to catch some bad guys, even if they weren't the right ones.
Lucifer, sensing her frustration, assures her that he will help her go over the case again later that evening with as little innuendo as he can manage. Which is still a lot of innuendo, but she finds it doesn't bother her as much now that she's decided to give...whatever this is a try. She suspects they won't really get very much done on the case tonight, especially with no Mazikeen to interrupt this time. She's surprisingly ok with this, thought. Chloe realizes she's still a little wound up from this morning, and thinks maybe this is just what she needs to get her mind off her terrible afternoon.
Chloe returns to the house while Lucifer finishes up a few things at Lux, feeling more than a little drained from the day she she just had. She pours herself a glass of wine - a constant perk to sharing a kitchen with Lucifer, it seems - pondering whether or not to try and actually go over their revised suspect list, knowing that this is probably her best chance to get some real work done. She also considers taking a long hot bath, and maybe shaving her legs before Lucifer gets back. She's decided that she definitely deserves a little fooling around after everything else that has happened today.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. She half hopes it's Lucifer, calling to say he's already heading home, but it turns out it's just the developer. Chloe tries not to sigh, taking another long sip of her wine before answering. It seems they're going to have to ask Ms. Palmer for an extension to their stay, and this is as good a time as any to bring it up. Chloe is already planning out how to approach the topic as she picks up, but the other woman immediately begins talking over her without so much as a "hello".
"The plan worked, we finally found a buyer for the house! A family of three, and they want to move in by the end of the week! That means I am going to need you two out ASAP."
Chloe tries not to groan in frustration. This is the exact opposite of what she needs right now. She tries to carefully remind the other woman that they haven't found the murderer yet, and that the house hasn't officially been ruled out as a crime scene. This doesn't seem to make any difference to the developer.
"Look, The Palisades is a nice neighborhood filled with nice people. You're not going to find any criminals living there." Chloe very carefully doesn't mention that they already have. Two, in fact. "Honestly she probably killed herself."
"You think she bludgeoned herself to death?" Chloe asks, a little dumbfounded by the flippant response.
"You know what I mean, she probably ran off and got herself killed by some strange man. It happens to desperate women all the time. I've seen it on Dateline."
"What makes you think she was desperate?"
"Come on, she was past 35, single, and pretending like she wanted to raise a kid by herself. No one wants that, such a lonely, miserable life."
And there it is again, the reminder that her life as a working single mother is certainly less than ideal.
"But aren't you…" past 35, single, miserable yourself? She wants to ask.
"I am currently seeing someone, not that it's any of your business, but I do have a life outside my office, unlike some people." Ouch. Chloe knows that Ms. Palmer's words are pointed at their victim, but she can't help but feel them aimed a little at her as well. She ends the conversation as swiftly as she can, vowing to bring up the extension tomorrow. But right now, she really needs a drink. Possibly several.
"Honey I'm home!" Lucifer gleefully announces from front door, like he's been waiting all week to use that line.
He does not, however, seem to anticipate finding her sprawled out on the couch next to an empty bottle of wine and a very sad dinner of ice cream and crackers.
"You're back," she announces unnecessarily, attempting to sit up and nearly knocking over what was left of the ice cream pint. "What time is it?"
"Later than I realized if you've had time to get through a whole bottle all on your own," he frowns.
"Don't worry, there's still some left in the kitchen." She tries to stand this time, which turns out to be even worse than sitting up. Lucifer immediately presses her back down into the couch, possibly to save her from tipping over, before taking a seat beside her.
"I think you may have had enough." The condescension should annoy her but Lucifer sounds so worried she nearly starts crying right in front of him.
"Sorry, it's just been a whole day of everyone telling me I'm a bad parent who's going to die alone because I spend too much time at work." She drops her forehead to his shoulder, wishing to hide from the embarrassment that is her life right now.
"Who told you this?" His words are laced with anger, though it doesn't seem to be directed at her at least. She buries her face further into shoulder before mumbling out a response.
"Let's see, Rachel, Betty, Tanya - Bunny and Peggy might as well have - oh and Ms. Palmer."
"And so you're just taking the word of some silly little twits? One of whom I will remind you is called Bunny. Come now, Chloe, really..."
"You said it too. You called me a spinster!" She reminds him, sitting back up to look him in the eye.
"I said no such thing!" He protests.
"Yes you did, you said it the first night we were here." Her memories are currently a little hazy but she definitely remembers the words "eternal spinsterhood".
"I believe what I said was that you are much too young and far too attractive to even think of becoming a spinster." He gently cups a broad palm around the side of her face, forcing her to look at him as he says this. She can't help the little shiver that runs through her with the force of his words. But still she pulls back.
"You definitely did not say that."
"Then allow me to make amends, Detective. I will make sure to always remind you of this in the future, in case some idiot ever tries to convince you otherwise." He's smiling again now, the real smile that always makes her melt just a little. The one that now reminds her of how she had originally envisioned this evening going.
"Are you going to take me to bed now, Lucifer?" She hopes the slight slurring comes across as seductive. Judging by the look Lucifer's giving her, it probably doesn't.
"Yes, I am - so you can sleep this off." He states with a certain finality in his tone.
And with that he actually picks her up, just as he had done their first night here. Only this time she doesn't fight it, allowing herself to relax into his arms, head pressed into the crook of his neck. She breathes him in, and somehow he smells even better now than he had then. His skin is so warm, and Chloe decides she's going to live right here from now on. She also realizes that she's probably at least a little bit drunk.
Lucifer carries her all the way up to her own room before setting her gently on the bed, making sure she doesn't immediately tip over. Chloe thinks he's finally going to kiss her now, but instead he moves away to begin searching the room, and she nearly whines at the loss.
"Now where are your pajamas, kitten?" He asks almost to himself, searching through her closet and a few of the drawers. Chloe is wondering how he can be thinking of pajamas when he's finally in her bedroom - there should definitely be less, rather than more clothes. By the time he turns around to check on her she's already managed to get her dress off, and is struggling with the hooks of her strapless bra. Lucifer finally moves over toward her again, but only to gently stop her attempts.
"You never answered my question, pet." It takes Chloe a moment to realize he's still looking for her pajamas, though she still has no idea why. Hasn't he been trying to get her undressed since they first met? She simply shrugs, not remembering exactly where she put the shirt the other morning. They both slept in their clothes last night.
Lucifer closes his eyes briefly, seemingly with a need to collect himself. Chloe is embarrassed to realize it's probably because she's behaving like a complete idiot. But when Lucifer looks back at her, he simply sighs and begins removing his own shirt. Chloe perks up a little at the move, but once the shirt is off, he immediately begins slipping her own arms into it. She looks up at him, puzzled at the turn off events, but Lucifer simply continues buttoning the shirt up over her. Once she's fully covered by the soft burgundy cotton, he reaches back to unhook the bra through her shirt. It's actually kind of impressive. Chloe at least musters up the dexterity to remove it the rest of the way.
Giving up on any possibility of turning this evening around, Chloe allows Lucifer to pull back the covers for her, carefully tucking the blankets around her once she finally manages to settle in. He even presses a gentle kiss to her forehead as if she were a child, which she endures with as little fuss as possible, despite having wanted a very different ending to this day. But when he turns to leave her she finally speaks up.
"Stay."
He pauses for a second, considering her carefully, before removing his shoes and belt and sliding into the bed behind her. She immediately pulls his bared arm around her middle, hand nearly at her breasts. She's suddenly very aware of how Lucifer's shirt is brushing against her skin, nipples hardening at the nearness of his long fingers.
"You know, I'm not really that drunk." She suggests without any subtlety.
"Yes, you are." Lucifer sighs into the back of her head. She can feel her face heating at the obvious rejection, and is thankful that she is facing the other direction so he can't see it.
They're both silent for several minutes before Lucifer speaks again.
"You know, this is the second time you've become intoxicated before throwing yourself at me. I'm beginning to suspect you may be doing this on purpose." His tone is teasing but his words have a ring of truth to them.
"Why would I humiliate myself on purpose?" She huffs out, still refusing to face him.
"Because you don't want to admit you might actually like me."
Chloe nearly rolls her eyes, but she realizes it's sort of true. Lucifer's always had his cards out on the table, and all she's been able to offer back are excuses. And it's been a long day for both of them, but maybe this was what she really needed. Maybe they both do.
"Fine. Maybe I do like you a little bit."
She can feel him smiling against the crown of her head.
"A very little bit."
He huffs out a small laugh, warm and tickling against her ear. "I look forward to hearing you repeat that in the morning when you sober up."
"What makes you think you can get me to say it again?" She teases, even as she finally turns to face him.
"No take backs, remember?" He smiles at her in the dark as she tucks her head back against his shoulder, finally drifting off to sleep.