Beautician and the Beast Pt. 02

"Maybe he just wants to say he bagged a virgin."

"He could have said that a long time ago. Lord knows I've tried to help him with it! He loves me and...I-I love him!" Estelle balked at the end of her sister's comment. "Honestly I don't have any solid proof that he's not behind this. All I have is trust. I trust him and even if you don't, could you at least trust me to know what to do?" Estelle's shoulder slumped with defeat, she knew her sister had to do this herself and nothing else could be said.

She went back over to her skillet and cut on a burner and with a heavy breath said, "Well finish cutting the vegetables for the stir fry and tell me what the jerk said." Lovie just smiled and hugged her sister from behind. Estelle made a gruff noise to shake Lovie off, "Don't butter me up. Just cut up the veggies you potty mouth." They laughed again as both are glad to be back to normal, or as normal as they could be for the circumstances. Lovie caught her up to speed on everything that transpired before she came back and by the end of the story even Estelle had to admit that either Quentin was a great actor or he was telling the truth. Over dinner they discussed the possibilities of who it could have been. With the company being the same location as Quentin's home, any number of people could have had an opportunity. Lovie had only one person in mind that could be that devious, Drew. Estelle agreed as she'd heard all about the prick and all the incidents that involved him. It made perfect sense as he had access to all the equipment and log sheets for the site. It also wasn't lost of them that this situation wasn't linked to her "random vandalism'. That thought scared her so much she stopped the conversation to take another shower, but nice and hot that time. Once out, she didn't notice her sister sitting on her bed and nearly jumped out of her towel. She quickly grabbed the fallen ends while a small squeak emitted. Estelle chuckled, "Girl, as if you don't have anything I haven't seen before." She ended the comment with a gesturing hand to her own body. Estelle moved to the middle of the bed and picked up what looked to be a swipe of fabric, "I think you should wear this for him." She shimmied the black cloth back and for and wiggled her brows.

Lovie straightened her stance from drying her hair with a towel. "What are you talking about now? Wear what and when?"

"I'm talking about getting you laid, tonight, wearing this." Estelle was never one to mince words. Lovie's eyes bugged out of her head and that time the towel fell. Estelle beamed at her excuse for a dress before she looked up to her naked sister and shook her head, "I still can't believe you got that," she pointed to Lovie's tattoo on her breast like a child who was about to tell on her.

"Stelly what are you talking about?" She repeated as she tried to process how the dress worked. "I wasn't going over to Quentin's tonight."

"Well now you are. Loves, it's time for you to show him how much you love him as well. Aren't you tired of him leaving you hanging?"

Lovie's eyes grew again once she realized how the scrap of chemise like dress was supposed to form to her body, "Nuh uh! I can't wear this! It leaves nothing to the imagination! And for your information Quentin never leaves me hanging." In spite of her shock of the dress she found herself trying it on anyway.

With a knowing smirk Estelle helped her and adjusted the fabric over Lovie's shoulders. "Well it's awesome that he can eat it like a kid with cake but even you are ready now. It's not fair," she paused to let her words sink in and saw Lovie's eyes as she examined her figure in the mirror. "You look just as hot as me in it, but I knew that already."

"Did you make this?" The dress had a mini black halter that stopped at the middle of her thigh. The halter part draped around her neck and over her breasts but dipped so low in the middle it showed her belly button.

"Yeah. I was bored the other day so I cut up an old cocktail dress." Estelle always dumbed down her own talents when it came to her short lived fashion career.

"You're right...it isn't fair," she said absentmindedly. The power of the dress started to take effect and it turned her on just to think of how Quentin would react to her wearing it.

"Besides, I have company coming over so I need you to leave."

Estelle tried to skirt the comment and bed but Lovie's jovial bemused toned stopped her at the door. "Excuse me Ms. Thang? You never told me you were seeing someone!"

"I'm not, he's just a friend that's going through a bad time." Her tone turned a bit nervous and weird. She put her hand to the knob and was out the door before Lovie could interject again. Lovie let her go, at least for now.

She turned back to her mirror and decided if she were going to play the siren, her hair and make up had to match. "Get ready Mr. Mavery." She smiled at her reflection as she switched on her flat irons and took out her lip gloss.

~*~*

Quentin squeezed his eyes against the bright glare of his computer screen. He had tons of loading lists to go through and find what queue the footage was under. Turned out that the dummy site was up and hidden in a link on the official page for a month at that point. Since the material had alias names, he had to go through each one meticulously. He hadn't had the heart to call Eli back and ask him for help after their heated discussion on the phone at Lovie's. He demanded that the site be shut down while Eli suggested removing the material and link. Quentin was in such a rage he yelled at his friend and partner as if he were the one behind it. Eli, being the more levelheaded of the two, conceded but made a firm statement about it being back up before five the next evening. After he took some time to blow off steam, mostly by sending his woman to the moon and back, he was able to see the fault in his haste. But when it came to Lovie all logic flew out the window, and now that he'd confessed his love for her, he'd stay up all night if it helped him to find out who posted the videos. He tried not to think of just one person as the suspect because he knew it would cloud his judgment in finding the perpetrator but he had two people in mind. The detriment of finding out it was neither of them and blaming someone else held bigger consequences than just pointing his finger at Cindy or Drew. With a huff he lifted from his desk and over to the wet bar of his office. He picked up a tumbler but thought against it and just hefted the crystal container under one arm as he left his office and into his apartment. He typed in his new security code and his new panic room like locks unlatched and he headed in. He was already in his cotton green pajama pants with no shirt as usual and felt it a good time to unwind completely. He decided to have a drink before he called Lovie to say goodnight so he popped the glass top and took a small sip from the huge mouth of the container. He nearly spilled the amber liquid over himself as his phone rang in the distance. He peeped at the screen and was elated at the sight of the picture he'd taken of Lovie as she slept popped up. "I was just about to call you." He grinned in the phone; he loved when she stayed over. He always slept better.

"I'm downstairs in the alley entrance...can you buzz me up?" Her voice was sultry and low. So low that he had to strain to recognize it to be her. As he went to the other entrance he checked the main one and made sure it was secured. He didn't think she'd feel comfortable staying over after the incident. But as always, his Lovie was full of surprises. He heard the gate open and shut and the click of heels on the floor. When she came into full view his lazy smile turned to utter astonishment. "W-wha-...Did you come here like that?"

She stopped in his second foyer, with an arm on the frame and the other hand on her hip. His eyes feasted on her gradually from the floor up. She had on three-inch heel ankle boots with blazing red toenails polished as they peeped through the thong-toe opening. His smoldering gaze traveled up for what seemed like eons before fabric came back into view. It didn't last long as he licked his lips with the sight of her stomach and cleavage that threatened to spill forth. He ended on her lovely face that looked naughty and nice with her black smoky shadow that caressed her light eyes, a slight peachy glow to her cheeks and liquidly glossed full lips. Her hair silkily flowed around her face and shoulders with soft curls at the ends. "I'm here aren't I?"

Her voice knocked him out of his trance, "Huh?"

"You asked if I came here like this and as you can see..." She stepped in closer and did a little spin for him and he let a low appreciative groan out that caused her grin to widen, "I'm not hiding another change of clothes."

He tried to focus because he didn't know whether to be pissed or to be turned on but both would have to work for now. "In a cab?" His tone questioned her audacity but his body reacted differently. He gravitated to her like a moth to a flame and in a daze he ran his hand through her hair and down to her slender shoulder.

"No, Estelle let me borrow her car."

"Oh good." He said with a sigh of relief. She giggled at his unnecessary distress and he smirked at her as well. He knew she did this on purpose and now wondered what brought all this about. "You look absolutely scrumptious baby!" His unadulterated desire couldn't be held back anymore and he enveloped her in his arms. "I don't think I could stand the fact of anyone getting a glimpse of you in this, not even a cabby."

"I'm glad you like it." She stepped from his grasp and left him reaching for her as she sauntered over to his den. She sat in the middle of his huge sofa and spread her arms over the back and crossed a one long caramel limb over the other. The comfy sofa usually stunted her short frame and made her want to curl up like a kitten on one of the seat sections. But that night she commanded the expansive space like a seat cover. His mouth was still open as he watched every move she made. Her aura was so different from all their other times. When he looked in her eyes he didn't see the innocent little nymphet that he'd come to love but a pure predatory vamp. The next thing that came out of her mouth sealed the deal, "We're going to make love tonight Quentin."

She said it so matter-of-factly that he did a double take. 'Damn, is this how I am to her?' he thought as his hands self-consciously went to his growing erection. He felt like a high schooler being chastised by a sexy teacher. "Uh...what was that?"

She answered him by slowly drawing herself up accentuating her chest as she moved to the edge of the sofa. She slowly licked her lips as she took in his near shivering state. Her newfound assertiveness was getting her so hot she uncrossed and re-crossed her legs to let some steam off. "Come here Quentin."