[IC] Love through the paint [BeautifulSnow&Sunflower]

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

I woke up early, it was Saturday and today I had to work at the grocery store. Lucky for me, I was able to go their in less than five minutes since I lived across the street. I looked at my apartment. It was small, had one bedroom, a small living room, the kitchen was separated by one wall and you could not stand inside it with more the two full grown humans. I saw a red light near my phone when I entered the living room. I pushed the button to listen to the message that was left.

''Good morning Babygirl, I think your not awake yet but I wanted to tell you that your cousin Ashley is gonna stay over for a few weeks at your apartment.. My niece thinks that she could use some lessons about the real world.. I know you and Ashley are not best friends but what's not their, can always grow.. right? Well.. She will be there at 10 am. We love you!'' end of the message. I looked at my phone and the first thing I thought was to throw it out of the window.. But a new one would be to expensive. I looked at the clock. Oh no! It was 9:55! In five minuted the spoiled girl would be here and I had to be at work in fifteen minutes.

I grabbed my phone and called my boss... Please pick up... Please pick up... I heard someone picking up. ''Hello?'' the boss his voice said. ''Good morning sir! Ehm.. I got a little problem... My cousin is coming in five minutes.. And will be staying over for a few weeks.. I wondered... Could I take her along for at least this weekend. Maybe she can come work too.. She needs a lesson in the real world or something and and and...'' I took a deep breath and suddenly heard my door rang. There she was already. ''Easy Easy Cassie... Take her with you and we will see after today'' he said. ''Thank you!'' I said. ''I'll see you two in half an hour, okay?'' he said. ''Okay, thank you again sir'' I said and hang up. The door rang again. ''Geez Ashley! Easy with the ringing'' I said and opened the door.

Ashley:

I rang the doorbell from my poor cousin. I looked around in the hallway and at the door. I didn't know what smell their was hanging but it smelled bad, really bad. ''Geez Ashley! Easy with the ringing'' I heard Cassiopeia saying and she opened the door. ''Also a good morning..'' I said and walked inside. Oh this was so small! ''Where do I sleep?'' I asked. Cassiopeia walked to the couch and patted on it.

''What! I am not gonna sleep there'' I said. ''We will see later.. Be at least happy that I wanna have you here.. Now hurry up, we have to be at the grocery store in half an hour'' she said. ''Why? Do we need some shopping?'' I asked. ''No... We are gonna work'' she said. Work! I looked at her with a dirty look, she had to laugh. ''I am not gonna work girl.. I got my dad and mom for that'' I said. ''Well, this few weeks are gonna be a lesson for you about the Real world.. And in the real world everybody has to work'' She said.

''I am not gonna work, totally not'' I said again. ''Okay, but one that does not work, will not eat'' Cassiopeia said. She walked to her room and got dressed. When she came back, she was brushing her brown hair and bound it in a ponytail. I saw that I had no choice... I placed my suitcase next to the couch. ''If I have no choice...'' I said. ''Yup, you don't'' Cassiopeia said and I hated my parents already for this.

[Sunflower]

Maia:

“Hey…Tony,” she said, it had been a few years since she last talked to her cousin. “I…I’m sorry,” They had gotten into a petty fight over their career choices—Maia wanted to use people as her canvas and Anthony wanted to use actual canvas. Needless to say, it ended with both taking low blows at the other and ending their friendship. “I live a few towns over…well, I-I asked Uncle where you lived so…I’m coming to visit.” Maia said, placing her hand on her swollen belly. She had asked her Uncle to keep it a secret that she was pregnant. Maia wanted to tell Tony in person. “Ah…I—we’re actually just a few minutes away from your place.”

Of course she was nervous. Maia hadn’t seen Tony in several years and didn’t know how he’d react to her condition…or her boyfriend. Tony had always been so protective over her. The blonde woman said goodbye to her cousin and pocket her phone before looking out of the window. George, her boyfriend, grabbed her hand gently as they drove. “I’m sure it’ll be alright.” He said, sometimes Maia thought he was too good to be true.

Anthony:

“Maia?” His voice was surprised; he’d dropped the coffee mug, his favorite that he had been holding. It’d been years since they talked to each other and he was honestly surprised. Maia sounded older, more mature and it was frightening while at the same time it was amazing. He’d always remember the quiet way she had talked. Tony was silent as she said she was sorry. There didn’t need to be an explanation for that. “I’m sorry too…”he said softly, not knowing if she had heard him or not. His eyes bugged out of his head when she announced that she was only several—wait she said ‘we’re’ just who or what was with Maia? After saying goodbye and hanging his phone up Anthony quickly got to work cleaning up the remnants of the blue colored mug; today was his day off, thank god, so he could spend some time with Maia and catch up or whatever. Going into the bathroom after the mess was cleaned up he brushed his hands through his thick dark hair before setting the toilet seat down and trying to clean up nervously. His small apartment, three blocks from his work, was a nice two bedroom. The spare room was used for his art supplies, as a makeshift studio.

If Anthony would have known Maia was coming to visit then he would have cleaned up his studio and used it as a bedroom for once. The usually calm man tripped over the corner of his couch as he tried to get to the door. She was here already?!

Opening the door Anthony stood wide-eyed as he looked at his cousin and the black haired man behind her. She was vastly different than he remembered; tattoos everywhere, darker makeup—wait she was wearing makeup? And that bump…it could only mean one thing. “You’re pregnant?”

“I was expecting a hello,” she teased as she opened her arms and brought him into a hug. Anthony was in shock as he put his arms around her numbly and glanced at the man. “Anthony,” she said, “This is my boyfriend George. We’re going to have a baby.” Anthony nodded before inviting them both in and closing the door behind them. He was trying to think of his words “but you’re only twenty-three.” He blurted out, flinching at the tone he had used.
“Ah…sorry, how far along are you?” he asked.

“Five months as of yesterday.” Maia beamed as she sat down on the black leather couch. “How’s life treating you?” she asked as Anthony sat in the arm chair across the living room.

He shrugged, “I’m working at a grocery store a little ways from here. I do my art on the weekends or my days off.”

His eyes flew to the table where there were several fliers advertising that a model was needed. Anthony’s ears and cheeks burned in embarrassment as his cousin read the flier. Her boyfriend, whom Anthony would call quiet, nodded as she whispered something to him.

“We can help you distribute these if you want.” Maia offered.

Anthony nodded, still embarrassed and surprised.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

She looked at Ashley as we stood in the grocery store. She had borrowed a shirt from her and she sighed some. ''Ashley... Please, look up... This is not gonna help you or me. I am needing this job to pay my bills... Which will be yours too the up coming weeks'' Cassie said and walked over to her cousin. She was holding a box with strawberry in cans and gave them to her cousin. ''Get that over to that cornor and into the shelf...'' she said and looked at her cousin. With a sour face, Ashley listened and did what she got asked. ''Keep smiling! If I lose my job because of you, I'll make you pay all the bills and remember... Your dad and mom are not allowed to help you'' she said and sighed. She walked over to a old lady and helped her with the things she needed. ''Oh thank you young lady'' the old woman said and Cassie smiled. She sighed some and thought for a moment about the other help in the store, which had a day off today. He would probably have helped her more than Ashley did now.

Ashley:

She looked at her cousin and let her do all the work, was it not already insane that her parents send her over to some of the poor members of the family. Well, then it got insane because she had to work in some grocery store. Cassiopeia came to her with a box with canned strawberry's and gave it to her with an clear instruction. With a sour face Ashley walked to the corner which her cousin had pointed at. There she placed the cans in the shelf's and sighed some. She looked behind her and saw Cassiopeia helping a older woman. Why was she always smiling? She couldn't believe that her cousin could be happy if she had to work almost every minute of the day to be able to live.

When she was done with the cans, she walked over to her cousin again and saw that she was talking with some new costumer. ''Ehm.. Cassiopeia?'' she asked and her cousin looked behind her. ''What can I do now?'' she asked then. ''Go take a break, ten minutes max. After that you can go on with packing the shelf's with the new stuff'' a man's voice said. Ashley turned around and nodded. ''Okay Boss.. Thank you'' she said and walked off.

[Sunflower]

Anthony:

“Any names for the baby?” He asked cautiously as he passed out cups of tea. Anthony had gotten over his initial shock of seeing his cousin, hearing about her career and that of her boyfriend’s.

“No, we wanted to take some more time to figure a name out.” George admitted; his arm was loosely slung around his girlfriend’s hips as he held her close. It made the dark haired male uncomfortable seeing his cousin so close with someone.

Anthony nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He’d already given them a tour, some breakfast and he even let them go through his painting and photography. Maia had been more than pleased to see that he had kept the drawings she had made him back when they were kids. His blue-gray eyes studied the thick lines of their tattoos, the colors blending in a way that was similar to the style that he painted in.

“Hey Tony…Let’s go get up your fliers.” Maia said, reaching across the small coffee table to her cousin. He had moved his hair so he could show them his art and pictures. “It’ll be fun.”

Anthony couldn’t deny that he had been holding back at getting his fliers up. He was embarrassed at the idea but Maia had conned him into life drawing using her and George.

“It’s not that bad,” George admitted, “Nudity is nothing to be ashamed about.”

Nodding he excused himself so he could get dressed for the day. A pair of black pants and beat up shoes that were as comfortable as clouds, and a long sleeves slate colored shirt were his chosen items today. Anthony ran a comb through his messy hair; some locks were still wild as he grabbed his eyes and wallet before heading out into the living room to find Maia and George talking about his art. Anthony hid inside of his room, listening to them talk quietly.

She wanted his work to go into a gallery?

Maia:

“He’s a talented artist, George, you can’t deny that.” She said, pointing to the work that was laid out on the table for them to observe. Her warm brown eyes scanned over the pictures that he’d taken on trips and at family gatherings. They had been so close, there were several of Maia and Anthony taken by one of their parents; there were some of odd things like trash heaps and a close up of a dog’s nose and the spokes on an old tricycle wheel. George nodded; he had a buddy in the art industry with a gallery that was going to open up soon. Maia was trying to put in a good word for her cousin.

“He’s always wanted to have stuff in a gallery, I don’t know if he ever has.” She admitted, looking down at the glossy photos. George kissed her cheek and smiled, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Maia was surprised when her cousin entered the room with a small smile on his face. “Thank you…for thinking my work is good.” He said, bringing her into a half-formed hug.

“You’re welcome; now let’s go get those fliers out while Georgie-boy makes a few calls, ‘kay?”

Anthony nodded and led his cousin down to the lobby of the apartment complex. They talked about their jobs and whatever came to mind. They hit the street and began to pass out the papers or tape them to the sides of buildings, light poles and even people when they were quick enough.

“And this is where I work.” Anthony said with a sheepish smile on his face.

“I like it...it’s got that mom and pop vibe,” Maia said as they walked through the doors. The grocery store was tiny and old fashioned with the candy displayed out like an old school candy shop, the canned goods in the center of the store and the fresh produce and meats along the walls.

“Hey Cassie!” He called, making Maia raise a brow.

“Girlfriend?” she asked, making Anthony choke on his saliva.

“N-No!”

“Geeze, calm down I was just asking.” Maia held up her hands in defense but giggled anyways.

[BeautifulSnow]

(( You mean Cassie :P -giggles))

Cassie:

she looked up when someone called her name and smiled. ''What are you doing here on your free day?'' she asked and saw the girl with the tattoo's. She smiled and walked towards them. Ashley came back from behind, she had just taken her break. She continued with filling the shelf. she looked at her and smiled. ''Finally she works... Sometimes I would like to let her be kidnapped to some forgotten island.. But that is why she is my cousin'' she said and smiled again. She looked at the girl and then back at Anthony and smiled again. ''Sorry.. I woke up this morning with a voice mail from my mother that my cousin needed a bit more life experience... So her parents send her to me...'' she said with a sigh. ''Anyways, what can I do for the two of you?'' she asked with a smile. Right at that moment Ashley walked up to me and looked at Anthony, she had not been visiting her a lot but she knew that look on her cousins face, she was interested. ''Yes, Ashley?'' she said and looked at Ashley, slightly irritated.

Ashley:

She walked up to her cousin which was talking with a boy and a girl. When she saw the boy she smiled, he was quit handsome. She then looked at the tattooed girl next to him, wow.. That that was a lot of paint on her body. She could see a little belly, or she was pregnant or she had a little bit eaten to much. Ashley didn't know but also didn't care, she was only interested in the boy. ''Yes Ashley'' Cassiopeia asked and looked at her, Ashley looked back. ''Is this the guy I saw in a picture on the wall during my break? He was employee of last month right?'' she asked.

''Yes Ashley.. He was'' her cousin answered. ''Wouldn't you introduce me?'' Ashley then said and looked a bit arrogant at her cousin. She was clearly still thinking that she was more than Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia mumbled something and rolled her eyes. ''Do it yourself Ashley.. Your mouth talks more that your hands are working'' she said and turned around. Cassiopeia walked off and Ashley looked at Anthony. ''Well.. I don't think my cousin is in a very happy mood.. Hey, what do you have there?'' she asked and looked at the fliers.

[Sunflower]

Maia:

She loved to torture her cousin and right now was the perfect opportunity. “Fliers, He’s looking for a model—someone to breathe new life into his already fantastic art. Do you mind if I put a few up?” Maia asked, already taping a few nearby and handing them out. She even taped one to Anthony’s back so he’d be a walking billboard.

Seeing her cousin go pink in the cheeks, the woman gave him a thumbs up before passing out the other fliers and taping them to the walls and window. The store seemed to be pretty busy so they needed as much exposure as possible.

Maia soon went on the hunt, trying to find Cassie. When she found her, the blonde handed over the last flier. “If you ever need a bit of extra money…or just get bored,” she said with a small smile, “Tony was talking about you, in the good way, when we were walking over here. And you’re a pretty girl. Just what his art needs.”

Anthony:

Never before had he been so embarrassed by his cousin. “That’s my cousin Maia, she’s visiting for a few days—“

“Weeks Tony!” She called from a few registers down. The man visibly paled at the thought of his cousin, who knew every secret about him, staying and being close to where he worked. Butterflies flared, he was alone with Carrie’s cousin. He couldn’t deny that they were both beautiful. “So how long are you going to be here?” he asked awkwardly, he had enough trouble being around Cassie alone. They’d known each other for a while but he still got nervous around her. It was infuriating to say the least, that he couldn’t carry on a normal conversation with Cassie without getting red in the cheeks and stuttering.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

She looked at Maia and smiled. ''Well.. I do have a little bit experience modelling'' Cassie said and took the flier from her. She looked over at Ashley and Anthony. Something was not right there.. Ashley should be working and she should be talking with Anthony.. Wait! Was she jealous? She had known Anthony already for some time, but still felt butterflies in her tummy every time he came to work or just came to do some shopping. She looked at the flier and saw that he was looking for a model that could pose for him, without wearing a single thing. She directly knew that Ashley would take a chance.. How could she stop her spoiled cousin from doing that? She looked at Maia and smiled. ''You got some nice body art'' she said to just say something instead of staying quiet. She felt that she was blushing since the idea of her modelling for Anthony couldn't be removed from her thoughts.

Ashley:

I looked at Maia and Cassie, they seemed to like each other. Then I turned back to Anthony, he was quit interesting and I smiled at him. ''I don't know how long.. I rather be gone tomorrow than that I stay a day longer in the small apartment from Cassie.. Her apartment is like my wardrobe.. The size I mean.. My parents came up with the idea that I need to know what life actually is'' she said and rolled with her eyes. She didn't notice that Anthony was feeling awkward but also wouldn't care. ''So you a artist.. I bet my father would love to pay you for a painting from me.. Just not naked'' she said and looked at the flier again. ''Maybe if I call him after work, I can ask him how much he would offer you.. If you would like to know that'' she said and smiled some. Anthony could notice that Ashley was totally not like Cassie, thought they where family.

[Sunflower]

Maia:

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile, her hand rested on her belly lightly as she followed the gaze of the brunette woman. “Ah, rich girl…not really Tony’s type, He likes girls who are down to earth.” Maia noticed the look that Cassie was giving Anthony; it had been one that she gave George not long ago. “Why don’t you and your cousin come by for dinner tonight? Any friend of Tony’s is a friend of mine, and besides it’ll be a great time for you to see his work if you haven’t already, and you can offer to model for him then.” The blonde woman smiled softly, she smiled quite often.

Anthony:

He listened to Ashley with an awkward expression on his face, she was certainly beautiful but the way she talked about being rich made him frown. He never did have much money growing up and for someone to compare their cousin’s living space to a f*cking closet really made him wish to be somewhere else but he wasn’t rude. Anthony lived a modest life, from paycheck to paycheck and often had to borrow money from friends but he always found a way to pay it back. His cousin Maia had a slightly wealthier upbringing but she never flaunted her money. He’d rather be around humble folk than those who bragged.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

She looked at Maia again, a bit shocked this time. Was she seeing that Cassie liked Anthony? She smiled and tried to hide that she was shocked by what Maia just said about Ashley and that she wouldn't be Anthony's type of girl. She nodded a little and then looked over at Anthony again. ''Well.. I don't know, i mean.. If Anthony would like it too.. Then yeah, of course but.. Ehm.. Well.. I don't know if I am willing to show more off Ashley to Anthony or you..'' she said and was a little embarrased by her cousins way of life. Of course it wasn't her fault that Ashley's mother had married some rich guy and that Ashley was spoiled to the bone, but Ashley would probably gonna act more like a princess than she was doing now. ''Hey Ashley! Those cans with strawberry will not move out of there own.. Time to work again'' she said and grumbled a bit when her cousin just turned around and rolled with her eyes. ''If she wasn't family.. I would have threw her out..'' Cassie mumbled and then looked at Maia again, noticing the hand on her belly she smiled brightly. ''Your expecting right?'' she asked and walked to the cash, from the ground she took a box and placed it on the table. ''Then I wanna give you this.. It might be to early, but I don't know how long you stay or if we ever will meet again.. Your a very nice girl'' she said and handed Maia a box with all kind off things for a new born baby. When she looked up at Maia again to see if she liked the little present, she saw something that she really didn't like. She swallowed and waited for what would happen.. Would he kiss her back? Please, don't kiss her back.. she thought but knew that Ashley had probably far more potentials for him than she had, even if Anthony liked girls that where down to the earth.

Ashley:

She was busy talking about her life when her cousin told her that the strawberry cans where not moving by them self, she looked at her cousin and rolled with her eyes. ''Anyway.. Cassie is quit moody today.. If I was you, I would not talk to much with her'' she said and smiled some. Of course she thought that Anthony was liking her, every guy in the better circles of the city liked her. She had a lot of admirers and a lot of people on every social media that liked her for her good looks and lots of money. Her friends were rich too and she didn't think it was fair at all that she was send her by her stupid parents. She walked away but then turned around, walking back to Anthony and bending over, she gave him a kiss on his cheek. ''Just to tell you, that you are looking quite good'' she said. Then she walked away again but she knew that Cassie had seen it.

[Sunflower]

Maia:

The small gift was enough to have her tearing up. “Thank you,” she said as she looked at the gift. It was in gender neutral colors, which was fine because Maia still didn’t know what she was having. Even if it was a girl or boy she wouldn’t push ‘gender stereotypes’ onto her child. Her mothers were lesbian which gave her a different upbringing than George who was raised by a single father. They had already gotten several comments about asking for boy and girl toys for their baby. Maia used to play with Tony’s cars and trucks all the time and she turned out fine.

Maia scowled as she turned to see the girl Ashley kissing her cousin. It wasn’t so much as a hate rather than a dislike towards the girl. Tony looked a bit freaked out and despite not talking to her cousin for several years she was still protective of him.

“Tony!” She called out to the dark haired man, “Come help me get some things for dinner!”

Anthony:

His eyes were wide as Ashley pressed a kiss to his cheek and he stood there dumbly for a few minutes. He caught her eye roll and sighed, “Your cousin is a very valuable worker—I think of her as a good friend.” Anthony sighed as Maia called him over and Ashley left. He looked at the little gift and smiled, thanking Cassie. “Dinner?” Anthony didn’t know that they had plans.

“Yeah, it was going to be a surprise but you’re here already. Cassie and her cousin are coming over as well,” Maia said as she went to grab a shopping cart. “You will be a nice host for them, got it?”

Anthony nodded at the sugar coated smile his cousin gave him.

“I’ll come get you guys after your shifts are over then,” Anthony gave a small smile. He still didn’t know much about what had happened between the two women while he was talking to Ashley. It was a little fishy on Maia’s part but he let it go. Maybe it had something to do with his art? Maybe they knew some models he could use or something. "Well I better let you get back to work. Thanks for the gift." Anthony said to Cassie before he left with Maia to collect a few things for this surprise dinner.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

She smiled at Maia and handed her a tissue to get off the tears that came up. She would always be taking care of people that are just a little nice to her since she knew how to appreciate the little things in life. It would be a huge task to learn Ashley that, maybe she would not even succeed. She saw Anthony coming back and had heard what he told Ashley. A good friend. She was happy that he told her cousin that since it was important for her that Ashley would start to understand that guys were not just on this earth to date them. She looked at Ashley while she started to work again. She smiled at Anthony and Maia when they went for some shopping for this dinner, it seemed like she couldn't say no anymore. ''Anthony, don't be so silly.. We will be fine for today, just help your cousin with the dinner'' Cassie said and walked to some other boxes to unpack them since if she would let Ashley do all of it, the shop would be packed with boxes for the whole week. She held the box in one hand and filled the shelf with drinks and looked at Anthony with a smile. He sure was a good friend, not only for her but also for his cousin.

Ashley:

A good friend, ha! Guys and girls can't be friend is what she thought while walking away and started to work again. She would make the life of her cousin a hell during her stay here, just to be send back as soon as possible. It was clear to her that Cassie liked Anthony so if she had to end up with him in a kiss, or even more to make her stupid cousin hate her and send her back, so be it. She didn't care about things like that. Guys where on this earth to date with or just play a little. She looked at Anthony and Maia. She thought Maia was the weirdest girl she ever had met, together with her cousin of course. Who would let herself be used as someones canvas anyways? She rolled her eyes and worked, quite slow. She heard something about dinner at Anthony's house and thought about what she would wear. Something nice and sexy.. Maybe it was an idea to let Cassie believe she would do her best and act like she wants to become friends with her. It would only make Cassie hate her more when she caught her together with Anthony.

[Sunflower]

Anthony:

A few hours later dinner was in the finishing stages, his apartment was cleaned and his art displayed. He watched his cousin as she set the table humming a song under her breath. It was one that Anthony found to be very sad and well, something that shouldn’t make her smile; “Whiskey Lullaby” by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. Anthony remembered when Maia had first introduced him to the song, back before they stopped talking.

Although sad, the song had given him plenty of ideas for his art.

He walked into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets, stopping next to the oven he smiled. Maia had always loved to cook and it had been a while since he had a good home cooked meal, as most of his dinners came from fast food restaurants or frozen packages.

“What is it?” he asked, peeking into the oven.

“Lasagna with chicken, alfredo sauce, vegetables, ricotta cheese and mozzarella, you’ll like it Tony.” She assured him before shooing him from the kitchen. “Why don’t you go and get Cassie and her cousin?” Anthony nodded like a kicked puppy but felt a bit better when George decided to go with him so he could pick up a few things.
It was awkward walking with the man down the street, knowing that his cousin had never said “hey Tony I’ve got a boyfriend!”

George was nice enough but Anthony never thought that Maia would go for the heavily tattooed, tall, well-built type that looked like he could snap Anthony in half. George was far bigger than lanky Tony, in both height and weight. But Maia had clued Anthony in on a few things about the burly man: he liked Disney Princess movies, Titanic makes him cry and he’s fond of singing Mariah Carey songs in the shower, in the car or when he’s at work.

“So Tony,” George said, glancing at the man next to him. “Maia said that you’ve got a girl friend.”

Instantly Tony’s face heated up and turned a darling shade of red. “She’s not my girlfriend—“ He was interrupted by George’s deep laugh.

“No girl friend, just a friend.”

“Oh…Yeah, Cassie’s a really nice girl. She’s got a cousin too—“Anthony’s mouth went dry once they arrived at the store, the designated meeting spot since well he didn’t feel comfortable going to Cassie’s apartment like some sort of stalker. George smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, “A cousin? Never pegged you for the man whore type.”

Anthony could have died of embarrassment but George didn’t press the matter and soon they both fell quiet until George spoke up about getting something from the grocery store.

Maia:

Once the Lasagna was done she pulled it out of the oven and smiled. The dining room table was finally being used and she made it presentable with a vase of fake flowers and paintbrushes.

Maia grabbed a small present for Tony from her large purse, well duffle bag really.

Setting it on the counter for safe keeping, she’d give it to Tony after dinner.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

During the break that day Cassie had walked home in a quick pass so she could get Ashley and herself some better clothes than the working outfit they had wore the whole day. Ashley had tried to work harder when Anthony and Maia had left and something about that Cassie didn't trust. Yet she just hoped that her cousin would understand that hard working will be appreciated in the 'real world'. Cassie had came back with the dress Ashley wanted and her make-up bag and her hair accessories she told her to get. For herself, she had taken a simple jeans and one of her favorite black tops. She had it bought last month and not even worn it yet so it technically was new.

After work, Ashley was the first to change and so Cassie was still standing in the shop, in her working outfit when Anthony and George came in. ''Oh hey, your here already'' she said with a smile and a little blush on her cheeks. She was holding the black top in her hands, waiting for Ashley to be ready. ''My cousin is changing and I did wanna change too but if you are here already..'' she said and then looked at George. ''I bet that your Maia's boyfriend'' she said and smiled. ''I am Cassie, Anthony's colleague'' she said and waved some. The door to the employee room opened and Ashley came in. Cassie looked at them. ''I'll not take very long'' she said and walked away, as soon she was out of sight, she controlled her breath and then walked to the toilet where she changed her green shirt of the top, she decided to also take just a tiny bit lip gloss, to make her lips a little bit shine yet not to much to make them look sticky.

Ashley:

She entered the store in her black dress and smiled at Anthony and the man that stood next to him. He was definitely the boyfriend from Anthony's sister or cousin or what the tattooed girl was from him. She had done her hair in a half up, half down updo and was wearing a set or large earrings. In one look everybody could see that she was used to be called beautiful and that she had enough money to spend. ''Good evening'' she said. She walked to them on her black high heels. ''How are you doing Anthony?'' she asked with a smile, yet the smile did not reach her eyes.

They were with the three of them for only three or four minutes or the door opened and Cassie came back. She had brushed her hair and wore a jeans and the black top, her lips had a tiny little bit shine off the lip gloss she had used. From her you could definitely say that she would be happy with everything she could get in life. She walked on her black sneakers to them and smiled. ''Okay.. I am ready now'' she said. ''I hope that I didn't make you wait to long?'' she then asked and looked at the ground, she didn't like it to make people wait.

[Sunflower]

Anthony:

Blushing when he seen Ashley enter the store, he gave her a small compliment, “You look pretty.” And then he proceeded to mentally kick himself. Pretty…really? Was he brain dead or something? “I’m fine doing—I mean doing fine and you?” Behind him he heard George chuckle. As they waited for Cassie, he put his hands in his pockets and looked around awkwardly. “You look beautiful,” He said to Cassie once she changed, “Don’t worry about it, we better get going before Maia decides to eat without us.” He said.

George was quietly listening to Anthony try to talk to Cassie, it was a tad bit funny but he thought that it was brave of Anthony to make the first move. “Hey Tony…uh…we got you a little present for after dinner,” George told him.

Anthony was curious about the gift but part of him was suspicious about it too. In her younger years Maia loved to scare the shit out of him and he didn’t doubt that she still would. “Thanks but you really—“

George waved a hand, “No. It’s a gift. You don’t apologize for gifts.”

Anthony blushed slightly and looked down. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his black and gray striped t-shirt as a distraction as they neared the apartment complex that he lived in. George held the door open for everyone and Tony pressed the elevator button. As they climbed the different stories to the fourth, the floor he lived on, Tony thought he was going to vomit. George smiled and casually began a small conversation with the two girls, “So…are you both locals here?” Tony was grateful for the other man being there since it meant that he didn’t have to talk and possibly make a fool of himself.

Maia:

Once the store bought garlic cheesy bread was done cooking she put it on a small serving platter and put it on the table along with the lasagna. Tony would be surprised with his apartment. It wasn’t often that Maia was able to cook for people or have a tiny dinner party and Tony’s apartment was small enough to have a quiet dinner party but big enough so no one was squished together.

The door opened and Maia greeted Tony, the girls and George. She kissed George on the cheek before going to change her shirt in the bathroom. She ordered Tony and George to clean up before dinner as well. Maia changed into a short sleeved light blue striped shirt that had a cartoon image of a baby opening one of the stripes. She hurried back out to the living room as George went to change into a black t-shirt and comb his hair. Tony had been tossed a white button up shirt to wear. He combed his messy hair into a presentable style before joining everyone else out in the living room.

“Dinner’s ready,” Maia said before they all sat around the small dining room. On hung on the wall behind Tony was a large framed drawing of a yellow flower.

“Looks good,” Tony remarked before serving himself.

“Thanks. I hope everyone likes it,” Maia took a few slices of bread for herself before getting some lasagna.

Tony wondered just how long she had been cooking…he didn’t keep track as he had been talking to George most of the time since Maia had banned them both from the kitchen.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

Her cheeks flushed from light pink to bright red when Anthony told her she looked beautiful. ''T-t..Thanks'' she mumbled and looked down. Then looked up at him again and gave him a smile. ''You look good too'' she said and then looked at Georg, she gave him a smile and thought he would do good as a tattoo artist. He had tattoo's all over his body himself. She looked at Ashley and gave also her a smile. ''Don't you think the dress is to much?'' she then asked. ''Why do you think that?'' Ashley threw back at her. ''Because that dress is almost showing your panties.. I really cannot believe your my cousin'' Cassie said and this was kinda the first time she told Ashley what she thought about her. ''Well, I don't care'' Ashley said and then looked away with a arrogant 'hmpf' sound.

Cassie rolled her eyes and walked next to Anthony while they slowly wend to his apartment. ''So.. Ehm..'' she said and looked down, then George said something about a present for Anthony after dinner. Anthony smiled and wanted to apologize which was waved away by George. It made her chuckle a bit and then she looked back at Anthony. Wait.. They were going to his home.. This would be the first time she would be there.. But.. Oh my... She looked down when they stood in the elevator and when they arrived at the fourth floor, she followed them, still a bit looking down.

When they entered his apartment, Cassie smelled Lasagna and she smiled. Maia, George and Anthony went to change their shirt one after another and she and Ashley waited in the living room. Once they were complete, they sat down in the kitchen. ''Lasagna? Maia, you just made me very happy'' Cassie said with a smile. She loved lasagna more than any other pasta.

Ashley:

She kept quiet after what Cassie said about her dress, the look on her face said that she was not happy. The whole walk to the apartment, the short time in the elevator and the time that the hosts were changing she was quiet and inspected the living room a little. She smelled lasagna and sighed some. She had eaten lasagna to much on the last family vacation in Italy. When everybody was complete they sat down. George sat next to Maia and across Cassie, which sat next to Anthony. She seemed to really like the guy since she was so sweet and soft to him. The girl needed her own lesson in the 'real world' and that lesson Ashley would give her. Ashley sat down on the last chair and waited till everyone was done with putting lasagna on their plate. She took just a little bit. ''Oh.. Anthony, I would like to be a model for you'' she said and looked at him while she took a bite of the lasagna.

[Sunflower]

Maia:

Naturally when your cousin begins to choke on his lasagna the first thing you'd do is slap him on the back. Maia sighed in relief when Tony stopped choking and she shot a look at Ashley, "Let's eat first, get to know each other since Tony just met you today, and then after dinner and dessert you both can talk about modeling for him." She gestured to Cassie before sitting down once more.

Tony blinked and looked to George for an explanation, "She's been hormonal..l" he shrugged before eating his food. Maia took a few bites of her food and smiled. "So...how long have you known my cousin, Cassie?" she asked the other brunette curiously. Maia could see what Ashley was trying to pull, another woman had tried the same with herself and George but like in the story of the tortise and the hare, it is always the slow that wins the race.

Anthony:

His face colored red in embarrassment as he apologized for his cousin, only to get kicked under the table by the blonde woman. He was quietly eating as he listened to Maia and Cassie talk. For the time being he was off in his own little world. He would only have enough to pay one of them and he doubted that Ashley would even take his money seriously. He couldn't pay much so it would seem like mere pennies to the rich girl.
Of course he would ask for them both to show him a few poses, maybe. He needed to see what he was working with but...Anthony was hesitant about asking them to pose nude.

His only reservation with nude posing was the unintentional sexualization of his subjects.

George:

Looking at his girlfriend and then back to the two brunette women on the other end of the table, George wondered if it was some sort of woman thing to be hostile towards each other...well at least Maia seemed to like Cassie; George was beginning to ship Anthony and Cassie. They seemed like a good couple, both odest and very polite. Maia had shown him the gift that Cassie, a complete stranger, had given them for their unborn child.

"Het Tony." George said after wiping his mouth on a napkin, "Do you have any tattoos?"

The two men were getting along better than anyone had guessed. When Anthony shook his head no, George went wide eyed. "Scared of needles?" he teased before looking at the two women. "What about you ladies, do you have any tattoos?"

Anthony:

"How'd you meet him Maia?" The question had been eating Anthony all day.

She shrugged, "He gave me a tattoo." Maia gestured to her chest where a large piece sat of a heart, wings and other things although it was hidden under her shirt.

[BeautifulSnow]

Cassie:

She didn't understand why her cousin had to manage that right now. She sighed and looked at Maia when she asked her how long she knew Anthony. ''Well...'' Cassie said after she swallowed her bite of lasagna. ''I always did my grocery shopping there and he was alone when he mentioned to his boss that he would think it was better for the store if there was a extra employee.'' she said with a little smile. ''I was just fired because they didn't need me anymore at the book store and when I heard them, I said that I would like the job'' she said. ''He was always very nice, not just for me.. also for others, helping opening and closing the door for elders or mothers with a baby car.. The smile he gave everybody even if he told me during lunch break that he had a though day..'' she said and suddenly felt herself turn red. ''Well.. Yeah... Lets just say Anthony helped me getting my job... But to answer your question, it has been two years now I think'' she said.

When George asked if she or Ashley had tattoo's, Ashley shook her head. ''No, I wouldn't dare to let anything like Maia or you have come on my body... with the infected needles the last years, before you know it, you have some decease'' she said. Cassie looked down now, she did had a huge scar on her shoulder. ''But Cassie had a tattoo by nature'' Ashley said. ''Ashley!'' she said and would like to let her cousin be disappeared for now. She felt that they all looked at her. ''It is a long story... Lets not waste our time or good appetite for that'' She said and played some with the lasagna, right now she wasn't hungry anymore.