Sunbeam

39) Artwork

"So what is it you wanted to show me?" Beatrice queries, entering the shop that Kez had already been working in for hours, trying to catch up on orders she'd delayed whilst injured.

Kez places her hammer down, grabbing a clean cloth, wiping the sweat from her forehead, gesturing for Bea to follow her into the back room, whilst reaching into her pocket for the keys.

"You've got promise you won't tell anyone, only Tess and Tom know what's behind this door," Kez states.

"My lips are sealed," Bea responds, as Kez turns the key in the lock, pushing the door open, holding it so Bea could walk in ahead of her.

"Is this what I think it is?" Bea asks, looking around the room in awe, her eyes finally landing back on Kez who was leaning on the door frame, "you're an artist?"

"I'm not an artist, I just enjoy painting," Kez responds.

"Modesty isn't your thing, Kez, these are masterpieces," Bea states, standing in front of a portrait of herself, "you've made me beautiful."

"I didn't make you anything," Kez replies, "you are beautiful, nothing I did made that happen, I painted you as you are, you just happen to be mindblowingly stunning."

"And you said you weren't linguistically inclined," Bea smiles, "thank you for sharing this with me, Kez."

"I thought you should know where I'd be if I ever disappear for a couple of hours," Kez shrugs, as Bea steps towards her, leaning up to briskly kiss Kez, "thank you."

"Another great thing about this room, I'm the only one with a key, gives us privacy," Kez says, her hands going to rest on Bea's waist, pulling her closer.

"Did you just bring me here so you could fool around at work?" Bea scoffs teasingly.

"No, but it's a bonus," Kez laughs, as Bea places her hands around the back of Kez's neck, tugging her down to kiss her once more.

"Kez!" Finn shouts from the main part of the store, "Kez, where are you?"

"Coming, Finn," Kez responds, whispering an apology to Bea, and dropping another kiss to her cheek as they go back through to the workshop, "what's going on, Finn?"

"It's Isaiah," Finn breathes out, "you've got to come, some men stole our ball, they tried picking on me but Isaiah got in the middle of it and now they're giving Isaiah trouble, I didn't know what to do, you've got to come quick, Kez."

Finn grabs his sister's hand, pulling her through the shop and out of the door, rushing back to where he and Isaiah had been playing, Bea following along behind them.

There were a few young men, around 17 or so years old, all huddled around Isaiah who was being held against the wall, the ball had been discarded, their focus was on the 15 year old.

"Get the fuck off of me," Isaiah says, fighting against their hold, knife being held infront of his face.

"Or what, blackie?" One of the men taunts, grabbing at Isaiahs hair.

"Or you'll have a bullet shaped hole between your eyes," Kez states, reaching for the collar of the man holding the knife and tugging him away from Isaiah before roughly removing the hand that had been touching Isaiahs head.

They all turned to look at her and Kez relished in the way their faces all dropped, she was sure one of them was actually pissing his pants, as Isaiah who was now free moves away from the group, jogging towards Finn and Bea, the woman gently embracing him, keeping an arm around him.

"Heard you boys have been giving my brothers trouble," Kez says.

"We were just joking around, Miss Shelby, ma'am," one responds.