"He told you about her?"
"He mentioned her. He said she gave up hustling long ago."
"And a lot of good it did her," Dean muttered before glancing over his shoulder as if looking for Carl. The other man wasn't here, so I didn't really understand why he did that. "You'll find out at some point, so I don't see any problem with telling you."
I shuffled closer to him, our legs brushing together and sending sparks of excitement through me.
"My lips are sealed if they need to be." I tried to avoid the flirtatious note that filled my voice but failed miserably. I hoped Dean didn't notice.
"I'm sure they are. Maria is the reason we're doing this job."
"What?" My eyes widened again. That wasn't what I thought he was going to say and just left me with more questions than answers. "What happened?"
"She got work as one of the servants in the esteemed Earl's employ," Dean sneered.
"And he took advantage of that," I guessed.
"More than a little. He led her on. She has a baby now."
I gasped. No wonder the three of them were so determined to bring the Earl down a peg or two. If I hadn't been on board already, I would be now. That was a gross abuse of his power and my heart went out to poor Maria. I couldn't understand how people could be so thoughtless towards others.
"I take it she'll be getting the money you normally give to charity?" I asked, partly to discover whether or not Carl had been telling the truth about that. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, just that I wanted to be sure about a couple of things, especially as I was risking my freedom to help them.
"Of course not, that will go to an actual charity, as normal. The three of us will be giving Maria our cuts."
"You will?" My mouth fell open as I absorbed that. It was such a selfless thing to do.
"Of course. I've only met her a few times but it means a lot to Carl and he's one of my best friends."
"And where does Samuel fit in?"
Dean chuckled to himself more than to me. "He had a crush on Maria a few years back. It was actually how Carl met him. They worked together and he'd follow her around like a lost puppy. There was something truly adorable about it."
"And yet he started working with the two of you?" That didn't make sense. If Maria had left the conning game because she didn't like it, why would Samuel have come into it despite that?
"That was after she got a boyfriend. He started working with us because he's good with computers. We needed someone with experience and Carl approached him. Potentially so he didn't stand a chance with Maria, but I have no proof of that."
"Is he still interested in her?" I asked, already concerned that would be the case.
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Katie?"
Panic filled me. Was it that obvious how I was feeling about the three of them? Not that I was completely sure how I felt myself. I was attracted to them, there was no denying that, but something more? Only time would tell on that front.
"Sorry, I was only joking, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"It's not that," I responded. "It's just...I haven't known the three of you long and it kind of feels wrong to choose one of you to date."
"You don't have to make any decisions now." He shrugged. "Or ever for that matter. We're not going to be insulted if you're nothing more than our friend."
I smiled at him, surprisngly reassured by what he said. "Thank you. I would like us to be friends. Now and after."
"You want to stay friends with us after?" His eyebrows raised so high, I worried they'd reach his hairline.
"I want to con with you after," I whispered. It was the first time I'd admitted it out loud but I was going to go with it.
"You do?" His eyes lit up and his arm nudged against mine, sending yet more electricity through me. There was no doubt there was something between us, even if I wasn't ready to act on it yet.
"Yes. This has been the most fun I've had in years," I answered honestly. It was true even with the harder moments we'd experienced. Those challenges just made us have to think and plan more than we'd have had to otherwise. There was nothing wrong with that.
"I'm glad to hear that. The others will be too." He rested his hand over mine and squeezed. "We were worried making you date Hubert would have put you off."
I laughed. "Not at all. Don't get me wrong, it's not the best job I could imagine, but it's part of the job and it's something only I can do."
"And it makes you feel like part of the team," he observed.
"Exactly." I nodded away, glad he'd understood what I was really trying to say. "Now we'd better make a plan about what to do next before the others arrive." It wouldn't do to not have a plan of action. The success would only be assured if we reacted to the various changes as they happened.
We just had to hope we reacted quickly enough. If not, we risked far more than failure.
Chapter 7
Hubert rested his hand on my back and it was all I could do not to pull away. The longer I spent with him, the more convinced I was becoming that he was just a little bit of a creep. I wasn't sure the word no would mean anything to him if we got in the wrong position. I didn't even know how I'd end up in that place though. I doubted the others would let things progress that far.
"You were saying about an auction?" he prompted.
"Yes. I heard there was one next weekend. I've never been to one and was hoping..." I trailed off, just like we'd practised. Our hope was that Hubert took the bait and offered to take me to it. Then all we needed to do was to work out how to get our fake painting as one of the lots. And get him to buy it. That was going to be one of the trickiest parts. The jitters over whether or not this would work increased by the day. Not that I mentioned it to the others. I didn't want them to think I wanted out of this or was going to end up compromising all the work we'd done so far.
"That might not be a bad idea. I've been meaning to go to one for a while and I'm sure there'll be people I need to catch up with there."
I didn't miss the leer he gave me. I was certain the people he wanted to catch up with were just men like him who he wanted to show me off to. Part of me was touched at him thinking I was attractive enough to boast about. The rest of me was just a little disgusted to have it confirmed that a world of creepy men like that existed. I supposed it was good news for us in this line of business, I should make sure I didn't show too many of them my face just in case they came across me again. I didn't want to risk the success of a future job.
"That would be wonderful." I clapped my hands together before leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. As little as I liked pandering to Hubert, he was part of my job and I needed to do it. More than just my feelings were at stake here.
"Do you have the details?"
I shook my head. "Not on me, but I can send them to you later?" I lied. We had a good idea where we wanted to hold the auction, but we needed to make sure they'd accept our painting before we got Hubert there. If we didn't, we'd have to stage something. We wanted to avoid that option if we could, it was safer to get the painting sold by a real auction house, it would leave us less liable when Hubert and the Earl discovered the painting was a fake. If they ever did. I kind of hoped they wouldn't and it would be hung up for all to see.
"That sounds perfect. You have such good ideas, Trina." He pulled me close to him and pressed his lips to my cheek. I tried not to think about the amount of saliva he left there. Dry kisses certainly weren't something he was capable of.
"I'm excited, I don't know what to expect." Faking enthusiasm was easier than I expected. Probably because I was excited, just not for the same thing Hubert was. Once money had changed hands at the end of the auction, we'd almost be in the clear. I'd just have one more date to go on with the man and we'd be done. And even then, that date wasn't necessary. We were just using it as a way of moving suspicion away from me.
"You'll have an amazing time. Auction houses are full of unexpected treasures." His eyes lit up with greed as he
picked up his drink from the bar.
"What are the best things you've found at one?" I placed a hand on his leg, hating every moment of it. I wished we could have avoided an intimate setting like this. It was easier to fake interest without physical contact when there was a table between us. It was safe to say I'd be taking the hottest shower I could when I got back to the flat.
"That's a difficult one. We've found a few good investments. Some statues, one piece of artwork..."
My heart skipped a beat at discovering he was willing to buy art at these things. It was one of the first indications that we were trying to pull off the right plan.
"We managed to more than quadruple our investment on one of them. They're definitely worth going to. You should go with your money at the ready for these auctions."
"I'll keep that in mind." Maybe mentioning it had been a mistake. Hubert now seemed completely besotted with the idea and wouldn't stop talking about his various finds from the auction house. I kind of understood. It was the same thrill I was loving about doing a con. It was a chase and almost not getting what you wanted...I could see this auction becoming very dangerous for me on a lot of levels.
Chapter 8
Samuel pushed my back gently, steering me in the way he wanted me to go.
"Where are we..."
"All in good time, Katie. Did no one tell you that patience is a virtue?" He sounded far too amused for my liking.
"Samuel," I warned, my voice low and full of menace. At least, I hoped it was. I had no way of actually being able to measure that.
He just laughed. Whatever surprise he had in store for me, it had better be good.
"We're almost there."
"Yes, but where?" I tried again. He had to tell me before too long. Knowing my luck, it would probably be when he took the blindfold off and I could see things for myself.
"Do you really have so little patience?" he muttered.
"When I don't know what's being done to me? Yes, definitely. If you clued me in, I'd be a lot more compliant."
I could have predicted the amused noise he made, he was just being that obvious about it.
"If you must know, I'm taking you to a surprise."
"A nice one?" I perked up a little at that.
"I hope so." He stopped walking and held out an arm to hold me steady. "We're here."
His fingers brushed against the back of my head as he untied the blindfold and let it fall away. I gasped as I took in the beautiful gold dress in front of me.
"It's amazing." I reached forward and ran my fingers along the satiny fabric. "What's it for?"
"You."
"I got that much," I chided, turning so I could see the expression on his face better. I needed a better read on his reactions. "But what part of the con is it for?" It didn't exactly strike me as suitable attire for an auction.
He chuckled. "It's not for the con. Ish."
"Ish?" I raised my eyebrow, trying to push down the excitement that was already bubbling up inside me. I wanted to put the dress on. I knew how it would make me feel and wanted to make the most of it.
"We thought you might like a proper date rather than being trotted around by Hubert."
"A date?" Was he really using that word? Did it mean what I thought it did?
"Yes. Though we do have some work to do while we're there."
"Oh?" I hoped he'd actually tell me what that would be sooner rather than later or I was going to be a lost puppy when we arrived where we were going.
"We have a party to attend, there's a couple of potential marks there and we thought it might be a good chance for you to make their acquaintance."
"Ah, I see. Then we can use that later on."
"Yes. But not in the way you're thinking." There was a twinkle in his eye that spoke of something a little more devious than just flirting. I longed to ask what it was but knew he'd reveal it in his own time. There was too much complexity to these cons for me to underestimate them.
"Are you going to enlighten me?" I prompted, already knowing he wouldn't answer.
"We'll let you know just before you're about to meet them. It's easier to keep the personas straight in your head that way," Samuel responded.
I nodded. That made perfect sense to me. I imagined I'd get better at keeping the various personalities I pretended to have as time went on, but for now, it was baby steps. And even if this wasn't the kind of date most women would want, I was more excited than I'd admit to.
"When are we leaving?" I asked.
"Twenty minutes?" He grimaced, probably aware they weren't giving me much time to actually get ready.
"Alright then. Anything specific you want me to do with my hair and makeup?" I was already thinking through the various styles and trying to work out what would work best. Neutral I suspected, but I wanted confirmation from someone more experienced than me.
"Enough makeup that it's clear you're wearing it. I think that'll be best for us changing your appearance slightly later. And your hair in an updo, something that's difficult to tell what colour it really is."
I nodded. "You want me to be both memorable and forgettable. I can do that." I'd been doing the latter my entire life. The memorable part not so much, but I didn't worry too much about it. The right wrappings could make anything beautiful.
"That sounds perfect."
"Good. Then leave me to it. I suspect you have some getting ready to do too." I gave him a pointed look. His jeans and button-down shirt made him look good, but if my dress was anything to go by, it wouldn't do much for fitting into the place we were going.
"Something like that," he muttered. "I hate suits."
"And I hate high heels, but we all have to suffer for our art."
He laughed and I cracked a smile in response.
"Alright, you've persuaded me. I'll go get dressed."
I watched him leave, admiring the flex of his back as he walked. All three of the men were well-toned, but Samuel was definitely the biggest of the three. I looked forward to seeing him in a suit just for that reason. The black material of his jacket straining over his shoulders and...
I shut that thought down. My heart deserved better than to get too caught up on him. It wouldn't survive being turned down from them and I wasn't about to give up on being a part of their con either, which meant I shouldn’t be thinking about making a move on them.
If I kept telling myself that, I might start believing it.
Right now, I didn't have the time to spend dwelling on matters of my heart. I sat in front of the mirror, not at all surprised to find the three of them had kitted out the dressing table with just about every beauty product they could think of. They hadn't done a bad job either. I saw most of my usual brands as well as a few that were normally out of my price range. I guessed that was about to change. My cut from the job would earn me more than I could in a normal month by working in the call centre. My days of expensive makeup were just beginning.
I kept it as simple as I could, but ensured that it was obvious my perfection was created by makeup. I didn't normally use foundation, but for this, it felt like a necessity. Satisfied with how it looked, I switched to my hair, scraping it back and twisting it into a bun. I didn't normally like my hair tied back but it didn't look too bad and it did serve a purpose. It felt weird making myself look like this and it definitely wasn't me I saw staring back in the mirror.
And yet it was. Just a different version. This person had an edge of danger to her, a sensuality that I didn't normally have. That difference could be what secured us a successful job. At least, that was what I told myself.
The dress slid on surprisingly easily, the fabric slick against my skin. I had no idea how they'd managed but they'd bought it in the perfect size. There was no gaping as I pulled up the zipper.
I turned to the full-length mirror and studied my reflection, shocked at what I could see. The dress really pulled it all together. I felt like I had the protection I needed to go out in the world and steal people's money, a
s evil as that sounded.
A knock sounded at the door and a thrill shot through me. Which of the three of them would be waiting for me? And did it really matter? A big part of me figured that it didn't. They were all off-limits to me, that was the way it just had to be done.
"Come in," I called out.
"Wow, you look stunning," Carl said as he walked in.
I beamed, pleased with the expression on his face. I hoped the other two liked what I'd done just as much.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" I asked him.
"Samuel didn't tell you?"
"No. I think he wanted to preserve the mystery."
Carl chuckled. "That sounds like him. Have you been to a ball before?"
"Not unless you count the one at the end of school," I replied honestly. That one had been fun but I didn't think it would actually count. Most of my memories of the night were a drunken blur.
"This is going to be something a little more sophisticated than your average leavers' ball." He held out his arm and I slipped my hand onto his dark sleeve and rested it there noting how natural it felt to be in this position with him. I supposed that was a good thing. We'd need to pull off a lot of different roles throughout our various jobs and it was better if we could act well around one another.
"Is there anything I should know before we go?" Nerves were starting to flutter in my stomach. I had no idea what I should be doing with myself but I didn't want to let them down.
"No matter who asks, you aren't Katie tonight. Or even Katerina."
I nodded. That made sense to me.
"Are you going to tell me what my name is?" I asked as we reached the stairs and started to make our way down. I picked up the skirt of my dress, holding it out of the way of the heels I'd found with it. I didn't want to rip the hem by being clumsy.
"It'll depend on the situation. Though if anyone asks maybe we should come up with something."
"What about Kathy?" I suggested. "If anyone remembers it, it's close enough to my real name to not cause too many problems if they use it elsewhere."
Con With Me Page 4