Page 118 of A Real Good Bad Thing
I turned to Eli as if making small talk. “Are you excited about the fundraiser?”
“Oh, yes. It’s going to be wonderful,” he said. While putting on his cufflinks, he waxed on about how much money they hoped to raise. One cufflink got hung up, so he removed his Rolex and set it on the entryway table.
Wait. That wasn’t a Rolex. That was a different watch. Shinier, sleeker. A Vacheron Constantin.
“Let me help you,” I said, reaching for the cufflink and then sliding it through the buttonhole in the shirt.
“You’re a dear.”
Their silver tabby prowled into the room, tail lashing and nose twitching, and leaped smoothly onto the same marble-top table, sniffing the box that I’d set there while I helped Eli.
“Be patient, Jade,” chided Eli with a chuckle.
Jade blinked at him then at me, as if we were thinking the same thing.You’re one to talk.
A minute later, Willow descended the staircase like a princess at a cotillion. Her black hair was swept high on her head in a twist, with tendrils curled at her cheeks, and her black dress hugged her perfect body.
“Oh, Willow,” I said loudly and clasped my hand to my chest. “You look stunning.”
It was the right thing to say, and she was so pleased, no one questioned how loudly I’d said it.
Because what I was really saying wasshowtime.Loud enough for Jake to hear me upstairs.
From then on, I had to try very hard not to think about Jake breaking in upstairs. Of course, the harder you tried not to think about something…
I focused on Willow, who giggled and turned in a catwalk circle. The diamond adorning her throat caught the light.
Everyone had a weakness.
For some, it was food, like Eli and his sweet tooth. As for Willow, the woman adored shiny objects.
Jake might have been the pro at cat burglary, but I knew our targets. I knew what would keep their attention, what quirks would give away their passwords, what habits would make them easier to track. Jake literally couldn’t do this without me, and when he’d told me as much, I’d nearly levitated with pride and happiness.
Facing Eli and Willow on their home turf, I was tethered by anxiety—and a little excitement. I used all those things to out-Willow Willow.
“This is just a small thank you,” I gushed, laying it on thick as I handed her the gift, “for being so generous with your time, and taking such good care of Eli, and, gosh, just generally for being you.”
Step three—give the gift.
Willow batted her lashes and gazed lovingly at the white box with the blue bow. She took it and held it to her chest with a lucky-me shimmy, then thanked me effusively for the gift. “That’s so sweet of you!”
“The pleasure is all mine. Though, I have to be honest—it’s not just for you.” She looked even more curious and enticed. That was what I needed. To keep their attention on me and away from what was going on in Eli’s office.
“I can’t wait to see,” Willow squealed as she daintily unwrapped the box.
That’s right. Take your sweet time.
She dropped the bow on the table. Jade had hopped to the floor and was rubbing around her ankles as Willow pulled the top from the box.
“Oh, isn’t this adorable!” She took out a plush mermaid with a green lamé tail and a satin seashell bra. Her hair sparkled with ample pet-safe adornments. “Oh, look, Jade! Auntie Ruby brought something for you.”
She leaned down to offer the mermaid toy to the tabby, who took one whiff of the catnip inside and rubbed against it, giving a give-it-to-me-now yowl.
Yes, that will work. Good noisy kitty.
“The mermaid reminds me of this funny story,” I said cheerfully. “I don’t know if Eli told you, Willow, but my nickname used to be Ariel…” I prattled on a bit about how my tour company got its name, and then got to the real story. “So I tell this guy that my name is Ariel because who doesn’t need a bar name, right, Willow? Anyway, he called me that when we met again, and then the next time, and it wasn’t until days later that he realized Ariel wasn’t actually my name…”
Okay, it hadn’t beendayslater. And Jake had realized it wasn’t my name though he didn’t know my real one. But I had to make the story last for my audience of two. And as I did, I smiled to myself because our story—Jake’s and my meet-cute—had become the cover for his safe-breaking.