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“I’ve got something that will make you euphoric,” he replies. I think the woman would want a necklace, but we both know he’s talking about whatever it is he has in his pants. The woman gives him a tight, fake smile.
While the two are pretending to be in love with each other, I pour the champagne over the Chanel-clad arm next to me. The old woman shrieks, and every head in the establishment turns toward her.
“Ça va pas non!!” she shouts. A waiter and then a manager rush over to the aggrieved woman. “Ça va pas non!! Vous ne pouvez pas faire attention!"What are you doing, pay attention!She repeats to the staff. While they’re bowing and apologizing, I drop to my knee as if to tie my shoelace, swipe the phone off the table, and replace it with the dup.
In the men’s room, I hook the phone up to mine. “You connecting?” I ask.
“Give me a sec. Okay, I'm in. Downloading the software. You see how easy this is? You could've had this done days ago.”
“I wanted to give you something you could look forward to.”
“You’re so generous. Done. Signal me when it’s time to make the text.”
“Will do.” I unhook his phone and return to the gallery. The two Chanel ladies are gone, but my mark is there, signing the credit card slip. He picks up the dummy phone, which has no battery life, and fiddles with it, a frown on his face. “You don’t have a portable charger?” he questions his companion. She shakes her head. “I need to stop and get one. I’ll meet you at the apartment.”
I hurry out to the exit and hand the first driver in the cab line two hundred euros. “My lover is coming out, and my wife is arriving. Please take my lover to her hotel.”
He grins and nods vigorously. The mark’s mistress steps out of the hotel, and the bellman calls for the taxi. The driver winks at me and pulls ahead.
I wait near the entrance, pretending to be engrossed in something on my phone. When my mark walks by muttering about how he was sure he plugged his phone in, I slip his phone into his side pocket and then pretend to trip, knocking the dummy phone out of his hand. I make the quick exchange, say I’m sorry and then leave.
I arrive at the apartment on the Ile St. Louis fifteen minutes later and pull the heavy leather gloves on before letting myself in. “Mercy, you outdid yourself.” The place is in a state of slow renovation with the walls stripped to bare plaster and large plastic sheets separating rooms that are in the process of being painted. I tug the thin wire out of the bottom of my jacket and wait for my mark to arrive.
“He’s just behind you,” Mercy says in my ear. She sounds cheerful. “We have another job right after this one if you want it. It’s easy too. A CEO who has embezzled millions needs to be taken care of quietly.”
“Can’t they send him to jail?”
“You know they don’t like doing that. It craters the stock. Besides, it’s a bank.”
“Send me the details.”
“Is that a no?” Mercy pushes.
“It’s not a no.”
“But it’s not a yes either.”
There are footsteps outside the door. “Gotta go.”
Saved by the mark. He opens the door and then curses. “What the fuck?” He’s expecting a bedroom, not a construction site. I slip behind him and whip the wire around his neck. He struggles, but I’m a professional, and I make quick work of it. I lower his body onto a sheet of plastic and roll it up tightly. The body is heavy when I lift the dark garbage bag over my shoulder, but I manage. Because the place is under construction, no one is around to see me cart the body down the stairs into the basement. According to the blueprints, there’s a tunnel in the far back, which I locate. From there, it’s a short walk to the Seine. I give the mark a good send-off. He’ll float downriver and be discovered in a few days, but by then, I’ll be gone.
Sweaty and tired, I return to the hotel. I pause with my hand on the door of the hotel room. I’ll be gone, but will I be alone?
ChapterEighteen
GEORGIA
My heart sinks when I hear the sound of the hotel room door opening. I was sure I’d have more time to get my things together.
As a travel blogger, I try hard to travel light, but a girl can’t be wearing the same thing in every picture. I’ve noticed that views and likes increase when I get dolled up.
“Starlight.” Finn’s deep voice echoes through the room.
I zip up my suitcase as quickly as I can. I’m all packed up finally. I might have taken some extra time toreallydoll myself up in case Finn made it back before I could make my escape. I wasn’t sure where I was even going. Finn had definitely thrown me for a loop.
For a brief second, I thought of going back home. It could be a nice place for me to heal my broken heart. I quickly pushed that idea to the side, knowing that’s bullshit. The town I grew up in isn’t my home. My mother would be all over me saying I told you so and then pushing a husband of her choosing at me. Dealing with her is the last thing I want to do right now.
A week ago, the idea of settling down and having kids would have sent me running. Then again, I am kind of doing that already. I’m running.
