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“You should be wearing one of those magician’s assistant’s outfits,” Alex points out. “You know, the leotard and high heels.” Damon just gives him the finger, and the others laugh.
“Dad,” I say, “do you have a coin I could use, please?”
“Sure.” He digs his hands into his pockets, pulls a couple out, and offers them to me. I pick the largest—a two-dollar coin.
“Thank you.” I turn to Damon, giving him a mischievous smile. “Mr. Chevalier, you see this coin?” I hold it up before me with my right hand.
“I do,” he says.
“Look at it,” I instruct. As his gaze drops to it, I turn it around in my fingers. “You really, really want this coin,” I tell him, making my voice low and seductive. “See how bright it is? You want this coin more than anything in the world.”
His gaze lifts to mine, amused, then drops back to the coin.
I run it across my knuckles, from the thumb to my little finger, then back again. It’s a move I practice all the time, whenever I have a spare moment, so the movement is fluid and smooth. He gives a short laugh.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” I whisper.
He watches it, then lifts his gaze to mine. “Très belle,” he murmurs.
I smile. “If you can catch it, you can keep it.” I stop moving the coin, letting it rest on the top of my knuckles.
He looks at it, then reaches out a hand to take it. Just before his fingers touch it, I let it slip through mine, catch it, whisk it away, then hold it up in front of him between my finger and thumb.
Lifting his hand, he goes to take it again, but I pass my left hand across it and spirit it away. He follows my left hand, but then I unfurl my fingers and reveal there’s nothing there. “That’s called the classic French Drop Coin Vanish,” I inform him.
Everyone whoops, and Damon laughs and gives me a wry look.
“Come on,” I tease, “it’s really easy.” I hold it up again.
I proceed to run through my repertoire of sleight of hand coin tricks: the Finger Palm, the Thumb Palm, the Back Clip, the Shuttle Pass, the Retention Vanish… simple but impressive techniques that look great when done smoothly. Damon plays along, always going where I lead him, even though he probably guesses that most of the time the coin isn’t where it appears to be. Because it goes well, and the others are enjoying the show, I end with two more complicated tricks: the Harbottle Steal and the Hanging Coin, both of which make Damon’s eyebrows rise in surprise.
“Thank you for playing along,” I say at the end, producing the coin a final time, tantalizingly out of his reach.
To my shock, he leans forward and kisses me full on the mouth. I’m so surprised that I just stand there, and while I’m frozen, he leans across and grabs the coin.
“Ta da!” he says, smirking, and everyone cheers, even Alex.
“You always end with a jade’s trick,” I scold him. “I know you of old.”
“You quoting Shakespeare at me now?” he teases.
“The two of you are a bit like Benedick and Beatrice,” Gaby says, clapping her hands as we take our seats. “That was great, Belle. Masterfully done.”
“Thank you.” I sit back in the armchair, and Damon lowers himself into the beanbag, picking up his whisky. He leans an elbow on my knee while he sips from the glass. It’s an innocent gesture, something he might do to his best mate’s little sis that he’s known for a long time. But my body burns where he touches it. And I know that tonight, in bed, I’m going to think about his lips touching mine, and the way he said,You’re beautiful inside, Belle. That’s what I love about you.
Chapter Thirteen
Damon
On Thursday, I spend the morning at Kia Kaha, going over the adjustments I’ve made to the software, while Alex and James work with THOR to make sure the exoskeleton is working smoothly. It goes well, and we’re all thrilled with the progress we’re making.
We stop for lunch around one, and sit out on the steps of the terrace, overlooking the Avon, while we eat noodles with chopsticks from paper cartons. Juliette, Henry, and Tyson join us, and for a moment it feels like our university days again, the six of us excited about being let out into the big wide world.
“Funny to think you’re getting married on Saturday,” Juliette says to Tyson, leaning over to steal a piece of sweet and sour pork from his carton.
He lets her, munching on a mini spring roll. “Yeah. Didn’t think I’d be the one to fall after Henry.”
