Thieves Among Us-Closed

[Perplexia]

In 1939 Germany invaded Poland and hence WWII began. According to the papers that were pinned to her oversized coat of Rina Barshay (whether that was her real name or not we'll never know) was born a year after in 1940.

Other then brief flash backs of smiles, the sounds of bombs, and being covered by what she assumed was her mothers frame, her first real memory was the way the cold air bit at her cheeks as a sign of destination was placed around her neck on a piece of card board as she clung to her teddy bear Mr. Winkles.

She remembered a older woman in a nuns habit licking her finger and wiping dirt off her face. Then she was spun around and pushed forward to board the loud smoke breathing train in front of her. She was six year old, and was being shipped to a new orphanage in Switzerland.

A man in a Ticketmaster suit led her by the hand to a seat by the window. Across from her another passenger sat. A man in a suit and a long coat that had a scarf wrapped around his face sat silently with a paper in front of him. She remembered how he tensed up when she sat down. Her later thoughts were he must not have liked children.

The train started and it pulled away from the station. It was curious to her in later recollection, she didn't remember looking out the window and waving. She must have been glad to be leaving the place she was at. The man in front of her seemed to avoid looking at her.

"This is Mr. Winkles" she said to him in her soft voice. "He's an orphan too, I've always had him, I think my real Momma gave him to me. He always makes me feel better." The man only glanced at her and went back to his paper. Rina slowly got up bumping against his leg and sat the bear down next to him in the seat to his left. "I want you to have him, He'll make you feel better" she said sitting back in her seat and sighing looking out the window.

She remembered having hopes that she would find a family that wanted her. The things that came next were still to this day jumbled in her mind. There was a loud screeching sound that came from the train and a jerking sound that flung her from her seat to the mans feet. The rest was noises of screaming lights flashing and then nothing. When she awoke a pretty nurse was dabbing her forehead. A couple days later she was released from the hospital, given a bath, and placed in a pretty new dress with a red bow and white lace. Her long auburn hair had been placed in a ponytail with a ribbon around it.
"Where am I going?" she remembered asking. The pretty nurse replied "back to school of course."

Rina was taken to a fancy black car and placed in the backseat by the driver who was dressed in a black chauffeurs outfit. The drive was long but wherever she was seemed to be untouched by the war. At some point she had fallen asleep, and her next memory was being awakened by her first headmistress. She had been taken to a private girls boarding school. It was there, after her first bought of being in trouble that she had a guardian that would not be pleased she was caught stealing an extra muffin. Having come from an orphanage that couldn't feed you every day, you learned to put food aside just in case.

That was her first lesson on how to pay closer attention to her surroundings so she wouldn't get caught when she did it again. In school she excelled proving she was a bright capable student. A couple years later she found she couldn't sleep and decided she wanted to visit the pond. Of course it was past curfew and leaving the school was prohibited, but she decided as long as she didn't get caught no one would know. Rina had successfully escaped an went to the pond. What she didn't count on was falling asleep.

She was awoken by a policeman an his dog. Other then the scowl on the headmistress' face she received no reprimand. Instead her things were packed, and a chauffeur and his shiny black fancy car took her to a new school. Anytime she asked any questions about who her guardian was, or why she couldn't visit him on holidays she was never given an answer other then except that "you were given this chance to improve yourself and become a valuable member of society."

Eventually she stopped asking. However, unlike the other students she had private classes outside of her regular curriculum of dance and gymnastics. Because of this she was bullied and called names like spoiled princess. It was after her first fight and breaking the girls nose, that she had an additional class of martial arts added.

For the most part, other then occasional mishap she stayed out of trouble. Until she was about 12 and decided that with her and a few of her friends they wanted to go swimming in the lake under the full moon. Although she wasn't caught, one of the other girls was and told on the whole lot of them. That was a reminder lesson that you can only rely on yourself and not to trust in other peoples actions. She anticipated, that like her last escape she would be moved to a new school. Instead they upped the security and placed bars on her room window. Instead of taking this as a downfall she took it as a challenge, and it wasn't until probably her 16th time doing it that she was caught returning from the lake. She had cut her foot on a rock and it slowed down her movements.

When asked how many times she done it, she told them. Rather proud of her accomplishment. The bars were then taken off her window. Later a box arrived for her. When she opened it, a shiny new lock picking set stood in front of her. She didn't know what it was or what it was for until she read the letter that was attached. After reading the letter. She immediately got up and threw it in the fire insuring that it burned completely.

Over her remaining months and years at school she received assignments from her guardian. Things he wanted her to do, discover, or take. It was like a game to her. It was her first connection that she knew of with her guardian and she wanted to please him, and thank him for the life he had provided for her. She was an excellent student in all things and craved the knowledge of how she could be better.

The tasks over time became harder, and came with more of a risk. She was supplied with whatever tools she would need. When she first started the payment she received was in gifts. Later she began receiving money. The harder the job, the more money she received.

At 18 she had finished school and was taken to an apartment in London that was provided to her by her guardian/employer. She loved her freedom, and the city. But most of all she loved her job. Even before she finished school he had supplied her with a list of jobs for her to choose from. What she didn't know is that they were actual clients that had become aware of a novelty thief to the scene.

She was never in one spot long enough to become sentimental about things. Every year she was given three weeks to do as she wished. She always had bodyguards with her when she wasn't working. She sat on the park bench watching a couple kiss under a tree. She had never had that connection with a man. It didn't really fit into her lifestyle. Now at 20 she had never been on a date, she had come close a couple of times but they never came through. It just added to her trust issues with people. The only one that never let her down was her guardian. He had given her a wonderful life other then what she had been destined for. She would always be in his debt.

The newest communication had come in from him. He wanted her to meet with a partner. There would be a job coming in that was a two person operation. They needed to work a few jobs together to sync up so the larger job would go off without a hitch.

She tried writing back and arguing that she worked alone and didn't want a partner. His response was simply repeating of the time, date, and place that they would meet. She would know him by his red scarf and he would know her by the red flower pinned to her navy dress.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip wrapped the red scarf around his neck and prepared to leave his hotel. He was to meet Rina soon and he smiled at the thought. It had been 14 years since he had seen her and he had no doubt that she would not recognize him, but still he was nervous. Why he did not know. Then again he did not know why he had done the things he had with this child ever since that fateful day on the train. Smiling he looked over at the small dresser and the bear that sat on it.

"Well Mr Winkles," he said in a voice that was both smooth and cultured while having traces of several different accents. "Wish me luck."

Chuckling he walked out of the room, locking it behind him and headed out. It was getting close to sundown and he lingered in the lobby before setting out.

On his way to the meeting he recalled the circumstances of his first meeting with Rina.

He had been leaving Poland, heading to Switzerland, trying to outrun the war. Some people might have found that amusing considering what he was. They might have thought he would have been right at home amongst the death and destruction, however nothing could be further from the truth.

Phillip did not revel in death, in fact he preferred to avoid it whenever possible. Oh sure it was a part of his life, such as it was, and he did not shy away from it, but he did not chase it as did others of his kind. Still when the pure innocent little girl sat across from him, he did flinch back. Her blood called out to him strongly and it took an effort to stop himself from lunging forward and sinking his fangs into her neck.

Then the strangest thing had happened. She had offered him her teddy bear to keep him safe. He had almost laughed out loud except she had been truly earnest about it. Something about it had touched him and he had kept an eye on her as they started their journey. It had been several centuries since someone had actually cared for him.

Then of course something had fowled things up. A bomb or a plane had blown up the train and although he was unharmed most people were not. He had been about to resume his trip on foot when the bundle at his feet moved. The girl had survived somehow. Still what was it to him? He had walked several steps away before he turned back, scooped her in his arms along with her stupid bear and carried her away.

He had made it to an Aide station and made arrangements for her care, then had gotten to Switzerland and made arrangements for her to be enrolled at a private school and for one of his servants to watch over her. Thinking that would be the last he would hear of her he went back to work.

he got updates on her schooling of course and was glad she was doing well, but when she 'escaped' from school, he switched her to another school. This one was more exclusive and had a bit more security. He was now intrigued.

He followed her progress more carefully now. After she got in a fight he added self defense classes. Then bars over her windows when she snuck out again. He was thrilled when she found a way around them. He ordered them taken down, after all they had done no good and sent her a present.

He had a beautiful box made and placed his first set of lock picking tools in them. Well maybe not his first, they were far to old, but the first he had used in Switzerland. He wrote a letter explaining what each tool did and how to use it then sent it to her. He was sure she would know what to do with them.

A month later he wrote her a letter with a small challenge. He wanted her to break into the principals office and steal the key to the storeroom. She was to hide it for one day then put it back. He had spies everywhere and sure enough the key went missing then turned up again.

He had been proud and had continued to send her little assignments, gradually making them harder and sending her more tools to learn. Soon she was scaling walls, opening windows and breaking into cars with ease.

He rewarded her with money, perfume, clothes and other trinkets. then when she finished school he sent her to London to live in a cozy apartment he had purchased. He hired out her services as a thief, taking some jobs for himself and letting her choose her own. She was getting quite a name for herself and she was getting quite good, but now it was time for her to step up to the big leagues.

It was also time for him to finally see her again. He had purposely kept himself away from her. After the reaction he had the first time he had met her he could not risk it. Hopefully the same thing would not happen again, after all she was a grown woman now and would look totally different.

As he approached the rendezvous point in the park he began to look for the woman in a Navy dress with a red flower.

 

[Perplexia]

Rina sat quietly on the bench with her legs crossed as she read the paper. She held it down just enough so the flower would be able to be seen. A smart dressed man with a grey hat sat on the other end of the bench stealing glances at her waiting for an opportunity to speak to her.

She had glanced at him briefly, no scarf. "excuse me miss" he finally worked up the courage to speak. "yes?" she asked not looking at him but still reading the story about a recent theft in a neighboring town that she had done. 'No Clues found to identify thief that stole prized emerald tiara. Police speculate the Shadow Thief has struck again.' That made her smile.
"I was wondering if you had the time" he asked.
"is your watch broken?" she asked
He stuttered for a moment. Then she continued. "your watch is Swiss made and it is in your right pants pocket. The chain is dangling down. Did you forget you had it?"
"I must have" he chuckled at himself nervously before rising off the bench and walking away.

She let out a sigh and turned the page. It wasn't that she was opposed to talking to people. It was simply that she didn't have the patience for people that lacked the courage to speak to her. Ice breakers were fine she supposed, but they needed to be original, or at the least honest.

She looked at her watch, he still had ten minutes to arrive. Her green eyes glanced around as the sun began to set and people began to leave. Truly she didn't want a partner, but it looks like she didn't have a choice.

A small wind picked up a leaf as it blew against her allowing her scent to travel. She had developed a taste for rose water since the bath she had at the hospital all those years ago.

Quickly glancing at her watch her eyes went back to the paper. Another theft but this one wasn't her. Similar techniques were used according to the paper possibly the Shadow thief they suspected, but since it occurred around the same time as the other robbery across town, they anticipated it might be a copy cat.

A chill ran through her and goosebumps appeared on her skin causing her to look up. A man with a red scarf was walking toward her. Her chest tightened and fingers clenched the paper turning he knuckles white under the gloves she wore.

Her eyes took him in , he could quite possibly be the most beautiful man she had ever seen. "Hello" she greeted him.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip walked into the park and began to scan the women he saw. Most he discounted out of habit. Anyone of a certain body type just could not be the woman he sought. He was not being rude just practical. After all he was here to meet a thief and these women just did not fit that profile.

Others he had to actually look at. Some were easy to cross off. They were wearing the wrong colored clothes, or were with someone already. However a few he took a very good look at. Those also did not pass inspection. One was far to old. One did not have a red flower and the last was wearing a black dress.

He sighed. She was actually quite beautiful but he was sure Rina would never make that mistake.

He walked further into the park and a man dressed rather smartly brushed by him muttering to himself. As he did Phillip caught a whiff of roses off him. Startled he looked after him. Why would he smell like that? He wasn't carrying any flowers.

As he walked further along the path the scent grew stronger and then he spotted her, sitting on a small bench reading a paper. She was beautiful, wearing a Navy dress and a red flower. Even if she hadn't been he would have known it was her. That same feeling he had gotten off of her when she had sat across from him all those years ago on the train came back.

He had to stop for a few seconds to gather himself before approaching her and sitting beside her. He smiled and could not help breathing in her scent. Of course there was the rose water, but he could smell the real woman below it and it sent his nerves on fire.

"Good evening Miss Barshay. My name is Skinner, Phillip Skinner, but please just call me Phillip," he said to her with a smile on his face. His voice was like silk and while you would say his accent was exotic, you could never say why as you could just not pick what his accent was.

"I guess our employer wants us to work together for the next little while to see if we are capable of joining the ranks of the elite. I hear there is a big job on offer if we can get things working right, so I am willing to do anything to make sure everything goes smoothly," he chuckled.

"Now what say we go someplace and grab something to eat and drink and discuss things. I feel a little exposed out here in the park don't you?"

 

[Perplexia]

Oh she was not happy about this one bit. Her eyes had gone back to her paper as he started talking to her. She didn't like that he knew her name. She had been all set to give him an alias. Her benefactor may trust this man, but she didn't know him from Adam.

Blending in to ones surroundings is a necessary skill Mr. Skinner. One of the first of many that I mastered. But if you prefer to be some where with food and drink, I suppose I will play nice and join you. Out of mutual respect for our employer, of course."

Folding the paper she stood and waited for him to rise to take his arm. She was very poised, graceful, and a little bit stand offish.

As they walked she spoke again. "This is not my idea Mr.Skinner. I like to work alone, If I had a choice I would have passed the opportunity of working with you. That being said we have to work as one."

They arrived at the cafe' and she ordered a tea with honey. Once he place his order she continued. "To work as one we have to synchronize our movements and appear to know each others thoughts. Your first mistake would be to underestimate me because of my gender. Your second would be to think that I in any way, at any time will obey you. I've never been good at following rules or orders Mr. Skinner. I have always chosen to work alone so I only have to follow my own will, I find it very hard to trust in other people."

When their order came she took a sip of her tea. "Our Employer has indicated that you can only train or work during evening hours. I prefer the night as well so that isn't going to be a problem for me. So tell me Mr. Skinner without looking how many waitress', cooks, and exit points are there in this cafe'?"

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip chuckled under his breath. So this was how it was going to be then. Very well. He couldn't blame her, after all it was the way he had raised her.

"Miss Barshay, believe me when I tell you that I have no qualms about your gender and would never underestimate you. Why some of the greatest thieves in history have been female. As for trying to order you around why would I do that? This is a partnership is it not. We are to work together. However I will say if I think you are wrong and I will expect you to do the same to me." He smiled at her as he took a sip of his own tea, black.

"I am glad that you have no problems about the night. I am afraid my regular job keeps me busy during daylight hours. It is always good to have something to fall back on if times get tough you know," he smiled.

"As for your question," he hardly needed to look for the first part. He could smell and hear every person in the place, and like her looking for the exits had become second nature to him, although he was sure he had a lot more exits than she did. "There are four waitress's and two cooks. However there is a cook out the back on break so technically there are three," he grinned. "As for exits I count over 10."

He saw a look of surprise on her face and did not know if it was because his number was high or low so he decided to explain. "There is the front and rear doors, the two fire places, I count at least 4 windows downstairs and I saw three upstairs but that was just what you can see from the front so being pessimistic let's say another two. that gives us 12 I think."

He sipped his tea again and smiled at her. "So do I pass your first test?"

 

[Perplexia]

Very calmly she listened as he spoke. His words placing her a bit at ease. She should probably have more faith in her benefactors choices. He would never put her in harm intentionally, or at least he never had. If she should trust in anyone it should be in the man that taught her the skills she needed for the job she loved. The police thought she was one of the best, she had more and more choices of jobs. Until her benefactor had chosen for her to partner up with mr charming. She truly wanted to dislike him right away. But he made that difficult. Especially when he didn't take offense to her behavior, instead he seemed to be impervious to it.

She raised an eyebrow when he answered her question about the exits and staff in the cafe'. Listening to his explanation she nodded. "Simply ensuring your powers of observation are in tact. After all our lives..or freedom may depend on it." she paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm glad that you seem in line with the woman movement. Most still believe our place is in the kitchen. Seeing me as an equal will go a long way in our.." almost choking on the word "partnership". With a smirk she added "and believe me Mr. Skinner, I have no problems telling you when you're wrong."

Reaching into her handbag she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. It contained an address and a time. "Tomorrow we dance" she advised placing money on the table for their teas. She rose with grace and exited the cafe' without looking back.

In her cautious fashion she took a look back on occasion to ensure she wasn't being followed. Not necessarily by him, but in general. Taking a couple side streets and detours she slipped into the cinema purchasing a ticket for the movie 'Too Many Crooks' oddly enough. For a short time it gave her the opportunity to amuse herself with something.

There was nothing she could do to get out of this situation. She was going to have to play nice and endure this so they could get the big job done and go their separate ways. 'That's it Rina' she thought to herself 'focus on the ultimate goal, do what is being asked of you, complete the job and then it will be back to business as usual.' Scowling she let it go for the moment and watched the comedy.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip stood up as she left and bowed. Call him old fashioned (Just how old she would probably never know), but the manners were just to ingrained in him. he calmly sat back down and sipped his tea as he watched her stroll off and smiled. Well he seemed to have impressed her a little and maybe even with more than his looks.

His smile widened as he remembered how she had gasped and her heart beat had sped up at the sight of him. Yes she had indeed been interested in him, but she was going to keep everything strictly professional. Well he would see if he could change her mind a little about that.

He waited a full five minutes before heading off after her. Tracking her was easy now he had her scent. He was pleased when she avoided the main streets and seemed to randomly take turns. Obviously she had been checking to see if she was being followed. A very smart girl. He was surprised when her trail led to a theater and as he read the title of the movie being played he had to chuckle. How very appropriate.

He bought a ticket and headed up to the balcony seats easily blending into the shadows. With his eyesight it only took him seconds to spot her and he took up a position where he could watch her without being seen. He used just a touch of his magic to cloak himself in shadow to make it even harder, but the fact that he was on the upper floor and she would have to look into the projectionist beam to even spot that there was a person up here just made it overkill.

He settled in to wait to see what her next move was. Of course he could just go back to her place and wait, but he wanted to observe her and see what sort of precautions she took and just how good she had turned out, before they worked together.

 

[Perplexia]

About ten minutes or so before the film concluded she gracefully rose and exited the theater. A cool wind blew by causing a slight shiver. Hailing a cab she had him take her two blocks this way and that until he dropped her off at the mouth of an alley. Once he was gone she headed down the alley and climbed up the metal ladder attached to the building.

Once on the roof she crouched looking around to ensure no one was watching or saw her climb up. It was pretty dark now and most wouldn't even imagine looking down an alley for fear of what may snatch them into it.

Taking her shoes off she danced across the roof tops gracefully jumping from one to another as she took in the view of the city below. It was almost as beautiful as her partner. She coughed a little as the thought sprung up in her mind. There was no doubt he was a handsome man, but soon they would be parting ways. She had no room in her life for distractions. Trust was not one of those things she had in spades.

Eventually she made it to the roof top of her apartment. Sliding into the maintenance shaft she entered the room carefully. They were rarely ever present, but it never hurt to be cautious. Being sure that the coast was clear she exited the maintenance room, straightened her dress and made he way down the hall to her apartment pulling out her keys. Opening the door enough to slide her hand in she reached around and disengaged the trap she had set up. If she hadn't a cross bolt would have been planted between her eyes. Once inside she scanned everything quickly to ensure everything was in the exact spot she had left it in.

Taking off her shoes she tossed them in the closet, and poured herself a glass of wine.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

As Phillip saw her leave he decided he had to get ahead of her. This time he could not afford to be left behind. Using his speed he dashed ahead of her, being no more than a blur and a slight breeze to her and took up a position on the opposite side of the road in a darkened doorway.

He saw her come out and hail a cab and then drive off. He grimaced and then flowed up onto the rooftops and followed along behind. Again she drove in a haphazard pattern, although she did seem to head more in one direction than another taking her towards a certain part of the city. It was not directly towards her apartment but it was in the general direction.

Soon she was dropped off in front of an alley and he had to quickly change rooftops as she climbed to the one he had been on. Then she led him a merry chase among them. He paralleled her journey, keeping her in sight, but he was now certain he knew where she was going. She was heading straight for her own place and he sped up and hid waiting for her to arrive.

When she did he saw her sneak down the maintenance shaft and as he clung to the outside of the building and looked through the small window down the corridor, he saw her disarm something before she stepped into her room. Smiling broadly he flipped down onto a balcony and then easily down into the alley between the buildings.

Seconds later he casually strolled out and moved to the front of the building and hailed a cab. He gave the man an address two blocks away from his own and then settled back. It was a long drive and he had a lot of thinking to do. The good thing was his protege was ready and very cautious. As the cab moved off he gave a little smile. She was also very beautiful. He shook himself and frowned. Enough of that, business first, pleasure second.

 

[Perplexia]

The next day...

Life is a symbiotic balance of one thing or another. When she was younger she couldn't understand the need for the extra classes her benefactor had pushed upon her. But it was all about preparation for the person she was destined to become. If she hadn't shown the talent for escape, the disregarding of rules, or the lack of care of potential punishment, she knew that he wouldn't have led her down this path. He allowed her to grow and encouraged her to build on the natural talents she had.

Hanging upside down on a bar in her bedroom doorway she looked at the grandfather clock. She still had an hour or so before she had to meet Mr. Skinner. She hadn't decided to acknowledge him by his first name yet. It seemed too familiar. They would be meeting at a dance studio where they would learn and practice a routine. It involved a lot of catching and balance that would help build the trust between them. Probably more of a need for her then him. He didn't seem to have any qualms with working with a partner.

Flipping off the bar she headed for the shower. With her leotard, tights, hair in a bun, and her ballet shoes swung over the shoulder of her long coat she made her way with caution to the dance studio.

With her leg on the bar and her head on her knee as she stretched her breath caught as he walked in. He was seemingly more handsome then he was yesterday if that was even possible. Bringing down her leg she avoided his eyes. "Mr Skinner glad to see you found the place. So .. obviously i have issues with trust, and since our ...partnership .. requires it the closest training to that would be dance. I hope you arn't opposed by this. Our instructor Ms. lee will be here in a few minutes she'll give us the run down of the routine. then we'll practice it."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip nodded to her as he walked in. He was dressed in a formal tail tuxedo. When she had said dancing he had assumed she had meant a club so he had dressed appropriately. Still he had no problems with the way he looked, after all it was still the correct attire to dance in.

He wondered if he should actually show his true talent or keep some back. After all he did know how to dance just about every dance that had been invented in the last 300 years. he even knew some that had gone out of fashion so long ago he suspected he was the only one alive that still knew them. Well him and a few others he thought smirking.

No his best bet would be to perform well. He wanted Rina to be impressed after all. "I have no qualms dancing with you Miss Barshay. In fact I have a feeling it is going to be a delight." He placed his cane and top hat on a chair and then his gloves inside his hat and then approached her. "If I may Miss Barshay?" he said placing his hands on her hips and gently lifting her into the air with ease and then putting her back down.

"I assume the dance will require some lifting and dips so I thought I would find out just how heavy you were before we started. I am pleased to see you keep yourself in fine shape," he smiled. "Ahh no disrespect intended madam," he added bowing deeply.

 

[Perplexia]

Her mouth twitched as he picked her up and set her back down then went about explaining his reason. Rina's brow furrowed looking at him as if he had temporarily lost his mind. Taking a deep breath, with a roll of her eyes she let it out.

She was going to address the matter in which he dressed, but figured that she didn't exactly give him a clear idea of what to expect. So she let it go. Ms Lee went about explaining the routine which involved lifts, dips, twirling and a great deal of joint movement.

When she asked for a a dance that would give them practice with lifts and such, she didn't expect something so intimate to be developed for it. With the music started they obtained their starting positions and began. He was a talented dancer, he committed to his movements and mirrored her steps in perfection. Every dip, twirl, and lift was if they had rehearsed it for ages.

The ending pose entailed her leg intertwined with his as he held her with one hand and his lips inches from hers. She wasn't sure how long they were in that pose, but she was simply mesmerized by his eye, as her chest heaved begging for air.

With great effort she broke away wanting nothing more then to be back in that same spot. "It seems that our employer knew better then I thought by pairing us together. You're an incredible dancer."

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

The dance had been moderately hard but with his speed and reflexes, he had soon caught on to her rhythm and had soon found himself enjoying it. She was a fine dancer herself and he was able to guide her through the small mistakes she made with ease. Indeed he doubted that even Ms Lee's stern gaze picked them up.

At the very end he held their pose for a tad longer than was necessary and remembered to breathe deeply as if out of breath only at the last minute when he saw her heaving chest. He was sorely tempted to kiss her then but with an iron will stopped himself. Yet he could not stop himself from breathing in her heady scent before she broke away from him.

"It seems that our employer knew better then I thought by pairing us together. You're an incredible dancer."

"You flatter me Miss Barshay. Truly it is because I have such a wonderful partner. I think you bring out the best in me. I agree that our employer must have known what he was doing. Still one dance does not a partnership make, although it was an incredible dance," he said smiling at her. "Would you like to go again," he said offering her his hand.

 

[Perplexia]

"You're right" she responded to his statement about one dance not making a partnership. When he offered his hand she struggled for a moment to find an excuse as to why she couldn't dance with him again, and nothing came to her mind. Where had her wits gone?. "A small break first I think, i'm a bit parched." With great effort she stepped away from him and went to her bag to retrieve a canister of tea. She took a couple swigs from it then sealed it up and put it back.

Doing a couple stretches she then returned to the dance floor ready to start again. Her small hand seemed to disappear in his. As they danced she found herself smiling, which was an oddity. Moving with him step for step she found herself relaxing and enjoying herself. It was hard for to figure out whether it was the dancing or the man she danced with that was the reason. In the end she had to settle for a little bit of both.

Once again they ended in the same intimate pose and she found herself breathing just as hard as she had before looking into his eyes. It was Ms. Lee's clapping that brought her out of it, and allowed her to step back and nod in appreciation of the teachers approval.

"Where did you learn to dance?" she questioned keeping a few feet between them. There was a definite pull toward him, and that could be dangerous. It was best to keep their distance unless she had to be close.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip smiled as he walked over to the small kitchen area and came back with two glasses of water and handed one to her.

"Ah I have been dancing for a large portion of my life. Our benefactor started my lessons early and I have had ample opportunities to refine my skills as I have traveled around Europe and England. It is amazing how close you can become to a target on a dance floor," he smiled.

As he sipped his water he looked he up and down and his smile widened a little. "I think you would be a hit on many a dance floor in Europe yourself Miss Barshay. Your looks alone would have many high class men falling all over themselves to dance with you and once they did, why they would be positively smitten. Perhaps our benefactor has such plans in mind for after this job is done."

He sipped again and then looked at Ms Lee. "Do you think we need another run through or will that be all for tonight?"

 

[Perplexia]

Rina thanked him for the water and listened as he talked.
Ms. Lee looked at the two and shook her head. "I have done my job, i'm not a chaperone. Stay if you want to practice and lock the door on the way out." With that she turned and left.

Rina chuckled a little. She adored this woman's straight forwardness. "The only purpose i would have on the high end dance floors would be to get close to a target. I have a very pleasing love affair in my life that fits all of my needs." She smirked and then added "my job".

Her interest was peeked a little when he referred to their employer as their benefactor. "Do you know his identity?" she questioned referring to the man that paid for her education and training and only communicated by telegram or letters.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip heard her heart rate speed up and her breathing get a little faster. Hiding a smile by taking another sip of water he strolled over to a chair that was against one of the walls and sat down.

"I have probably had about as much communication with him as you have had," he shrugged. "I get letters, Telegrams, The occasional parcel and even once or twice a visit from mysterious people. To answer your question though, no I have never seen him. However I think I have a few clues about his identity," he said leaning towards her and speaking softly.

He waited until she moved closer and then looked around and continued to speak softly. "He has to be someone rich and very well connected. How else can he get passports so easily. Also I went to some pretty prestigious schools and I was moved several times, yet not a word was said. That takes not only money, but power."

He looked around again then continued. "I also think he is a thief, or used to be one. He knows too many things about the game, and too many people in it. He is always able to get just the right tool for the job or knows someone that can make it for you. Plus he is able to find our targets."

He sat back up and looked at her. "Of course all of that means nothing. I have never been able to find anybody that matches that description and like you I love my work too much to pry too hard," he smiled.

Finishing his water he glanced at her and then the clock. "It is still rather early Miss Barshay. May I interest you in another dance, only not here. I have somewhere special in mind," he asked her with a roguish smile.

 

[Perplexia]

As he leaned closer to her she lost her breath for a moment. His scent was intoxicating. Her entire body stiffened slightly as she became increasingly aware of the effect he had on her body. Never had she been in this situation in her life. There had never been any men in her life, she had looked at it as an additional complication.

Even when the boarding schools would schedule mixed dances. Instead of falling head over heels she took the opportunity to work on lifting wallets. It became a gave to her..lift a wallet, steal the cash deposit it back in the next victims pocket. By the end of the night the boys always broke into a brawl accusing each other of being a thief. A brief smile lingered on her face as she remembered the childhood game and delight she took in it.

Her mind snapped back to what he was saying with his insights to their benefactor. She wondered how he knew that their 'employer' was her benefactor as well. "I think it's a very good probability that he is a very accomplished liberator." she liked the term liberator instead of thief.. it sounded more sophisticated. Especially for the amount of talent and accomplishments she had done over the years ..liberating items that were thought to be unobtainable.

"I'm afraid Mr. Skinner, I am not dressed to partake in any outings. Perhaps another time we could arrange such an outing and put our skills to the test as well as teamwork in a night of dance and liberation. I'm quite sure there will be a galla at the museum soon enough which will be a fun and of little challenge."
.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip thought about all that she had said, and left unsaid. Smiling he bowed to her. "Indeed there is. Perhaps it would be fun to have a nice night out with a beautiful woman for once." Smiling he strolled back over to gather up his hat, gloves and cane. Turning he looked back at her and bowed again. "I will pick you up and escort you to it if you don't mind."

Pulling a small card out of his pocket he hastily scribbled down his address and phone number of his hotel. "You can contact me here telling me where to pick you up," he told her smiling, 'Even if it is not the place you are staying at."

With that he placed the card on the chair and bowed once more. "Goodnight then Miss Barshay. I will see you in two nights time then." With that he turned and walked out of the room and then the building. Tonight he needed to feed so he continued to walk towards one of the upper-class hotels. He would find some willing woman and take a little of her blood and perhaps a few of her jewels.

 

[Perplexia]

She wondered if her hesitation showed on her face when he asked to pick her up. He had then written on a card his address and number and advised he'd pick her up even if it wasn't from her residence.

Before it could register in her brain he had made an arrangement for her to reach him with the details of where to gather her in two nights time for the next gala at the museum.

Then he gathered his belongings and left. Leaving her there to try to contemplate how she had trapped herself into agree without words to attend an event. Work..that was it, it was only a team building exercise and nothing more. Perhaps tomorrow while she shopped for her dress she would case the museum as well. See if there was any particular object she would like to have.

Locking the door to the street from the inside she went back in and gathered her belongings, placing shoes back on instead of her ballet slippers. Taking the stairs to the roof she stepped out in the cool breeze and looked down on the city.

Roof jumping was her prefered method of getting around at night. There was little chance of being followed, seen, or mugged when she took her roof routes home. Safe and sound back in her apartment she went to the shower before settling by the window with a book.

She was surprised at the reaction her body seemed to have in Phillips arms. The way the seemed to just be in sync. If she didn't get a lid on this it could cause for distraction which is something she didn't want in her work or her life.

Eventually she made it to bed and slept with dreams of dancing and being ever so close to that kiss she wanted. It was mid day when she rose and dressed for a day out of shopping and visiting the museum.

The wonderful thing about ballgowns in the 50's is they still maintained a great amount of fabric. The last thing would suspect is that a woman in an evening dress could be a thief. After all, where would they put the treasures. The boarding schools that she had been sent to taught her proper housewife skills which included but not limited to sewing.

Finally settling on an elegant black 'bubble' dress she made her way to the museum for a casual browse of its contents and surrounding buildings. About a block away was a small diner. Writing down the address she had a messenger take it to the address Skinner had given her with a time of 8pm.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip received her message and smiled. He knew exactly where that diner was and there was no need to hire a cab. They could simply walk the block to the museum from there. Obviously she was still being very careful. Well he was one to talk. The address he had given her was currently occupied by another one of his employees whose sole purpose was to take messages and give them to various couriers. Some came to him, some to other business's of his.

At seven the next evening Phillip left dressed like a friend of his he had met in America. Fred had always told him if you were going to go dancing, look the part. He had enjoyed teaching that boy a few moves and was happy when he had made his dreams come true.

At 5 to 8 he strolled up to the diner and looked in. He would be surprised if she was there yet, he was expecting her to be outside exactly at 8 but one never knew. Still he did not see her although he could not see everyone and the smells coming out of the kitchen masked any scent of her.

Waiting outside he stood still and breathed in the night air, waiting for he subtle fragrance to drift to him.

 

[Perplexia]

She had worked late the prior evening creating several invisible deep pockets into the bubble on her dress. With her hair up and slight makeup applied she made several cab rides from here to there and there to there until she took one the rest of the way to the diner.

Paying the driver she stepped out of the cab in front of her waiting partner in crime for the evening. "You look quite dashing Sir" she said with a smile admiring his top hat and tuxedo.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long" She kept a few feet from him to ensure that her mind was clear and that she was in no way distracted by the wonderful scent he seemed to emit, or the way his eyes seemed to capture hers and make her want to melt.

"Shall we?" she asked pulling up her long gloves.

 

[Aussie_Wolf]

Phillip offered her his arm then escorted her the one block to the museum strolling casually. They received more than their fair share of looks and glances, but he paid them no mind instead concentrating on her.

"So my dear what game shall we play tonight? There should be a good crowd so we could play 'fleece the lambs'. See who has the most money at the end of the night." he smiled.

"Of course that is very basic. Perhaps we could up the stakes and go for their jewels and cuff-links."

Just as they were about to walk in he turned to her and smiled with a cheeky glint in his eye. "Or perhaps you would care to wager for larger stakes. Let's say no limit's. Anything inside is fair game tonight and the one with the best prize is the winner. However what do we play for? Any suggestions?"

 

[Perplexia]

She was actually shocked that he didn't return the compliment on her looks this evening. Taking his arm they walked as he gave options of the game they should play this evening.

His last option was the more dangerous of the two. Still being a little miffed at his lack of compliment she decided on her bet.

"Alright Mr. Skinner. If I win, you will withdraw from the partnership and our paths shan't cross again, and if you win?"