Thank you for reading Enjoy
Chapter 5
Sam looked at herself in the mirror one last time and wondered if her aunts have had this dress hanging in their closet all these years waiting for this very moment to happen.
It was classic. Something that would never go out of style. The little black dress. A little sexy. A little bit out of style but a classic kind of style that she could still pull off. And the never out of style black heels were perfect with it.
When she said that she was going to go to this big party tonight she had never seen them so excited about anything. Perhaps she should have gone to her senior prom after all seeing how important this moment was for them.
Within minutes they had everything waiting for her. The dress, shoes, purse, Lottie did her hair, while Maisy played with her makeup. You'd think she was getting married.
Not in this lifetime.
But it was a moment for all of them. One that maybe the three of them needed. A bonding moment they had missed when she was younger and they were just playing catch up. In any event, they had it now.
Taking one last glimpse of herself in the mirror, Sam had to admit, she's seen herself dressed up many times over the years but not quite like this. This was special because it was for them. And she would remember it was the first time she was dressed up as Samina Atlas and not Samantha Midnight.
There was no disguise tonight. No wig, no latex mask, or bubble butt or fake boobs or false teeth. It was all her. Just Samina. And wasn't that frightening, to take down the guard of all those masks that have kept her safe for all this time and go out as herself.
It's a bit scary to have to be yourself for once. Sam hasn't had that opportunity much over the years. She seems to spend most of her time as Samantha Midnight, world's greatest jewel thief, instead of just Samina Atlas, gemologist and jewelry designer. Her alter ego has taken over much of her life.
Looking at the stranger in the mirror, Sam wonders if she will ever get to just be Samina Atlas or will Samantha Midnight always be there with her?
"Come on, Sugar! You don't want to be late!" Maisy called out, hurrying her along.
"I'm coming!" Biting on her lip, Sam hoped things went as planned tonight or it would be the last time she would see her family for a very long time.
Keeping her fingers crossed that Alex has everything in hand. She has to trust that someone else can do the job. And that's exactly why she's nervous and why she works alone.
"It will all be fine." She told herself, holding her stomach and wishing the butterflies would stop.
Knowing there's nothing else she can do, Sam gathered her things and walked out to say good night to her aunts.
"Oh, don't you look gorgeous! Maisy! Come here, Sammy's getting ready to leave for the ball," Lottie called out.
You'd think she was Cinderella leaving to see Prince Charming.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Maisy hurried in, camera in hand, stopping abruptly in the doorway and thumping her hand on her chest. "Oh! Oh, Lottie! Our baby girl has grown up."
Smiling with tears in their eyes, the two older sisters hugged each other looking at Sam. She gave a spin as they would only hound her for it if she didn't and allowed them to snap some pictures as required by her aunts.
They were all Sam had and since neither of them had children and she didn't do the whole prom thing when she went to school, and this was as close as they've ever gotten to a formal dance. Sam figured she owed them a few pictures.
"Now you stay out as late as you want," Lottie orders as she fluffs Sam's hair.
"And make sure you use a condom if you get lucky," Maisy tucks a pack of colorful condoms into Sam's purse. "Better to be safe than sorry. And I want details about it tomorrow!"
"Maisy! She's not going to kiss and tell!" Lottie scolds her sister.
"I saw that FBI agent just as well as you did. If that girl doesn't think that man isn't interested in a little time with our girl, she's very much mistaken! I saw the way he looked at you, Samina!" Maisy turns her attention back to Sam.
"He isn't interested in me like that. Trust me, Maisy. He was just admiring my work." Sam writes off the attention to nothing, knowing exactly why the FBI agents are on the island.
Agent Knox McKenzie is a handsome man who would arrest her in two seconds if he knew who she was. Sam was well aware of what his intentions were on the island and it had nothing to do with romance and moonlight.
"Your work is stunning, honey." Lottie agrees, "but there's something to be said about the way a man looks at a woman."
"I don't think so, I need to go. So thank you so much for the compliments, and I'll see you both in the morning," Sam took her condom loaded purse from Lottie, and hurried out the door.
She left her shoes off, as she was walking to the resort and didn't want to break her ankle in the high heels. On the way there, she took the time to laugh at her aunts, who are determined to make sure she gets laid while she's on the island.
"Not on this trip, sorry guys." Opening her purse, she pulls out the handful of condoms and starts to throw them in the trash as Carly walks up.
"Whatcha got there, Sam? Condoms? What do you have in mind tonight, girl?" The tease between old friends makes Sam laugh.
"Not me, my aunts. They think I need a man's attention. They loaded me up thinking that the FBI agent is interested in me," she spills the news.
"If you don't want that man, I will gladly take a go at him. Why aren't you? He's gorgeous," Carly points out.
"Because he's not staying. He's from New York. He's going back there. And I'm not planning on going there. It wouldn't work," and that's not even close to the rest of the reason but Sam isn't going into all of that.
"Fine. Gimme one. I have no problem with a one night stand. I can dream. I'll see you there?" Nodding to her, Carly gives Sam a hug and heads off as Sam debates with herself over the rest of the condoms.
"Screw it. I don't want to waste them," putting them back in her purse, Sam zips it up and heads up the hill to the resort.
By the time Sam walked into the event, the party was already going. She didn't want to be one of the first few people there. She was hoping to be one of the last and slip in quietly hopefully not to be noticed.
It seems everyone who was anyone in the California limelight had come to the island to get a glimpse of the famous gem. There were celebrities and other stars, the regular crowd of cultural icons and artists who showcase their work. Sam slipped into the room unnoticed and worked her way around the room.
She spotted the FBI agents instantly. The two men stuck out like two sore thumbs. The blonde was flirting with a redhead who looked bored to death with him, while Knox stood in a corner, his eyes constantly moving around the room. He was looking for her.
Sam ducked behind a waiter, moving out of Knox's view and hid behind a large pillar, while she continued to get a look of the crowd. If she didn't know what Alex looked like, if she hadn't seen her enough times in disguise she wouldn't have recognized her.
The jet black wig pulled up into a chignon, the sleek black dress and ballet flats, gave her a completely different look than her own natural beauty. The woman moves like a ballerina around the room. Elegance, grace and beauty. And she looks like she belongs in this crowd full of the rich and famous, the powerful and beautiful people who have everything.
She nods her head to one, gives another a soft lift of her lips. Sam has just a bit of envy for the way the woman carries it all off. Complete style and class that most people don't have in their pinky. It's impressive.
"I was wondering if you were going to show tonight," at the sound of his voice, Sam knew it was time for her to play her part.
"I was curious," turning around, she felt her heart stutter for a moment. The man could wear a tux. WOW! "About the stone. I've never seen anything like it before. You clean up nicely."
"Thank you," Knox was about to say a lot more than that about her. "You look stunning."
"Thank you," finding her mouth suddenly dry, Sam grabs a glass of champagne off a tray as a server walks by. "This is the first time I've come to one of these things. Have you ever been to one?"
"Well, I..."
Finding herself suddenly feeling very awkward, Sam has no problem with the act. She steps back and ends up stepping on a man's foot, goes to move and bumps into another and spills a drink down another person's front. For five minutes, all she can do is apologize to one person after another.
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Knox takes her arm and guides her to a safe and less crowded corner of the room. "I'm a horrible klutz. I'm sorry for all that. Have you come to something like this before?"
Knox frowns, looking at her as if he isn't sure how to answer her. "Uh, yes. I've been to a few. In New York, Boston, and Chicago."
Of course, the big three. New York where she just left, Boston six months ago, and Chicago where she had first ran into Knox two years ago. There were other jobs in between those but those were the biggies. And the jobs that Knox led the team.
"I've never been to Boston. Is it nice?" Sam asks, linking her arm through Knox's and begins to walk through the crowd.
If she is going to be the decoy, she might as well enjoy it.
"It's nice. It's cold. When I was there it was. You haven't been there?" He asked slowly, not believing her.
Shaking her head, Sam continued looking around the room and taking in all the sights. "Oh, look at that!"
Grabbing Knox's hand, she pulled him over to a case that held a golden crown, colored stones embedded into the gold sparkling in the bright light of the room. It was beautiful and unfortunately a fake, but Sam wasn't going to point it out to anyone.
Knox looked at the crown and knew he had seen the same one before in another exhibition a few months back. He also knew that this one wasn't the real thing but a duplicate.
"That's not real," he said quietly in her ear.
Turning her head, Sam found herself nose to nose with those bright blue eyes staring into hers. "How do you know that?"
"The emblem below the center stone. It's not the correct shape. It should be four pear shapes that intertwine, not three." Sam had to give him credit, he was exactly right.
She didn't respond but looked back at the crown feeling it was safer than continuing to look in those blue eyes. They continued to admire the pieces around the room, and Sam kept the good agent occupied as planned.
"So you don't travel much?" He asked as they walked outside.
"Sometimes but it's usually to mines," Sam smiled and nodded to a lovely woman with jet black hair as they passed by. "I deal with mainly raw material straight from the mine so, once it's been cleaned I examine it, determine its condition, it's worth, then the company will decide whether or not they want to buy or not.
"If they don't and it's a good enough quality I'll request a bid for the piece and purchase it for my aunts. If they agree I have it shipped to them. When I'm able to take time I come to the island and create what I can for them." Explaining the process, Sam leaves out a lot of major details.
"So you help support them in the process of doing your own job," Knox listens and asks questions about the process, showing actual interest in what she does.
It's a first for Sam and almost makes her feel guilty for lying to him. It's for his own good just as it's better that her family knows nothing about what she does. It will only hurt all of them if she told the truth.
Knox was beginning to think he made a mistake. Samina didn't fit the description of Samantha Midnight. Not anymore. She might have a few common factors but she isn't a thief. That he was certain of. But he was doing his job and his job said this was the mark. So he stuck with it.
He located Marcus and saw that Marcus found the redhead from the restaurant earlier. If either of these two decide to take the stone tonight, they will know it. And Samantha Midnight will finally be caught once and for all.
As they walk through a set of doors, Knox holds the door open for a beautiful woman with jet black hair. She murmurs a thank you to him and keeps walking away, taking Sam's hand they go the opposite direction and head towards the lobby. Away from the crowd and the exhibits where they can sit down and relax.
The night continued with dinner in the dining room and music as guests mingled to the terrace and for the fresh air from the pacific to blow in. It was a lovely night and Sam was having a wonderful time. She almost forgot that she was the decoy. Almost.
As they went into the bar to get a last drink for the night, the entire resort went dark. Knox stopped where he was and knew exactly what was happening but didn't understand how it could be.
The diamond couldn't be getting stolen! He was holding Samantha Midnight's hand!
Please remember to vote comment and share